My kittens are four weeks old and have been doing great. Well yesterday they started dying. So far I have had two die and one is sickly. They will lay alone and refuse to eat at all. They still act lively and cry normally. They still go potty normally and the mother cleans them regularly. I do not know what to do can you please help?
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Kittens Mysteriously Dying
- Thread starter shay
- Start Date
They need to see the vet.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
The fleas might be the problem, or part of it, but if you are seeing fleas on your cats / kittens they are the tip of the iceberg - you will have lots of flea eggs and larvae in the house. Your kittens might also have been going downhil for some time.
Have no idea what country you are in since you don't say, at a guess the US. Treat mum with Frontline if you can get it there, try to comb fleas out of the kittens (you need a small flea comb to do that), change their bedding and either discard it or wash it hot - 60C - you could even think about bathing the kittens to get the fleas out. A mild baby shampoo is fine but dilute it first.
You could try bottle feeding any more kittens showing signs of going downhill, but you need to use the right powder to make the milk up from, and you need to take care about how you feed them. Also make sure they feel normally warm before feeding - if they feel cool give a tiny bit of sugar solution, and put them somewhere warmer.
If you decide to have a go, there is lots of food information towards the end of this URL:
http://www.fabcats.org/owners/kittens/handrearing.html
And get mum neutered as soon as the kittens are weaned.
Have no idea what country you are in since you don't say, at a guess the US. Treat mum with Frontline if you can get it there, try to comb fleas out of the kittens (you need a small flea comb to do that), change their bedding and either discard it or wash it hot - 60C - you could even think about bathing the kittens to get the fleas out. A mild baby shampoo is fine but dilute it first.
You could try bottle feeding any more kittens showing signs of going downhill, but you need to use the right powder to make the milk up from, and you need to take care about how you feed them. Also make sure they feel normally warm before feeding - if they feel cool give a tiny bit of sugar solution, and put them somewhere warmer.
If you decide to have a go, there is lots of food information towards the end of this URL:
http://www.fabcats.org/owners/kittens/handrearing.html
And get mum neutered as soon as the kittens are weaned.
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I'm sorry if this sounds cruel, but if you cannot afford a vet, or find some way to get vet services, then you are better off not having any pets. That's part of the responsibility of taking care of an animal you bring into your home and family. You might likely lose all of the kittens. Please have the mother spayed, too. There are low cost spay/neuter clinics throughout.
Are you sure the mother cat has milk?
For kittens who are some how separated or cannot nurse from the mother, the best thing to do is get some hills prescription a/d wet food from the vet (you don't necessarily need to pay to see the vet, just tell them you need to buy the food and your vet is closed) and you can also get some i/d (the one for a sensitive stomach) and mix them together. You should also ask the vet to give you some small plastic syringes. You can mix the food together and then suck it into the syringe (it will have the consistency of a slushie). Then you hold the kittens and put the syringe in their mouth and get the slushie into them. Feeding should be every 4 hours at least, and that includes day and night.
You can also make "kitten glop" recipes, you will find them on the internet if you google those words. For the fleas you may be able to treat the mother with frontline (please check a vet site online first) and then her protection should take the fleas off the kittens.
If there is a shelter nearby to where you live, you can call them and tell them you have kittens and that you will foster them for the shelter (and give them to the shelter when they are old enough to be adopted out) in exchange for the shelter helping you with instructions for caring for the kittens. You may be able to get someone to meet you or come over to your place and show you what to do, especially if you offer to continue helping them with kittens moving forward, as a "kitten foster home".
If you get an affiliation going with the shelter, they may be able to help you find low cost spay/neuter and testing services for your mom cat and kittens as well. I think that is your best bet. Remember though, you have to offer your services to them too. Shelters have their hands full this time of year.
For kittens who are some how separated or cannot nurse from the mother, the best thing to do is get some hills prescription a/d wet food from the vet (you don't necessarily need to pay to see the vet, just tell them you need to buy the food and your vet is closed) and you can also get some i/d (the one for a sensitive stomach) and mix them together. You should also ask the vet to give you some small plastic syringes. You can mix the food together and then suck it into the syringe (it will have the consistency of a slushie). Then you hold the kittens and put the syringe in their mouth and get the slushie into them. Feeding should be every 4 hours at least, and that includes day and night.
You can also make "kitten glop" recipes, you will find them on the internet if you google those words. For the fleas you may be able to treat the mother with frontline (please check a vet site online first) and then her protection should take the fleas off the kittens.
If there is a shelter nearby to where you live, you can call them and tell them you have kittens and that you will foster them for the shelter (and give them to the shelter when they are old enough to be adopted out) in exchange for the shelter helping you with instructions for caring for the kittens. You may be able to get someone to meet you or come over to your place and show you what to do, especially if you offer to continue helping them with kittens moving forward, as a "kitten foster home".
If you get an affiliation going with the shelter, they may be able to help you find low cost spay/neuter and testing services for your mom cat and kittens as well. I think that is your best bet. Remember though, you have to offer your services to them too. Shelters have their hands full this time of year.
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Panleukopenia? Are they vomiting?
That was my first thought too. Or else maybe FIP ( Feline Infectious Peritonitis). Those are the main illnesses that kill kittens quickly. If they are dying that suddenly, you have a way bigger problem than just fleas.
Regardless, they have to be seen by a vet ASAP. I think BarbB's suggestion of becoming a kitten foster in exchange for care is a really good place to start. I would also start calling shelters and asking if they know of any low-fee vets. Some will offer care on a sliding scale based on your income. If not, just start calling every vet in the phonebook and see if you can find one who will help you at a reduced rate if you set up a payment plan with them. You have to be proactive on this and not just resign that you don't have the money. There are options but you have to actively seek them. If it is FPV (Panleukopenia) they can survive, but you MUST start treatment immediately. FPV can also infect the mother and if not treated there is a 90% chance that she will die too.
Like Catmom I don't mean to be cruel, but this is something you have to get on top of, and no advice on this board will substitute a vet examining them (including Mom). You owe it to them to do everything in your power to get them the medical care they deserve and desperately need.
Please let us know how this all turns out and I sincerely hope you have experienced the last of your losses.
Fleas can cause life threatening anemia in kittens. You really need to take them to a vet, or a low cost clinic. Put it on a credit card if you have to. There is no reason for anymore kittens , lives, to die if they can be saved by determining what the problem is. You also need to get KMR formula for them and feed them. A kitten should be feed every 2 hours, and if they havent eaten for a day that is really serious. If you do nothing and the kittens die that would be a horrible thing since you have the power to save them.
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