Please help!

Hello All,

            I adopted 2, 8 week old kittens on Monday from the SPCA. They are littermates and I couldn't bear to separate them. They both have uri and the shelter sent us home with antibiotics. One little girl, Rosie is thriving despite her stuffy head. She's eating and playing and seems quite content. The other, Lily is just not eating and lethargic. I've rushed her my vet twice this week. I'm so afraid she will become dehydrated! The vet said she's not dehydrated and to just keep doing what I'm doing, which is giving her water from a dropper several times a day and I just started giving her KMR by dropper as well. She does seem a little brighter today but still not interested in eating. I've tried all kinds of wet food, including tuna, added water and heated it a bit to make it good and stinky. Now here is what I need help with please... How much and how often should I offer water and KMR? She is just 2 lbs. The vet also said the dosage of antibiotics prescribed at SPCA was way too strong for her and may be upsetting her tummy and she cut the dosage in half. They are just sweetest little girls and I'm so worried about Lily. Rosie likes to climb up my back and literally sit on my head and watch the action as I feed Lily! I would really appreciate any suggestion/advice. Thank so much!

You could try and give them some L-lysine. You can buy this usually at a health food store, or drug store. It comes in 500 mg capsules, becuase you have little kitties, you cannot give them the whole capsule.  You need to open the capsule and sprinkle just a tiny bit into their wet food and mix well.

This is an amino acid, it helps with URI's and feline herpes. It does take a bit to work, but it must be given everyday, as it does leave their systems very quickly.  If they told you to cut back on the antibiotics I would do that too. Your kitty really needs to get some calories into her, how about some baby food just the plain kind turkey or chicken that does not contain any onion, or garlic. lots of kitties will eat this. Hope your kitties feel better.

Thanks Wilson,

                      I was thinking about the baby food meat so I'll give that a try. She won't eat anything period so I can't try L-lysine just yet. I'm concerned about her fluids. Being so tiny I know she can dehydrate so quickly! Do you know how much water is needed for a kitten this age? I'm giving her water from a tsp dropper several times a day. I don't know how much she is actually taking in put I can see her swallow so I know she's getting some, I just hope it's enough. I started KMR yesterday and offer several times a day too. I think she may actually get about 1/2 a tsp every time I try. I stop when she starts to pull away and take that to mean she's had enough and wants to be left alone. Thanks for the suggestions

It is very important that she eat. Keep giving her the water. Though food is most important, can you get some of the baby food? or get some of the wet food you have now, make it really watery and give that to her in a syringe. If she has a URI she probably cannot smell the food, or there can be other underlying issues. If she does not get any food in to her by tommorow I would take her back to the Vet. Purring for your kitties!!

The KMR is a kitten milk replacement and I was told it is very nutritious. I just sent someone for gerber baby chicken...lol. I think I might try a steamy bathroom for a few minutes? Maybe that will help unclog her little nose? I will also try the wet food diluted in the med syringe. I wont hesitate to bring her to our vet again, I think she's getting sick of me...lol. I've brought her in twice and called 4 times. Gotta take care of my babies!

Yeah, chicken or turkey baby food (turkey has a wee bit more protein, so I always get that) is pretty good. KMR is very nutritious but at her age I think she needs more substance than just baby formula. Also ask your vet about Hill's A/D--it's made for syringe-feeding. You can use Pedialyte (or homemade Oral Rehydration Solution--Google it for the recipe) to keep her hydrated. Poor sick little babies sometimes just need a little support before they can get themselves going. Hope she feels better soon!

You might also want to try spending some time in a steamy bathroom with her, to help clear up her sinuses. I know in this hot, humid weather in most of the country it's probably the last thing you want to do, but this often helps. The Lysine is an excellent suggestion, as is unflavored pedialyte for children (or home made pedialyte). :nod: Sounds like you're doing a wonderful job! If the vet said she's hydrated, and that's what you were giving her, then it seems you're getting the right amount into her.

Well here's what's been happening. Lily snubbed Gerber baby chicken. I dabbed a little on her mouth to make her lick it and she did and sniffed the plate a bit but that was a far as it went. I got a little KMR in her this morning, maybe 1/2 a tsp. I tried the steamy bathroom last night and will try again in a little bit. That DOES seem to help. (Made my nose run anyway...lol) I diluted some wet food last night and got a bit in her with med syringe. It really seems like she wants to eat but just can't smell enough to get her going. She does seem more alert today and spent the night snoring in my ear She purrs like crazy when I hold her so I guess she doesn't hate me for shoving the dropper in her mouth! I am just so worried about her! It really is no different than a human new born baby. I've had many sleepless nights with my (human) girls too! I think I might try diluting the baby chicken and using the syringe? She's so thin! Poor baby! Sigh... 

Well your trying, good for you mum still keep on with the watered down food in a syringe. Though this can stress them out when being syringed. Have you gotten some L-lysine yet?

Yes, I've thought that too. I don't want to stress her out with the syringe. I stop and let her be when she's seems to have had enough. I will get the L-lysine after work. Is this something I can find at Walmart? What section? Vitamins and such? Thanks for all your help

Have you seen the recipe for kitten glop on this website?  You might try some of that.

Another thing would be to make a slurry of some food and, using a large syringe, shoot a little bit at a time into the corner of her mouth.  It sounds like she might be coming around, and just a few more days of care might pick up.  Good luck!
 

CrystalCat said:

Yes, I've thought that too. I don't want to stress her out with the syringe. I stop and let her be when she's seems to have had enough. I will get the L-lysine after work. Is this something I can find at Walmart? What section? Vitamins and such? Thanks for all your help

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Im not sure if you can get it at Walmart or not? you can try, just make sure that it is plain L-lysine and nothing else in it. You will be breaking open the capsules and putting it into their wet food.

dosage would be 1/2 the capsule for each kitty. This will help boost their immune system.  I give my Wilson 500mg the whole capsule a day, he is 13 lbs and is 8 yrs old. Have been doing this since i got him.

mrblanche said:

Have you seen the recipe for kitten glop on this website?  You might try some of that.

Another thing would be to make a slurry of some food and, using a large syringe, shoot a little bit at a time into the corner of her mouth.  It sounds like she might be coming around, and just a few more days of care might pick up.  Good luck!
 

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I've given the recipe for kitten glop to customers with kittens in similar situations.  While I have no personal experience with it the feedback I've gotten from the folks that tried it has been 100% positive. 

What antibiotic do they have her on, and how much do you give, and how often?

She is not eating, because she cannot smell the food, so keep doing what you are doing.  As far as baby food, you can use chicken or turkey ONLY, and I use Gerber too.  Once she starts eating, or even a little bit, for her age, use 1/2 teaspoon baby food, and mix it with lukewarm water, so its like a broth, that will get some nutrition in her, and most importantly, fluids. 

I agree with Wilson, give the L-Lysine. You can find it in the human vitamin section, in any drugstore. Just make sure, its a quality brand, and says it contains no fillers, it will say so on the bottle.  Wilson is right, kittens would get 250 mgs, but, you want to ask your vet, due to her young age, if she is old enough for it. My kittens were 6 months old, when they first got it, so don't know about 8 weeks old. 

They should be on the antibiotics for 10 days, and they usually start to feel better in 3 days. On a rare occassion, one antibiotic won't work, and they have to switch antibiotics, to a different family.  If this just won't go away, ask you vet to test for Bartonella. Its a blood test, and they have to specifically test for it.  If she does have it, they would put her on Baytril, its a stronger antibiotic, but they usually try the others first, before they go that route, if its not Bartonella.  

Also ask your vet about  Nutrical. It looks like toothpaste, and comes in a tube, kinda like hairball stuff.  Its a nutritional supplement, for when they have issues. You would smear it on her paw. They don't like things on their paws, so thats why they lick it off. I don't know, if she is too young for it, or even how much to give a young kitten, but your vet would know.  

Hope she is feeling better soon, thank you, for giving these 2 little kittens a good home, you sound like a very good mommy, we would love to see some pictures of the little tykes.    

LILY IS EATING!!!! (and mommy is so happy I'm crying...silly mommy) My husband tried giving her the baby chicken while I was at work. (he's a good daddy) He texted me saying she ate a whole jar!!! Yay!!! When I got home she was drinking some water! 

The antibiotic is Clavamox. The SPCA said dosage was .5 twice a day. When I brought Lily to the Vet she said that was too strong for her. She is only 2lbs. She had me cut it to .2. They have been on the antibiotics since Monday, so 6 days now. 

Thank you all so much for your help! I feel so much better she is eating! I'm going to save the recipe for kitty glop. I'll post some pics soon

Now THAT is worthy of a good cry - and a GIANT smile!

...and they say having pets reduces stress!

LOL! Love the big smile! Yep, that what we all look like here!   Happy dance!

Yippe!!!!!! that is such great news!! what a relief. So happy for you and your kitty!!

I would still get some L-lysine for your kitties though

Just in passing...in reading quickly through the thread, I didn't see if anyone mentioned to be sure to check the label of baby foods for onion as an ingredient.  It can be very bad for cats, causing anemia.

I'm glad to hear she's eating.  A URI in a cat is a lot like a cold in humans; when you can't smell, it's tough to enjoy food.
 

The dosage, for most medicines, including Revolution, goes by the weight of the cat. What your vet told you, is correct.  The .5 is for a much larger cat. Now that she is eating, cut back on the baby food, or if you still want to give it, only give 1 teaspoon, mixed with water, so its like a broth, twice a day.  Don't be alarmed, if she has diarea. That is from the baby food.  We do what we have to do, to get them to eat, but eating a whole jar of baby food, lol, is most likely, to give her diarea, lol, don't give her that much at one time, lol.  

So very very glad Lily is eating and feeling better, I love the big smiley face too! 

Can't wait to see pictures!!