I am out of answers , need help!!!

laurie314

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I've posted before about these kittens and Mama. The kittens are now close to nine weeks old. There were 6.. one passed away and we found a kitten on a deck ( same age) MaMa kittten accepted it after a lil coaxing. Happy to say he's been adopted Never got sick!. I also had 5 kittens found in someones drain pipe. 4 have been adopted. Heres the problem.. Mama Cat ( kittens were 3 weeks old) got sick. She had terrible diarrehea...kittens got it too..thats where i lost the one kitten. She refused to feed it. But after he died she started feeding the others. Another kitty got real bad. I took all to the vet and he put them on Albon. Everyone was doing better, but Mama still had diarrehea.  The other set of kittens found in drain pipe were ok except one black one(male) he had it bad also. He went to the vet several times and was admitted and tested for everything. All was negative, even for parasites. But the doc put him on a 7 day does of Albon He gained weight and started playing looking better.. Throughout all this I have been giving pumpkin, they pretty much hate it.  The drain pipe kittens are a few weeks older and have been vaccinted and dewormed two weeks ago. All have been adopted but the Black male. He got sick again two days ago. The admitted him immediatly and I am waiting to hear whats going on.  The kittens and Mama WERE doin great. The kittens got vaccinated and dewormed and have terrible diarrehea AGAIN.  Mama cats is lose poop, but I think her problem is that she eats like a pig and makes herself sick. I have been limiting her wet food intake and she is pissed. She has dry available at all times.  SO now its time to adopt these babies out and I can't let them go like this. I do not know what else to do. Any other suggestions?? Maybe they need a probiotic to balance the enzymes in the belly?? I just don't know.. and the vet doesn't either. She thinks the black kitten might have FIP, but I don't think so...I had a cat pass away from FIP....I know the signs... Black kitty was playful and doing great until 2 days ago.. and 2 days after last dose. of Albon.  More Albon?? will be 3rd round... I am confused..HELP!!!

Also, FYI  i have Cats of my own..Nobody is sick in anyway and hasn't been through all of this!
 
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StefanZ

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Yes, I think probiotics cant harm but may help. Sure, go on.  The only question is which one of them?

Do you yourself have suggestions?

If you do have access to another experienced vet, a second opinion would be good.

Im thinking, they got their second burst after vaccines and deworming.  It is like, it was hanging there, but their bodies manages to control it. But after the body got temporalily weakened by these (necessary) meds, the diarrhea burst open again...

Lets hope others fill in!

Good luck!
 
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laurie314

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Well  I got news from the vet, the black kitten has possible  "twisted intestine". Its not good news. The city I foster for will not pay for an extensive surgery for a kitten. I am thinking if his survival % is good with a surgery. I just may take him to my own vet and foot the bill.  He is alot cheaper, than these ritzy hi-class vets. The other kittens seem to be ok and I am starting probiotics in the water.  Just an idea??? Could Mama cats milk be bad. I never heard of it making kittens sick, but just throwing that idea out into the wind?? Anybody else have any ideas or thoughts. I can sure use the feedback!!
 

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If he does have a twisted intestine it's not something to hang around with, and even a second opinion from your vet might be worth having.  It won't be mother's milk being 'bad' though, unless she is on medication that's the problem.
 

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I'd be getting another opinion, where they all put on antibiotics or just the black one? They really should all be treated. I'm not familiar with Albon, here Clavulox is a good general AB that's safe for kittens and mums. 

I wouldn't be limiting the mums wet food either, mix in some plain yoghurt and give her boiled chicken & rice for a few days instead to see if her tummy will settle. 
 

speakhandsforme

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I'd be getting another opinion, where they all put on antibiotics or just the black one? They really should all be treated. I'm not familiar with Albon, here Clavulox is a good general AB that's safe for kittens and mums. 

I wouldn't be limiting the mums wet food either, mix in some plain yoghurt and give her boiled chicken & rice for a few days instead to see if her tummy will settle. 
Albon isn't an antibiotic. It's an anti-parasitic, used in the US to treat worms and coccidia.
 

carolina

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Albon isn't an antibiotic. It's an anti-parasitic, used in the US to treat worms and coccidia.
No... - Albon IS an antibiotic. However it is also used to treat coccidia and some other parasites. Like Metronidazole, it has anti-inflammatory properties in the intestinal tract, which is why it is often used for IBD cats when Metronidazole doesn't work. It is usually used for longer term though - it is not unusual to use for 30 days, or even longer, on cats with IBD.
 
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speakhandsforme

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Albon isn't an antibiotic. It's an anti-parasitic, used in the US to treat worms and coccidia.
No... - Albon IS an antibiotic. However it is also used to treat coccidia and some other parasites.
Oh, really? That's interesting. I've never had it prescribed for antibiotic purposes, or even heard of it being used for that... only for intestinal parasites. For antibiotics we get Clavamox or something. I imagine parasites are what the OP's vet was using it for, since intestinal parasites can cause some pretty horrific diarrhea. :(

Thanks! You learn something new every day :bigthumb:
 

carolina

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Oh, really? That's interesting. I've never had it prescribed for antibiotic purposes, or even heard of it being used for that... only for intestinal parasites. For antibiotics we get Clavamox or something. I imagine parasites are what the OP's vet was using it for, since intestinal parasites can cause some pretty horrific diarrhea. :(
Thanks! You learn something new every day :bigthumb:
Yeah - Kind of the same deal of Metronidazole - used for Giardia, IBD, but nonetheless, an antibiotic.
The antibiotics commonly used for IBD are Metronidazole, Albon and Sulfasalazine :nod:
 

carolina

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(Meant to add this to the above post...... )

All three are used to treat colitis (diarrhea) - when there is an unknown cause..... That could have been the thought process of the vet as well....
 
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StefanZ

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I wouldn't be limiting the mums wet food either, mix in some plain yoghurt and give her boiled chicken & rice for a few days instead to see if her tummy will settle. 
Ah, boiled chicken or even better pidgeon, as soup or as meat - that is what we got from OUR moms when we were sick small kids.

And well boiled rice against diarrhea.  Not any "master chief cook" boiled, but well boiled, so the rice goes soft. Add some salt.  Use also the rice water resulting.

Again, like probiotics, this tips is something you can surely use parallelly with the vet medications. Cant hurt, but may give a big plus.  

(btw, yoghurt MissyMotus mentioned is by itself a sort of natural probiotic and used as such both for humans and animals.).
 
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laurie314

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Kittens have gotten better and most were adopted out. The probiotic worked wonders..Its called puppy mate. its for kitten and puppies.  All the kittens were on 2 rounds of Albon, I took them away from Momma Kitty, I really think its something in her milk, this has been going on for five weeks. I notice they get sick when she nurses them. Mom has been on clavimox and albon. Mom seems to have a problem with canned food. When I mix her food with pumpkin and give her a little 2x a day her poop hardens. As soon as I give her straight wet, she has diarehea. She has dry available at all times. She fusses for a while then realizes she is not getting anymore  wet and eats the dry. Black kitty is still in vet hospital. I talked to them briefly and they have him on meds and r going to "fatten him up" I think one of the vets has taken a liking to the kitten, i have a feeling there gonna keep him permantly. They do have a resident cat there! Thanks for all ur help, hopefully the last two will get adopted out soon and mama will be fixed and adopted also.
 

speakhandsforme

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All the kittens were on 2 rounds of Albon, I took them away from Momma Kitty, I really think its something in her milk, this has been going on for five weeks. I notice they get sick when she nurses them. Mom has been on clavimox and albon.
I'm not at all versed in what transfers through feline milk, but maybe the Clavamox given to the mom is the culprit? Clavamox causes diarrhea in a LOT of cats, as it's very strong and can deplete the beneficial gut bacteria that help cats (and us!) digest our food correctly. So maybe the kittens are getting some of it through mom? Just a thought.
 
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laurie314

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I took the remaining kittens away from Mom cat. I am positive shes got bad milk. Everytime she feeds them they get sick.  Sadly the kitten that was pulled out of the sewer never fully recovered. She was eating yesterday, purring and nuzzling my face to pet her. When I put them in there crate, she was eating dry food. This morning I went to feed them and she had passed away. I am so upset..Idk what the heck happened. Looks like she died in her sleep. I just buried her. Poor baby girl!

I ordered "benebac for the other kittens to help get there digestive system back on track. I give them pumpkin and the poop hardens up then as soon as I introduce canned food, bam right back to runny poop. I am very clean, change litter box every day, clean it with dishsoap and bleach. I rinse very well and dry thoroughly. I do not let them wander the house to much to eat anything they shouldn't. Since the kittens were 3 weeks old and Mama got sick, I've hhad nothing but problems. They were checked out treated for worms, parasites and infection.  Thats why I think there tummies are just messed up. There growing, playing, eating...I never had such a problem with a liter of kittens like this. I've taken care of so many. I am just so confused.....looking back I see I never posted about the sewer kitty. After a bad rain two weeks ago, a mama cat was standing on a sewer lid crying, my son (local animal control) went down and found a kitten , maybe 5 weeks old. He tried to give Mama back the kitten but mama took off and didn't come back for kity. So i took her. She was a mess. She ate very little, skinny , I was feeding her and giving her kitten vitapaste with extra calories. the last few days her appetite seemed to get better and she was becomming friendly, meowing and purring...well I posted above the outcome..I am so bummed.......
 
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StefanZ

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 the last few days her appetite seemed to get better and she was becomming friendly, meowing and purring...well I posted above the outcome..I am so bummed.......
Yes, it is hard. But you did your outmost, and she cooperated as well as she could. Your conscience is entirely clean, and her immortal soul rest therefore in peace.

I really hope you do sleep sweetly and calmly with the "sleep of the Righteous", as the proverb says.   :)

Many warm hugs!

Good luck!
 
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I'm so sorry she passed. I know how hard that is. I had this happen with a litter- they had terrible diarrhea and then it cleared up on rice and baby food but as soon as they went back on wet food they were sick again. The 4 biggest outgrew it but the smallest two just weren't looking good so I took them to the vet. They had them on a feeding tube and they perked right up, but the next morning the smallest had passed in his sleep. A few days later the second one also passed. There was no apparent cause so they said it was likely FIP. If interested here is a brochure on the disease: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/fip.html

It's possible that Mom is a carrier of the coronavirus and they picked it up from her and it morphed into FIP. 

Just know you did everything you could for her and that she isn't suffering or in any pain. I am sorry you have to experience this loss. 
 
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laurie314

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The kittens went back to the vet on Monday, he checked the poop, no parasites.  H eput them on albon for the runny poops for the third time. I got them bene bac to help there stripped belly's and he told me yougurt, so I tried that tooo. they still have runny poop. I am out of answers..idk what else to do.. HELP!!!!
 

missymotus

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Yoghurt is a natural pro-biotic, bene bac isn't available here so I can't comment on that.

Have you tried feeding boiled chicken with rice? A few days of that (up to 5) usually stops the runs, also adding Slippery Elm Bark can also help, add a little to water to form a gel that you mix into the food.

Iams dry food Hairball formula is renown for stopping the runs, no it's not the best food but does work wonders in these situations.
 

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The kittens went back to the vet on Monday, he checked the poop, no parasites.  H eput them on albon for the runny poops for the third time. I got them bene bac to help there stripped belly's and he told me yougurt, so I tried that tooo. they still have runny poop. I am out of answers..idk what else to do.. HELP!!!!
Albon is an antibiotic, Bene-bac is a probiotic.... Bene-bac will work after you stop Albon. When are you going to be done with Albon?
What are you feeding them? I agree with a bland diet for a little while too....
 
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