5 week old kitten has no bowel control

Hello,

Thanks for allowing us to be a part of your website. Bryan and I have just adopted a 5 week old kitten, almost 6 weeks now.  It has been a big challenge! She was the last kitten in the litter, and the lady did not want to let her go because she thought the kitten had problems pooping. She was going to take the baby and its mother to the pound. We brought her home and noticed a problem with her bowels being runny. That weekend we played with her and watched her closely. She was, and is so little! That Monday we took her to the vet only to find that she had a congenital abnormality, where her private parts are too close together. She has a problem with runny stools, but she is perfectly healthy. The doctors seem to think that because she is a bobtail, O yeh, she is a calico bobtail and absolutely precious! But because of this she may have some nerve damage to the anal area causing her to not be able to feel when she needs to go. Aveki goes through the motions as far as going to the litter box after eating, but only pees. There is also a question of flaccid colon or underdeveloped colon. I would like any advice that anyone can share with us about some of these issues. We have been told, and have learned ways to train her and have developed a technique for small diapers  The doctors have told us there is an option to do surgery to seperate the private areas, but she is just too small, we feel, for that right now. The doctors have her on a probiotic powder and amoxicillin right now just to ward off any parasites in her gut.

   My husband has been wonderful and treats her like a princess. It is absolutely adorable to watch him play and love on her. She fits in the palm of his hand. He even set her up a huge dog crate as her "own space" when we are not home so that she does not "puddle butt" all over the place. We named her Aveki Nara Wallace. Aveki is short for "Adventure Kitty", Bryans idea, and Nara is the Celtic name for "Contented".

   I would appreciate any advice anyone would have for us

Thank You,

Bryan and Teresa Wallace

Hi

My husband and I just adopted a little 5 week old kitten that has this same problem. She is a calico/bobtail. Not only does she have incotinence but she has  congenital abonormality where her recutm and vagina have no spacing. We have taken her to the vet and they put her on a probiotic powder to help her immature gut with the amoxicillin. Giving her the amoxicillin was to help with any bacteria or parasites she might have. She has NO control of her bowels or urine. She will go through the motions, like after she eats she will go to the litter box and sometimes a little urine will come out. The vet has said she could have a flaccid colon or there could be nerve damage to the rectal area. They were wanting us to go see a surgeon for her congenital abnormality but she is too small, we think and feel that if we infact decide to do this we want her to be bigger. However, when we asked the vet how many cases he had seen like Aveki's he stated 2, and when I asked him the outcomes his facial expression said it all. But, he said we could get her a big dog cage kennel and put her litter box, food and sleeping area in it along with toys so when we are not home she can stay in there, Which is exactly what we did  Also, he said you can see what the surgeon says, or have her put to sleep. Needless to say I cried my eye's out when he said that. Aveki is so very playful, loving, cuddly, and funny! We have really enjoyed having her in our life. We have pretty much "kitty proofed our leather furniture with towels and use alot of baby wipes Also, we have learne how to make kitten diapers from tube socks and make our own from handkerchiefs. I wash her bottom at least twice a day. It is hard but my husband and I had a long discussion and decided to take care and love her for as long as God allows.  I really feel what you are going through, but do not let it interfere with the joy that little kitten brings to your life

Sincerely,

Aveki's parents

Bryan and Teresa

Welcome to TCS.

I've combined your two posts because they are so similar, and moved them to Pregnant Cat and Kitten Care. You should get more attention from members who have experience with young kittens.

One thing you should be aware of, amoxicillin (and other antibiotics) can cause diarrhea. The probiotics may help but the diarrhea will almost certainly not stop until you stop the amoxicillin. It could also be masking whatever caused the diarrhea in the first place.

Don't make any changes without talking to your vet. But I strongly urge you to ask him about the antibiotics. Sometimes it's a balancing act between what works best and what causes more problems. He may have valid reasons for continuing the antibiotic even with the side effects.

I agree with Goldy.

Besides, having severe diarrhea  she will tend to have difficulties with litter.  Ie, the not using litter is really not a behavioral problem, but a diarrhea problem. Once the diarrhea is better and the poo more normal, she will quickly learn using the litter.  People sick in severe diarrhea tends too to make a mess on themselves.  Even if they have access to toilet.

Under the time, you can also try with several litters, so she always has near to a litter.  The chance becoming better she perhaps finds it in time.  As she does have the basic motions for litter usage.

Im thinking, and guessing a little, when she goes to the litter and pees after food, could you perhaps try and stimulate her tummy and behind a little?  Like you would do with a little kitten. So with a little luck, she will poo then and there, and there will be less for later pooing at wrong places.

As she has diarrhea, she also looses quite much salts and electrolytes.  I would suggest you use some sort of pedialyte, home made is OK.  Pedialyte, balancing out the electrolyte losses, diminishes in itself the diarrhea.  Basic home made pedialyte is a strong weapon against humanitys great mankiller, cholera. Taking alone the death ratio from perhaps 80% to 20%.

As you have a good vet, you can of course ask him about the pedialyte idea.  My guess is he will agree, even if he doesnt think it is necessary.

You can buy pedialyte in your apotekhary / chemist / farmakologist - prob even from your vet.

But some of our experienced forumists say the industrial made pedialyte is too complicated, too many ingredients...

Anyway, the pedialyte I myself use when necessary is, both for children and cats:

1 litre water.

1 soup spoon dextrose sugar (=glucose).  Other sugars may be OK, but dextrose is best.

1 tea spoon  kitchen salt.  Common na/cl salt is ok, but I prefer to use the so called mineral kitchen salt, containing also  k, and some other ions.

Cook up till it boils. Stir if necessary. Let it cool down to body temp. Use.

Dont spare too long, better make a new portion.

Use this pedialyte instead of common drinking water.  At least, in part.

Good you took Aveki in.  In the pound they would just be pts. Surely she.  If the mom is friendly, she may perhaps be allowed to live.  But Aveki wouldnt.

I do thank  you for adopting her.

Welcome to our Forums!

Good luck!

I feel you should at least see the specialist ASAP.  At present her condition isn't really clearly known, and I feel you neeed to know, plus sometimes operations have a better long-term outcome on younger animals.  Seeing the specialist doesn't commit you to any operation now but it does put in properly in the picture about what her condition is, what (possibly) could be done and when it would be best to do it.

And, awful though it seems, it's possible that having her put to sleep is the kindest thing, but you won't have a clue about that until you've seen the specialist.

I agree with Oriental, It may be wise to meet this specialist as soon as feasible.  You will hopefully know more.

Sometimes it is easier to do surgery on kittens than on adult cats.  For example, the reconvalenscation is shorter for spayed kitten, then with adult spayers.

The specialist will know what he feels most comfortable with.

Have you been to the vet? How are things going with Aveki?