Newborn Baby With Calicivirus

momof3furbabies

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 21, 2008
Messages
66
Purraise
1
I am beside myself here. A 3rd kitten has taken ill. He's my favorite:( They're 2 weeks today. Last night I noticed his front shoulder was swollen and his hind legs were also slightly swollen so I rushed him to the vet. Vet said it looked grim. Said it may be a nutrition issue and to up his feeds to every 2 hours as well as at night and it also appears to be calci virus. Mom may be a carrier as well. I am scared to death. I fully expected him to be dead by today. Vet has as well but says the older they are usually the longer they hang around and that the swelling may not go away and he probably wont recover. He did get cold overnight because he wandered off the heating pad. Mom still feeds him but I do it mostly. The other siblings(4) have opened their eyes. One needed help with cotton because it had some crust which vet said was also possibly this virus. Does anyone have ANY help or advice. I don't want to lose these kittens. We've already lost 2 2 weeks ago. That was devastating enough. My kids cannot take anymore. This little one is eating and he purrs and suckles and tries so hard. Please help this kitten!
 

eb24

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 14, 2012
Messages
1,417
Purraise
128
Location
USA
momof3furbabies,

I'm so sorry that I am just seeing your posts now and to read that you have lost two babies already- I know how devastating that can be. I tried to go through your older posts but I'm short on time and wanted to get something back to you so I'm sorry if this is repetitive. 

Is the vet sure that it's Calici or are they just assuming? As the vet said it is a virus so there isn't much you can do to get rid of it other than just let it run it's course. What you can do however is manage the symptoms to give their bodies a fighting chance. By far the most important thing I did was subcutaneous fluids (fluids injected under the skin) to keep them hydrated. Granted, my litter was 10 weeks old when they got it but if you don't have SubQ's on hand I would talk to the vet ASAP about getting some. They are easy to administer they just need to show you how.

As I'm sure you have figured out Calici is highly contagious so if one has it than it's a pretty safe bet that they all do (including Mom). I'm not sure how her health is but common symptoms of this virus are mouth ulcers, nasal/eye discharge, excessive drooling, and lethargy. I would check inside her mouth to see if she has any ulcers as those can quickly put her off her food. Older cats don't tend to get it as bad as kittens do but you want to keep an eye on her too. It sounds like she is still nursing them at times and the last thing you need is for her to stop completely. 

I honestly don't know the survival rates of kittens so young having Calici but it sounds like you are doing everything you can to give them a fighting chance. I would err on the side of caution and assume all the kittens are infected and treat them all as such. Make sure you are weighing them all at the same time everyday and that they aren't losing any weight. Keep up with the every two hour bottle feedings. Call and ask the vet about SubQ's and see if it's worth trying an antibiotic (obviously this won't treat the virus but I did it with mine to help with any secondary infection that could have been present). It may or may not be worth doing. It may even be worth giving the antibiotic to Mom and then letting it pass to the kittens through her milk. If any of them seem stuffed up or are having problems breathing a humidifier can really help too. Overall, keep in mind that it is not the virus itself that is fatal but the symptoms. Keeping them hydrated is absolutely critical.

I know this is an extremely difficult time but just try to hang in there. Each day their immune systems are developing and that dramatically increases their chances of survival. I think it's fair that the vet warned you that the odds aren't great simply because they are so young but so long as you keep fighting they will too. If you do lose anymore try and take some comfort in knowing that sometimes these things do happen and that you did absolutely everything you possibly could. If it's any consolation my litter was VERY ill by the time they came to me and I didn't think any would survive. All of mine did so above all, remember to have hope. 

 
 Vibes to you and your brood that they can beat this. Call your vet as soon as you can to try and put a more cohesive treatment plan together and keep asking questions here as you need to. Hang in there! 
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

momof3furbabies

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 21, 2008
Messages
66
Purraise
1
Thanks so much for your reply and your hope. I called my vet who still refuses to give any hope but did give me eye ointment and also Zithromax for mom and babies. Is this safe in your opinion for 2 week old babies? I ask because they want to euthanize the sick ones and they believe mom is sick and she isn't. I'm worming her and the kittens today also. Little baby is eating but so far has shown no signs of improvement. His eyes aren't really open At all. They have like this glossy look or coating over them. I imagine that's from the virus? I have 7 other cats and they had a kitty cold months ago that they fought off but I guess remained carriers of and I guess this is how the babies caught it and I am just devastated? Someone will sneeze every now and then but there are no active symptoms present otherwise. How do I get the babies to survive and how do I get this out of the environment? Thanks
 

di and bob

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
16,583
Purraise
22,964
Location
Nebraska, USA
I'm sorry I can't offer you any advise, but I want you to know I'll be sending you and your babies healing vibes,
and be praying for their survival. It makes me heartsick to think of them like this. Please take care of yourself and know you are doing all you can, once again I'm so sorry for your troubles.Please keep us posted.
 

eb24

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 14, 2012
Messages
1,417
Purraise
128
Location
USA
I don't know enough about that antibiotic (and I'm not a vet) so I can't really advise if it's safe for such young kittens. I will say though, that if I were in your shoes and they were giving me the options of euthanasia or antibiotics I would take my chances with the drugs. If they are sick to the point that their chances of survival are that low anyway I guess I would assume it's worth trying anything that may work. I would ask and make sure it's okay that the kittens receive the drug both independently and through Mom's milk. You don't want to over drug them! 

It doesn't sound like your vet is being very supportive. If you feel that way remember it's okay to get a copy of their records and go see someone else. There is a time and place where euthanasia is absoltuey the kindest thing you can do, but just based off of what you have said here it doesn't sound to me like you are at that point yet. It sounds like the sick baby is still actively eating and moving around. Because of the urgency and sensitive nature of your situation if I were you I would at least seek a second opinion from another vet. They may be more willing to help you fight and help you develop a comprehensive plan. 
 Little baby is eating but so far has shown no signs of improvement. His eyes aren't really open At all. They have like this glossy look or coating over them. I imagine that's from the virus? 
It does sound like it but whether it's from Calici or just an Upper Respiratory Infection I don't know. Calici is a form of a URI but there are others as well. Perhaps yet another reason to seek a second opinion. If it seems like he is trying to open them but they are really crusty you can soften the gunk with a paper towel or cotton ball and warm water. 
 I have 7 other cats and they had a kitty cold months ago that they fought off but I guess remained carriers of and I guess this is how the babies caught it and I am just devastated? Someone will sneeze every now and then but there are no active symptoms present otherwise. How do I get the babies to survive and how do I get this out of the environment? Thanks
This also makes me wonder if it's not Calici but another form of URI. Most adult cats are carriers of some form of URI, and it is entirely possible that they spread it to the babies. You should already be taking standard precautions of keeping Mom and babies separate from the other adults (just for the safety of the babies). Changing the kittens bedding at least once a day will also cut down on cross contamination. For some illnesses it is necessary to break out the cleaning products and really disinfect but with kittens this young around I wouldn't. They have clearly already been exposed to whatever it is and there isn't much you can do about that now. 

The kittens need as nurturing of an environment as possible. Hopefully they are somewhere quiet and safe and you are keeping their nest clean. Other than that and keeping them overly hydrated there isn't much you can do but let nature take it's course. A lot of the things I did when my litter was sick don't apply just because of the age difference (like you don't need to worry about minimizing their activity or feeding them wet food). 

So, I would try and get in with another vet for a second opinion and in the meantime keep doing what you are doing. After 32 foster kittens I have learned that sometimes things just are what they are. I know it's not what you want to hear but it's true that some kittens just don't make it, and that may be a reality in your situation. But, I have also learned that cats are very adept at picking up on our emotions. If you give up so will they. If you stay positive and keep fighting it's motivation for them to do the same. As down as you may feel keep radiating positive energy and healing vibes towards them. Don't worry so much about the sick one not opening his eyes yet and focus more on the things you can control such as his eating. Once his body starts to fight back he will reach his milestones, but right now it sounds like all his energy is being reallocated to fighting this virus. 

If nothing else stay positive and just focus on their eating and their weights. The rest will play out how it will. 

Hang in there! 
 

StefanZ

Advisor
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
25,999
Purraise
10,648
Location
Sweden
Against URI´s, which I suppose is other way to say cat flu, they often recommend L-lysine. It can often help, they say.

I dont know if L-lysine works also against Calici-virus.   But I suppose it cant hurt.

L-lysine is also in pulverised form, so you can mix it with anything, kmr or pediadialyte...

I dont know the exact dosages for cats.

Good luck!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

momof3furbabies

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 21, 2008
Messages
66
Purraise
1
Thanks so much guys really appreciate all your support and advice. I actually have l-lysine powder. I will try some in his next feed. He won't feed from mom. He's very weak. He won't even meow now. Is this common? They get worse before they get better sometimes?
 

eb24

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 14, 2012
Messages
1,417
Purraise
128
Location
USA
Thanks so much guys really appreciate all your support and advice. I actually have l-lysine powder. I will try some in his next feed. He won't feed from mom. He's very weak. He won't even meow now. Is this common? They get worse before they get better sometimes?
Stefan is right L-Lysine is a really good immune booster. 

I think it just depends on the individual animal. Sometimes less energy is good because it's letting the body heal. But, it could also be a sign that he's going downhill despite your best efforts. How are his hydration levels? If you pull up the skin on the back of his neck it should snap right back into place. If it is slow to go down or remains at a peak then he is dehydrated and that's not good. Also, how are his stools? Are they like toothpaste or just total diarrhea? Is he still gaining weight? All these things can be indicators of if he's getting better or worse and need to be closely monitored. 

I'm getting on a flight here in a few hours finally heading back home so I will be offline until late tomorrow afternoon (it's 10:00pm here now). I am sending all my vibes that when I check again you will have a good report! Hang in there little guy!!! 
 

StefanZ

Advisor
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
25,999
Purraise
10,648
Location
Sweden
 He's very weak. He won't even meow now. Is this common? They get worse before they get better sometimes?
Like EB said, he may, probably is, weakening and going downhill...

You can try and boost up him by having some wet dextrose or white caro syrup or honey on his gum.

Or having a little more dextrose in his pedialyte.

Make sure he has enough warmth, but not too warmth either.  You can also try and massage him a little.

Although I see your post was 8 hours ago, so it is probably done now, this way or another.... He either did overcome the crisis, or he did not....

Good luck anyway....

L-lysine powder  you can surely use also for all the others too, to help them fight off the threatening infection.

It is an natural aminoacid, so it can hardly hurt in normal doses.
 
Last edited:
Top