Teething Kitten

My 5 week old kitten Tigger is teething BIG time.  I feel so bad for him because I know he is in pain, and I don't know what to do for him.  Today the teeth pain is worse than other days and because of it, he isn't really eating much.  I know he is hungry but instead of sucking the nipple, all he wants to do is bite it, which I am guessing probably brings him relieve.  Is there anything I can do to help the pain of his teeth coming in?  And how can I get him to eat when he is in pain and doesn't want to eat? 

Second question,  I posted a post earlier about this, but my kitten isn't eating solids.  I tried everything.  I even fixed his solids and dipped his nipple in it and he sucked off it twice but when I did it the third time, he wouldn't budge when it came to opening his mouth.  I really don't know how to get him to start on solids and all I know is 5 weeks seems to old to not even be attempting solids. 

Thanks
Alicia

When I started my kittens on solids, I brought the pâté type and put some on a saucer and then mixed some warm water with it to loosen it up and babies lapped that up. After a few days I decreased the amount of water I added, then after a week I introduced kitten food. Hope this helps.

Also another thing is I have been diluting his formula because he has a hard time pooping and I read that helps them poop.  Well he isn't a unhealthy skinny, but you can tell he is loosing some weight.  Is this because of me diluting his formula?  I believe I read somewhere as well that can cause kittens to loose weight and if that starts to happen stop diluting the fomula.  Any ideas?

Firstly, how long have you been diluting his formula for? And has he actually lost weight or just slimmed out? Is he having normal bowel movements now?

Also when kittens start to bite the bottle it usually means they are ready to start eating wet majorly. Mix water or milk with the wet or beechnut baby food and water with the wet and let him taste it off your finger. If he doesn't take to it he may not like the kind or you may need to add baby food. Kittens usually eat the very ground wets best, no chunks the classic pates.

And for the baby food be sure it is meat only- like turkey and turkey broth or chicken and chicken broth, etc. if you are giving him wet with some warm water mixed in it should not be painful for him.

We bout he a turkey and liver pate can food for kitens.  We tried applying some to our finger and putting it in his mouth and he wouldn't eat it, we even tried dipping his bottle nipple in the stuff, the first two time he sucked off it, but the thrid time he clamped his mouth shut and wouldn't open it.  That is the second flavor food we have tried. 

I have been deluting his formula for about a week now.  He for the past 3 days has gone poo every day.  One day he goes a lot, the second day he went just a tiny bit, then yesterday he went a lot again.  Other than that he goes usually every other day.  But due to the fact that it seemed to me like he was loosing weight, I stopped delutting his formula last night.  But now that you mention it, it may not be weight loss.  it may just be that he is thinning out.  even if he has lost some weight it isn't a ungodly amount or anything to be concerned at at this time beause it doesn't look like a lot.  Any ideas on what to do to get him to eat solids to?  Ihave tried mixing with warm water and milk, sticking my finger in it and putting it in his mouth, letting him at it himself, and dipping his bottle nipple in it, and he just refuses to touch the stuff.  I am waiting for his vet to call back but haven't heard back yet.  I am just worried he is 5 weeks and wont touch solids.  It is fusterating.  but he eats from the bottle really good.  He LOVES his bottle!

Try adding turkey and turkey broth or chicken and chicken broth baby food- just make sure listed in the ingredients is no garlic or garlic powder. Just the meat and its broth. Mix this with the wet and make a watery thickish liquid and warm it in the microwave. If he doesn't eat it add more baby food until he is interested, etc. once he has gotten the hang of eating the wet you can slowly decrease the baby food. A lot of my picky kittens have done well when I mix baby food in and we use baby food as a tool at the vet office I worked at to get animals to eat who were ill or very stressed. If the baby food, wet and water doesn't work try baby food and formula since it will be smoother and may appeal to him more and the from there start adding small amounts if wet, gradually increasing over time. Make sure he is hungry when you offer him the wet and sit with him and try to hold the plate up to him. Many kittens, especially single kittens will take longer for weaning because they want that one on one bonding time they get with bottle feeding from you. If he refuses with you hand feeding it to him leave him be until his next feeding is due and see if he eats it by then. If he doesn't eat it then make sure you do bottle feed him at that next due feeding since he will have skipped one. Keep trying and leaving the wet with him ( just make sure it doesn't stay so long it goes bad). If that still doesn't work you can get royal canine Babycat and add a little to his bottle so he at least starts to get used to the taste of wet and gets nutrients from a meat source. I say royal canine Babycat bc it is one of the only wets that is a really smooth and not gritty consistency so that if you mix a little with the formula it shouldnt clog the bottle. You could add the baby food to the bottle instead as well, since at least he will be getting some meat protein and fat and getting used to the taste. But as I mentioned above try mixing wet with baby food and water in a saucer and put it up to him and sit with him first.

It's also a good idea to weigh him regularly, especially due to this to make sure he isn't losing weight- kittens should gain weight consistently and never loose weight as its usually an indication something isn't right or the kitten is not feedin properly. Does his mouth and gums, teeth look normal? The gums should be pink but not red.
And how are his stools? They should be firm in consistency at this point but not hard.

I will try what you suggested after I take him to the vet to get weighed today.  I told his vet I wasn't sure if he was gaining or loosing weight (to me it feels as if he lost a tiny bit of weight) and she said to bring him in to be weighed and if he has lost weight then she will be concerned and we will come up with a game plan according to that.  She also told me some kittens are stubborn and slower going when it comes to eating solids.  She told me to just leave hard kitten chow out, not moiste, and see if he eats it that way.  She said some Kittens like and perferr hard over soft and mushy.  So I am going to do that as well.  But I am going to try the turkey or chicken broth idea as well.  Hopefully one of these suggestions work.  And his stool is normal.  It isn't hard, and it isn't to soft, just right.  But he doesn't always go everyday.  That is why I was dilutting his formula.   But for the past 2 days he went every day.  He only goes once a day.  Yesterday he went a lot, the day before he went just a tiny bit, and the day before that he didn't go at all.  He has yet to go today.  But when we first got him he suffered with constipation and now it is becoming more regular.