PLEASE HELP, NEED ADVICE ASAP TO SAVE KITTENS

I have been feeding and taking care of 2 stray kittens for the past 2months. For the past couple of days I noticed their appetite has decreased. And now today they started throwing up, & I saw a tiny worm. I have been reading about round worms on line & am going to try to buy deworming meds to help them. Does anyone have any advise on this. Please, I don't want them to die. If I had the money, they would have already been at a vet : (

Hi and welcome to thecatsite! I wanted to let you know the forums rules:

No online advice can replace direct veterinary intervention. If you suspect that your cat may be ill, please contact your vet immediately. You are welcome to look for advice in the health forum while waiting for that appointment, but never delay proper veterinary care waiting for Internet advice. Remember that cats, and especially kittens, are very adept in keeping pain to themselves and delaying treatment may cause irreversible damage.

If you cannot afford a vet, there are resources available to you to ensure your cat gets the veterinary care. There is an excellent article titled “When You Can’t Afford a Veterinarian” on this website, available at http://www.thecatsite.com/Health/76/...erinarian.html. Please read through it to find out more about the options available to you.

I am really sorry your kittens are not doing well. Since you rescued them have you tried contacting your local cat rescue or humane society they may be able to give you help with vet care?. 

As for more information on the worms you would get better advice posting in the pregnant cat and kitten forum (http://www.thecatsite.com/f/36/pregnant-cats-and-kitten-care). Here is a helpful thread on wormers to give kittens from there (http://www.thecatsite.com/t/256640/wormers-for-kittens-and-other-questions) 

My eldest cats were feral and I had the same problem with them, one dose of working tablets (bought from the vet) and they were right as rain and super fit 7 years on! Good luck

have u dewormed them at all?? all kittens will end up with worms to some extent...I haven't had any that have thrown them up though,,,im guessing they have got them in their stomachs somehow.  try worming them with and otc one dose as directed then again in 10-14 days  depending on the directions for that brand  also they should be eating solid food by now, if dry is what you have soak with water to soften up the first few feedings, if worms have breached the stomach lining then...u don't have a sliding scale vet in ur town??

They need to be dewormed.  I know you said you didn't have the money, but they need vet attention.  There is a sticky at the top of this forum with suggestions to help you pay for vet care when you're financially strapped.
 

The town of hempstead said they dont do vet services just TNR program. I called the local vet 4 advise but he's gone 4 the wknd. I bought Sentry from the petstore & am goin 2 try that now. Im so upset, i dont want them 2 die. If i could afford 2 vet them & take them in i would. But i can barely take care of my 2 cats i have now : (

Dewormers with Pyrantel as the active substance are OK for kittens, I know some of them are also prescription free.

Good luck!

stephanietx said:

They need to be dewormed.  I know you said you didn't have the money, but they need vet attention.  There is a sticky at the top of this forum with suggestions to help you pay for vet care when you're financially strapped.

 

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they're stray kittens, i have 2 adult cats. I started feeding them bc they were born in yard next 2 my house. I did call the local vet but he's not in till monday. And the shelters dont provide vet services.

Unfortunately the OTC dewormers at pet stores in the U.S. only cause the cat to expel the live worms, it doesn't kill them, so reinfection with the worms is most likely. It doesn't cause them to expel the worm larvae, just the adult worms, so the larvae will grow into worms anyway. Even dewormers from the vet don't kill the larvae, so have to be re-administered after 3 weeks, usually 2 or 3 times (especially if the infection is so bad it's gotten to the point that they're vomiting adult worms).

I understand you're caring for these kittens and can't afford a vet - are they outside? Or inside? Are you going to adopt them out? Or do you plan to have them spayed/neutered and keep them (inside or outside?) If they're inside and using the same litter box as your cats, then I hate to say it, but your cats likely have round worm by now.

Unfortunately, the medication you need to properly treat them can only be purchased from a vet. And vets aren't legally allowed to sell you prescription medication without ever having seen the cat(s).

I looked up Hempstead, NY on Petfinder. I don't now how far you are from Baldwin, but if you're not too far from the Baldwin Petco, you can go talk to them. They need fosters. You might be able to become an official foster for them - which means they should provide for the cost of vet care for foster kittens. Maybe they'd be willing to bring these two kittens in as fosters (assuming you're willing to adopt them out through the group, and foster other kittens to prepare them for adoption). http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY916.html

I brought both of the kittens to a vet yesterday, came home & not even 3hrs later, one of them died. The vet said he thinks they have FIT b/c the blood work came back negative for other diseases. I have never heard of this disease before. Creamsicle, the kitty who is still w/ me, is barely eating. I just keep trying to give her food and pray she fights this deadly disease. The vet charged $400 & only did blood work on Coco, the kitten who passed. He said he was trying to save me money......  I cant help but feel he should have kept Coco, as she was visibly worse than Creamsicle, she was severely dehydrated. And could barely keep her head up. I asked the vet to please just keep her overnight b/c I felt she wasn't going to make it, but he said that would be too expensive. I understand vets don't work for free but aren't they suppose to care about saving animals lives. Its not like I was asking him to treat them for free. And how could he have not known this kitten wasn't going to make it w/out an IV. She literally died w/ 3hrs of the vets care!!!! Im so upset maybe I am not thinking right but I feel that vet let her die & I had to watch her suffer. If youre reading this, please let me know if you think I am letting my broken heart alter my thinking. Thank you to everyone who tried to give me advise.

I'm so sorry to hear that. It must've been heartbreaking. I really hope the other little darling pulls through x

I think the Vet must have meant FIP, for which there is no test.  Here is just a little bit about it:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/fip-in-cats

Did he say he thought Coco had no chance of surviving when he sent you home?  Did you call them back and tell them she had passed so quicky after her visit?  What did they even do that cost $400? (besides the blood test on Coco)  Did you get a dewormer?  That's really what you were after, wasn't it? 

How is Creamsicle today?  I'm guessing if I had a belly for of worms, I wouldn't have much of an appetite either

The vet said it could go either way but said he was more concerned w/ coco. The kitty could barely pick her head up. And was severely dehydrated. And her white blood count was dangerously low. Thats y i think he should have kept her. She died trying 2 drink more water & like i said it wasnt even 3hrs from when we left the vet ofc. He did de/worm them & gave antibiotics & a supplement & did blood work on coco ONLY. BC HE SAID HE WAS TRYING 2 SAVE ME $. When i called the next day crying, that she passed, he didnt even say sorry. I would never go back 2 him again! I brought creamsicle 2 my vet yesterday & he said he doesnt think its FIP.& of course w/out giving her blood work, he's not sure what virus she has.& he chagred $100 2 just look at her take her temp & gave me another supplement Its just so frustrating, u pay all this $ and still have no answers, one kitty gone & now just doin everything i can 2 try & save creamsicle... i wish i could being her in my house 2 give her more love & care but the vet said not 2 b/c of my 2 cats. But i have her in a huge dog cage rt outside my door w/ warm fleece blankets, food, watwr, liter & ive been in the cage w her most of the day just giving her love. I need this baby kitty 2 live.. i cant loose her 2... thanks for all advice and kind words. Just say a prayer 4 creamsicle...

You can practice isolation in a crate in bathroom just as well as outside I think unless she's sneezing and spraying everywhere which it doesn't sound like. You do need to practice isolation techniques though either way...Just think of everything...shoes/feet, hands/clothing, litter box scoopers and dishes and water bowls must be for her only. Keep hand sanitizer for BEFORE and after handling her so she doesnt get something else while her immune system is down. Keep her hydrated. use skin test...im sure somebody mentioned that by now. All you can do is try and to love on her and you are doing both. She knows love and you are doing the best you know how.

I kept a big oversized apron inside the room I handled isolation kitties and covers for shoes. It is a pain in the butt but it becomes routine after a few days. And don't freak out if you screw it up. All you can do is try

i buy wormer from a medical supply company. Strongid.

no prescription...