New born

I went to work last Wednesday and someone brought a kitten in that was maybe 2 days old. My guess it was born October 7th. It's body was pretty cold so I warmed him with towels from the dryer. I started feeding him a drop at a time of warm sugar water. When he perked up a bit I fed him some kitten formula. When my shift was done the kitten came home with me and I got him settled in a nice warm bed. On Thursday I noticed a wheeze. I took one of my antibiotic and crushed it with water and started him on it. Friday the wheeze was in the company of nasal discharge and the kitten seemed to struggle with breathing. I boosted the amount of antibiotic I was using and gave a little bit more. Today the discharge was gone. At work today I took some of the liquid antibiotic home and started him on the correct dose amount for his size and age. "Spunky" does nurse from a bottle very well and he nurses vigorusly he does have some good muscle tone and I do believe that if his respatory troubles go away that he has a very good chance at living. What more can I do to help him get better?

~Brenda~

Wow!  What a story!   You are not only a hero, but also as a pro!   Apparently you found the right antibiotics, and the right dosages...   And apparently you do know quite a lot...  Or was it pure instincts?

You didnt mentioned weighting him every day. It is always a good help to see the progress or lack thereof, easiest to weght them in grammes.

A good site is www.kitten-rescue.com,  for helping orphans...

Good luck!

It sounds as if you got it all right on already

It takes 3 weeks for his little self to hold it's own body warmth, so the heating pad on low that covers only half of the box, covered by a towel or soft thing, the feeding should be every 2-3 hours round the clock until 2 weeks, then 3-4 hours, and so on, should gain weight daily, potty by tapping with your finger, I do this with the butt under warm water and whoop, comes right out, dry well.

Check gums color for paleness, they should be pink, bright eyes, no fleas. Fleas are a biggie with tiny kids, if there are some let us know.

Nice job! 

StefanZ said:

 
Wow!  What a story!   You are not only a hero, but also as a pro!   Apparently you found the right antibiotics, and the right dosages...   And apparently you do know quite a lot...  Or was it pure instincts?

You didnt mentioned weighting him every day. It is always a good help to see the progress or lack thereof, easiest to weght them in grammes.

A good site is www.kitten-rescue.com,  for helping orphans...

Good luck!

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Well, I'm no pro, wish I was but I loose alot of my tiny fosters, everything I do is by trial and error. I have learned alot but the heart break in the loss I have sworn to never attempt again. I cry every time.

Yes I am weighing every morning before the first feeding. Spunky is a whopping 2 and 7/8 grams. So far he has not gained nor lost weight.. Right now he's laying on my chest and his wheezing poor baby.

He's a dark pink inside his mouth, no fleas I'm a stickler for that. I use Apple Cider Vinegar for fleas on such a young kitten I use about 1 teaspoon APV to 4 teaspons water and wipe the body with a cotton ball if there are fleas. He came in to us with no fleas, which supprised me.

I found out today that a woman dropped him off at Animal Control 'because the Mother cat took the other 3 kittens somewhere and left this one' I hate humans sometimes. I'm sure the Mother would have returned for him.

I been round the clock feeding him. He mews quite loud when he's ready to feed. I'm also a light sleeper and wake if the dog moans.

I potty him by rubbing his belly and catching dribbles on a tissue. He had a big bowl movement this morning after that he sure latched onto the bottle.

It's the wheeze I am concerned over. Is there anything more I can do to get him over the wheeze? I believe he has fluid in his lungs. I'm not totally sure aboiut the fluid but that is what it sounds like.

His weight is 2 and 7/8 ounces. I'm sorry about such a low weight as grams I bet everyone was like huh??

That's 82g which is OK. Advice to weigh in trams is because 10g or more is what a kitten should gain most days and its a far easier number than .352 ounces. No decimal point, no fractions.

Grams not trams!

I just weighed him and he lost weight.

I didn't come online first I didn't even know my scale had a different setting.

Anyway before finding out how to weigh in grams he was 2 and half ounces. He started out weighing 2 and 7/8 ounces.

I've done the steam thing for his breathing but that darn wheeze is still there. I thought for a moment he was trying to hiss but no it's sneezes now so that's new. This one will probably not make it but I will keep trying anyway.

One good thing though he did stop posturing.

You are feeding him on his tummy - in the position he would feed from mum in?  If you feed a kitten like a human baby it easily gets milk into it's lungs.  Tiny kittens don't have a cough reflex.

Animal Control said:

 
Well, I'm no pro, wish I was but I loose alot of my tiny fosters, everything I do is by trial and error. I have learned alot but the heart break in the loss I have sworn to never attempt again. I cry every time.

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If you have small kitten rescueers  quite often, a trick well worth to try and learn is to tube feed them directly into stomach.

It is difficult and very dangerous for a newbe, so nothing to try on your own.  You must be shown precisely by someone knowleable.   As I understand it, even many vet dont know how to do it.  But if you find a good instructor who can show you and tell what gears to use, it is worth even to pay her some.

In most cases a bottle or a dropper works nicely, but in the difficult cases, especielly with prematures, this is often live saving, as it is these who most often go away. 

Also the risk of getting fluid in the lungs is much lesser - and this CAN happen even with experienced rescuers and healthy kittens, if you are unlucky.    That is one of the reasons quite a few of  orphaned fosters dont make it, even if the prospects were quite OK.

Another trick is the slunging...  To get fluid from the lungs of the newborn, if you suspect they got fluid in the lungs during delivery...  Or do it immediately after you suspect they got kmr in the lungs - sometimes you do notice it.

Keep the little one warm.  Having him on your chest is very good.  If necessary, perk energy in him by smearing som glucose sugar (aka Dextrose) or honey, or white caro syrup, on his gum...

*vibes!*

shunra said:

 
You are feeding him on his tummy - in the position he would feed from mum in?  If you feed a kitten like a human baby it easily gets milk into it's lungs.  Tiny kittens don't have a cough reflex.

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I know they are to be fed upright. On the back they asperate.

I will not feed directly into the stomach. and I do not even know what slunging is, never heard of it.

Animal Control said:

I know they are to be fed upright. On the back they asperate.

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No, feed them on their tummy.

Baby should be laying on his tummy to feed only.

Never held upright.

Slunging is during feeding, if you suspect any formula was inhaled, stop, put baby in both hands and cup together so he is snug in there, with the back feet at your wrists and head between your fingers, hold gently but firmly enough that there can be NO movement by baby, and the head is FULLY supported, no movement.

Stand up, raise your arms and in a swift motion swing downward to the floor. Baby's head will end up pointed at the floor.

Repeat this twice.

Gravity will push the formula from it's lungs and into it's mouth.

catwoman707 said:

 
Baby should be laying on his tummy to feed only.

<snip>

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I'm sure Google can find you some photos of young kittens feeding from their mothers.  They will show you the correct position.  It can help to use a towel roll for them to hold onto and knead.