Worried about my kitten

midlocats · Apr 1, 2014

We adopted two rescue kittens about a month ago. Two brothers, fully vaccinated and spayed by our own vet before we adopted them.

But the past two days, one of the kittens has been very lethargic. He has eaten/drank some, and used the litter box, but has not played at all. When you pick him up, which I've been doing often so he won't be attacked by his brother, he goes limp. He is purring, but it does not sound like his normal purr.
At what point does this warrant a trip to the vet??
And if so, what should we be asking them to do?
I am guessing you will say we should have already gone, but with them being so new & just having a full checkup about a month ago, we did not think it could be anything serious.

Thanks for any kind thoughts you can share with a worried kitty Mom.

midnightkitty · Apr 1, 2014

Kittens can get very sick very fast. It is good that he is eating and drinking. I would get him to the vet ASAP. Tell them what is wrong let them do the exam and let them tell you what needs to be done. Blood work might need to be done to find out what is wrong. I hope he gets better soon.

stephenq · Apr 2, 2014

Urgent Vet visit, immediately. Your kitten's life is at risk. We can't tell you what is wrong but something is very wrong and time is of the essence. Kitten's have a very small safety net and can go from sick to critical very quickly. Take this kitten to the vet immediately.

Don't let the purring confuse things, cats purr when they are in distress. Your vet will do a complete exam, take the kitten's temp, and will likely ask you for history like when did this start, eating habits, etc.

Don't spend more time trying to figure out what is wrong. Go to the vet. Now.

Stephen

AbbysMom · Apr 2, 2014

Yes, please take this kitten to a vet right away. Kittens can go downhill fast and when you notice something you need to act immediately.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

tulosai · Apr 2, 2014

Yes just chiming in to add my concern and vibes and urge you to get the kitty to the vet ASAP. Even in a full grown cat it is a MAJOR warning sign when they have no interest in play. As someone else already said, it is also a bad sign that he is purring and that it sounds different than normal- this probably means he is in distress. As to what to ask the vet to do, you don't have to worry too much about that

Just bring kitty in and describe the symptoms and the vet (if even half way competent) will do an exam and tell you what he thinks he should do/what your options are/what you should do going forward.

catwoman707 · Apr 2, 2014

Your kitten has very likely contracted a virus and is lethargic due to dehydration.

These viruses are common and while adults seem to be immune from most of them, kittens still have immature systems unable to avoid these, and so this is what you will see.

It takes normally a full 3 days, sometimes up to 4 days for this to run it's course through their bodies and it leaves.

HOWEVER, it is absolutely CRITICAL to be certain they are very well hydrated throughout this, even when you think he is drinking/eating plenty, a fever will remove fluids causing this lethargy you see now, and if gone untreated, can actually kill him needlessly, as kittens bodies are small and don't hold much as it is.

Vet care usually means rehydrating with fluids given sub-q, and often antibiotics are given as a precautionary measure in case of a secondary infection occurring from the virus, but not all that comm.

SO.....number one thing if you are NOT planning on vetting him, and btw plan on the other one getting the virus as well of course, but if you are not going to take him in, you must hydrate him now, and keep it up until the morning he is perkier and shows recovery.

This can be done by stopping all dry food if they eat this, as dry will suck up lots of his fluid intake. Feed canned pate foods only, watered down a bit, tap water or better yet pediolyte.

If consuming little amts, buy chicken only baby food, watered down 50/50, warm in microwave. Tuna juice is good too and usually irresistable.

You will likely see appetite diminish completey, when this happens, you must syringe the canned/water mix and the baby food/ water mix every few hours.

If you do see any new symptoms or are unable to syringe adequately, or if you have given plenty of support care (fluids) and do NOT see recovering by day 4, he definitely must be seen.

midlocats · Apr 2, 2014

Hi everyone. Thank you so much for your responses & the time you took to listen and think about what might be going on.

It was the start of kidney failure. Cheeez-It went to the vet as soon as we could get him there this morning, and has been on warming blankets/warm fluids - his temp was low - and meds since early this morning. By noon there was improvement, temp back to normal and he was once again scarfing down his food, wet this time. He will will be there overnight tonight to monitor his stats and then we will see if he is able to recover or not.

Has anyone been down this road before? And is there a light at the end - meaning, it is possible for him to recover? We are all so sad, as they've only been with us for a month and the two brothers are so sweet together.

tulosai · Apr 2, 2014

I am so sorry to hear this! He is very young to be going through this

I hope others with more experience than me will chime in soon.

catwoman707 · Apr 2, 2014

Midlocats said:
Hi everyone. Thank you so much for your responses & the time you took to listen and think about what might be going on.

It was the start of kidney failure. Cheeez-It went to the vet as soon as we could get him there this morning, and has been on warming blankets/warm fluids - his temp was low - and meds since early this morning. By noon there was improvement, temp back to normal and he was once again scarfing down his food, wet this time. He will will be there overnight tonight to monitor his stats and then we will see if he is able to recover or not.

Has anyone been down this road before? And is there a light at the end - meaning, it is possible for him to recover? We are all so sad, as they've only been with us for a month and the two brothers are so sweet together.

I am suprised to hear this, I assumed they are young kittens and wouldn't normally consider kidney failure, although being the second most common cause of death in cats, it is rarely seen in kittens, as it is not the same as kidney disease progression, in kittens/young cats it is sudden and happens from blockages in the urethra, (urine crystals) chemicals like antifreeze, diabetes, FIP, and infection in the kidneys caused by blockage.

Also bee stings and blood flow restrictions in the kidney arteries.

I am so glad you took him to the vet.

The outcome and damage can be determined by the cause. Chances are, as long as it is NOT antifreeze/poisons that caused it, or of course FIP, he will make a good recovery and live a normal healthy life.

lorie d. · Apr 2, 2014

First, it's important that a cat with this condition is kept well hydrated. I had a cat years ago who developed early kidney failure at the age of 10. The vet prescribed a special diet which helped slow the progression of the disease, and the cat had to go back to the vet every six months for blood tests. Eventually, medications had to be added when the kidney disease progresssed further. My cat lived 7 years with this condition so it's not an immediate death sentence. I'm not a lot of help but I'm sure the vet will have some information and instructions when you pick the kitten up. You can also do a search for CRF cats on this site.

denice · Apr 2, 2014

In a kitten this young something usually caused this rather than the CRF that happens with older kitties. Hopefully the cause can be found and it is something that can be rectified.

midlocats · Apr 2, 2014

The meds, warm fluids/heating pads, and great care from our vet have helped Cheez-It improve tremendously today. But we won't know until late Friday afternoon if we caught it in time for the intervention to be enough to save him. So, we wait, and he is at the vet in their care until then. We did go and visit him for a little while this afternoon and he seemed much more himself. But he can't live on a fluid line forever, so that will be the next test, how his body handles it when the IV line is removed. It was a long day for all of us, but especially for Cheez-It. Thanks again to those who are posting their thoughts and ideas to help us know how to handle all of this.

stephanietx · Apr 2, 2014

Did he have a blockage or crystals? Glad you got him to the vet pronto and that he's getting the attention he needs. Is he on a catheter?

midlocats · Apr 2, 2014

They are still saying kidney failure. They did not see or feel any blockage/crystals. But she admits, it is very odd in a kitten so young. No catheter, just an IV for fluids/meds and Rx food.

denice · Apr 2, 2014

Flushing his system out with IV fluids is the best thing for him. Could he have possibly gotten into something that caused this? I know medications like Tylenol can cause this and they are so little it wouldn't take much.

midlocats · Apr 2, 2014

Yes, the toxin levels were so high that the vet did question if he got into something. We are gone during the day, so it could have been something. But he is our kitty that normally does not get into or eat things. The brother is the one that we are always concerned about on that front. But as kittens, it always could have been. We just have no idea if that was the case, what it would have been.

pushylady · Apr 3, 2014

Midlocats said:
But he is our kitty that normally does not get into or eat things.

Seems to be the most likely explanation for his sudden illness.
I caught my cat Pushy eating a plant the other day that he's never tried to eat before. And also, he's randomly started to scratch the sofa even though he's 10 years old and never done that before! Just saying, the little buggers can surprise you even when you think you know them.
I'm glad you got Cheez-It to the vet on time and he's getting good care.

tulosai · Apr 3, 2014

Yes, especially if his toxin levels were high I think it's fairly clear he got into something

It is by far the most likely explanation.

Please let us know how he's getting on. I am sending many

for a good recovery.

catwoman707 · Apr 3, 2014

Midlocats said:
Yes, the toxin levels were so high that the vet did question if he got into something. We are gone during the day, so it could have been something. But he is our kitty that normally does not get into or eat things. The brother is the one that we are always concerned about on that front. But as kittens, it always could have been. We just have no idea if that was the case, what it would have been.

That is by far the most likely explanation in a kitten. An accidentally dropped pill/tylenol, there are endless things that would affect him this way.

It doesn't make you a negligent cat owner either, not at all. These things happen even when we are so careful.

stephenq · Apr 4, 2014

Are there any plants, especially lilies in the house? They are very toxic to kidneys/

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