Severe Respiratory in 3 week old kitten

I have another foster kitten.  He is 3 weeks old, he has a severe respiratory infection, and one eye is shut, he is on oral and topical antibiotics.  But I haven't gotten him to eat anything significant (bottle feeding) since I got him Friday night.  He still pees when I stimulate him, and did a tiny tiny poop yesterday,  but he refuses the bottle, have tried syringing and the same he just spits it out all over himself.  I am taking him up to my dad (retired vet) later today to see if he needs to be syringe fed or if we can do anything else.  He is really struggling to breath.  I have put him in the bathroom with the water on hot for the steam.  I just don't know what else I can do for him. 

I mean to be tragically blunt, kittens with major health problems that young sometimes just don't make it and it doesn't mean you did  anything wrong

Have you tried taking yet another step back and using a dropper instead of a syringe? It is more time consuming but might be more likely to work in this case as you only give just a very bit at a time- a few drops- and then let the kitten take it in and give a few more drops.

Are you keeping him warm?

Your dad vet knows perhaps how to tube feed?  this may perhaps be yet another option.   Its difficult and dangerous for a newbe to try on her own, but hopefully your dad knows.   (although quite a few vet seems to not know either).

Also, you may try to perk up some energy by smearing some glucose sugar on his gum.  If you dont have - white caro syrup or honey.

Agreeing with   Tulosai in the rest.

Good luck!

I have tube fed puppies before and kittens so I do know how to do it, it's just been a few years.  My next step in his next feeding (right now) is to try a dropper.  I just feel for the little tyke, obviously he has a will to live as he's been going on for a while like this but the poor little guy has such a hard time breathing.

Get some help with the tube feeding, its the best way for him, just takes a minute. Your vet can show you how. They may even be able to give you the tubes. Yu will see a big improvement.

How is he doing? Any update?

So we finally are tube feeding him, he fights it like crazy.  This little boy is a FIGHTER!  OMG, he is so so sick.  We are changing his antibiotic, and I am tube feeding him.  He just wasn't getting enough food otherwise as he wouldn't take a bottle, wouldn't take a syringe, I had to dropper it in his mouth with a dropper and he would only allow about 3cc before he got tired of it and started scratching and really struggling to breath.  He is so so skinny   He was a bit dehydrated today so we gave him some fluids.  His one little eye is so inflammed you literally cannot see it.    I think he may end up losing it.

Thank you for taking time to update us!! Please do keep us informed about how he's doing...  he really does sound like a fighter.

Oh my gosh, you're doing so good though!

Is dad a vet? He seems to have a uri, likely herpevirus as his eye is so involved.

I have saved literally countless eyes with Idoxuridine drops, I could have never been able to do what these do for their eyes. Amazing to say the least.

You just need to use a warm compress so the eye is open enough to get the drop in there, holding the head back so it doesn't run right out, baby will move his eyeball around a bit and it will get under the inner lid.

I mean this, it is the best thing ever for inflammed, bulging, swollen eyes.

I put kittens on clavamox for uri, by the 5th dose I will see a marked improvement in breathing and symptoms. 0.1 ml twice a day for a good 7-8 days.

The bottle and syringe, yep, lots of resisting, but once his weight is stable and it's safe to try again, it takes about 4 times of attempts, then suddenly they 'get' it and will be sucking away, ears wiggling

Oh boy little Pheonix is a stinker pot!  I went to my dad (retired vet) and got help with the tube feeding.  This is going to be a 2 person job!  He screams, scratches, fights etc!  Really hard to do when he's fighting so badly.  But we have gotten more food into him.  He's going to need more fluids at work today (I work for a vet).  We switched him to clavamox last night and dare I say he actually sounds better this morning.  His eye is pretty bad, it squirts of pussy looking serous fluid when I pry it open.  I am also applying warm compresses etc.  I just feel for the little guy, such a little fighter.  Does anyone know if I can add lysine to his milk at this young age?  He'll be 4 weeks old tomorrow?  What stage will he be able to poop/pee on his own?  My other little foster girl who is a couple weeks older than him came already pooping/peeing/litter box trained at 4 weeks old.

Yes you can add lysine. 250 mg twice a day for kittens. But please check with your vet. It comes in powder form.