SOS: Kitten vs Summer

aylayasmin

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I've recently been noticing some potentially odd things with my 15ish week old kitten, Clover. I'm not sure if 1. These things are normal for her age/ it's summer or 2. I just haven't noticed some of the physical things yet but either way I'd rather play it safe and see if anyone has some advice.

Clover has always been an extremely energetic little thing, but over the passed month maybe, I've noticed that her energetic periods are much shorter, and when she crashed it's for longer, she's also started breathing quicker and today I noticed her panting, tongue out and all. I fill her bowl with water 3 times a day/ as needed, I'm not sure what else to do? I also noticed earlier (she could've always had this but again - I'd rather play it safe) that her tongue is a very healthy pink except for the back, middle section where it's a grey and black colour/ patten. Now that could have always been there, OR it could be because she got out today and got covered in dust, but I'm still a little scared. Anyway I'd really appreciate everyone's advice - I've already tried contacting my cousin who's a vet but am yet to get a reply. Anyway I'll attach a photo of her tongue coloration.

Side note: she's recently managed to get fleas so I don't know if that could have anything to do with it???
 

micknsnicks2mom

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I've recently been noticing some potentially odd things with my 15ish week old kitten, Clover. I'm not sure if 1. These things are normal for her age/ it's summer or 2. I just haven't noticed some of the physical things yet but either way I'd rather play it safe and see if anyone has some advice.

Clover has always been an extremely energetic little thing, but over the passed month maybe, I've noticed that her energetic periods are much shorter, and when she crashed it's for longer, she's also started breathing quicker and today I noticed her panting, tongue out and all. I fill her bowl with water 3 times a day/ as needed, I'm not sure what else to do? I also noticed earlier (she could've always had this but again - I'd rather play it safe) that her tongue is a very healthy pink except for the back, middle section where it's a grey and black colour/ patten. Now that could have always been there, OR it could be because she got out today and got covered in dust, but I'm still a little scared. Anyway I'd really appreciate everyone's advice - I've already tried contacting my cousin who's a vet but am yet to get a reply. Anyway I'll attach a photo of her tongue coloration.

Side note: she's recently managed to get fleas so I don't know if that could have anything to do with it???
i don't think it's normal for a 15 week old kitten to be having those symptoms. but i'm not an expert on kittens. i'll see if i can attract the attention of someone who has much experience with kittens. @catwoman707, @StefanZ -- may i ask for your expertise for the OP (original poster)?

are you treating clover for the fleas? young kittens especially are vulnerable to flea bite anemia, which can be fatal. with kittens that age, i'd only buy flea treatment from your vet's -- who will give you the appropriate dosage for a kitten that age and weight. but then, i personally will only buy flea treatments from my vet's for my adult cats too.
 
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stephenq

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.

Side note: she's recently managed to get fleas so I don't know if that could have anything to do with it???
Open mouth breathing is a serious concern.  What is the indoor temperature?  You say it's summer so i assume oyu are in the southern hemisphere.  If the inside temp is hot that could explain her panting and lack of energy.  But even if this is environmental and not medical, it can become a medical problem due to the heat.
 

StefanZ

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If she is longhaired and warm summer, it could be more than enough explanation.

Fleas aint no good, they take blood and may infect her with  tape worms.  So take care of this asap.

But otherwise, a visit to vet is in order...    

Good luck!
 

catwoman707

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My personal opinion is that, she def. needs to be flea treated, but the lack of energy doesn't sound right.

If she has a flea infestation, it can and will cause a kitten to become anemic, which is one reason possible for her lack of energy.

You can take a look at her gums, if they are VERY pale pink to white-ish, she may very well be anemic.

You said summer, but no mention of just how hot it is there, if she is indoors only, what temp is it about?

It'd have to be pretty darn hot to make a kitten pant. 

If/when you see this, take a very wet, cool washcloth and wet her down. 

If it's not really that hot I highly suggest time for a vet visit. She is young and should be healthy and stable, playful and mischievous. 
 
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aylayasmin

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We're in North QLD, Australia, so yes up (or to you guys - down?) here it gets very hot and very humid pretty early. It's been about 35*C (95 Fahrenheit) and usually around 60% humidity, sometimes up to 75% without a cloud in the sky. We're also in a very open style house, so we can't effectively run air conditioners which makes it tricky, but all of our fans are always on and I usually put a cube of ice in her water once a day to help cool her down. I've been asking around and apparently it turns out that this behaviour is pretty standard for cats up here, thankfully, but I'm still going to keep an eye on her just in case.

As for the fleas - I picked up a new treatment for her today, it was a little harsh for my liking (unfortunately all the natural remedies I'd tried so far just weren't enough) but it appears to be doing the job quite nicely.

Thankyou everyone for your help, so so so appreciated!


Oh also her tongue spots seem to be fine too, yay!(:
 

stephenq

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We're in North QLD, Australia, so yes up (or to you guys - down?) here it gets very hot and very humid pretty early. It's been about 35*C (95 Fahrenheit) and usually around 60% humidity, sometimes up to 75% without a cloud in the sky. We're also in a very open style house, so we can't effectively run air conditioners which makes it tricky, but all of our fans are always on and I usually put a cube of ice in her water once a day to help cool her down. I've been asking around and apparently it turns out that this behaviour is pretty standard for cats up here, thankfully, but I'm still going to keep an eye on her just in case.

As for the fleas - I picked up a new treatment for her today, it was a little harsh for my liking (unfortunately all the natural remedies I'd tried so far just weren't enough) but it appears to be doing the job quite nicely.

Thankyou everyone for your help, so so so appreciated!


Oh also her tongue spots seem to be fine too, yay!(:
OK well that would explain  it.  You can buy her a cooling pad (for injuries at a drug store) and wrap it in a thin towel to give her at her cat bed, or freeze water in water bottles and put them in socks.  Also is she gets very hot you can gently wipe her down with cool water, including her paws.
 
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