Four Little kittens

Hi, so I have had these four kittens for almost two weeks now. The research I did showed they were 2-3 weeks old. My friend sadly found five in a plastic ziplock baggy on the side of the road, one didn't make it to me... They recently had started biting the nipples of our bottles we were giving them so we got them weaning formula, but now they have yellowish brown diarrhea, but I have been checking for dehydration, and they are fine.. I know one is over eating and I'm trying to cut her back on food, but they others have had the diarrhea as well, it's been two days... is.it just the food changw? Please help...

JaspersMomma said:

Hi, so I have had these four kittens for almost two weeks now. The research I did showed they were 2-3 weeks old. My friend sadly found five in a plastic ziplock baggy on the side of the road, one didn't make it to me... They recently had started biting the nipples of our bottles we were giving them so we got them weaning formula, but now they have yellowish brown diarrhea, but I have been checking for dehydration, and they are fine.. I know one is over eating and I'm trying to cut her back on food, but they others have had the diarrhea as well, it's been two days... is.it just the food changw? Please help...

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What formula do you use?  Exctly?  What food changes are you talking about?  What is weaning formula? The same but Stage 2?  

Did you take their daily weights?  If not, do you deem they gain nicely, or??

Kitten overeating is barely possible - the problem with eating too much is if they dont manage to swallow... - So Im not sure what you mean by this...

Please describe more closely,  And we will continue to give responses.

I will also ask a mod to move this threat to the preg and kitten forum.

It.is called weaning formula, gnc. She is trying to drink to much to quickly. I more meant I'm trying to pace her eating.

I haven't taken their daily weights, but they are all gaining weight nicely. I have been reading what to do step by step on multiple websites, but everyone says diarrhea is one of the worst things to happen. They are anemic and they have a vet appointment on Tuesday, I just don't know if this is an emergency situation or if it can wait. All of them are still very playful, eating normally, a little more everyday, and all of them are gaining weight, but their diarrhea is really bad.. Three of them have really red, swollen, butts.. I don't know how serious it is...

JaspersMomma said:

It.is called weaning formula, gnc. She is trying to drink to much to quickly. I more meant I'm trying to pace her eating.

I haven't taken their daily weights, but they are all gaining weight nicely. I have been reading what to do step by step on multiple websites, but everyone says diarrhea is one of the worst things to happen. They are anemic and they have a vet appointment on Tuesday, I just don't know if this is an emergency situation or if it can wait. All of them are still very playful, eating normally, a little more everyday, and all of them are gaining weight, but their diarrhea is really bad.. Three of them have really red, swollen, butts.. I don't know how serious it is...

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Watery diarrhea is never good, but still, diarrhea as such may be better than constipation.

But watery diarrhea is also a problem of them losing both fluids, and losing electrolytes.

A good remedy is a good bought or home-made pedialyte.   Which is also in itself somewhat a stopper of diarrheas - for example, home made pedialtye is in itself the main weapon aganist the Man slaugher Cholera...

There are several recepts, my favorite at this moment

is, as the source of several different salts, you use simply a good minerale water.

You blend in it some glucose=dextrose

sugar.  Say 2 tea spoons in a 250 ml cup.   If you dont have access to glucose sugar proper, you can use white caro syrup, honey, or even som other sugar syrup...

You warm it up to body temp - the gas will go out during this process...

And you use it.

One is now having to push really hard to poop, but it looks like the same diarrhea as the others one. Also, thank you, I will definitely give that a try!!

The change in foods can cause diarrhea, yes.

What I do when it's time for weaning to begin about 4 weeks old and up is to put fancy feast canned kitten pate (turkey) in a shallow dish and pour some kmr on this, mash with a fork at warm it up.

I used the stage 2 many years back but found it not necessary, it's just a bit thicker and regular kmr is just fine, then you don't have to f=deal with the food changing causing diarrhea either.

Leaving dry Babycat mother and baby formula food in a spill proof dish at all times for access is a huge help too.

Why do you say they are anemic? Are their gums pale/white-ish pink?

You can use a bit of desitin baby diaper rash cream/ointment on their butts too. It helps alot.

catwoman707 said:

[...]
You can use a bit of desitin baby diaper rash cream/ointment on their butts too. It helps alot.

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When my senior cat had an incident with severe diarrhea, I avoided using any desitin as I had heard that the zinc oxide ingredient within it is not considered safe for cats (if they ingest it). My vet prescribed the antibiotic ointment, Animax, which helped my cat's poor sore bottom start healing by the following day. I am not sure Animax is prescribed for young kittens, though. You'd need to check with your veterinarian.

PushPurrCatPaws said:

 
When my senior cat had an incident with severe diarrhea, I avoided using any desitin as I had heard that the zinc oxide ingredient within it is not considered safe for cats (if they ingest it). My vet prescribed the antibiotic ointment, Animax, which helped my cat's poor sore bottom start healing by the following day. I am not sure Animax is prescribed for young kittens, though. You'd need to check with your veterinarian.

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I wouldn't recommend using Desitin on babies who have their mom to clean it off, or an older cat who will ingest it from cleaning, but with babies they don't groom themselves just yet

Point taken

--- and yet.. my own instinct would be to avoid zinc oxide products, just so as to not begin my own "human habit" of relying upon something which my human awareness deems safe for a short time, for those limited conditions of a having "non-grooming kitten". Because eventually, that kitten will soon become a regular groomer of his/her own little bum!  And I'd hate for other human brains to forget about the zinc oxide, and keep using Desitin on older, self-grooming felines, out of habit. So, just offering the choice of Animax, since it worked so well with my cat.

The kittens I have already groom themselves for the most part, we switched them to wilderness kitten wet food and putting a little pedialyte is with the mix.
How often should I give them water as well?
Yes, they are very white gums. I'm scared because their doctors appointment isn't until Tuesday, but I feel like it needs to be taken care of now... I am really trying to do everything right. This is my first rescue.

If the kittens have had diarrhea for days, they are getting very dehydrated. You do not want to get them to the point where they are wobbling around, weak, lethargic. "A little pedialyte" is not enough- and it's a short-term fix on the up-chance their diarrhea eases up quickly. As long as the diarrhea continues, they'll get more dehydrated, and weaker. If it were me, I'd try to get the kittens into a vet, asap, in order to give them the appropriate fluids and to make sure that they are ok. Follow your worry, and your instincts. I personally would try to change the vet appt to sooner than Tuesday! Diarrhea and white gums are nothing to mess around with. The vet can check for anemia, too, and see if a shot (along with fluids) can help move them out of any danger zone.

You need to give them pedialyte with a dropper in the side of their mouths. Several ml's each per day while they have diarrhea. Have you considered switching them back to the other food for now? I might also recommend Gerber turkey baby food in the jar. Full of iron, moist and easy to eat and digest. Kittens usually love it! Maybe will stop the runs. It seems if all are having runs then their food may not be agreeing with them, unless they caught a bug.

Only two have diarrhea now

That's good to hear. Have you done anything differently?

Nope, just the above things.

The feral litter of 4 week old kittens had the same exact issue. It turned out to be a combination of worms and a stomach bug which is a type of protozoa Toxoplasmosis Coccidiosis. The protozoa was the main culprit for discoloration and diarrhea, and is very common among feral litters. The mother gets it from drinking stagnant water and the kitties get it from mothers milk. It doesn't bother adults much but can be very bad for kitties, but luckily it is easily treated with Albon which is less than 20 bucks. The kitties with weaker immune systems will be affected much harder and dehydration can become debilitating so make sure you keep them hydrated until you can seek treatment.

Coccidia is common in born outside kittens, same as eye infections.

Regarding their white gums, this is a big concern, why. 

Were/are they flea infested?

Fleas will do this and can actually kill a baby/kitten by taking too much of their tiny amt of blood, causing anemia.

I highly recommend getting them KMR in to their wet food. They really need the nutrients that KMR will provide.

I would do this with each meal.

Only one had diarrhea now and the vet said the kittens are fine until Tuesday. These kittens were born in a house and dumped on the side of the road, we are taking care of all their issues and they are all getting better.

That is great news! Hope the vet visit goes well!