Lactibacillus Acidophilus ???

We have had four kittens die.  One kitten is left but seems to be dying.  We have had them to the vet.  We have tried to bottle feed them to no avail.  We put a heating pad underneath them.  Tried wet food.  Now we're just holding her close to give her comfort as we think she is passing.  We are feeling sick over this and helpless.  I read on this site that someone suggested  Lactibacillus Acidophilus   Where do you get this supplement ?

Any other suggestions?

I am so sorry you have lost four kittens. Is the last one still alive?

How old were the kittens? Did they have their mother at all? How long did they live from when you got them?

It is hard to know what is ailing them without further information. They could all have had an infection. What did the vet say or do?

The Feral Mom had her kittens in our heated finished garage.  She was nursing them and they seemed fine and were getting weight on them.  all of a sudden last week three of them died.  We took the last two to the Vet .  He put fluids under their skin and put the flea meds on them.  their gums were pale, their temperature was low.  We took them home, bottled fed as much as they would take. kept them on a heating pad, massaged them.. One was 6 oz and the other 8oz.  The 8oz kitten died on the day we took them to the vet.  The smaller one seems to be coming around.    We are now hopeful that she will make it.  The Mom is now alone.  I don't think she is well.  We are going to trap her and get her to the vet to get fixed.  He told us as soon as we trap her bring her right in and they will spay her.  The Mother cat was starting to reject the kittens.   thanks for asking, so glad to have people to talk to…..

It is difficult to know whether they were getting enough milk, anemic from fleas, or contracted an infection. It is very kind of you to care for the kittens. I hope the remaining kitten continues to improve, and that you are able to trap mom very soon for her spay. Please ask the vet to see what else might be ailing her when you do take her in, and let's hope she gets healthier soon too. The fate of feral cats and their kittens is often very sad.

thanks for your message.  i just took the last kitten back  to the vet.  She is very anemic.  He is keeping her there for the afternoon.  He will Tube feed her and see if she starts to eat and will have a chance to live.  I don't think her breathing is good.  but I want her to have this chance.  I don't want her to suffer or feel pain. we are so upset…….

I hope the tube feeding helps. Did he think she might have an upper respiratory infection (UTI) due to her breathing difficulties? An untreated infection can bring a kitten down quickly. Will you be picking her up later today?

He is going to call me at 5:00 tonight.  I will speak to him about the UTI.  He said she may not come thru the tube feeding.  Maybe she will be a little miracle.

Did this vet have experience with tube feeding? This is not very optimistic sounding. Did he have any ideas as to why she is not eating? There is usually an underlying cause. Just force feeding may not be the answer.

He does have experience with tube feeding.  Before he tried that he listened to her heart rate which was too fast and watched her.  He said she was too far gone and probably wouldn't make it through the night.  So we decided to let her go without pain and not prolong her agony any longer.  She will be buried along side her siblings.  We are very sad., but we all tried very hard to save her.  thank you all so much for your input.  Im so happy to be on this site.  

Bless you for sparing her further pain. I am sorry that the entire litter perished. You did the right thing by taking her in today. Thank you for trying to save these kittens. It is always sad when they do not make it, but at least they had loving care along their journey. RIP kittens.

Im reading now...  Its sad and sorrowful...   But sometimes not much can be done.   @fullhouse

Your vet seems good. Not all vets know how to tube feed.  If you are rescuing more than occasionally, try and let him show you how to do it.  Its useful in difficult cases - sometimes the only way to try save a premature or a vey weak, whom dont manage syringe feeding...

OK, to your question in the title.

Lactobacillus Acidophilus, you can say, is  a probiotic.  There are quite a few different preparates, some contain this  L.A.

A commercial probiotic very useful on small kittens and orphans, is the BeneBac, made by the PetAg.

A basic, but useful probiotic is simply, a mild plain unsweetened yoghurt, with  this lactobacillus and perhaps also Bifidus added.

There is a brand of Turkish Youghurt, called for Fage, sold in some states in the USA - containing these lactobacillus and bifidus bacteria...

These probiotics may be used in quite a few situations. 

If it would help here, I dont know, but could surely be tried... Does no harm and is OK nourishment in itself.  (youghurt that is).

RIP, little ones!

thanks so much for caring and information.  I will hold on to it.  the Feral Mother will be spayed hopefully by Saturday.  We are drained.  Nice to hear from people who know what we're going through

You have been so kind to me.  Thank you so much.  Your a very caring person…..

I'm so sorry for your loss. When a cat passes we lock th thread as a sign of respect. If you feel up to it, perhaps you could start a thread in the Crossing the Bridge forum: http://www.thecatsite.com/f/19/crossing-the-bridge


Rest is Peace little ones.