Sick Rescue Kitten - ideas?

I have a foster kitten that was rescued Oct 9 at approximately 8 weeks old, he was emaciated and full of worms/mites etc. Same day he got his vaccines(all but rabies/leukemia), revolution, and first dose of dewormer.

First two days he ate several meals daily of wet kitten food mixed with water like the starving little guy he was.
Third day he went off his food, by the fourth we were force feeding. For about a week after that he was on recovery and a/d formula, sometimes force fed, then the vet finally did blood and urine tests and put him on antibiotics (this was last Thurs). He also got his second deworming at that time.

Since starting the antibiotics he has been eating well and gaining weight (last Tues he was 1.18kg today he is 1.5). Bloodwork confirmed leukemia and FIV negative but showed an infection, hence the antibiotics (0.7ml metronidazole 2X per day for ten days).
However despite his gaining weight and eating well I'm still a little concerned. He has been breathing quickly (between 40 and 60 breathes per minute) for a couple days and now he is showing signs of an upper respiratory infection that he wasn't showing previously. He's sneezing and audibly stuffed up. Also his belly is still rather distended.
I'm of course worried about FIP but I don't think he'd still be gaining and eating and having solid poops? Do you think it could be the URI just running its course?
I'm thinking of taking him in the bathroom for a steam to help with his congestion. Any thoughts or ideas?
The rescue is great but he's already had several vet visits and basically as long as he's not critical they don't think there's much else the vets can do, since they've run all the tests and put him on antibiotics.

Anything would be helpful, I'm getting quite attached and thinking of adopting this one. Thank you!

Steaming is a good idea. 

You may want to check the side effects on the metronidazole and call the vet to be on the safe side.  If it's the antibiotic I think it is it can have major side effects.

Call the vet, that is your best option, the kitten is too young. Good luck!

lovecalifus said:

I have a foster kitten that was rescued Oct 9 at approximately 8 weeks old, he was emaciated and full of worms/mites etc. Same day he got his vaccines(all but rabies/leukemia), revolution, and first dose of dewormer.

First two days he ate several meals daily of wet kitten food mixed with water like the starving little guy he was.
Third day he went off his food, by the fourth we were force feeding. For about a week after that he was on recovery and a/d formula, sometimes force fed, then the vet finally did blood and urine tests and put him on antibiotics (this was last Thurs). He also got his second deworming at that time.

Since starting the antibiotics he has been eating well and gaining weight (last Tues he was 1.18kg today he is 1.5). Bloodwork confirmed leukemia and FIV negative but showed an infection, hence the antibiotics (0.7ml metronidazole 2X per day for ten days).
However despite his gaining weight and eating well I'm still a little concerned. He has been breathing quickly (between 40 and 60 breathes per minute) for a couple days and now he is showing signs of an upper respiratory infection that he wasn't showing previously. He's sneezing and audibly stuffed up. Also his belly is still rather distended.
I'm of course worried about FIP but I don't think he'd still be gaining and eating and having solid poops? Do you think it could be the URI just running its course?
I'm thinking of taking him in the bathroom for a steam to help with his congestion. Any thoughts or ideas?
The rescue is great but he's already had several vet visits and basically as long as he's not critical they don't think there's much else the vets can do, since they've run all the tests and put him on antibiotics.

Anything would be helpful, I'm getting quite attached and thinking of adopting this one. Thank you!

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I too think the steaming up is a good idea.  You can also give him L-lysine, cant hurt may help.  L-lysine helps against some types of virus.

Also, some nice probiotic wont hurt. Nothing decisive here, as he has good poops, but cant hurt.

If you can get raw goat milk - fresh or frozen - same,  a nice supplement, although prob not decisive here.

Last, with an emaciated cat,  I myself wouldnt give the full works.  I would begin with the dewormers.  And the vaccines first when he has landed and is well stabilized.

But I understand, its one vet fee less, and one trip less....   Anyway, done is done.

Do NOT give him the leukemia vaccine, the usual core vaccine is enough.  and later on the rabies vaccine, if its customary in your country.

Good luck!

I think you have good reason to suspect FIP, but as there is no real test for it, this is a wait and see situation.

Your kitten has the symptoms of FIP, but he could also still be recovering from starvation and his shots and medicines. Many times an emaciated kitten will have a pot belly because it's the first place weight gain shows up in a growing kitten.

He may also just have a cold. It's just too soon to know, but treating the stuffiness is a good idea. Baby saline nasal drops can also help to loosen the mucus and are fine to use. You can also use a vaporizer in the room where he sleeps. Steaming is great.

I also agree that the metronidazole can cause nasty side effects. Discuss switching meds with your vet.

Like Stefan said, no more shots right now. Give this some time. I hope he gets to feeling better soon.

Thanks so much everyone.

I have a call in to the vet to see what they say. Considering we are halfway done his antibiotics and he is improving (at least he is improving on the original issues like not eating) I do not think they will switch him.

I am fingers crossed and on the edge of my seat all day long just hoping he will get fully better soon and it will not be FIP (especially because I have a cat of my own who is the love of my life, although they are isolated, still a concern).

Last night he was playing so hard, I thought he was going to hurt himself since he's all wheezy and stuffed up, but I just couldn't stop him. He's up another 0.1kg today too, and litter box still looks good. Unfortunately I have to work and it is hard to monitor him or give him steams except in the evening. I race home at lunch so I can give him an extra mid-day meal but not much time to spend with him. He does get some forta flora (probiotic) with some of his meals as well.

I agree, if it were my choice I would not have given him so much to deal with at once but unfortunately rescues just don't operate that way - have to get the kittens healthy and up for adoption ASAP. Most of them are fine with the initial doses. He was scheduled to get his 2nd dose of kitten revolution this Friday too (3 weeks from first) but the vet said 4 weeks was fine so I am definitely going to push that and not give it while he is still on the antibiotics. I don't even know when he is due for his booster vaccine, kittens at his age are usually adopted before they are due for it but he is over 10 weeks now and not up for adoption until he is cleared medically.

Thanks again for all the tips, he is being picky about his donation-quality kitten food so I am going to go buy him some better stuff after work, and I will also pick up baby nasal drops as well I think!

Metronidazole isnt the "got to - meds" for respitory infections, at least not in this country, nor did it do anything for my cats lung infection. She was misdiagnosed with stomach infections and gall bladder infections, as she didnt show any obvious signs for lung infections. She improved very little and only for a short while. She did start eating abit, but then went downhill in her overall activity level, before stopping to eat again. Her lung infection wasnt discovered untill a CT scan (x-rays might of done the job too), all the tests showed, was that it was an infection in her body, somewhere. If metronidazole is not doing the job, you should take the kitty back, and ask them to take her respirtory sympthoms into the equation. My guess is you might be given a different type of antibiotics.

Yes steam is good ! Humid air!

An ultrasound should be able to tell you if his big belly is due to fluid, or something else. Kittens that are overall skinny, tend to look as if they have a big belly. Dont jump to the FIP diagnosis yet. It doesnt have to be the main suspect at this point.

Thanks, yeah the first vet visit when he wasn't eating, the vet said "possible URI" and maybe he just couldn't smell his food (he had a scabbed nose and was dirty and all the usual but he wasn't snotty or sneezing or coughing). At the second visit, with a different vet, they didn't feel there were URI symptoms, so she did the blood work. All they said was the bloodwork showed infection but same thing - didn't specify what type or where, so they did the metronidazole. The sneezing and nasal discharge is new over the past couple days.

In my message to the vet I told them he is now exhibiting URI symptoms, and everything else I mentioned. Fingers crossed.

He is feeling much better today!

He was meowing to get out of his quarantine room and gobbled up his breakfast.

Also, they are switching him to a different antibiotic tonight for URI. Not sure which drug yet.

Yay!

Sounds like good news. I'm glad they will switch his antibiotic. I'm guessing clavamox or amoxicillin to fight his URI. Glad the little guy is getting better!