Four week old kitten with bronchitis

docs4drivers

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We have taken in five litters of kittens. Someone dropped off the mommies in horrible condition and we didnt even know two of them were even pregnant.
We have been giving them kitty replacement formula (powder) mixed with pedialite and stage one baby food (turkey, chicken and beef) for the older ones. All of them have an URI and have been to the vet. Vet put all of them on antibiotics and they seem to be doing better.
Except one. She is so tiny and has lost a lot of weight due to not eating. We force fed her for a few days but she didnt eat very much at first. Then a few days later she woke up very hungry and ate 5 cc's of formula and pedialite and has been eating several times a day for a few days now. She is still having trouble breathing thru her nose and we have her in a small room with a humidifier and shr is on a heating pad set on low with a blanket over top of it so she doesn't get to hot. She walks around when she is not sleeping or eating and yes she is still taking her antibiotics three times a day. Her lungs do sound better than the day we took her to the vet but she is miserable still. It looks like she is gaining weight and she loves to watch cat videos with us.
I have read a lot of good advice on here but i was wondering if anyone had anymore suggestions for this poor little baby. Like how to help get rid of the congestion so she could breath a little easier. Any advice would help. We are so heartbroken over this.
Thank you so much in advance. The vet gave her a shot and she has 24 hour care. We keep her nose clean and her eyes are watery but not crusty.
 

foxxycat

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how about running the shower as hot as it gets and sitting in bathroom with door closed and breathe the steam for 15 min? this will help.

or boil water-add thyme and take pot of water off heatsource when boiling and hold a towel over your head with kitten and breathe the steam?  my doctor recommended this and it works really well for me.

sweet baby kitten is so precious!
 

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We have taken in five litters of kittens. Someone dropped off the mommies in horrible condition and we didnt even know two of them were even pregnant.
We have been giving them kitty replacement formula (powder) mixed with pedialite and stage one baby food (turkey, chicken and beef) for the older ones. All of them have an URI and have been to the vet. Vet put all of them on antibiotics and they seem to be doing better.
Except one. She is so tiny and has lost a lot of weight due to not eating. We force fed her for a few days but she didnt eat very much at first. Then a few days later she woke up very hungry and ate 5 cc's of formula and pedialite and has been eating several times a day for a few days now. She is still having trouble breathing thru her nose and we have her in a small room with a humidifier and shr is on a heating pad set on low with a blanket over top of it so she doesn't get to hot. She walks around when she is not sleeping or eating and yes she is still taking her antibiotics three times a day. Her lungs do sound better than the day we took her to the vet but she is miserable still. It looks like she is gaining weight and she loves to watch cat videos with us.
I have read a lot of good advice on here but i was wondering if anyone had anymore suggestions for this poor little baby. Like how to help get rid of the congestion so she could breath a little easier. Any advice would help. We are so heartbroken over this.
Thank you so much in advance. The vet gave her a shot and she has 24 hour care. We keep her nose clean and her eyes are watery but not crusty.
You seems to do  it entirely right, along the manual.  :)

RE that she seems to be gaining weight.  The easiest way to KNOW is to weigh them every day, best on an electronical scale measuring in grammes.  Especielly these in  situation you want to observe.

Do you have possibility to get goat milk - preferably raw?  Fresh or frozen?   This could perhaps be a reinforcement to what you are already giving  (I suppose you use PetAgs in powder, labelled KMR?)

Also, give her a stuffed animal as a companion.   :)

Cleaning eyes, do it with saline water, not just common water.  
 
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StefanZ

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Ps.  We had a lenghy thread titled  Saving Kali.   And yes, it was a happy end there.   Lets hope our Kali here will follow suit!
 
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docs4drivers

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This is what we are using for the formula and eye cleanser. I dont have access to raw goats milk or frozen.
The only reason I say she is gaining weight is because she looked like a walking skeleton. Now her face "looks" like it is filling out just a bit. Her belly is bigger and full. I will go put a stuffed animal in the washer with blue Dawn only as the detergent so there isnt anything like laundry detergent and fabric softner that could possibly make her worse.
I need to go get a scale for her as well. When would be a good time to weigh her?
Thank you everyone so much for your advice!
 

talkingpeanut

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That's a great kmr.  I'm not familiar with the eye wash but that looks like a good brand too.

You can weigh her any time but I would aim for the same time every day so you know for sure how much she's gaining.  

Do you mean that you have five litters at the same time right now?  You're a saint!
 
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docs4drivers

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I've never heard of using a thyme steam for kitties! I am going to try that! We have her in the bathroom with the shower on hot and steaming at least three times a day. We dont do it at night because I am afraid. I do not want to make her worse. :( We have lost four babies so far.....three were runts and one we didnt know that mommies nipplrs were swollen and sore to the touch. We think she killed it because of her hurting so bad. We took her away from the babies and had another momma take care of hers while she got better. Vet gave her antibiotics and she was better in no time.
And yes, we took in five litters of kitties. They range from 2-5 weeks old right now. They recieve meds three times a day and extra formula right after the meds. The older ones get their meds, formula, water and boiled chicken chopped up in small pieces. That is along with dry kitten food. We are also working with them because of food aggression.
We are taking good care of the mommies too. They are wild and we have scars to prove it! But they get dry kitten food, canned cat food, canned tuna and they are spoiled now. They are also getting fatter ( just by looks). They are allowed out of their kennels a few times a.day to walk around the house. We feel they need "me" time just like any.mom does. They are right back to their kitties when they start meowing for their mommies! We have no rescue places for cats around here. We have a Humane Society but they dont take cats or help. They told me they would call me back about getting the mommies.spayed, but that was a month ago. Ive tried calling them back and leaving messages, but nothing.
 

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With cats, esp semiferales, using the cat language helps much.

Some tips - a couple well known, others not so.

Do talk a lot, make friendly noises "crooning", sing if you can and want.  This is done both by mommas, and by friendly courting toms.

Dont look in their eyes more than a short second, look sooner a little aside.  But if you meet their gaze, blink slowly.

Yawn!  Standing on all fours, strech forward and or backwards.    This is NOT lazy sleepy cat, its cat greetings to pals.

Many shy cats dont like to be petted on the floor. Its often easier to pet them when they are laying comfortably up, on a chair or their favorite place.

Most shy cats dont like to be carried.  So if you DO carry, do it short, and let them down latest you notice they wants down.

Do not hover with arms above them.  They may see it as threating.  Likewise nearing them with an open hand.

A tip is to near them with a closed hand, ie a fist - it seems alike a head whom invites a friendly bumping...

Shy semiferales often dont like stroking with a hand - it may be easier to do it with a wooden spoon, or similiar.  Its rounded, it feels almost soft, and it feels warm.

Brushing is often a good help, esp for semiferale kittens - take long, good strokes over the back, you can do it a good while.   Dont overdo it though - there may be burn.

Relaxing, calm music is often good- classical harp music is best they say, but almost any may work.

The common tip of having radio with human voices on is treacherous - it is a good help with a semiferale whom has landed, whom understand its OK, people are friendly here, he can cool down and relax now.    This way he will be quicker used to humans.  Is the idea.

- Although, as said, if YOU the caretaker does the talking and singing, its much more potent.

But for a shy semiferale whom hasnt landed yet, and is in a protective mode - as mommas with small kittens usually are - this just trigger their stress level.

A Feliway adapter does often helps.  Feliway isnt cheap, so if you use it much, try to find a cheap buying source, alike E-bay or Amazon.
 

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Get rid of the humidifier. If it's bacterial your providing a perfect environment for growth. Get a Vicks vaporizer instead and fill it with sterile saline. Hold her over it for ten minutes every two hours or so then perform coupage( tap the sides of her chest with two finger, you should hear a thumping sound). The saline drys up mucus and because it's sterile your not introducing bacteria while the coupage loosens mucus and makes it easier to absorb. Get some subcutaneous fluids from your vet as the heating pad and the gunk in her lungs can dehydrate her.
 
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docs4drivers

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I just bought a brand new humidifier Thursday. I will go get the Vicks one and call the vet in the morning about the other stuff so she does not dehydrate. Thank you so much everyone!
 

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Id watch a few videos of how to make the tent for the sq fluids. The first time i did it i accidently went through the tent and sprayed my boyfriend in the face. I was horiffied. The humidifier is a good tool to have but when it comes to pnemonia and bacterial infections in the lungs it can be deadly. Having a hot and moist room simulates the conditions of the lungs and makes growth easier. Giving sq fluids for dehydration and using saline to dry out the lungs instead is a much safer option. Its something I wish someone had told me when I was starting out instead of having to learn the hard way.
 
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docs4drivers

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Update on baby Kali:

Thank you all for your advice! Baby Kali is sooooo much better! She is eating up to 15 cc's per feeding and several feedings a day. Her lungs are clearing up and she is gaining a little weight. She is up and playing and still looking at us like we are crazy! We still have her in a room with the humidifier and she is still getting medicine for a few more days.
Again, thank you all for your advice and support. :clap::rbheart:
 
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