Complications during pregnancy for first time mom

My young cat Luna has had 2 kittens, 36 hours ago. She seemed fine and content with her kittens and has been an excellent mama. 5 hours ago it was like she took a turn for the worse. She was almost lifeless and breathing really heavy. I called my vet immediately and he met me at his clinic. We brought mama and the kittens in and found out that there is at least 1 kitten and he believes it is still alive. He gave her fluids, a shot of antibiotics, and a shot to induce labor. He sent me home and I am to go back tomorrow morning to do an xray and remove the kittens if she hadn't yet delivered. She seems in better shape now and still nursing her kittens and relaxing in the nesting box but she now has a bit of a blood discharge coming out and doesn't seem to be contracting. Any advice would help. I have been in a constant panic since the afternoon and just want to be calmer for mama. Thank you in advance.

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The shot to induce labor is probably causing contractions which is why she is having the discharge.  She may or may not deliver another kitten, alive or not alive.  Just watch her carefully.  Make sure she is eating and also getting lots of calcium.  Goats milk is a good source of calcium and extra fluids for cats, and you can get it at most supermarkets in the dairy section or canned (evaporated, dilute it with half water) in the baking section where other canned milk is.  As long as she is eating and not collapsing again, you should be fine until morning.  Here aer a few articles that may give you some more understanding of the process and also give you an idea how to help if there is any problem delivering the remaining kitten.

Pregnant Cat? What to Prepare For the Birth

Help! My Cat is Having Kittens!

Post-Birth Complications in Cats

Thank you for the reply and the links.
She got up and started cleaning herself and looked as if she was trying to push but went back in the box when her babies started to cry. She is now relaxing and nursing her kittens again. I hope the night goes smoothly.

Did the vet do an x-ray to confirm that there is another kitten? It's sounding like she's going to need an energency c-section in the morning if so.

No the clinic wasn't opened when i went there, he met me in there because it was an emergency. He felt the baby while examining Luna and said we would do an xray tomorrow if she didn't deliver tonight. He warned me about the emergency c-section. She seems to be calm now, eating well, and just hanging with her babies.

Please let us know what happens tomorrow.

Deliveries days apart arent that uncommon. But if she was on the verge of collapse, which DID alarmed you, is of couse a strong sign you cant just observe and wait and see, but you must contact your vet.

So you are handling this excellently.

Ah, get home some kmr or goats milk, so you can supplement the kittens, if momma cant.  Mommas usually can proceed to nurse after Cesarean, but its wise to safeguard some.

Goats milk is an excellent supplent to mommas, but can also be used as a kmr of sorts...   Some rescuers use even exclusively goats milk.

Have also a needleless syringe / dropper. Kittens whom have momma are often reluctant to bottle.

Good luck!

lunaandbella said:

No the clinic wasn't opened when i went there, he met me in there because it was an emergency. He felt the baby while examining Luna and said we would do an xray tomorrow if she didn't deliver tonight. He warned me about the emergency c-section. She seems to be calm now, eating well, and just hanging with her babies.

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Please do keep us updated. The vet should be able to spay mom at the same time as the c-section, which will prevent the need for later surgery.

Okay so I woke up this morning after a long night with Luna, she seemed great. She is still constantly purring, something she hasn't stopped doing since delivering the kittens.
I searched the house incase she delivered during 1 of my nod off moments but couldn't find any sign of a kitten being born.
I brought her back in the vets like i was told to do and he xrayed her before examing her. When he examined her he said he couldn't feel anything so we then reviewed the xray and there was nothing showing up other than a lot of fecal matter. He believes the kitten was dead and she must of ate it. He said everything is fine, Luna seems great, and sent me home.
I came home and searched my whole house again and couldn't find anything (just in case i missed something before)
She nursed the kittens some more and they went to sleep. She has now, for the last 20 minutes, been walking around my house constantly crying and/or hissing at nothing (still constantly purring) i know purring can also be a sign of distress. I don't know what to do or if these are normal characteristics and have already spent 300 at the vet would like to avoid going back in if I can. Is it possible that they didn't see a kitten in the xray and she's going back in labor? She's restless and won't sit still.
Again any advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.

If the x-ray showed nothing, there's no kitten. For that matter, he may have felt her distended uterus when you took her in over the weekend. Cats frequently appear still pregnant after delivering kittens because the uterus is swollen.

I also do not think she delivered and ate a kitten.

It sounds to me like she is experiencing after pains, which can occur on and off for a couple of days, especially since she had a shot of oxytocin to stimulate labor.

She will probably settle down in 24-48 hours. The vet visit upset her too. The purring is soothing to her. Give her a dish of KMR a day to help with calcium needs. It seems also to calm down the system.

Also give her high protein snacks such as plain, boiled chicken.

How is she now?

Thank you for the response and the advice.
She is calm and has been laying with her babies for the last 2 hours now.
I'm hoping that everything goes smoothly now and that she continues to be the great mama she's been so far. I as well didn't feel she would have eaten her dead baby, maybe after birth that didn't come out (i didn't see the babies be birthed and not sure if she passed them). But whatever the case I'm relieved that seems happy and content now and that there is nothing of dire concern.
Thank you everyone that shared advice and concern.

I hope she stays happy and comfortable.  Poor baby.