Vomiting, not eating or drinking, unhappy with vet

Hello everyone,
My girls, Daisy and Dollsy, both three months old and not vaccinated yet, have stopped eating for three days now. They keep throwing up again and again and today they got the runnies. I took them to the vet, but all he'll tell me is they came down with "viral". He won't tell me what disease it is. He gave them antibiotics, meds to stop throwing up and injected subcutaneous fluids. He was also sensitive enough to tell me that this is what happens when you pick up random kittens from the streets and that Mmy babies are going to die. My babies are still really weak and still not eating or drinking. Should I force feed them? Also, general advice on how to take care of them would be appreciated.

P.S. my boy passed away under care of the same vet

Wow, I'm really sorry to read this. Is there another vet you can take them to? Them being very young and have loose stools and not eating along with vomiting is worrisome. Did the vet run any fecal test to see if they have worms. I would be more surprised if they did not. I do not want to scare you but I worry they might have cat distemper which is why he told you they would die.  It has been three days, you say since they have not eaten. I really feel for you to be in this position. If they are vomiting I advise you to not force feed them. They could breathe it in and it will make this a whole lot worse.

Hi. Thanks for replying. No the vet did not run any tests whatsoever. He doesn't have the facilities or equipment to run any, and he's the only vet in my area. I could take him to this other vet but he's out of town and won't be available until next week. 

I think you should feed them. Has the vet mentioned AD food to you? They are at risk of fatty liver now.

Talkingpeanut has a point. perhaps if you made a mush of rice and chicken along with a egg yolk or two and blended that very finely so it would be able to be put into a syringe or dropper, then you could feed them that. It won't make for a complete diet but it's at least something. @talkingpeanut   the vet probably doesn't even have that.

talkingpeanut said:

I think you should feed them. Has the vet mentioned AD food to you? They are at risk of fatty liver now.

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Talkingpeanut, I'm not sure what AD food is. If it's a cat food brand then no. The only ones available here are me-O and Smartheart.
I can mash up fish/chicken with some egg yolk. Definitely

AD means Hill's AD. It's a veterinary prescription diet specifically designed for sick cats who are struggling to eat. It's calorie and nutrient dense, so it's perfect for delicate tummies, and it's extra palatable too to help tempt sick kitties to eat. It's also one of the best foods for syringe feeding (once thinned with a little water). Definitely ask your vet about it.

To be honest, it sounds like you're really unhappy with your current vet. If it were me, I'd be seriously considering a second opinion. They're too young to take a chance with a vet you don't fully trust. Mega for your girls

Capt Claw said:

Talkingpeanut, I'm not sure what AD food is. If it's a cat food brand then no. The only ones available here are me-O and Smartheart.
I can mash up fish/chicken with some egg yolk. Definitely

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For the short term you can use stage one chicken or turkey baby food in an oral syringe, go to youtube.com and search on "syringe feeding a cat". there are lots of videos.

@Columbine, you're right. I will take them to a different vet, but the problem is that the other vet will not be available until next week. So until then I'm stuck with this one. I'll definitely ask him about AD though. I tried feeding them some dextrose with oral saline. They put up a huge fight and now I'm bleeding in several places. Maybe I'll wrap the towel tighter next time. 

@StephenQ  and @Columbine,  I've got Whiskas junior wet cat food at home. Do you think I could thin that with water and syringe feed them? 

Another thing, they tend to go into hiding in cold and dark nooks, like the one under my closet. I'm not letting them do that and forcing them to stay on bed under the blanket where it's warm. Please tell me I'm doing that right. 

In theory, whiskas could be used for syringe feeding if you ran it through a blender, but I REALLY wouldn't recommend it in this situation. It's very like to prove indigestible for such delicate tummies (don't get me wrong- it's just fine for healthy kittens, just not so good for already upset tummies). StephenQ's suggestion of pure chicken or turkey stage 1 baby food is a much better idea. Think little and often too - the last thing you want is for them to start vomiting again

As to how to syringe feed, there's a wonderful video in this thread [thread="227858"][/thread] Make sure to clean your cuts really well - cat scratches and bites are notorious for getting infected.

Cats often try to hide when they're sick, but you're absolutely right that being in a cold, drafty corner is not a good place for them to be. Can you get a suitable sized cardboard box, turn it upside down and cut a 'door-hole' into it for them. Put it in a warm, quiet place that's easily accesible for you. That way, they can satisfy their need to hide, but they'll stay warm...and, because its a box, you can move it to get easy access to them as necessary

I know it's hard, and that this is so scary and upsetting, but try to stay calm when you're around them. If you're panicking andstressed they'll likely pick up on that and get more anxious themselves.

You're doing fine - just get that second opinion as soon as you can.

@Columbine, thank you. I'll take the advice for Dollsy.

Daisy just passed away

Oh no! I'm so, so sorry Look, get Dollsy to a vet today. This really does sound like an emergency. I really hope she pulls through. Mega for her.

O no, so sorry to hear this. Try and keep Dollsy as comfortable as possible. Chances are she will not survive this virus either. Please don't leave her on her own right now. Without her sister that would be too lonely to be so sick for such a baby. These viruses are very vicious, there's not a lot you can do for her, except make sure she's not suffering. So sad this for them and for you, they would have had an amazing life with you I'm sure. 

@Columbine, I really do want to take her to a vet, but they are just really rare around here. And also, I don't want to experiment on Dollsy now. The vet I want to take her to, other pet owners I know vouch for him, but he's away for the entire week. I really don't know what to do. It feels like I can just sit down and helplessly watch my children die.

Capt Claw, that is just too awful! Is there a vet or specialist you can call and see what can be accomplished over the phone? Is she drinking at this point? Kittens need to drink a lot and eat several times a day. I am so so sorry for you but this does not look good  

All good advice given so far OP lives in Bangladesh, according to his / her location. Typical suggestions of meat baby food and going to a different vet or specialist may not be an option in that country.

@LTS3 you're right. It's not much of an option. The vet doesn't have Hills AD. All the baby food i could find was fruit/vegetable based. The doctor told me again that she's going to die, to not keep up hope

If you can't get baby food, can you get some plain chicken or turkey, cook it absolutely plain (no spices/seasonings etc) and then puree it? That's essentially what the baby foods mentioned are. If that's not possible, can you get hold of goat's milk? That's wonderful for bottle feeding newborn kittens, and would be a great way of getting easily digested nutrients into Dollsy. I'm so sorry, to say that your vet may be right, but it has to be worth a try.

Mega for your girl. She's in my thoughts :heart3:

@Columbine, I'll puree chicken for her. Thanks. It's definitely worth a try

@Columbine, Dollsy is still hanging on. I'm force feeding her every hour. She refuses to swallow the puree, so I'm feeding her chicken broth with just a bit of salt, so that at least some of it trickles down her throat. Please pray for her, everyone. Please.