Sick Kittens - giardia and coccidia

Two of our stray kittens have been diagnosed with giardia and coccidia. One's fecal showed nothing, the other's the vet thought she may have seen both giardia and coccidia and felt that with their symptoms, it's best to treat them for both.

My problem is how rapidly they've deteriorated. They went to the vet on sat. Tuxedo had a fever, and Dot was in the high normal range. They both had started throwing up and having watery/loose stool. He did a fecal for worms (and i didn't think to ask for checking out other possibilities) and they showed negative. He wormed the one with the high normal temp. and gave the other an antibiotic shot. Both are perscribed .25 ml of amoxicilian twice a day.
After that, they pretty much stopped eating (that I could see, I leave iams kitten kibble out all the time) except when I tempt them with KMR, or baby food. I've seen them lap at water, but I don't think they're drinking enough.
They've been throwing up about 50% of what I give them.
I took them in again this morning, and got the diagnosis above. They're now also to take .25 ml of Albon once a day and 1/8 a tablet of metronidazole once a day.
They received subq fluids at the vet. two big syringe fulls each. (didn't catch the amount). The also both received a shot of Regdi (sp? can't read dr's handwriting), I believe to help settle their stomachs.

I would like to know if anyone knows of a food or liquid that won't be too upseting for their stomachs. Tuna fish water has been working today except for the last feeding which both seem to have thrown up. One about 20 min afterwards, the other about 3 to 4 hours.

They've been using the litter box today, I suspect because of the extra fluids they've received. I just don't know what I can feed them that they won't throw right back up. They're down to a little over a pound. I'm going to scrape together enough money to get them hydrated again, but after that, I'm broke. I've used up what I've saved for our own animals and our emergency fund.

And I can't tell if I'm over reacting to how they look. Half the time they sit together on their towel with their rice sock and just look sad, but then they'll walk over to me and just whine up at me and generally seem a little perkier. They both put up huge fits at the vets over any kind of treatment.

I may be getting upset prematurely as they've only had their first day of treatment, but I know that they need to eat and drink more than they are. It also doesn't help that one of them throws up pretty immediatly after he's given something, which means he's not always getting his medicine.

So, does anyone know of any soothing foods or have any other advice?
I feel like a fool for not having the vet test for these things on Sat. and getting them some extra fluids then.

Sorry for the rambling, I'm trying to stay up late to make up for the work I missed this morning.

Oh, Tuxedo is a boy, Dot's a girl and they're both just over 10 weeks old. Not speutered yet, due to their health and weight. THey've also been separated from mom and other kittens to minimize the chance of reinfecting with either of the two "bugs".

Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

For cripes sake why did he worm these kittens? With high temps you don't usually worm kittens. You also don't worm kittens with negative fecal results.

Go to the store and get some pediaylte and a eye dropper. Start giving them pedialyte with the eye dropper, do it slowly, or they could asphirate. If you have a feeding syringe that doesn't stick when you press the plunger, that would be better. Just work slow with them.

To check for dehydration lightly scruff their neck when they are at rest, hold for a few seconds and then let go. The skin should fold down immediately if it stays tented up then get them to the vet quickly.

I have been giving them pedialyte with a dropper. The vet today asked if they were interested in tuna, which I hadn't even thought of and it seemed to be doing well for them.
I don't know how much to give them. I pretty much do as much as they tolerate before they get stressed, which has been anywhere from 1 to 2 droppers to 7 or 8. But again, about half the time, I find that it's come back up again. Do i just push more fluids even though I know their stomachs must be upset?
I also work 9 to 6, with an hour lunch break, during which I can usually make it home. Is that too long for them between feedings? I could probably bring them to work with me (my boss is very easygoing) but I don't know if that would just stress them out more than being in their home. We also work in a converted warehouse, which, while not cold, is not as warm as home.
Thanks for the reply,

Julia

Do you have a cat carrier? I would take them with you, in the cat carrier with lots of soft bedding, a towel to cover the sides and front and rice warmers inside.

You take old socks, fill them with uncooked minute rice, tie the ends, cook in the microwave on high for 30 seconds, and you get about a few hours of heat. I would line the sides of the carrier with these heaters the heat will generate in, or they will cuddle on them to get warm.

I would feed them in a small area, not in the drafty warehouse, like a small closet or stall? If your boss is that easy going-

You can feed them small frequent amounts of shredded white chicken meat and cottage cheese. You basically want low fat, good quality protein and carbs. Plain white rice can also be fed.
How old are these kittens? Is it possible for you to learn how to give fluids at home?

Thanks for the replies.
Unfortunately, we have lost both of them. The little boy jumped in the tub overnight (mon. night,they were being isolated in the bathroom) and when I found him, he was cold and limp. I was able to heat him up again with rice socks and rush him to the vet. He was having little seizures and the vet gave him more fluids and B12 and we left him there. He passed about an hour later.
I brought his sister in for more fluids and this time the vet talked about the possibility of distemper or FIP. I brought her to work with me and bundled her up in a towel and a rice sock on my lap. I fed her every two hours and I was excited because she didn't throw up at all, making me think that Tuxedo kitty was the one throwing up. I moved Dot into our smaller half bath, so there would be no chance of her getting into the tub. She came to work with me again today and was restless, didn't want to settle down, but seemed very disconected when I let her walk around. She threw up once, but I think it was because I gave her more fluids than before and it was too much. I took her to the vet again for more fluids and she prepared enough syringes for us to administer them ourselves. She assesed that if her mental state (alertness, clarity) didn't pick up, her prognosis wasn't good.
I took her home, to put up the meds and she didn't want to come out of her carier. When I went to get her to go back to work, she had crawled out on top of her carier. She was completely limp and could barely hold up her head. I put her on a heating pad and she started seizing like her brother, so I held her for the next 10 min until she was gone.
My boyfriend came home early and found a nice place that will cremate the two of them together.
I'm in shock at how fast they left us. They had such personality. I'm going to miss them so much, I really felt like their mother.
Thank you for your help, fortunately the other three are fat, happy and active. One is started on his vaccines and the other two will be at the vet on friday for theirs and a check up regarding the potential issues these two faced.
I have a newfound respect for those that foster mamas and their babies.
Again, thanks for your help,

~Julia

I'm so sorry to hear you lost them. I didn't catch the age of the kittens, but if they were under 2 months old, that stuff will kill quickly. Very young kittens have little to fight with (body-wise) and any loss of fluids is critical.

I remember losing a few kittens to that giardia stuff. I was shocked to find out that you can carry the germs on your shoes. The vet said that since we lived near a stream, that was the likely source. You walk it in, it gets in the carpet, the kittens pick it up.

My little kittens never stood a chance - they dehydrated too quickly despite our efforts.

I hope the rest are ok.