Too early for labour ?

Hi all,

First question - what happened to all the pages in the forum ? I can only see 2 in this section and there used to be tons ??!! Have they been archived or something ? Did we have a crash that I don't know about ?

Second question: a week ago, we got a new momma-to-be from the SPCA (fostering) and by the feel of the babies moving, I'm saying she's at about 7 weeks. She pretty big around and the nipples are huge but the babies are still quite tiny and when they move you can feel little tiny body parts, not as big as you would with a newborn kitten - hence my 7 week estimate.

So anyways, today, momma is acting a little weird. Didn't come out of her box much, she hasn't eaten all day and just now I saw a brownish-red dischage. She goes to the bathrrom often enough but sometimes she just pushes with nothing coming out. Just a little while ago, she relocated behind the computer desk where she sits - not really sleeping, just sitting as if she didn't feel well.

In my unexperienced opinion, she's too early for the babies but she does seem to have a few signs ? Any opinions ?

Julie

Julie, if she is going into the litter and pushing, then she is probably in the early stage of labor. Get her into her nest and sit with her for a while so she stays in it. Also, bring her litter box into where you have her nest set up along with her food and water dishes but don't place them too close. My bet is that she is further along than you think and that she is going to have those babies pretty soon.

I agree with Gaye. It sounds like she is in the early stages of labour.

It's very difficult to tell the size of the babies when they are inside still.

She is mistaking the labour pains for the need to use the tray so the best thing to do would be to empty the tray of litter and replace it with shredded newspaper, just in case she delivers a kitten in the tray.

Oh and with the forum display, scroll down on any forum and make sure, in the Display Options box, it says Sorted by Last Post Time, From the Beginning, Sort Order Descending. Click Show Threads. You should be able to see all the threads then.

The bllod part has stopped but she still has a yellowish discharge. She keeps wetting the blanket she's on. She was crusted with it all the way down her legs and up her belly so I gave her a small bath. The discharge has quite a smell to it - concentrated pee smell ?

It's been 24 hours since the blood. I called the vet today and she said it could be plenty of things - normal labour, UTI, ruptured bladder - the list goes on... She suggested keeping an eye on her, making her as comfortable as possible (warm, low light) and hope for the best.

The "problem" is that she's a foster kittie. The SPCA will not pay for anything except for her food. If she's really ill and will only be helped by medical attention, I can bring her back in and they will put her to sleep. I can pay for her treatment myself but I'm sure you understand that I don't have a limitless stash of money used to help out stray animals.

Keeping my finger crossed...Hope for the best...
Julie

I hope everything work out for your foster kitty. I know about the limited money thing. My cat Dora had a discharge that lasted 10 days, the last time she was pregnant. I took her to the vet and they said it was just because she was going to have her kittens soon. Well that was 7 days before she had them. Just thought I would let you know my experiance. I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Jamie

Did your momma cat's discharge smell anything ? Mine is quite "foul" smelling and that's what's got me worried...

Is the discharge thick and pus-like or is it more of a fluid like urine?

More like urine, more sticky though as it dries "crusty" on her fur. I'm trying to get to her to sleep on the various towels I have strewn around the room (so it soaks into the towel and she doesn't sit in a puddle) but she prefers the hard wood floor under the computer desk in the back corner.

When my previous foster had her kittens, there was a"smell" to the room - this smell is similar only WAY stronger !! Like open the window and light some candles stronger...

What a horrible position to be in! They refuse any vet care to the animals?!? Are their any cat rescues that could help out? I know the rescues near me often pull "death row" kitties from the animal shelter. Maybe a local rescue would pay for a vet visit?

I hope things go well with this poor kitty. How heartwrenching to be in your position. Hugs to you at this nervewracking time!

I'm not sure if there are any shelters that can help around here... I suppose I could call around tomorrow but I work 12 hour shifts tomorrow and tuesday so she won't get much help from them til at minimum tuesday morning (assuming I reach one tomorrow). I don't know if she'll last that long, she looks (and smells) horrible.

I managed to get her out of her corner, her whole belly is soaked with whatever it is. I tried cleaning her up a bit but she won't stay clean for long. I've confined her to the closet (empty - pretty big) and put towels down so it soaks up most of it. Her rectal temp after 3 mins was 36.5 - way too low... She's not moving at all, I put her in her box lined with towels and she just stood there, front legs in, back legs out, not moving. I helped her all the way in and she's just lying there in the same position - head towards the back of the box.

I still feel the kittens kick which is worse cause I know she's not doing to good with a belly full of kittens... I'm literally in tears - this whole thing breaks my heart. Aren't cats supposed to have easy pregnancies...

What on earth could this be ?

Vibes please !
Julie

As for the vet care at the SPCA, I think the way they see it is they have so many animals to care for, they try and save the healthy ones. They don't have the money or man-power to save every sick animal. The more money they spend on sick ones, the less they have to care for the many healthy ones that keep pouring in each week.

Julie, at this point, I would go ahead and take her into the emergency clinic. Her temp is way too low and this, as you know, isn't good. It's time for the vet.

Julie, a copious, very smelly discharge means trouble (often a big infection) and she and the kittens really need a vet now. I understand that money is tight but they may see her and make a payment plan for you afterwards.

Well my little Souza is gone ...

Took her to the vet as soon as it opened this morning and she was severely jaundiced (yellow tongue and gums). She was dying so they put her and her kittens to sleep (they were still kicking this morning).

The vet suggested it might be because of panleuk, which worries the hell out of me because I have 4 foster kittens, about 3 months old that aren't vaccinated yet. While she was being separated from them, one would sneaked in when I opened the door a few times. That same one also fell in the bath water after I washed Souza one time... panick...

I'm going to be searching the net today to find more info on feline distemper / panleukopenia. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free.

For anyone who might be able to help diagnose, her symptoms were:
-pregnant, about 7-8 weeks
-stopped eating on saturday morning (figured she was nauseaus due to pregnancy). Was very quiet, subdued
-Saturday night, brownish red discharge from vagina. Also yellow clear foul smelling discharge
-Sunday, same discharge, not moving, not eating. Rectal temp 36.5, whitish tongue
-Monday morning, more of the same, bloody discharge on blankets as well as yellow smelly stuff. Vet confirmed severe jaundice, she was dying.

Does this sound like distemper ?

Thanks for your help...

Julie

More details that I thought were unrelated but now am tying into the jaundice.

When I first got her last Saturday, she peed in her cat carrier on the way to my house. I assumed she was either a)smelling the other animals in that cage and wanted to mark it as hers or b) she peed because she was nervous. The pee was really smelly - like when my male was spraying to mark his turf.

When she arrived at my house, I put her in the bath to wash her off after her carrier accident and wrapped her up in a towel, she peed on me and the towel on our way to her room. I put it down to nerves. Same "marking" smell.

Throughout the week, she peed on all blankets I put in the room for her. Not a lot, just a small spot. Again, I assumed she was marking them since we have many other cats in the house and could smell them.

The yellow stuff coming out yesterday was all down her belly. I'm not sure exactly where it was coming from (vagina ? bladder ?). It might have had the same smell to it only 10X worse so it might very well have been urine.

Massive urinary tract infection that invaded the kidneys ?
Panleukopenia ?
Anything else you can think of ?

Julie

Julie,

First, allow me to say how sorry I am that little Souza didn't make it through. I know this all has been horribly disturbing for you and I can only hope you will find some peace and comfort in knowing that you were able to give her some warmth and attention in her final days.

Without having a post-mortem examination with necropsy results, it would be impossible to know for certain what happened. However if I were to speculate, systemic septicemia would be my guess.

Again, I am so sorry for your loss.

Julie...I am also terribly sorry about Souza....but she died with someone who loved her very much and that means a LOT. I just want to say THANK YOU for caring enough to bring this girl into your home...fosters deserve so much appreciation.

Katie

Julie, I'm so sorry about Souza. Thank you for doing all you could for her. She and her kittens will be playing over the rainbow bridge, happy and healthy.