Urgent: Kitten diarrhea

Good vibes & prayers being sent your way...hope the little girl gets better!!

Huggs, i really hope all goes well!

Thanks everyone! Question...about nursing times. I'm wondering at this age how long each time a kitten should be nursing. I'm trying to figure out is for some reason Annabelle isn't being as successful...or isn't staying on as long. Mom is a very small cat and her brother and sister are getting very big...she seems to be getting pushed off sometimes....

Fingers and toes crossed...thanks for all the vibes.

I was too excited.....had to post! Annabelle has regained the oz she lost!! I supplemented her with KMR about 4 times yesterday (probably about 20cc) and I just went to give her some this morning and decided to weigh her. She still has diarrhea but it doesn't seem nearly as frequent...though her poor bum is still so sore.

Please keep sending the healing vibes...they seem to be working.
Come on annabelle...you have to catch up to your brother and sister!


PS: neither of the other 2 kittens seem to have caught to the coccidia (both have gained 2 oz+ each over the last 48 hours) and mamma seems to be recovering from her diarrhea too.

I was too excited.....had to post! Annabelle has regained the oz she lost!!



What a cutie!! Glad she seems to be doing better & gained some weight. Hoping she is on her way to a week of plumping up!!

Originally Posted by leesali

I was too excited.....had to post! Annabelle has regained the oz she lost!!

What a cutie!! Glad she seems to be doing better & gained some weight. Hoping she is on her way to a week of plumping up!!

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Well i might have jinxed things a little bit...Mamma is having some bad diarrhea and isn't eating much, and annabelle's sister abigail is suffering from the coccidia now too. I'm supplementing both of them and keeping my fingers crossed that the pills start to work.

Any idea how to get mamma to take her pills? I was hiding it in her wet food but she's decided to stop eating that. (Mamma is pretty feral and will not allow me to touch her).

Don't worry, it can take a little time for the medicine to work. You are doing a wonderful job staying on top of their supplementing and hydration. That is super. My guess is really that all of the kittens are going to go through this. If you are almost to the last day of medicine, you might call the vet back, and find out if this is a medicine that can be given longer for more stubborn strains of coccidia.
You might try hiding the pill in tuna, I have found it very odd when a cat can resist tuna. Maybe she has another favorite food, that you can try.
If all else fails, you might just try and wrap her up in a towel, and give her the medicine that way. If you think suspension liquid would be any easier, you might ask the vet if you can dilute this type of medicine and give it in a dropper. I can imagine you have your work cut out for you when trying to give Momma cat medicine.
Everyone is still in my thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery. Annabelle is beautiful!! I love her white blaze on her face. I look forward to new and exciting updates.

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement...i realize now just how much i needed that! I've taken to trying to supplement all of them, at least until momma starts to really eat again. I did manage to get her to eat her pill this evening by dissolving it in cat milk and mixing it with kitten wet food (she just keeps lapping up the milk so i kept adding a little bit more till she finished all the food). I've figured out that if i slip the little ones their piece of pill just before a bit of KMR I get them to take it with not much fuss. Annabelle is a little sneak though and seems to hide the pill in her cheak and then spit it out later! I wish i could discuss this more with the vet, but the rescues chosen vet is out of town till tuesday and since i am managing to have some success the director of the rescue has decided to wait and see.

good vibes for Alice (momma), Annabelle, Abigail and Archie

Just when i think i'm getting some where...there's a new hiccup. Archie has started vomiting quite a bit. Abigail vomited a little. Nothing from Annabelle. Is it a possible side effect of the coccidia treatment??

No, it is from the coccidia itself, I would assume. Most kittens can experience vomitting and diarrhea.
How is the babies weight doing? More importantly are they staying hydrated?
I can't remember now how many days of treatment they have had yet, but I would call and find out if there should have more of an improvement yet. You can find out if they feel it is necessary, to change medications, or to just wait for the medicine to work.
You have done a have great job with the babies. You are still in my thoughts, please keep me updated.
EDIT: I also want to say, that with both the vomitting, and the diarrhea, they can become dehydrated very, very quickly, and go down hill fast.

Originally Posted by FamilytimeRags

No, it is from the coccidia itself, I would assume. Most kittens can experience vomitting and diarrhea.
How is the babies weight doing? More importantly are they staying hydrated?
I can't remember now how many days of treatment they have had yet, but I would call and find out if there should have more of an improvement yet. You can find out if they feel it is necessary, to change medications, or to just wait for the medicine to work.
You have done a have great job with the babies. You are still in my thoughts, please keep me updated.

EDIT: I also want to say, that with both the vomitting, and the diarrhea, they can become dehydrated very, very quickly, and go down hill fast.

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I just hydrated the one who is vomiting and has diarrhea. I only got about 5ccs into before he started fighting me off so i put him back with mom in the hopes he would have the energy to feed. I also just got off the phone with the rescue and they are making me a vet appointment.

I wish i felt like i was doing i good job...i feel like i'm desparately clinging to these guys. oh...i wish she would hurry up and call back with that appointment.....

It is going to be okay. You have done great by keeping a close eye and keeping them hydrated.
I know how you are feeling. ((Hugs)) Hang in there!! I am sure you have had very little sleep over the past few days, and you must feel exhausted.
The vet will be able to reassess the kittens, and things will hopefully get easier soon.

Originally Posted by FamilytimeRags

It is going to be okay. You have done great by keeping a close eye and keeping them hydrated.
I know how you are feeling. ((Hugs)) Hang in there!! I am sure you have had very little sleep over the past few days, and you must feel exhausted.
The vet will be able to reassess the kittens, and things will hopefully get easier soon.

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Thanks for the hugs...i am exhausted (mostly mentally from worrying). You get so attached so quickly. Would you recommend bringing in momma and the kittens or leaving mom behind. She's pretty skittish and libel to not be friendly with a vet. Will she be ok with them when they get back?

Update: so went to the vet at 1130 to get them all checked out. The vet doesn't believe it's coccidia and thinks instead it's something viral and has put them all on anti-diarrheal meds and they are going to be dewormed (though this has to wait since Archie has a fever near 104).

The vet also wants me to start introducing them to wet food...so far 0 interest on all parts.

Any hints or tips to get them started on this (i thought I had to wait for mom to get them started on that?)

With little ones, I usually feed them Pro Plan for kittens with KMR squirted all over & mushed-up. Try putting a bit of this mush onto your finger tip and smooshing on their lips...you may be surprised when they lick it and look for more. Be forewarned...once the go for it in a shallow dish or paper plate, it is quite the messy adventure. They sort-of push at & shovel it with their noses and paws...very messy but very cute!!

My opinion is, when they are ready...they are ready...don't like to push the little-ones into eating.

I always thought that too (not pushing them into it). I mean when i found Lucky at 4 weeks old she dove headfirst into the wet food like she hadn't eaten in months. I guess that led me to believe that kittens take to wet food easily. I've been putting out an extra dish when i put out mom's wet food. The extra dish has a little bit of wet mushed and warmed with KMR. So far no interest. I did smush a little bit at Annabelle since she was awake...but no interest. The wet seemed to think it was important i get them on wet...no idea why. Mom seems content with the way things are...I guess once i day i'll keep trying with the extra plate and see what happens. It will probably be easier when they are all feeling better.

thanks for the advice....

good vibes still needed for Archie and the rest of the family

Oh, my goodness...I can't believe that you are still struggling so much! I hope the new medication does the trick for Momma and babies! The kittens are absolutely adorable! I hope they start the solid foods for you soon...

If it wasn't for you, it is very likely that this entire beautiful family would have persished! Thank you for working so hard to keep them alive!

I am glad to hear that you got to see the vet and new medication. I hope that they start feeling better soon.
I have had some kittens start eating between the 4th-5th week, but it is rare for our babies. They don't mind laying in the warm mush though. Usually, I see them becoming more interested in the 6th week. We give our Momma's wet food that is diluted down with warm water daily, and we will have the kittens each take a couple of licks off of our fingers each day starting around 4 weeks old. Then once they are ready, they usually take off eating.
If they are beginning to lose weight, because the Momma starts weaning them, then you can try baby foods such as chicken.
I don't usually see them eating the dry kibble until between 7-8 weeks old, and more experienced at eating the dry between 10-11 weeks old.
This is just my experiences though.
Don't become stressed, they will begin to eat solids when they are ready.
I also want to agree with Beckiboo, this furry family has been so blessed to have you. You have done a wonderful job.
I look forward to updates.

Pro Plan isn't one of the best foods here, I'd consider it to be one of the worst. Well for our Persians anyway, they have sensitive stomachs.

I've only had time to flick through but what wet food have you decided on?

I would recommend Hills A/D or Nutro, as a canned food.