3 Day Old Kitten Not Feeding

[Sarahfatima]

my three days old kitten won’t drink the mothers milk,i even help him and put his mouth at the nipple but he still doesn’t drink, the three other kittens are feeding normally and are very healthy but this one is very weak, it won’t even move properly, he doesn’t even make much sound, I made the basic pedialyte with common sugar and common salt, it drank very little of it with the help of a syringe, we don’t have vets here, we don’t even have milk powder for cats available but I can order it online but it will take two weeks to reach, please help

 

[Sarahfatima]

We don’t have kmr here but I can order some but it’ll reach in 1-3 weeks, I don’t know what to do

 

[catsknowme]

Oh no!! Right now, first aid is to get the kitten's temperature up, get it rehydrated and the blood sugar/electrolytes stable.
I would keep it in the nest but with a warming sock (an old sock stuffed with rice or cornmeal) next to it. Rub some white karo corn syrup, pasteurized honey or unflavored diabetic sucrose gel on its gums. The give small amounts of warm unflavored pedialyte diluted 50/50 with filtered, bottled or good well water. If the kitten is weak, I give it drop by drop, every 3-5 minutes, gradually increasing the amount and time in between. Also, light strokes, massages and brushing with a soft-bristled toothbrush encourage it to keep fighting to live.

 

[catsknowme]

S Sarahfatima :
If you need to remove the tiny, try to keep it against your heart or in a tiny box lined with fluffy towels and a ticking watch put in, along with the warming sock. be sure the kitten can easily move away from the heat, in case it gets overheated (also very dangerous). And cover the box with a towel to keep the heat in and the drafts out. If you are keeping the kitten against you, swaddle it in a warm, soft cloth to make a "purrito".

 

[StefanZ]

I asked the mods to help you create your own thread. I wrote also part answers in PM.

 

[StefanZ]

Where do you live? What country?

If you can get goats milk, its good. Human breast milk is OK in a pinch! If powdered, dilute it less than for a baby, half of that...

Raw milk from sheeps and buffalos is OK.
Probably also raw milk from cows old type, for example such common in India or Africa.

I have know of kittens saved by swedish peasants on raw cow milk from swedish modern cows, but I wouldnt voluntary try this unless really desperate.

If you dont have access to neither, there are recipes on kitten glops, but to find the ingredients may be more difficult than to find, say, goats milk...

Please continue to report!!! S Sarahfatima

 

[Sarahfatima]

I live

Where do you live? What country?

If you can get goats milk, its good. Human breast milk is OK in a pinch! If powdered, dilute it less than for a baby, half of that...

Raw milk from sheeps and buffalos is OK.
Probably also raw milk from cows old type, for example such common in India or Africa.

I have know of kittens saved by swedish peasants on raw cow milk from swedish modern cows, but I wouldnt voluntary try this unless really desperate.

If you dont have access to neither, there are recipes on kitten glops, but to find the ingredients may be more difficult than to find, say, goats milk...

Please continue to report!!! S Sarahfatima

I live in India in Kashmir, its nighttime here right now so I can’t go out to find goat milk for it, he’s been drinking the basic pedialyte after every two hours or so with the help of a syringe, he won’t drink it’s mothers milk at all

 

[Sarahfatima]

my three days old kitten won’t drink the mothers milk,i even help him and put his mouth at the nipple but he still doesn’t drink, the three other kittens are feeding normally and are very healthy but this one is very weak, it won’t even move properly, he doesn’t even make much sound,I made the basic pedialyte with common sugar and common salt, it drank very little of it with the help of a syringe, we don’t have vets here, we don’t even have kmr for cats available here but I can order it online but it will take one to two weeks to reach, please help what should I do?

 

[Sarthur2]

Continue to try to give drops of the homemade pedialyte mixture to the kitten with the syringe. Try each hour.

Can you get goat’s milk? It would be fine to use that. If so, try to syringe 1/2 to 1mL of goat’s milk slowly each hour.

You can also use evaporated milk mixed with an egg yolk, a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar, and a teaspoon of water.

If the kitten does not stay hydrated it will die.

Here is a video about how to properly syringe feed:

Syringe Feeding — Kitten Lady

Best of luck and keep us posted.

 

[StefanZ]

Of he cant take much you can give every hour.

 

[Sarahfatima]

Of he cant take much you can give every hour.

Thank you so much for your help

 

[catsknowme]

Do you have goat milk available? You can made a very good substitute from goat milk (try not to use cow's milk unless it is canned, diluted 50/50 with clean, filtered water). I like the recipe at www.kitten-rescue.com. It calls for raw egg yolk which is excellent but you need to carefully rinse off all traces of raw egg white (I hold the yolk in my loose fingers and hold it under a slow stream of water).
Just be sure the kitten is warm and revived before you add formula for his food. If he is cold, his digestive tract will be shut down and formula will just sit undigested in his tummy & he may begin meowing with discomfort and pain.
FYI: kitten-rescue.com is TCS' very own Hissy's website. Be sure to read her feral cats blog if you get a chance - Hissy is so determined and devoted!
Prayers that the tiny pulls through

 

[catsknowme]

This is a link to a very valuable video. It is free and although an hour long, you can pause & rewind and watch it as time allows. While it is for veterinary professionals to earn continuing education credits, the lecturer makes sure to include tips & information for the lay rescuer, whether they are a volunteer foster or an individual helping a kitten. It covers a wide range of topics!

https://www.maddiesfund.org/critical-care-of-the-sick-neonatal-kitten.htm