8 Week Old Kitten With Pneumonia, Advice Please.

frodgie

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If there's a thread on this particular question, I can't seem to find it. I'm sorry if this is redundant but I need help.

Long story: On August 21st, after a bad rain storm we heard a kitten crying for help in the bushes next to our driveway. We don't know where she came from. She was virtually lifeless. We brought her inside, wrapped her up in cotton towels, and I stayed up all night gently feeding her KMR. She took some but had no energy to move. By morning though I was able to stand her up and feed her wet cat food, she ate a little. By the time I got home from work she was alert and I could hear something going in her chest. I brought her to the vet. Diagnosis: Pneumonia and she was administered Clavamox twice daily. She never really got better, she always had nasal congestion but seemed to behave normally, she became an eating, affectionate kitten. By day 8 when I got home from work her breathing was labored, that was 72 hours ago. Another vet visit and her she was given Azithromycin (sp) and an anti-viral and an anti-wormer. She's tested negative for feline leukemia and aids. So we don't have to worry about that. Her breathing was very labored by that evening, and she could only eat slowly and had zero energy. 36 hours later she was improved by far. Breathing still labored a bit but eating heartily, playful and purring. Today she's the same but her breathing is still labored but she's otherwise in good shape. The doctor said it will take a few days for her breathing to improve. I need someone with experience to tell me how much longer it will take her breathing to return to normal? Is there anything else besides a vaporizer treatment that I can do? I've been keeping the bedroom warmish, she seemed a little cold, so I've been keeping it between 70 and 72 degrees. Anything else I can do? How long before I see respiratory improvement?

-Nervous kitten momma
 

StefanZ

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You seem to do Ok including vaporizer / humodizer. a heading pad is perhaps better than high room temp. But warm air holds more humidity so it levels up. Be sure she is fluided - perhaps with pedialyte. You can massage her. Make it comfy ...
 
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frodgie

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You seem to do Ok including vaporizer / humodizer. a heading pad is perhaps better than high room temp. But warm air holds more humidity so it levels up. Be sure she is fluided - perhaps with pedialyte. You can massage her. Make it comfy ...
She doesn't drink water on her own so I mix her wet cat food with water and make it soupy. She gets a lot of fluids, she urinates quite a bit. I may try pedialyte too. Do I mix it with her food?
 

StefanZ

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Yes, you can use the pedialyte instead of some water. IF she were in any danger of dehydration, it would be a welcome extra. As she gets lotsa of fluids, its enough with instead off. You do essentially give some glucose sugar and salts. If wet food is hers main food, normally she wont need much extra water. But being well hydrated is always good esp if sickly.

She doesn't drink water on her own so I mix her wet cat food with water and make it soupy. She gets a lot of fluids, she urinates quite a bit. I may try pedialyte too. Do I mix it with her food?
 

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In humans, a real pneumonia does takes time to be entirely healthy. There ARE easier pneumonias, three days and you are fit for fight, but the heavier, true one takes weeks. + recovalescence afterwards. In the bygone days people died in pneumonia in quite a substantial percentage.
Here you were lucky you went to vet immediately you noticed something was wrong with the breathing. Heavy pneumonias are even more dangerous for cats than for humans.
 

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F frodgie

My guess is the pneumonia became really set in. Her airways are small right now, and it's taking time.

However, she would probably benefit from prednisone, which is a corticosteroid and would open up her airways. Please ask the vet.

She may also need another round of clavamox or ciprofloxacin. Again, ask the vet.

Thank you for rescuing her! :)
 

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If you don't have a pet heating pad, you can make a microwaveable heat sock with an old, clean tube sock filled with rice or cornmeal, either heated in the microwave or with the stuffing heated in a dry frying pan and funneling into the sock (you can cut off the top of a plastic fruit juice bottle for the funnel). Please keep us updated! Sending prayers and vibes for the little one's quick recovery.:vibes::vibes::vibes:
She may have weak lungs for her first couple of years - you can ask the vet about using herbs such as slippery elm bark or marshmallow root for lung support as well as keep antibiotic on hand for bacterial infection causing dark yellow, greenish or gray mucus.
Thank you for rescuing the kitten:rock:
 
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frodgie

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Hi everyone! Thank you for the advice and good vibes. Yesterday her breathing worsened a bit and to top it all off she has diarrhea. So, the vaporizer is on 24/7 now and I put pumpkin mixed with wet food to firm up her stool. Her energy level is down a bit but she still greets me when I come into the room, she purrs and seems social. It's a holiday weekend so the vet is out unless I take her in as an emergency and I can't afford to do that. As it is right now she's been brought to the vet on funds I didn't have to begin with. Even money offered from a friend. She seems comfortable enough, she's not worse than when this all started so I'm doing whatever I can with home care. I do have a question though. She won't drink water. I mix water with her wet food to make it soupy but I'm afraid she's getting too much water. Any suggestions about how to handle this? I don't want to change her food again while she's having belly issues, but I was thinking I could introduce a little dry food, not sure when though. This hasn't been easy.
 
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frodgie

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If you don't have a pet heating pad, you can make a microwaveable heat sock with an old, clean tube sock filled with rice or cornmeal, either heated in the microwave or with the stuffing heated in a dry frying pan and funneling into the sock (you can cut off the top of a plastic fruit juice bottle for the funnel). Please keep us updated! Sending prayers and vibes for the little one's quick recovery.:vibes::vibes::vibes:
She may have weak lungs for her first couple of years - you can ask the vet about using herbs such as slippery elm bark or marshmallow root for lung support as well as keep antibiotic on hand for bacterial infection causing dark yellow, greenish or gray mucus.
Thank you for rescuing the kitten:rock:

I did make rice sock for her, she loved it last night especially. I will ask the vet about the herbs you mentioned. It seems I've got a growing list of questions for the vet.
 
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frodgie

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F frodgie

My guess is the pneumonia became really set in. Her airways are small right now, and it's taking time.

However, she would probably benefit from prednisone, which is a corticosteroid and would open up her airways. Please ask the vet.

She may also need another round of clavamox or ciprofloxacin. Again, ask the vet.

Thank you for rescuing her! :)

I will ask about prednisone or something similar to open her air ways. There are so many things to consider I never even thought of.
 

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You do not really need to add water to her wet food. Most cats and kittens get plenty of moisture from their wet food alone.

I would hold off on giving dry food at this time.
 
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frodgie

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You do not really need to add water to her wet food. Most cats and kittens get plenty of moisture from their wet food alone.

I would hold off on giving dry food at this time.
Thank you!
 

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Agree add just a little mostly pedialyte esp as she got the diarrhea.
 

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Keeping her electrolytes up while she has the wet food is important. I like to use unflavored Pedialyte. And you could try adding a teaspoon of plain canned pumpkin to help solidify her stools.
I HIGHLY recommend watching the free webinar on MaddiesFund.org titled "Critical Care of the Sick Neonatal Kitten". It is for veterinary professionals ( for continuing education credits) but the instructor includes tips and information for the lay person. It lasts about an hour but can be paused, stopped, and watched in increments.:sunshine:
 
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frodgie

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Hi everyone. So I raised the humidity, with the vaporizer, up to 80% in the room. Then I gave pumpkin in her food and that worked like a charm to fix the diarrhea. I also put pedialyte in her food and this morning her breathing is normal. I will not be changing any of these things for a few days to keep things steady. She's full of energy, she purring, she's happy and right now I'll take it!
 

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:clap: Thank you for the update! You are doing a grest job. I am so glad that yoi rescued that precious baby kitten, that her meows for help were answered. Pliease keep on with the updates - we love to get them. :agree:
With continued prayers, Susan :vibes::vibes:
 
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