Bottle feeding cleft palate kitten - how to prevent milk in nose?

[kkittenz42]

Hello all,

I'm fostering a mom and kittens litter, but one of the kittens has a cleft palate. Since it cannot nurse naturally successfully, I am bottle feeding that one every 2 or so hours. The shelter wants me to continue bottle feeding rather than switching to tube feeding, but at each feeding a little milk gets in the nose. Sometimes it is visibly bubbling out, mostly though it's just audibly crackly in the nose. Kitten has never coughed on the formula so I don't think it's ever absolutely gotten in the lungs, but I don't see how it's not an inevitability.

Is there anyway I would be able to suction milk back out of the nostrils? Any ideas at all? The kitten is doing well but with every feeding resulting in this crackly bubbly nose, I feel aspiration pneumonia is just inevitable.

 

[Sarthur2]

Oh my goodness! It sounds like you are doing a great job with this kitten thus far, but it also sounds like tube feeding would be so much better for now, until the kitten can have cleft palette surgery, or is better at swallowing as it matures.

The bubbling and crackling are signs that things could go wrong, and I think you should be tube feeding to prevent the inevitable aspiration, which will kill the kitten. Any bubbling and crackling is NOT a good sign, so adjust accordingly.

Though I hate to go against your presiding rescue organization, I do feel strongly that you should follow your instincts in caring for this kitten and do whatever works best to nurture this kitten and give it the best chance to survive. Many cleft palette kittens live a good life.

Please give this kitten what it needs to survive, regardless of what anyone tells you.

Also, if you think this kitten HAS aspirated, please request clavamox immediately, so the kitten is being treated.

 

[kkittenz42]

Thank you for confirming my suspicions. I really went into the vet visit with them believing tube feeding is THE answer and was so disheartened that they didn't even want to try it. I totally understand that it's a risky procedure to hand off to a foster carer, but when I brought it up they said that if it got to that point and the kitten wasn't able to swallow off the bottle then it would be best to euthanize, which I felt was a misunderstanding of the situation. The kitten feeds successfully off the bottle, it's just that the cleft palate causes these unavoidable side effects. I think I will approach my personal vet about learning this in the morning and if they aren't able, maybe the local emergency/specialist clinic.

 

[kkittenz42]

Also, just adding that I am using a longer Miracle Nipple in feeding but with a bottle. I think maybe for the remaining feedings until I can get into another vet I will switch to a syringe with the MN so that there's no chance of milk dribbling out when starting/stopping feeding and I can very specifically control the flow. Just trying to think of ways to prevent to milk from pooling in the mouth leading the kitten to breathe it into the sinuses.

 

[Sarthur2]

It all sounds good. Do what works for this kitten. It sounds like you have it in hand. As long as the kitten is taking milk, and not inhaling it wrong, you’re good.

I know it’s not easy. Keep us posted!

 

[kkittenz42]

Having a hard time finding a vet that is even knowledgeable and practiced in tube feeding, let alone willing to teach it to me/supply me with the necessary tubing. Any suggestions there? I'm willing to go it alone with Youtube videos as I feel I have a good understanding of it in theory, but would always prefer to learn in-person if possible. I just don't understand how it's so hard to find people that know about this life-saving technique.

There is some milk getting caught in the nose, I have some very very small tipped nipples that I don't use for feeding that I have attached to a 1cc syringe and use that to suction what I can out if I see it bubbling, but I'm sure I'm not getting remotely all of it back out. I feel like the kitten is beginning to decline, his weight is beginning to plateau and he's wanting to eat less food on average per meal.

 

[StefanZ]

Yes, tube feeding is safest. Im a little surprised its at all possible to use a bottle, which does need some sucking. I was convinced a syringe or dropper was necessary. But its perhaps the miracle nipple.

 

[kkittenz42]

Had to be a downer, but a couple days later the kitten began to have labored breathing and became unresponsive very quickly, over a matter of about 3 hours. I assume aspiration pneumonia, but I don't know. He was humanely euthanized after the emergency team expressed not only severe doubts he could be stabilized but also that the severity of the cleft palate could even be resolved with surgery. Bummer update, but never again will I a: not check new neonates for palate deformations and b: accept anything but tube feeding for a cleft palate kitten. It was 100% the only shot he really had.