Help! Day old kitten with diarrhea and not nursing

[HCS]

My neighbor neglected his cat and she was underweight. I have fattened her back up and had planned to have her spayed (vets booked up for months due to COVID restrictions), however she escaped the house and mingled with a male. She gave birth late at night on friday, 02/25/22. I have been so anxious that I haven't slept all night. She gave birth to 9 kittens!

Tonight, I noticed that one of the kittens seemed off and looked bloated. I gently stimulated it to help it poop. At first, it pooped a liquidy yellowish color. Then, when I stimulated it about 30 minutes later, a lot of runny diarrhea like poop came out, which was a reddish color.

I bought kmr milk replacement and a syringe, since moma has such a large litter, but the kittens are only taking a few suckles and then rejecting it so I don't want to force it, since they might be full. I don't know if this particular kitten tried any of the milk replacement (the kittens look too similar- 4 white kittens, 2 Grey, 3 striped). As far as I can tell, the kitten is no longer suckling (it can be difficult to tell sometimes through the piles of kittens).

It's the middle of the night with no stores open. What should I do? I tried to feed some water from a syringe. It will suckle for a second, then turn away and reject it. Maybe I am not pushing the liquid out fast enough? I go really slow. Should I feed milk replacement? I am concerned that the milk replacement was what gave the kitten diarrhea, but like I said, I can't be sure whether I tried feeding g this kitten. I am really scared of losing this kitten and I am not experienced at this at all.

 

[Sarthur2]

Put honey or karo syrup or sugar water on its gums for quick energy, then try to feed the formula drop by drop. I’ll write more. H HCS

 

[HCS]

Put honey or karo syrup or sugar water on its gums for quick energy, then try to feed the formula drop by drop. I’ll write more. H HCS

Is raw honey ok/safe? It's all I have

 

[HCS]

I also accidentally left my opened powdered formula on the counter in a very warm area for 1-2 hours before I realized. I was nervous to use it since. Do you think it's still safe to use? I had just bought it earlier that day

 

[Sarthur2]

It’s a tiny amount of honey so should be okay.

Buy unflavored pedialyte to mix with the kitten formula instead of water. Which brand formula are you using? Do not use Hartz.

Separate the nine kittens into 2 groups - the 5 biggest and 4 smallest. Let each group nurse for an hour, then switch. Keep the separate group warm with a heating pad set on low under the blanket or a heated rice sock or hot water bottle wrapped in a towel and placed nearby.

 

[Sarthur2]

The formula will be fine even though you left it out for a couple of hours. It’s still fresh.

 

[HCS]

It’s a tiny amount so should be okay.

Buy unflavored pedialyte to mix with the kitten formula instead of water. Which brand formula are you using? Do not use Hartz.

Separate the nine kittens into 2 groups - the 5 biggest and 4 smallest. Let each group nurse for an hour, then switch. Keep the separate group warm with a heating pad set on low under the blanket or a heated rice sock or hot water bottle wrapped in a towel and placed nearby.

Thank you for your help. I am using PetAg KMR supplement. I don't have any pedialite on hand I live in a small city and all the stores close early.

 

[Sarthur2]

Are you able to weigh the kittens with a kitchen scale? We need to know base weights. They need to gain 6-10 grams each per day. More is fine.

Give mom a dish of the formula to drink per day. She needs the extra calcium for nursing so many kittens.

 

[HCS]

The formula will be fine even though you left it out for a couple of hours. It’s still fresh.

Thank you. I was concerned of it going rancid or breeding bacteria. I have an old fashioned furnace and the kitchen got pretty hot

 

[Sarthur2]

Get pedialyte when you can. You can make your own by boiling the water, cooling it, then adding a sprinkle of salt and a little honey to it. It will replenish fluids lost from diarrhea.

 

[HCS]

Are you able to weigh the kittens with a kitchen scale? We need to know base weights. They need to gain 6-10 grams each per day. More is fine.

Give mom a dish of the formula to drink per day. She needs the extra calcium for nursing so many kittens.

I had given mama cat some of the formula, sometimes she will drink it, other times not. I was able to weigh a few of the kittens. It's an old scale with old batteries, so I hope it's accurqte. The runt is 2.5 ounces, and have been nursing. The one with diarrhea is 3.6 ounces. The other two I weighed were 3.5 ounces each. Mama cat gets anxious when I weigh them and leaves to kittens to take the kitten from me and bring it back to her box.

Will sugar water or raw honey be better for the kitten?

 

[HCS]

Get pedialyte when you can. You can make your own by boiling the water, cooling it, then adding a sprinkle of salt and a little honey to it. It will replenish fluids lost from diarrhea.

Thank you. I will do that now. Idolized salt or normal salt?

 

[Sarthur2]

Either sugar or honey will give quick energy. Any salt will do.

You need to weigh in grams for accuracy, as kittens can gain or lose amounts that won’t show in ounces.

 

[Sarthur2]

It’s good they are nursing now. Nine is a HUGE litter. There’s no way all can nurse at once.

 

[HCS]

It’s good they are nursing now. Nine is a HUGE litter. There’s no way all can nurse at once.

The kitten with diarrhea isn't nursing yet, but the others seem to be taking turns between resting and nursing. I am surprised she had such a large litter!

 

[Sarthur2]

Have you put honey on the gums of the kitten with diarrhea yet? Apply the honey, then put the kitten to a nipple or try to give formula right away.

 

[HCS]

Have you put honey on the gums of the kitten with diarrhea yet? Apply the honey, then put the kitten to a nipple or try to give formula right away.

Oh my gosh, it's a miracle! I am in tears. I went to put honey on the kitten's gums and I saw it fighting for a nipple for the first time since it got sick,, so I found an unused nipple and put it next to it and the kitten latched on! The last time I tried showing it a nipple, its head would drop and it was acting lethargic and falling over and hardly moving. I have been doing research for about 6 hours trying to help this little guy. It was scary because he pooped so much reddish diarrhea and was acting lethargic. I wonder if he'd over nursed and mama didn't help him poop in time or something.
I will continue to keep an eye on him. Thank you for your help

 

[HCS]

Should I feed all of the kittens the milk formula while they are also feeding from mama? Or will the constant switch between the formula and mother's milk cause potential digestive issues?

 

[Sarthur2]

You’ll need a scale that weighs in grams. Supplementing is done when a kitten is not gaining weight each day. I’m betting there are kittens in this litter who do not need supplementing, and probably 2 or 3 who do.

The best way to know is through daily weighing, or an obviously hungry, distressed kitten who cannot get to a nipple. Sometimes all you need to do is put the tinies to nipples when the bigger ones are sleeping.

Switching between mom’s milk and formula is not usually a problem.

 

[HCS]

You’ll need a scale that weighs in grams. Supplementing is done when a kitten is not gaining weight each day. I’m betting there are kittens in this litter who do not need supplementing, and probably 2 or 3 who do.

The best way to know is through daily weighing, or an obviously hungry, distressed kitten who cannot get to a nipple. Sometimes all you need to do is put the tinies to nipples when the bigger ones are sleeping.

Switching between mom’s milk and formula is not usually a problem.

Thank you so much. You have been such a help to me and I appreciate it! I will apply these tips and be sure to put the smaller ones to nipples when the larger are sleeping and then supplement when needed. I actually got the runt to suckle on the dropper and he drank about 1.5 ml before stopping. I weighed him at 79 grams before mama got up and took him from me. I feel bad because weighing him made mama get up while she was nursing the diarrhea kitten. All of the kittens are sleeping now and not nursing, so does that mean they ate enough?