Help! Newborn Kitten

[Tensept]

I'm on my phone and english is not my first language so this might be confusing.
It is late so i can't see a vet, i can only ask you.
The 1 day old kitten is not eating, even though i tried to put him next to the mother cat's breast. He is having something looks like hiccup, but the frequency is so quick, i think it may be a respiratory problem. I don't see running nose or fainting, even though he is weaker than other.
I am trying to feed him with kitten formula milk, but he keeps having "hiccup" and that worries me a lot.
What should i do with him, right now?

 

[lutece]

Just so other people know, Tensept also sent me a private message and we discussed the kitten. I sent a picture of a cleft palate kitten and Tensept examined the kitten. It sounds like the kitten has cleft palate. Here is the advice I gave in private message, others can feel free to offer advice too.

"If he has cleft palate, the best way to feed him is tube feeding. It's best not to feed him by bottle in that case, because the milk can go into his lungs and give him pneumonia.
If he can survive until you get to a vet, you can get tube feeding equipment from your vet. You would have to tube feed him on the same schedule you would feed an orphaned kitten (starting with feeding every two hours). Eventually he would need surgery to repair the cleft palate.
The other option would be to have him euthanized by the vet.
Your vet can examine him and help you to make the decision of whether to tube feed and plan on surgery later, or euthanize him."​

 

[Furballsmom]

Keep him warm, that's very important. Take a sock, partly fill it with dry rice or beans and gently heat it, test it on your own skin and let him snuggle it. A heating pad on low with two towels over it could also help.

Here is the advice I gave in private message, others can feel free to offer advice too.

Oh I'm glad to hear you were able to help!

 

[StefanZ]

Yes, tube feeding is best and safest. If not possible (some vets dont know how), you can try with a little syringe or a dropper. This way its enough he can swallow. Nursing mom or taking bottle he must be able to create some vacuum in the mouth, which he cant because he has this cleft palate..
Sometimes these kittens with cleft palate may be saved this way, if the damages arent too big.
But its very common they die, or are pts. Sometimes because the damages are big, but sometimes because people dont know the tricks of tubefeeding or handfeeding with syringe..

With a little luck surgery isnt really necessary. And if done, you do it at some convenient occasion later on in the life.
On humans the surgery is done mainly by sociale reasons, its no pleasure to go around and look horrible with cleft in lips too as is common in these cases... Kids may be merciless... Clean talking becomes also more difficult.

T Tensept

 

[Furballsmom]

How are things going?

 

[Tensept]

How are things going?

I am sorry, i have not been only.
He did not make it. He had trouble breathing and he could not gain weight. I tried to keep him warm, still he couldn't beat the death.
I burried him next to a tree with the hope he would live another life.
Thank you all for your help and care, it meant a lot in that difficult time

 

[golondrina]

I am sorry Tensept you have gone through such difficult and sad moments. I believe it is very difficult to succeed in such a case. I hope it helps you to know that you have done everything possible to save him. RIP little one.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[Norachan]

I'm so sorry T Tensept You did everything you could for this little one, but it just wasn't too be.



We always lock the threads when a cat or kitten passes, so I'll lock this one now.

Rest in peace precious little one, have a happy rebirth.