Kitten Dehydration

[Kittencutie]

Hi, my mom just rescued a stray kitten in her backyard and seems to be dehydrated. I bought some pedialyte but don't know how much to give it. The kitten looks like it's less than a pound but I'm not sure how many weeks but it has small teeth. Any information will help. Thanks

 

[carebearbaby1]

Don't give Pedialyte, give water or kitten replacer milk until you can take it to the vet.

 

[Kittencutie]

If I wait till Tuesday it will die it's to dehydrated

 

[carebearbaby1]

Didn't say wait, give water and kitten formula. Pedialyte can cause diarrhea which will dehydrate it even faster.

 

[Jewely]

Unflavored pedialyte it safe for kittens. You might ask this in the Pregnant Cats and Kitten care forum. Can you post a photo so some may be able to help guess the approximate age?

StefanZ will be able to help you.

 

[StefanZ]

Hi, my mom just rescued a stray kitten in her backyard and seems to be dehydrated. I bought some pedialyte but don't know how much to give it. The kitten looks like it's less than a pound but I'm not sure how many weeks but it has small teeth. Any information will help. Thanks

Writing, stand by.

 

[StefanZ]

Unflavored pedialyte for babies is good for cats. Used frequently when they have diarrhea and or are dehydrated.
Other sorts for adults, ie flavored and colored, may be useful but less excellent because they contain unnecessary chemicals. You can of course begin with this if you dont have anything else at hand, but switch to the unflavored for babies hen you can. OR make your own.

What you shall not use is flavored heavy sweetened sport drinks as Gatorade. OK for humans but not good for cats. I suppose the posters above though on Gatorade when they warned for pedialyte.

If the kitten is much dehydrated and weak, it may even be a good idea to go to the vet so he will give it equivalent fluids by injection. Heavily exhausted sportsmen do often so, they get drop with the equivalent fluid containing salts and glucose sugar.

If the kitten is weakish and emaciated, give little at a time, but often. This is even more important with food!
How much of pedialyte? Essentially as much it will take, or you manage to get into it. Some excess itsnt dangerous, it will just pee out any excess.
The salts are essentially of same concentration as in body fluids, so some excess doesnt matter much.

Ok, how to make your own if in pinch:
Its essentially water, karo or honey as glucose sugar source, and salts, preferably minerale kitchen salt, but common table salt is useful in a pinch. A little of baking soda if you have at hand.
(here in Sweden real glucose sugar is very easy to find, but its not commonly used in USA, and thus, rescuers in USA use karo or honey).

Common table sugar CAN be used and is in some recipes, but less good. Glucose sugar works much quicker.

Water in amount of 1 cup for coffee, 1 teaspoon of karo or honey (or 1,5 teaspoon of glucose sugar if you have it - glucose sugar is less sweet, so you can give more), a trifle salt, a trifle baking soda.

An alternative is to use some good minerale water (you see the label on the bottle). You let the gas out, dilute with a little water, add some karo or honey so it is barely sweet... And voilá! You have a terrific home made pedialyte, useful for cats and humans...

Goats milk is useful mild food for all weak kittens and other mammals. All of them.

Good luck!

 

[StefanZ]

Ps. Begin immediately! Time is of high importance, its Red Alert till you see for sure the kitten is better and plays again.

 

[catsknowme]

StefanZ is correct! Hydration and balanced blood sugar are the immediate need, plus keeping the kitten warm.
The ideal formula is unflavored pedialyte and bottled water (or well water, if it's good. Municipal town water has harsh chemicals) mixed at 50/50. Try rubbing Karo syrup or honey on the gums and then offering water. if the kitten is weak, it is better to offer tiny amounts at more frequent intervals.
And keep the kitten warm! A cold kitten cannot digest food and vomiting and/or diarrhea can cause deadly dehydration. With the pedialyte and the karo, the kitten can go a few days without eating.
Our member Hissy has an excellent website all about kittens:
www.kitten-rescue. com that has great recipes for homemade pedialyte and kitten formula.
Prayers and views and vibes for the tiny! Bless you for rescuing her

 

[catapault]

To easily check how well the kitten is re-hydrating - gently pinch up a fold of skin on its back over its shoulders between thumb and forefinger, then release. If dehydrated, the skin very slowly goes back into place. The quicker it goes back, the better the hydration.

 

[nori'smom]

About the time this first post was written, I found an almost dead 5-6 week old feral kitten. He was in the garage behind my store. The spouting and flashing were down, and his mom must have come in there and had a litter of kittens. I do not know if he is just the last remaining one or the one left behind. I have a very busy pharmacy, but when I saw him, I was determined to save him. He was stiff with open fixed eyes, but a beating heart. We had lost our pharmacy cat a couple of years earlier to her getting out and run over, and I vowed to never do it again. Never love another cat. I was so destroyed. I'm old. Our beautiful Maxx at home had died that year also at the age of 16.
But this very nearly dead black kitten brought something out in me. I didn't take him to a vet because I knew they would say to euthanize. His skin was stretched tight all over his body, and I guess he had been on his own for at least a week, maybe even 10 days. He was stiff when we picked him up, even though he is a feral, he could offer no resistance. He couldn't even blink. His eyes were fixed open. He couldn't make any sound.
I went into Mama mode. Sugar/salt/potassium squirted into his mouth every 1/2 hour saved his life. Kitten formula bought at a pet store at 36 hrs and squirted into his mouth for days brought him around. But it was touch and go for two weeks. I think his organs that had been brought to the brink were regenerating-his lungs, heart, liver, kidneys. I was convinced he was dying -he couldn't eat, couldn't lay down, tongue hanging out, heart beating fast and felt very warm. Took him twice to the vet during that period.
He was so dehydrated that he has lost almost all of his skin and fur. The vet said she'd never seen such a thing. He is almost hairless now. His fur coming in is velvety. His skin was turned to almost parchment with the dehydration.. He is still losing hair on his ears. They're bald.
In all of the research that I did for Nori, I never found a kitten who was this bad. But I'm here to tell you that they can be saved.
He is an amazing wild-man who rides back and forth with us everyday to our pharmacy. I left him on day one and he nearly died, so I have carried him back and forth since. I have kept him close to my skin the entire time.
Now I know that he won't die while I'm away, but he is used to riding in the car everyday, and he is expected at the shop (so many patients want to meet him.) So we keep him with us. He seems to be very happy. He is a total wild-guy but very respectful.
I don't know how many weeks old he is, but he's about a pound and a half. He has learned to play without claws, lots of toys. He's such a good boy. He learns so quickly. I was so afraid his brain was damaged, but that is totally not the case.
So anyone reading this, please know that you can save this kitten. I just wanted to save this little guy. I forced sugar/salt/potassium (homemade) into his mouth (or unflavored gatorade) and when he started moving a little bit, I alternated between Kitten Formula and electrolytes.
You have to push it between their gums with an eye-dropper- sometimes for many days. Do not give up. And hold them next to your skin for warmth. I fed him every half hour, and held him continuously. Now this little guy is jumping all over the place. I can't tell you how much I care for him.
























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[catsknowme]

nori'smom : What an awesome story! Thank you for inspiring us

 

[nori'smom]

 

[nori'smom]

He is such a joy. We have so many patients who want to meet him and I think he gives them hope. So anyone reading this who has found a nearly dead kitten. Please don't stop trying and never give up hope. Electrolytes every 1/2 hour around the clock, kitten formula as soon as they show signs of life. Constant body contact (or heating pad.) Singing, kissing and faith that what will be will be

 

[nori'smom]

You can do this.

 

[catsknowme]

This is one of the best photos that I have ever seen!! thank you for this spectacular update!! It is sweet beyond words

 

[Sarthur2]

It is!

 

[nori'smom]

He is a tiny devil, and he is perfect. We just can't believe he is OK. Even his eyes are Ok. They were fixed, cloudy and unable to close for his first 48 hours. I put saline drops over them, but I don't think it made any difference. Maybe it did. There's no research on kittens that are this bad. He finally weighs 2 pounds, so we are making his surgery (neutering) appointment. I think they will be surprised to see him. No one expected him to live. The last time they saw him, his temp was elevated, his tongue was out, and they couldn't express his huge bladder. They advised us to take him to Ohio State. (They had 180 healthy kittens needing homes. ) p mm=-But we didn't take him to OSU. We took care of him at home.
I think his internal organs were re-generating, his temp was up-104. He
was so hot, everything was difficult. I honestly couldn't figure out why after fluids, and formula, he was failing. He couldn't lie down, couldn't sleep. He sat upright with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Heart beating rapidly. This was 1 week+ after finding him. I still kept him next to my skin and slept in a recliner so he could stay with me. We carried him to the store every day. I even carried him inside my white jacket. I put him in a Baggie and used a clip to attach him to me.
His air-hunger reminded me of anemia, so we gave him chicken liver and prayed. I have no idea what saved him. Love. Maybe his will to live and my refusal to give up on his unique soul.

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[Sarthur2]

You are a miracle worker!

 

[tarasgirl06]

He is a tiny devil, and he is perfect. We just can't believe he is OK. Even his eyes are Ok. They were fixed, cloudy and unable to close for his first 48 hours. I put saline drops over them, but I don't think it made any difference. Maybe it did. There's no research on kittens that are this bad. He finally weighs 2 pounds, so we are making his surgery (neutering) appointment. I think they will be surprised to see him. No one expected him to live. The last time they saw him, his temp was elevated, his tongue was out, and they couldn't express his huge bladder. They advised us to take him to Ohio State. (They had 180 healthy kittens needing homes. ) p mm=-But we didn't take him to OSU. We took care of him at home.
I think his internal organs were re-generating, his temp was up-104. He
was so hot, everything was difficult. I honestly couldn't figure out why after fluids, and formula, he was failing. He couldn't lie down, couldn't sleep. He sat upright with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Heart beating rapidly. This was 1 week+ after finding him. I still kept him next to my skin and slept in a recliner so he could stay with me. We carried him to the store every day. I even carried him inside my white jacket. I put him in a Baggie and used a clip to attach him to me.
His air-hunger reminded me of anemia, so we gave him chicken liver and prayed. I have no idea what saved him. Love. Maybe his will to live and my refusal to give up on his unique soul.View attachment 292484

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Hello nori'smom and adorable panther princeling and welcome to TCS! So moved by this story and by the photos -- he looks SO good now! Has he let you know his name yet? *PRAYERS* and the best thoughts of wellbeing and thriving for him, for a successful neuter and quick recovery, and for a long, healthy, happy, safe, comfortable, Loved life for him!!!