Left POWDERED KMR out for 2 days - is it bad!

[6kittensTN]

Hello,
I have 6 newborn (one week old) kittens and have been advised by vet to supplement them with KMR due to mom’s milk production being lacking on 3 teats. However I didn’t know the powder itself needed to be refrigerated after opening. It’s been sitting in my cabinet (~73 degrees F) for about 3 days now. Is it unusable? Thank you

 

[Caspers Human]

Personally, I don't think it'll be a problem as long as you check it to be sure it hasn't spoiled but, out of an abundance of caution, it's probably better to get some new stuff.

If it has been kept clean and dry and isn't caked or doesn't smell bad, I think it'll be okay long enough for you to get another batch from the store.

KMR isn't so expensive that you shouldn't be able to buy some more the next time you run errands to the store. Right?

 

[StefanZ]

Yes. An alternative is goat milk, which is cheaper.

 

[6kittensTN]

Personally, I don't think it'll be a problem as long as you check it to be sure it hasn't spoiled but, out of an abundance of caution, it's probably better to get some new stuff.

If it has been kept clean and dry and isn't caked or doesn't smell bad, I think it'll be okay long enough for you to get another batch from the store.

KMR isn't so expensive that you shouldn't be able to buy some more the next time you run errands to the store. Right?

No, it’s about $30 for a can of the powdered stuff here, which is expensive for my situation but I can spare it for the kitties. Just seeing if I was misunderstanding the directions. Thank you!

 

[Caspers Human]

Yes, I would keep the stuff in the fridge if the directions say so but, no, I wouldn't throw it out just because it got left out for a while.

If you check your supply to be sure it hasn't gone off it should be okay long enough for you to decide what to do.

Thirty bucks is a bit more expensive than I thought. I was thinking it would be in the $15 to $20 range but...well...prices have been going up, pretty quickly, lately. Haven't they?

If this happened to me, I'd make sure that the powder isn't spoiled then put it in the fridge, right away. Then, I'd put more KMR on the grocery list and, next time I go to the store, I'd pick up a new batch. If money is tight, I'd save up or adjust my household budget so that I could buy some more at my first opportunity.

I hope you pick up my nuance, here. I'm not saying that your supply of KMR has gone bad but neither am I saying it's still good.

More like the saying that the U.S. Marines often go by: "Improvise, Adapt and Overcome."

 

[Joelle and the kittens]

Powdered KMR should be first choice, the nutritional differences between ruminant (goat) and cat milk are large and the newest research strongly advises against non-cat-specific milk replacers.

 

[Sarthur2]

The formula should be fine. Just refrigerate from now on.