If a kitten starts to suckle then let's go of the nipple does this mean that it's had enough? As soon as the kitten lets go it starts searching for a nipple all over again... I know mum has some milk as I can get some when I squeeze the nipples. I'm getting sick with worry for this only kitten!
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new born kitten help...
- Thread starter jemma01
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I don't have an answer for you, but you posted this a while ago and no responses yet.
Let me bump it up and give a shout to two of our more experienced members
Hey, @catwoman707 and @StephanZ your input is needed. help please for this little newborn kitten
Let me bump it up and give a shout to two of our more experienced members
Hey, @catwoman707 and @StephanZ your input is needed. help please for this little newborn kitten
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It doesnt sound so good. I suspect the kitten hasnt the strengh to suckle... Which country are you in?
Its the only kitten? How old is it? Hours? Days? Had it managed to suckle and eat already, or is it totally fresh? If totally fresh, time is running.
If the kitten is days old, the best way to know if it eats enough is to weigh it on a scale measuring in grammes (easiest to see the differences). Normally weigh every day at the same time, but in critical situation measure every 12 hours, till you are sure its going upwards.
I presume she is totally fresh, and new born.
Be ready to give her food by a syringe or a dropper. This is easier with weak kittens than a bottle.
Tummy down, head up, in the corner of the mouth, slowly and easy so you are sure its manage to swallow.
kmr - kitten replacement milk. Or goat milk. Raw goat milk is best, but bottled is OK. You can get at the diary compartment in WalMart for examle.
Here in Sweden I saw they sell goat milk in Arabian food shops.
kmr, the best brand is made by PetAg and commonly called KMR, its in powder. But there are other good brands too. Walmart has it in its Pet animal compartment. Well sorted petshops, most vets carry it too...
Give about 1 ml a time to begin with.
Be sure the kitten is warm before you try and give it food. If the kitten is too cold, it looses strengh, and cant proceed food either.
If mom isnt warming it up enough, YOU must warm it. The kitten cant keep its own warmth, it must be warmed actively. Not too much, but not too little...
OK, the kitten will be soon weak. You can perk in some energy by smearing glucose sugar on its gum. Brand names may be Dextrose or Dextropur. There are also candy for sportsmen and alike, its flavored glucose sugar in tablettes. Its useful too.
If you dont have it at hand, white caro syrup or honey is useful too.
This with glucose sugar/similiar you can give directly, even if the kitten isnt warm enough. Glucose sugar goes into the blood already in the mouth, its dont need to be processed in the the bowels.
It may be necessary to give it some water waiting for the kmr / goat milk, to buy some time. because dehydration is a major danger if nothing happens.
We dont recommend cow milk, but if enough desperate, try with low lactose full fat cow milk, if you really cant get anything else being in desperate hurry.
But switch to proper kmr or goat milk as soon you manage.
Keep on reporting and asking!
End of this message!
Good luck!!!
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
The kitten is now 36 hours old... She was born by ceasarean. She is an only kitten. I have her and mum in a cage with a portable raiditor close by... She seems strong when I pick her up and she can lift her head and scoot around the floor. She has a good scream on her. The vets have been really good helping me when I call but I don't want to bother them too often with small things. At night when I have the night light on kitten is nestled in mummys belly fur I can hear slight sucking sounds but I can't be sure if she is feeding her or not... Mummy only seems comfortable to feed her at night in the day She is not so good at laying still and letting baby suckle. The kitten can suck as i put my little finger in its mouth and it will suck it when placed at a nipple she will suck for a little while before falling asleep holding on.
Did you happen to weight her at birth? You can check by weighting her every day on the same time to see if she gained any weight. If she did, she's fine and you don't need to worry. If she has not, you will need to probably take over as she probably isn't drinking enough on her own.
Ah, if she suckles good and proper at night, its not so bad, even if it is just short moments on the days.
Out in the wild, moms dont always can attend their kittens 24/7. They must go out and seek after food, and the kittens are leaved alone often several hours at a time. Of course, having such friends they really dont need any enemies, its one of the reasons why these who do grown up are of tough wood, they are the survivors...
Anyways, the yellow flag is still on, but its not the desperate Red Alert we are under heavy attack, I though when I wrote my first post earlier.
The best way for you to know is to weigh her, best in grammes, and see the development. Did you or the vet too her weigh at birth / the cesarean?
Its also possible to decide by the feeling and the looks if the kitten gains, but it is difficult for inexperienced ones... So do get yourself the gears as I mentioned above, to be sure and prepared, with with any luck, you will not need to use it.
Why is the mom worried at days?? Is she not used with you? Is she bothered by the day light? Feeling stressed by any reasons? Make sure she is as unstressed you can get it.
Lay a towel over the cage. Leave so you can peek in, but she has it semi-dark inside. A Feliway diffuser may also help - your vet sell these probably, or at least knows where you can get it in the town. Otherwise, Walmart/alike, or big pet shops, should have it. Perhaps even the Pharmacia - at least in Sweden they may have.
If the kittens is actively warmed up by mom, and its not chill in there, the radiator is really not necessary. Radiator more necessary if its otherwise chill in the room, or the kittens is wandering around alone like you skissed in the first post.
Last, but not least. You mentioned cesaean. Did it happen at the natural delivery, or before? Is the kitten fully developed, all haired and decently round, or is it hairless and looks like a newly hatched bird? If it suckles properly, I guess its the first, but you never know.
I ask, because prematures are usually a fight uphill. Can often be saved, but they dont have any margins at all. Everything must go so so.
And also, mom is often not prepared, and may be late with milk...
Please, continue to report, and ask further questions, if you have any.
Good luck!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #7
When I weighed her at birth she was 2.6oz this morning she was only 2.2oz so I rushed her into the vets they have given her a glucose injection and put some fluid under her skin to help with any dehydration and managed to get 1ml of milk into her... She was born by ceasarean after mum gave birth to a still born and then Labour stopped. The vet said she has a good suck on her and mum has milk so I can't understand why she only takes like 5 mouthfuls from mum then stops the vet said she put up a good fight while they injected her so she isn't too weak yet.
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- #8
WHAT, exactly, milk do you use? What gear did you use, bottle or syringe or dropper?
I think its wise you supplement some on daytime. As she seems to suckle excellently at nights, but a so so daytime. And the drop in weigh is rather big, I mean, the first day they naturally lose some, but usually gain too, so the netto result is typically a slight gain. But she dropped, o,4oz, what is it, 12 grammes? Is more then average!
she isnt very big either from beginning, what it is, about 78 grammes? Its normal, but the lowest segment of the normal birth weigh. So the yellow alert flag is definitely on, even on the border to red alert, you must fight. you must be vigilant.
And continue to weigh, every 12 hours if so is. Be prepared to even increase the supplementing.
Make sure the air in the room isnt too dry. Have a wet towel on this radiator you do have. IF she is somewhat premature, her lungs may need it.
Good luck!
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #10
I'm currently using royal canin baby kitten milk the vets gave me... I currently have a bottle, syringe and dropper and I'm struggling with all three. When I latch the baby onto mum it will either not suck at all and just let go and go back to sleep or suck for maybe 4 or 5 mouthfuls then let go.
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Royal Canin kmr is good, one of the better. Their bottle is too better than some other types.
OK, so proceed with supplementing her, till you are sure she is gaining.
If necessary, smear some glucose sugar on her gum, to perk extra energy. Especielly so if you would notice she begins to be lethargic.
Does she eliminate as she shall? I suppose her mother helps her with this, while washing etc, so its not sure you notice.
ps.
Filling up such a little takes shorter than a bigger one, she doesnt need the exact same portion. So, as she suck well, it may be so these 4-5 mouthfulls are enough.
But she being little, has small margins. We cant afford to guess and hang everything on a hope. And as you tell, the other occasions she isnt getting anything.
I think a steady, continuous feeding is necessary, by her biological mom, or by you, her Mom.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #12
Mum does all the cleaning and eliminating. She has already had a glucose injection at the vets I don't mind bottle feeding I just wish she would suck... I hate dropping it into her mouth as I don't think she swallows she spits a lot of it back out. I'm worried she is going to inhale it
In that case, use a syringe, its much easier. Be careful and take it slowly, till you are sure she swallows actively.
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- #14
I have managed to drop maybe a quarter of a ml into baby's mouth. She still won't suck and when placed on mum just lets go and falls back down. She sleeps a lot but when I pick her up still wriggles quite a lot.
Is your vet good with tube feeding, directly into the stomach? This is in a way, the safest way in difficult cases.
The problem is, its also difficult and dangerous for a newbe. You must be shown by somebody knowleable.
and the next problem is, it seems quite a few vets dont know how to do it either... If your vet cant, there is perhaps some experienced rescuer nearby who can show you?? And lend yo the gears?
For an individual determined rescuer, using syringe is enough, with time and patience it works nicely. But as said, tube feeding is in a way easier, if the kitten is very reluctant, or too weak to swallow herself.
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Ok, let her rest betwenn, and give her quite often, not the usual every two hour, but perhaps every hour, as its just a few drops....
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- #17
I let her sleep for 10-15 mins and then managed to get 0.4 mls dropped slowly into her mouth and one point we had a little suck... I say 0.4 take in account the little drop I tested on the back of my hand and the
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- #18
Sorry....
And the bit that went around her mouth... I have been speaking to a cat rescuer who has leant me some tests and 1ml syringe. I don't know what I'm going to do when I need to go to work for 5 hours tomorrow
And the bit that went around her mouth... I have been speaking to a cat rescuer who has leant me some tests and 1ml syringe. I don't know what I'm going to do when I need to go to work for 5 hours tomorrow
See! Better than nothing. What is the rule of thumb? 8 ml / ounce a day. For a 2,5 oz kitten it should be about 20 ml a day, as the minimum...
ps. We dont know how much she really gets from mom. Surely some, but also surely, not enough. So if you really must press in 20 ml, probably not. But still... here you see the need as a minimum total.
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Is it possible for you to take the kitten with you? You can carry it at your chest.
Or possibly, have someone else give her some... But it must be someone reliable. 1. so the mom wont get irritated. 2. So you are sure the person is careful. Careless giving milk is dangerous!!
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