Please Help, It's Urgent And I Am Really Worried!

[ZalaJesovnik]

 

[ZalaJesovnik]

Hello,
I am new on this site and urgently need help. I would like to apologize in advance for mistakes but english is not my native language...

I am really worried about a neonatal foster kitten I am taking care of (if the little sweetheart survives he has a forever home with me and my partner), I would greatly appreciate anyone with experience that would take the time to read the post (sorry about the lenght of it) and help us.

8 days ago I became a surrogate mother to a neonatal kitten (male). In the animal shelter I am fostering for they said he was 11 days old but I would say he was barely a week old. His weight was 89g, when I brought him home he was covered in dried up formula,sneezing really bad, dehydrated and was just skin and bones.

Our daily routine is:
-feeding every 2 hours (we give him freshly made and warm kitten formula from GimCat)
-probiotics in the morning (we got them from the vet)
-stimulating to pee before and after every meal (he pees every time, the colour is usually a light yellow)
-massaging his belly to help him poo after every meal (he poos 1 to 3 times a day, no diarhea- but a solid to semisolid brownish/yellowish colour poo)
-I weigh him 2-3 times a day
-I reheat the SnuggleSafe pad 3 times a day to keep him warm (the pad is placed so that he can move away from the heat)
-I change the beding in his carrier ('home') daily
-I clean him with baby wipes when needed
-I burp him after every feeding

OK, so I am going to list all the problems and if you can help with any of them it would really be of great help.

1. On his third day with me, his right eye got really big and swollen (the left eye got swollen the next day). So I started to clean his eyes with warm cammomile tea 4 times a day to soften up the puss and clean it from the eyes and after that I put on a cream (Tobrex) that we got from the vet. He started opening his eyes 3 days ago, but the left eye is still a little swollen and only opens slightly at the bridge of his nose . The right eye is not swollen and opens nicely. Is that normal? What should I do?

2. In the shelter they told me there was a possibility he inhaled some formula while feeding. I am affraid he has a respiratory infection but the vet at the shelter keeps telling me he is too young and that we can't do anything (can't give him medication). So I started to give him cammomile tea 'steam baths' - like you do if human babies have congested nose and trouble breathing. He was sneezing really bad when I got him, but now the sneezing is a little bit better. But he still has clear discharge from his nose. I am really worried because I often catch him breathing strangely (he breaths thrue his mouth and takes about 20-25 kind of short and sharp breaths a minute). Sometimes he breaths normally (thrue his nose and takes about 20-30 even breaths a minute), usually after a 'steam bath'. What is wrong with him? How can I help him?

3. He gets dehydrated really easily. On the fourth day with me he was really lethargic and weak so I took him to the vet and he gave him fluid under the skin. After that we went to the pharmacy and got some electrolites with glucose (for human babies) and now I mix his formula with 1 teaspoon of formula, 2 and a half teaspoons of warm water and half a teaspoon of this rehydration/electrolite solution. He now started suckling the bottle (before I had to siringe feed him) and has nice skin elasticity... Why does he get so dehydrated? How long can I mix electrolites with his formula?

4. And my BIGGEST consern!!! He is not really gaining any weight (I keep records of when he eats, how much he eats, his weight and anything else I notice).
When I got him he had 89g and now (after 8 days) he has 98g, that means he only gained 9g in a week.
I feed him every 2 hours around the clock, I bought him the best kitten formula you can get in my country (best nutritional values compared to other brands) and mix it acording to instructions. I don't force the formula on him, hesucles as long as he wants.
I will break down his feeding and weight gain/loss since he has been with me.
-day 1.: his weight was 89g and 90g; I had to 'force feed' him (puting drops of formula on his tongue with a dropper), he was really weak
-day 2.: his weight was 91g(morning weight) and 91g(evening weight); he ate 1ml-3,5ml per feeding (28,5ml in a day)
-day 3.: his weight was 91g and 92g; he ate 1,5ml-4ml per feeding (32ml in a day)
-day 4.: his weight was 93g and 97g; he ate 1,5ml-4ml per feeding (30ml in a day)
-day 5.: his weight was 96g and 99g; he ate 1ml-4ml per feeding (29ml in a day)
-day 6.: his weight was 100g and 102g; he ate 2,5ml-6ml per feeding (39,5ml in a day)
-day 7.: his weight was 97g and 99g; he ate 1ml-5,5ml per feeding (37ml in a day)
-day 8.(today): his weight was 98g; he already had 5meals today of 1,5ml-5,5ml per feeding (total of 15ml from 00:00 to 12:30)
Why is his weight so unstable? Why des he eat such differnt quatities everytime? Why is he loosing weight? What should I do? Am I doing something wrong?

I hope I remembered to write everything down. If you need any more information just ask... I am sorry if I asked stupid questions. I would just like to give him the best possible care that he can get. I would really appreciate all the help and support I can get...

 

[StefanZ]

You seem to do everything very nicely. The vet assisting you seems to be good too.

Im not sure about the dilutation of the kmr you use. What is recommended, and what you do?
You can use this electrolyte / glucose mix continously. Its made to be of body fluids equivalent, so he cant get too much. Also, it does contains some calories, so its better than pure water. Possibly - some say small kittens have weak kidneys, and it can be too much salts...
so dont give totally instead of water, but say half water, half this electrolyte mix.

Can you get real glucose / dextrose? Its very difficult to find in USA, but easy in Sweden...

Can you get raw goats milk? Processed goats milk is OK to use, but raw has some potential extra effects...
If so, you could dilute the kmr with raw goats milk instead...

The poo seems OK, but it shall not be hard, really. Toothpaste is the ideal.
If the poo is hard it hints he is a little dehydrated.

Last not least. Can you press into him more of this kmr? You dont need to follow the recommended thumbrules, if he wants more, give more.

 

[ZalaJesovnik]

I dilute the formula as instructed on the pacage (1 teaspoon formula, 3 teaspoons water. But I substitute 1/2 of the 'water teaspoon' with 1/2 teaspoon electrolites)
I will try to find raw goats milk and use it to dilute the formula with instead of water, like you recomended...

What about his weight fluctuation? I am really worried that he is not gaining more weight (I have him for 8 days now - I estimate he is now max. 13days old; and he only gained 9g in these 8 days)... He is growing and developing but only gained 9g in 8days. And the weight gain wasn't stabile but he gains weight and then looses weight the next day... Should I be worried about it?

What about his unusual breathing, sneezing and discharge from the nose? What does it mean? How can I help him?

Thank you very much

 

[StefanZ]

Yes the weigh is a major problem.
He should add about 10 grams daily.

We cant explain everything with his cold or virus infection.
Time is slowly running out from him with every day without real rise.

Dilute less the kmr?

Other brands use the 1:2 ratio.

If you can find some resl glucose sugar powder you can always add some its not very sweet.

And goats milk if you find.,,

 

[golondrina]

Zalajesovnik said: "What about his unusual breathing, sneezing and discharge from the nose? What does it mean? How can I help him?"

Hassn't the vet indicated an antibiotic?

 

[ZalaJesovnik]

Zalajesovnik said: "What about his unusual breathing, sneezing and discharge from the nose? What does it mean? How can I help him?"

Hassn't the vet indicated an antibiotic?

No, he hasn't. Like I said in my first message, the vet said he is supposedly to small and young and can't give him anything... That's why i'm looking for other solutions and opinions of other people with experience in raising nenonatal kittes

 

[golondrina]

Zalajesovnik, I'm not experienced in the care of sick baby kittens but if I had a little kitti losing weight and suffering from a respiratory infection and a vet who cannot propose any medication because the little one is too young I would consult another vet just to be sure that he is being allowed the maximum chances to recover.

 

[talkingpeanut]

He needs antibiotics, but a dose that would be appropriate for his weight. Please ask your vet to try.