premature abandoned kitten

[ari1]

My niece found a tiny kitten (umb clord still attached) - she watched for the mother for a day & half, so brought it to me.  I have been feeding the kitten Hertz milk replacer for kittens for about 7 weeks now.

The kitten has skinny limbs, so took him back to vet for help and was told to start him on wet kitten food with water to oatmeal consistency.  I did this for a couple days, and he is more lethargic now and is so weak it is difficult for him to potty ( he uses a tiny litter box now)  

This morning I found him worse and he had trouble even holding his head up.  I decided to give him the milk replacer again, as it seems eating the kitten food is too much for his system.  I also give him pedialyte and water, and karo. 

 He is smaller than other kittens his age, and it is difficult for me to go by the average growth charts for him.  I am hoping someone here with similar experience can give advice as to how to proceed..should I continue with the kitten food? (I puree it so he will eat it with syringe, as he will not eat unless I use syringe.)  I love this little kitten and want him to live. 

 

[misterwhiskers]

Has the vet done any bloodwork? Does the vet have any ideas? How are his lungs and heart? Any chance of worms? After 7 weeks, you'd think he'd be doing a little better. I wonder if he might have a vitamin deficiency or something as well. The lethargy is worrying. I hope Catwoman helps you and quickly.

 

[StefanZ]

 
My niece found a tiny kitten (umb clord still attached) - she watched for the mother for a day & half, so brought it to me.  I have been feeding the kitten Hertz milk replacer for kittens for about 7 weeks now.

The kitten has skinny limbs, so took him back to vet for help and was told to start him on wet kitten food with water to oatmeal consistency.  I did this for a couple days, and he is more lethargic now and is so weak it is difficult for him to potty ( he uses a tiny litter box now)  

This morning I found him worse and he had trouble even holding his head up.  I decided to give him the milk replacer again, as it seems eating the kitten food is too much for his system.  I also give him pedialyte and water, and karo. 

 He is smaller than other kittens his age, and it is difficult for me to go by the average growth charts for him.  I am hoping someone here with similar experience can give advice as to how to proceed..should I continue with the kitten food? (I puree it so he will eat it with syringe, as he will not eat unless I use syringe.)  I love this little kitten and want him to live. 

If you can get raw goat milk - this would possibly be the trick here...  Regular bottled, full fat goat milk is useful too, but not the same excellences...

I will write more little later.

 

[StefanZ]

@catwoman707   @Red Top Rescue   - I think its a need  for a consylium here.

I myself shall proceed to write in some minutes.

 

[StefanZ]

 
My niece found a tiny kitten (umb clord still attached) - she watched for the mother for a day & half, so brought it to me.  I have been feeding the kitten Hertz milk replacer for kittens for about 7 weeks now.

The kitten has skinny limbs, so took him back to vet for help and was told to start him on wet kitten food with water to oatmeal consistency.  I did this for a couple days, and he is more lethargic now and is so weak it is difficult for him to potty ( he uses a tiny litter box now)  

This morning I found him worse and he had trouble even holding his head up.  I decided to give him the milk replacer again, as it seems eating the kitten food is too much for his system.  I also give him pedialyte and water, and karo. 

 He is smaller than other kittens his age, and it is difficult for me to go by the average growth charts for him.  I am hoping someone here with similar experience can give advice as to how to proceed..should I continue with the kitten food? (I puree it so he will eat it with syringe, as he will not eat unless I use syringe.)  I love this little kitten and want him to live. 

Useful tricks, as dehydration is a maior danger esp with the weak ones.

What Im thinking on, he may get too little food!  Ie being essentielly starving.

Especielly as at his age, they usually eats more substanial food than just kmr...   Perhaps also a switch to some other  kmr may help.

Do you have access to some other kmr than the Hartz brand?   Raw goat milk is surely best in this situation, but if you cant get it, a good kmr is at least as good as bottled goat milk.

But if you cant get eiter raw goat milk, nor another good kmr, BUT can get bottled full fat goat milk, my proposal is you switch to the goat milk from Hartz.

Also, adding a raw egg yolk into his food is an useful reinforcement.  -  I hope you dont have problems with salomonella in eggs at your place -  cats manage salomonella better than humans, but he is way too weak to experiment.

How MUCH are you giving him?   At least, smaller kittens shall have 8ml / oz / day, where oz is 28-30 grammes.   Say he is small for his age, and is 600 g, its easy number  to count with.

20 oz, x8,  gives minimum 160 ml kmr or goat milk every day.    say you give 6 times a day,  gives 25-30 ml at every time, as minimum.

If iyou dilute the kmr to get in more pedialyte and water, the amount to drink will be even higher.

This is not scientific, but an example, you must get in some substantial amounst.

Be sure he is warm and cozy, and this means, active warming up with a heat pad, or even better, on your chest, á la Cangaroo method.

Let him have fleece as bedding - it reminds of fur.  Also a stuffed animal as company...  You can perhaps make one yuourself, of fleeece, and a little heating pad inside?

OK, next suggestion, is to add some  probiotics.  BeneBac is very good.  S(accaromyces) Belouardii  is a new one, very good.  Fortiflora is an old goodie.

Even a plain, full fat yoghurt, may be useful, esp if it contains added Acidophilus and Bifidus bacteria.   Such a youghurt is also an useful nourishment.

As you describe it, he may be fading now and there isnt much to do any longer save giving him comfort...

But lets fight on, pray and hope for the best!

Please come back with reports and answers to our questions and suggestions!

Good luck!

 

[StefanZ]

@Ari1   how is it going?  Is he still with us?

I got an idea. Do you massage him? softly, but still with some strengh, touch him with your fingers, along, along, so to speak.  So it will feel like moms tongue washing.

You may also use a toothbrush, but I think warm finger is better...

This trick, along with carrying at your chest - cangaroo-style, will hopefully give him more will to live.   Talk a lot to him, but I suppse you are doing it much since 7 weeks...

 

[ari1]

Good morning: Yes, he is still with us - His name is Rudi - and we are not certain he is a boy .. At last feed approx 1 AM he was stonger - able to go to his little litter box and pee .. this morning 4 AM limp and couldn't hold head up, but purring.  I rubbed karo on his gums first - I have two syringes which hold 3 ml, which I fill and he eats about 2.5 of this, one syringe with hertz + greek yogurt + egg yolk (cage-free)

Other syringe contains pedialyte and cooled boiled water.  I have both ready in case he won't take the milk first.  He accepted only half of each syringe at 4 AM and then 6 AM karo on gums again then he drank about 2.5 ml and almost 3 ml of the pedialyte + water.  

He is holding head up now, and tried to walk after the 6 AM feed, yet still too weak to pee.  

I read your suggestions, and will try to find a better milk replacer.  The vet thus far has seen him about 4-5 times - but no blood work at this point - when I first took him in aroung March 21, they were strartled how tiny he was and told me to feed him about approx 2ml every 2 hours. I would take him in for constipation issues, and most recently this past week I took him in due in increasing weakness and his inability to gain weight/strength in his limbs.

The vet advised feeding kitten food consistency of oatmeal.  He also said to give him karo about 4 times daily.  asked about vitamin supplements, but he was wary of this.

He was weighed on the third visit, where after a few weeks he weighed what a normal newborn would weigh.  I forgot to ask the vet to weigh him on this past visit, but will do so when I take him back.  

I tried to follow the vet's advice, yet as I said earlier, found info online regarding egg yolk and yogurt which I added to the hertz kitten milk - I will try to find the milk replacers you mentioned today - 

He is so weak/lethargic in morning, and then steadily becomes stronger at night - he will walk around, walk to my husband's chair to visit him - use his litter box - I use a small toothbrush which he enjoys being combed with, and mimic momma cat's licking while cleaning & massaging him.  I will do even more of all this - he enjoys being talked to and loved on.  

Bless you all for the helpful messages this morning - I appreciate this so much!

 

[ari1]

P.S.    I also want to add he does not eat as rebustly as he did in beginning.  The weakness has been slowly coming on for past two weeks.  

 

[StefanZ]

Ok, good too see he is not dying, there is still much fight to do.

An observation, he is decently active at night, and lethargic during the day, no?   I think it has connection  with cats being night animals.  So him being lethargic is in part, he is softing and sleeping during the day...

Next observation, is you can surely get your own scale?  Preferably measuring in grammes, but OZ may be OK too, as long you see the tenths parts of oz.

Third, is, I havent counted exactly, but I do have the strong impression he is essentially getting too little...   This is a big part of the problem, I think.

He must have these 8ml kmr/milk / youghurt / liquid food /OZ=30 grammes, a day...   You giving him pedialyte AND Karo keeps him alive, giving him the minimum amounts of energy, but its not real food...    But as  said earlier, he needs at least 160 ml of liquid food, or equivalent.

Good you discovered on your own both the egg yolk and the greek youghurt...   In some states of USA there is a Greek youghurt named Fage, containing added acidophilus and bifidus bacteria... thus both decent food and  probiotic in one...

So I see  and believe you are thinking the right way, and doing most all right, but probably too  little of food...

 

[StefanZ]

 
P.S.    I also want to add he does not eat as rebustly as he did in beginning.  The weakness has been slowly coming on for past two weeks.  

Yes, for wha tyou gave in the beginning was OK, but when he began to grow, he didnt got accordingly more...   I suspect strongly he is starving.

Sorry to say that that bluntly, but I suspect strongly this is the main fault here.

 

[StefanZ]

And yes, if a starved person gets good nourising food, he will react.  Quite a few concentration camp prisoners died when they were freed, not because they were starving and emaciated, but because the saviors wanted to be kind, and gave them good food...

So, increase slowly with good food.  Raw goat milk is excellent.

Or another mild food...   Chicken broth is a classic.   Pidgeon broth even better.

 

[StefanZ]

 
P.S.    I also want to add he does not eat as rebustly as he did in beginning.  The weakness has been slowly coming on for past two weeks.  

If it was some internal organ faulting, he would prob crash and go downhill in a couple of day, gone.  Yes, such happens now and then esp with "miniature" kittens.

If it were some heart fault, but not immediately deadly, the vet would discover it - even a so so vet would discover it.

So I think, he gets too little.

Increase with mild foods slowly.

The increase with goat milk or kmr portions may be a little quicker, as he is used to it.   Its more "concise", more real food you must be careful to increase just slowly and stepwise.

 

[ari1]

I will step up the feeding - will feed approx every two hours, and will step up and continue with extra feedings after 1 AM til morning. A few weeks ago the vet thought I may be overfeeding, or food too rich before  during constipation issues - I have gotten him to have a good BM with some purreed pumpkin & a few drops of olive oil to help him move it alternately, so am prepared if he does become constipated again.  I will look for the goat's milk or better alternative replacement milk you described today and will follow your other advice - Thank you again!  I will keep you posted on Rudi's progress.  I will also post a photo of him later this evening - I am not too computer savvy and my hisband will help with this when he returns home. He is excited I found this wonderful site late last night, and to hear all the helpful replies already received early this morning.

 

[StefanZ]

 
I will step up the feeding - will feed approx every two hours, and will step up and continue with extra feedings after 1 AM til morning. A few weeks ago the vet thought I may be overfeeding, or food too rich before  during constipation issues - I have gotten him to have a good BM with some purreed pumpkin & a few drops of olive oil to help him move it alternately, so am prepared if he does become constipated again.  I will look for the goat's milk or better alternative replacement milk you described today and will follow your other advice - Thank you again!  I will keep you posted on Rudi's progress.  I will also post a photo of him later this evening - I am not too computer savvy and my hisband will help with this when he returns home. He is excited I found this wonderful site late last night, and to hear all the helpful replies already received early this morning.

I see you are thinking entirely right, and mostly doing very right too...

I wish you and Rudi 

Good Luck from all my heart!

 

[catwoman707]

I wish I didn't have to run out!

From what I have skim read here, the issue is likely the Hartz brand, please get KMR from Petag. Powdered form. Do not dilute it extra, this little one needs all he/she can get at this point!

Syringe every 2 hours, feeding 8 mls per ounce of weight per day.

Feed on the 2 hours, not 2 hours since the last feeding finished.

For instance feed at 12, 2, 4, 6, etc.

Just divide the total amt needed per day into how many times fed daily.

I will be back in a few hours to check.

You have been getting excellent advice from @StefanZ

 

[ellag]

you might also try some baby food meat when he starts taking the kmr better (make sure it has no onions), kittens usually love it.. can you post a picture?