Declining bottle baby

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  • #863193
    Jen
    Participant

    Hi.
    I’m new to this site but I work as a veterinary tech and have been fostering neonatal kittens for awhile now.

    One of my bottle babies is declining. She’s not eating, having diarrhea, some blood noticed yesterday and she’s sooo flat & isolating from th rest of the litter. She’s about a week old. I’m so scared I’m going to lose her. I’ve tried force feeding her, giving her fluid therapy, probiotics.

    My question to you all is how do you deal with losing kittens? I know I’m doing everything I can to save her but I can’t help but feel terribly guilty when they pass. I feel as if I have failed them when they die on my watch. I have lost kittens in the past but I’ve never really had a chance to talk to someone about it who understands.

    #863195
    finnellypaul
    Participant

    Hi Jen,
    Please don’t beat yourself up if you do lose this little one, it is sad when you do lose one but you have to remember the others you have helped and focus on all the others that you are looking after.
    Over the years at our cats4youinpattaya shelter we have lost many little ones who were just too small and weak to survive we tried our best for all of them though and never give up even if there is only a minimal chance of success.
    Of course when they do make it, it is surely the most satisfying feeling you can ever have even after many weeks of feeding every 3 hours day and night !!

    Have you tried changing the milk for the sickly one, we often use KMR but with our last rescue Baggy, she quickly got diarrhea so we changed her to goat’s milk which soon did the trick.

    When kittens are very young they cannot regulate their own body temperature Strangely enough even here in Thailand small babies get cold very easily so we always keep them in a small basket with lamp to keep them warm, if they get too cold they quickly go downhill.

    Only few weeks ago we tried to save 2 tiny premature babies who’s mum was killed in a car accident our vet performed a cesarean operation, 2 were already dead but these 2 survived, they were just so tiny and would not feed properly sadly we lost them both after just 2 days of struggling.

    Good luck with your little ones and please let us know how you get on,

    Keep up the good work,

    Paul, Sandra and the cats !! .

    #863225
    Jen
    Participant

    Thanks for your kind words. I so appreciate it.

    I lost her today. I’m heartbroken.

    #863226
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Jen,

    Please don’t be down on yourself. I read about kits who leave us much to early but their have your love and care in their hearts.

    As Paul said, it can be heartbreaking but they always had you. Nothing can replace that…ever.

    It’s purrfectly Ok to cry 😥 and thank you for giving all the wee abandoned kits a chance at life. You are a guardian angel!

    #863228
    finnellypaul
    Participant

    Hi Jen,
    So sorry to hear that you lost the little one, it doesn’t hurt to cry for her, you tried your best and gave her lots of love for the few days that she was with you.
    Sadly this will probably not be the last kitten you lose so be prepared, it is all part of the rescuing process but you must stay strong for the other babies in your care.
    Keep your chin up, Paul, Sandra and the cats !!
    PS, we rescued 2 more yesterday, luckily they are bigger and eating solids, both seem to be doing well !!

    #863267
    Jen
    Participant

    Thank you so much everyone!
    It feels nice to have support from people who understood. No one else in my life fosters new borns besides myself.

    I’ve lost 6 this year so while I am not new to this loss, it hurts just as much each time. I feel as if you can never be fully prepared.
    Thankfully, I have 3 other new borns who I have to be strong for and take care of so that helps heal the heart. So far they are doing really well!

    I appreciate your words so very much 🙂

    #863269
    Melissa
    Participant

    Hey. I know that it’s hard to loose the babies they grow so close to our hearts so quickly. When I lost my first rescue 3 years ago someone on here told me something that really helped. I don’t remember who said it but they told me that even though the kitten didn’t make it I made their life better for the short time they were here with us. That has helped me looking back. I lost an entire litter this summer I had found a foster home for them a stay at home mom who was willing and able to feed the kits around the clock whereas my jobs had me gone 10-12 hours a day. When we lost the kittens I told this foster mom the same thing that I had been told here. It’s not your fault. We do everything that we can possibly do we give them love,comfort, food and shelter. In this case they passed knowing that this world is a good place. Hopefully this helps

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