5 weeks old Kitten might die … Please help !

Mo, we are not vets and it is so hard to know what is wrong with little abandoned kittens, sometimes their mothers have abandoned them particularly because they know that there is something wrong with them. However, that said, I’m afraid that maybe your kitten’s blood sugar levels keep crashing, that the pedialyte/water is just running through him and that he is not getting enough nourishment and strength to fight. At five weeks, he should be a little more robust than this. It’s true that the biggest danger with diarrhea is dehydration; however the fact that he rallies after feeding but only for a little while makes me wonder about the blood sugar levels. Transparent urine is usually a sign of him being too hydrated. Try the tent test, if his skin goes immediately back down again then he is hydrated.

If he is five weeks old, he is more than old enough to try a little wet food mixed in with his milk formula; some kittens do not want to be weaned until six weeks or a little later but some are ready at four weeks to start eating solids.

First thing I would do is warm him gently and try to get some kitten formula down him. If he doesn’t seem to have enough energy for that, stroke some honey on his mouth and on the roof of his mouth (no big lumps, nothing he could choke on) and if he rallies, try him with the formula. If you feel you have to dilute it, dilute it with a little water only, too much pedialyte could throw his electrolytes out of whack. If you can get hold of goats’ milk, try that instead of the formula. Little and often is best. If he seems to be gaining more strength, try mixing a little wet food into his formula so that it’s the consistency of thin gruel.

And yes, the vet as soon as possible. It could be anything, something bacterial or something viral, at the moment you’re just trying to give him enough strength to get to the vet’s. Best of luck, keep in touch.

Hi Mo, good advice from all above. I usually try to introduce wet food to kittens at 3 weeks of age. They sometimes don’t act interested in it, but it’s time to get them started. You could make a milky gruel of the wet food/milk and put it on your finger or spoon and put it in kitten’s mouth. They usually will eat a little this way. I agree also that kitten may have parasites which complicate everything. However, I think that maybe your kitten wasn’t getting enough nourishment for his age level and he *crashed*. You did the right thing by dropper feeding him to bring his levels back up. Feeding little and often is such good advice for a kitten who has been sick, I hope you see his appetite perk up once he starts to recover. Keep us posted on his progress!

Mo, bless you for the compassion and love you have shown to this little kitten! So glad there are people like you in this world! I think he is old enough to have worm medicine now, and he should be checked for coccidia and giardia (one celled parasites that cause diarrhea) too. It’s not uncommon for a kitten to be small especially if he’s the runt of the litter and has had a setback like he’s experienced in the last week or so. I think now that he’s getting more nourishment from the food and milk, he will continue to make great progress, at least that’s what I’m hoping for you and him. Let us know how you two are doing!

Hi guys!

I’m brand spankin’ new to this site after just finding it by accident (in googling why our adolescent male kitty’s bum smells horribly – haha!!), and after reading this post, I felt compelled to say something real quick.

And though it was already mentioned above — I just wanted to reinforce. My MIL raised puppies after a stray dog she had taken in had a litter of 6. ANYWAY … we helped out by taking in two of them (temporarily) and one of the things I will never forget is when they pooped, there were “ribbon-like threads” (like the kitten had) in their stool. I asked my husband what the heck THAT was all about, and he said: “Oh, she just gave them their anti-worming medication. They’re pooping out the worms.” Ahhh! I had the creepy-crawlies for days (clearly, I am not meant to breed/raise domestic animals, eh?) 🙄

Mo, when you said that … immediately, I thought that’s what it was. I also noticed these lil’ suckers were still MOVING in the stool at the time. Now, they were being discharged because of meds, but maybe in a sick kitten — it’s different and they’re already deceased, I’m not sure. Not to mention that kittens & puppies are certainly different creatures. But did you happen to inspect them closer to see if their was movement? If so, I’m certain.

Anyway, I really hope you get your little guy up to speed again … it sounds like you are a wonderful, patient person doing a really kind thing. Surely, if/when he makes it thru this — you two will have a bond like no other! Best of luck to you both; I’ll be back for updates. 😉 …and other reasons. Great site here!

Take Care,
Marcy

I love your determination Mo, and you are doing a great job of raising your kitten. First off, it sounds like you are on the right road. I would do as you are exactly: adding food to the milk and giving it to him that way. It will change his poop, but in a good way. I think also, that the white ribbons may be worms. He should be old enough for worming medication as long as it’s not too harsh, given what he’s just been through. The worms may be preventing him from getting the proper nourishment, and when they are gone it will help him immensely. Secondly, the topic about hand reared kittens. I have FOUR cats that have been totally hand reared in my house. They groom themselves, play, eat, use the litter box, etc. and have no psychological problems because they didn’t have a mother cat to teach them. You can introduce him to the litter box by putting some of his poo in there (unscented, non clumping litter only to start out with) and after each feeding, to get him used to going in the box. This will help eliminate the need for cleaning his bedding, unless since he has diarrhea, he can’t hold it in. I raised mine in a large dog crate with bed, litter box and food bowls inside. Then finally leaving the door to it open so they can come and go, knowing where everything is. Just don’t put the food bowls too close to the litter box. 😉 Eventually, you can get rid of the crate altogether, your kitten will know what the food bowls and litterbox are, and you can move his bed to a suitable place for him, after he gets to know the lay of the house.

Mo I am so sorry you are feeling helpless even after your vet visit. Yes, granted he is a small kitten and has had a rough time. That being said, I have to disagree with your vet. Remember, I am NOT a vet, but have hand reared many kittens, and that’s not to say I haven’t lost a few too. It’s heartbreaking every time. BUT, since he IS so small and weak, diluting his food and giving it to him every 6 hours may just be a death sentence. I think you need to go with your gut on this one. I don’t think at this point you need to wean him. I think adding wet food to his milk and cutting the nipple a bit so it flows out better will help him. Kittens don’t need big strong teeth to eat wet food, even old toothless cats can eat wet food. He will get the nutrition from the food and the needed hydration from the milk. You can feed him his KMR for as long as you want! I would suggest PASTEURIZED goat’s milk for him because it has lots of good flora for his gut, which he needs right now. I hand reared my last kitten entirely on it. It won’t aggravate his diarrhea or cause constipation either and is much cheaper than KMR. Since you live in Saudi Arabia, I don’t know where to tell you to get some, unless the grocery in the milk cooler section. Here in the states it’s also sold in cans in the baking section of the groceries. I was hoping your vet would give him some wormer, I wish I could remember the name of what my vet gave me. Three syringes of white liquid I squirted down his mouth 3 days in a row. Wait a week and do it again. But don’t give up, the little guy is a fighter and obviously knows you are his *mom*! 🙂 As long as he is warm, being fed enough and getting cuddles, find comfort at least in that he knows he is loved. I would treat him like Gandhi myself if he was mine. There are no guarantees when rearing young kittens, but to get him strong enough to get rid of his worms would be my goal at this point. Decreasing his food intake, in my opinion would not be in his best interest. Good luck Mo, and we here at TDK are all rooting for you two. Keep us posted!!

Dear Mo, that is wonderful news, and certainly don’t apologise for double-posting (that’s when we accidentally post the same message twice), we are all hanging out for news. Does your little one have a name? Don’t worry about the colour of his poop, mustard yellow to tan brown is quite normal for kittens who are milk-fed only (I have noticed the poop can oxidise to a darker brown over time) so it sounds like everything is coming back to normal (I hope so!) I would follow the instructions on the box for the calorie supplement, your idea of putting it on the teat is a brilliant one. Don’t be tempted to give him any more than the instructions say, too high a dose of some vitamins can be as bad as not enough. Let us know how it’s going!