Very sick kitty, Vet said near death

Tagged: Ann, Gracie, Pedialyte, tent test, URI sick kitty

This topic has 21 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 3 months ago by Jeankit.

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6 January, 2015 at 2:11 pm #824932

Ann
Participant

I have a 9 week old kitten, Gracie, who last week, I started noticing wasn’t acting right. By Saturday morning, she was VERY sick. I live in an area where we don’t have an Emergency Vet, so I gave her TLC all weekend, by hand feeding her kitten formula. I placed her in a small crate with a heating pad on the bottom and on a blanket. By Monday morning we took her to the vet where she was found to be dehydrated and had a temp of 92! They kept her and hooked her up to an IV. They let us bring her home later that day with some clovamax after they got her temp back up to 99.
I still have her on the heating pad and am hand feeding her. am praying it’s not just my wishful hoping,but she seems to be more alert this morning. She has only had 3 doses of clovomax.
Is there anything else, I should be doing to help her. The Vet really wasn’t very helpful and although she has only been a part of our family for 9 weeks, we are all attached to her and don’t want to lose her.

6 January, 2015 at 2:34 pm #824934

AZDEBRA 5/27 & crew
Participant

Prayers and positive thoughts for your kitten, sorry I do not have an advice but can send energy for both of you.

6 January, 2015 at 2:41 pm #824935

Kittyzee
Participant

Oh no Ann. Sounds like you are doing all you can. The best thing to do is what you are already doing, warmth and plenty of fluids. You can get child pedialyte and add it to her formula and it helps replace electrolytes. Fluids are what she needs to regulate her body temperature and give her plenty of love, which I’m sure you are already doing. Please keep us posted on your baby…best of luck to you.

6 January, 2015 at 4:15 pm #824947

Buttons
Moderator

So sorry your going through this.. Rescuing kittens can be heart breaking.. As KZ has said you are doing all you can and some kittens suffer from “fading kitten syndrome” and no matter what we do they just are meant for this world.. If she starts to crash again try rubbing some honey on her gums this sometimes helps give a kitten an extra boost

6 January, 2015 at 6:07 pm #824957

katzenjammer
Participant

Blessings, I can do no more although wish that I could.

6 January, 2015 at 10:12 pm #824968

Ann
Participant

Thank you everyone. Gracie was born in my home on Halloween. I’ve had her momma for a while now and she got out and got pregnant by the sneaky neighbor cat ( she is now fixed). We found homes for the other 3 kittens, but from day one, we just were extra attached to Gracie and decided to keep her. This hit her so fast. This morning she seemed to be acting a bit better, but when I got home today, she seems to have declined some. I did get some pedialite to add to her kitty formula and will try that tonight as well as the honey. Thank you all for your support

6 January, 2015 at 10:53 pm #824969

Jeankit
Participant

Aw, caring thoughts going out to you Ann and special kit ((Gracie)).

7 January, 2015 at 12:47 am #824976

Kittyzee
Participant

Praying for a good outcome for you Ann. Hugs to you and little Gracie. Let us know how she is doing!

7 January, 2015 at 11:39 am #824986

jcat
Participant

There is a very good high-calorie paste called Nutrigel, which is specially good for sick or malnourished cats or kitties who do not want to or are having trouble eating, you could add a little to her formula if she is taking it, or smear a little on her gums or the roof of her mouth if she is not. Honey (or glucose or sugar water) helps if she has a sudden crash in her blood sugar but the Nutrigel will also give her strength to fight. There is also a recipe for home-made pedialyte — I will add the tag — and will also give you the tent test to test for dehydration. Antibiotics can throw a little kitten’s digestive system out of kilter so when they have done their work, you may want to add some probiotics to her diet to get her tummy flora back into good shape. Otherwise just keep her warm, safe and quiet, talk to her and pet her as much as possible, I really do think it keeps their morale up and helps her to fight. You are doing all you can, she is lucky to have you in her corner. Hope she turns that corner soon. {{{Hugs}}}

7 January, 2015 at 11:41 am #824987

jcat
Participant

The tent test is to test for dehydration:

Tent test: pick up a good pinch of kitten’s skin at the neck and let go.If it snaps back immediately, she’s hydrated okay. If it takes a little time to go back down, or, worse, it stays up in a ‘tent’ shape, she needs fluids, such as pedialyte (from the supermarket, children’s aisle) or home-made pedialyte below.

Note, in the United Kingdom, pedialyte is called Dioralyte. Also known as rehydration salts.

Home-made pedialyte:
(from World Health Organization)…no preservatives so short life-span

* 1 cup water (boiled then cooled)

* 2 tsp sugar

* 1/8 tsp salt

* 1/8 tsp baking soda

This Pedialyte formula gives needed electrolytes & some sugar for energy)

Combine all ingredients and warm slightly.

Make new after 24 hours.

The best site we have found for help with sick or problem kittens is http://messybeast.com/handrear.htm

8 January, 2015 at 1:36 am #825042

Moonshadow_NZ
Moderator

How is Gracie doing Ann. I hadn’t posted on this thread before but you have both been in my mind.

10 January, 2015 at 5:57 am #825187

Ann
Participant

🙁 I am heartbroken tonight. Gracie had showed such a huge improvement. She was doing better, and was so content laying in bed with my husband and I, with one of us holding her on our chest. We would talk to her and she would meow at us…The URI was responding to the antiobiotics… I thought she was going to make it. About an hour ago, she started meowing constantly, we put her in her box and she continued to meow, then I noticed that she was pooping and she started breathing really heavy and gasping. I picked her up and held her as she was gasping for breath and she died in my hands. I really thought she was going to make it.
Her stomach had gotten really huge very fast. My husband found a box and we wrapped her in a towel and tomorrow we will bury her, after we tell our 3 kids that she didn’t make it. Every day when I picked them up from school they would ask how she was. We thought she would make it.

10 January, 2015 at 6:23 am #825188

Cheri Hoyt
Participant

I’m so sorry to hear this. Hugs, vibes, and love for all of you….

10 January, 2015 at 6:57 am #825189

Anonymous
Inactive

Ann,

Warm fuzzies to you and your husband. Miss Gracie knew the love and kindness that only best purr parents could give her.

PG

10 January, 2015 at 7:13 am #825192

CheetahBoysmommy
Participant

I’m sorry for your loss.

We have no way to know how long any of us will have in this life. Gracie’s time was shorter than most but it was a life filled with love and people who cared for her. She will stay in your hearts until you see her again at the Rainbow Bridge.

10 January, 2015 at 8:11 am #825194

Moonshadow_NZ
Moderator

Ann I am so sorry for your family’s loss of Gracie. A blessing that she was loved so much by you all.

And God asked the feline spirit,
“Are you ready to come home?”
“Oh yes, quite so” replied the precious soul.
“And as a cat, you know I am most able to decide anything for myself.”
“Are you coming then?’ asked God.
“Soon.” replied the whiskered angel,
“But I must come slowly,
Because my human friends are troubled, for you see,
They need me,quite certainly.”
“But don’t they understand?” asked God.
“That you will never leave them?
That your souls are intertwined for all eternity?
That nothing is created or destroyed,?
It just is. . . . forever and ever and ever”
“Eventually they will understand,”
replied the cat.
“For I will whisper in their hearts that I am always with them.
“That I just am. . . forever and ever and ever.”

10 January, 2015 at 12:35 pm #825208

jcat
Participant

I’m so, so sorry, Ann. These little ones are so fragile, their little systems are so new and so easily overwhelmed. I hope it’s some comfort to you that she has happy, content and responding to you even though she was so sick, she knew you loved her and she felt safe and happy. So many kittens and cats never even know that love and comfort. {{{{HUGS}}}}

10 January, 2015 at 2:38 pm #825210

Ann
Participant

Thank you everyone. Hard morning here. For the past week, every morning I would wake up and check on Gracie first thing. She would be in her box and her little blue eyes would look up at me. She would snuggle up with me.
We told our kids this morning and they were all shocked as well and said “But she was doing so much better”

10 January, 2015 at 4:22 pm #825219

JerseyJoan
Moderator

I am so sorry Ann. Gracie must have rallied and tried really hard to stay with you, but it got too hard. She is at the Meadow, safe and in the loving care of Mama Cat and the kitten pack.
Deepest condolences to you and your family.

10 January, 2015 at 5:30 pm #825224

Ann
Participant

My husband has been outside digging a grave for Gracie. Not easy to do in a Missouri frozen soil. Our neighbor heard him, so he came out to see. He thought one of our dogs had died, our 12 year old Sophie. Sadly, our neighbor lost his cat Jackie, last night also. Jackie was 15. Gracie also died on the same day as my aunt, and on the anniversary that my niece and friend also died. I hate Jan 9
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