Mom and baby kitten problems - Paw Talk

DorkyChantelle · #1 05-04-2007, 07:36 PM

I posted a bit about this in the Cats forum but things have gotten worse.

The sneezy kitten is still a bit sneezy but now I can also hear him breathing at times. Also, I was shocked to see something red bulging out of his bum. It's very tiny but enough so that you can't see a regular anus. I have no idea what to think. I had not been seeing the mother stimulating the kittens to go to the bathroom so I used a warm facecloth and did that. All of them peed except the one with the red thing on his bum. Also, he's still nursing well.

The mother cat vomited "a large amount" (I didn't see it but my mom did) and she also had quite a bit of liquid diarrhea. She is okay now (no more vomiting or diarrhea) but she seems a bit lethargic.

We did get ahold of the SPCA and they basically said "wait and see." I don't know how comfortable I am with that but they said that there's nothing the vet can really do for a 2 day old kitten anyway (in terms of medications). They said to keep an eye on the mother as well and if she looks worse, to call them again. These are technically not our cats (since they're fosters) and the SPCA pretty much calls the shots on treatment since they're paying. Is there something more I can be doing right now? It's really breaking my heart. We've called the SPCA workers about 4 times now and my mom kind of wants to hold off on calling them again so it doesn't look like we're a bunch of idiots. I think the mother cat is probably okay but I just have a bad feeling about that little kitten

Edit: Our puppy has a checkup tomorrow morning at the vet so we will mention the cat/kitten issues then and get his opinion on it. I really think they need to see a vet but the SPCA doesn't at this point (and I know it would be really stressful to take the mother and kittens out of the house). We'll see what he says but I really would like to hear some of your opinions as well. I'm so upset

tarita2004 · #2 05-04-2007, 07:39 PM

I'm not sure...i wish i could help

sometimes the people upstairs have better plans... make sure the kitten nor mom are suffering, as you will feel better in the end.

DorkyChantelle · #3 05-04-2007, 07:46 PM

Neither of them look to be in pain or distress. I'm not overly worried about the mother at the moment (at least there are treatments available for her since she's full grown) but that little kitten...I'm so worried about him

I just wish the SPCA would say "oh, bring them into the vet!" or "oh, I've seen that before and it's perfectly fine!" I've had an absolutely exhausting week and I'm almost delirious with sleep deprivation and now all I can do is worry.

tarita2004 · #4 05-04-2007, 07:48 PM

can you override and take him to the vet anyways??

or perhaps call a vet and explain to them the symptoms and ask what they thing??!!??!

DorkyChantelle · #5 05-04-2007, 07:48 PM

I had prepared myself for stillborn kittens but not for the possibility of a kitten being born visibly healthy and deteriorating over several days..

I don't know if that's the case with him as he is still acting like the others but I know the possibility exists that he is just too sick. I really really hope he can get over whatever is wrong. If he has a respiratory infection, I would think that the others could get it too. But how could a 2 day old kitten get a respiratory infection? I thought it took longer to actually set in?

Ugh, I dunno, I'm just thinking out loud now..

DorkyChantelle · #6 05-04-2007, 07:49 PM

I'm not sure if I can override them. We called our local vet and it's closed. There are some vets in the next town over but I think they're mostly closed too. I have known the lady at the SPCA for many years and she cares about animals more than anyone I know (and she's very knowledgable). I do trust her but I just wish there was something we could do...

tarita2004 · #7 05-04-2007, 07:51 PM

just keep trying to get it to go poo? that's all i can recommend. and of course make sure the kitten's warm.

mulder · #8 05-04-2007, 07:55 PM

VET! that bum issue i'm familliar with and it either has to do with the food they're eating as kitten sbeing too hard or it's ill with infection. VET VET please!!! i've seen this before adn it's sooo sad

millie121 · #9 05-04-2007, 08:50 PM

I say override, cuz could it be prolapse? Not that I'm able to or allowed to diagnose anything. But if you're gonna see a vet for another reason anyway....

Sorry you're in such a dilemma, and I wish you the best.

Maybe you can take a picture along since you can't just easily override because of your situation. Then you'll have a good opinion based on a vet's visual judgement, without having to take the kitten out of the house. At least for the anal issue. That doesn't solve the respiratory problem.

FYI on that, some cat illnesses can be transferred through the placenta if I've remembered what I read correctly. BUT, I really don't know enough about them to speak well.

DorkyChantelle · #10 05-05-2007, 09:06 AM

Well, they had a fairly good night. Momma's looking back to normal and hasn't been vomiting or having diarrhea. The sick kitten hasn't been sneezing. Every now and then you can hear him breathing but most of the time, I can't even tell which one is the sick one (the four black tabbies look almost exactly the same). He's still nursing well and looks/acts like the other kittens. I think the mom has been stimulating them to go the bathroom because we found the first little poops in there this morning. My mom is at the vet with Gidget right now and she's going to get his opinion so I'll update you then. We're also going to call the SPCA back when she gets home (especially if the vet recommends that we bring them in).

DorkyChantelle · #11 05-05-2007, 11:35 AM

My mom just got back from the vet. He said that there is really nothing he can do until the kittens are older. He said it's possible for them to be born with a respiratory infection and it can either clear up or get progressively worse. As for his bum, he said it's possible that the mother nipped him when she was cleaning him. When I looked at him this morning, I noticed his umbilical cord was kind of dried on to the area (the mother wasn't so good at severing the cords and some are pretty long) so I think that was irritating it as well. And as for the mom, he said diarrhea and vomiting is common after delivery, especially since she was eating a lot right up until the birth and directly after. She's acting normal now so he said just to keep an eye on her and make sure she's drinking a lot.

So I guess we just wait now

sara8 · #12 05-05-2007, 03:30 PM

I hope everything ends up OK I'll be thinkin of you guys!!

kathydip · #13 05-05-2007, 09:41 PM

Wow. I learned a lot from that. I was very worried about the Momma cat being sick. I would have thought that was a bad sign but it's not. Maybe the baby sucked a little fluid into his lungs during birth? Keep us posted on them. And thank you for all the information.

DorkyChantelle · #14 05-07-2007, 03:53 PM

Little update:

Well, whatever the problem was with the kitten's bum, it's completely disappeared! Momma is doing great. But now a couple of the kittens seem to be a bit congested (occasional sneezing, occasional audible breathing). *sigh* We just keep waiting, I guess...

tarita2004 · #15 05-07-2007, 07:34 PM

well it sounds better then

and just (like you said) keep an eye on them (and give them some lovin from me!

)