Recent Feedback
3 days ago I had my 9 week old kittens Pumpkin and Sweet Pea vaccinated. The vet asked if they would go outside in future or whether they would be indoor cats. They will be going outside and also be in contact with 2 older cats in the household. So my vet recommended she give them 2 shots instead of one. The vet said they might be off colour for a few days. Both went off their food a day later but Pumpkin was still playing and fairly bright. Now Sweet Pea has eaten and drunk nothing for 2 days and doesn't want to come out of her bed. When she does she is stiff, slow and lame. She feels very hot. Instead of feeling like a solid little lump she feels like a feather when you lift her up. I weighed her and she has lost weight from last week. I managed to syringe about 1ml of warmed diluted Whiskas cat milk into her mouth this morning. I put her in the litter tray and she tried to pee but because I think she is dehydrated not a lot came out. I really don't want to take her to the vet again in case she fills her with pain meds and antibiotics unnecessarily. If she is so poorly I don't think she would be able to tolerate anything else in her system and it could tip her over the edge. You see I am beginning not to trust this vet. She is a lovely person but she prescribed long term Metacam for 2 of my cats. One developed trouble eating, lost a lot of weight and later died of a multiple stroke, the other also developed trouble eating, lost weight and still is not right, yet she continues to recommend it even though there are a lot of side effects. I know kittens can be ill for a few days after innoculation. I want to nurse Sweet Pea through it without getting too panicky but I am worried that she will die of dehydration and I really want to do the right thing. How often should I give her liquids and how much at a time to keep her hydrated?
Optional Information: Pet's Sex: Female Pet's Age: <1 Already Tried: Keeping her warm and quiet. Syringe of warm diluted Whiskas cat milk. She took about 1ml - 1.5mls before refusing any more. She washed her face afterwards and seemed a little brighter. I have tried warming chicken Felix cat food in gravy, mashing it up and giving this but she refuses it.
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Hi there. Sounds like your kitten is feeling pretty ill.
How much does this kitten weigh now and what did she weigh?
Have you taken her temperature?
Are you there?
Well, all I can tell you is that a kitten that hasn't ate in 2 days does really need to go to the vet, especially a kitten. Kittens don't have the reserve energy to keep going without food and cats need to eat every day. Vaccines do sometimes cause fever but usually within 24 hours they are feeling better again. Your vet can give fluids under the skin and something to help break the fever if she has one.
So I don't think treatment would be unnecessary at this point.
As far as syringe feeding, I would stop the milk, use either pedialyte or gatorade or even water at around 1ml per pound per hour. Then syringe feed some baby food like the chicken or beef flavor for some nutrients.
But the fluids from the vet would help get her hydrated more quickly than syringing by mouth, plus they would be able to make sure it was just a fever post vaccine as the reason she is feeling bad.
Good luck, Dr. Candy
Thank you for your answer. I don't have a suitable thermometer for taking her temperature but she feels very hot compared to how she normally does and compared to her brother who seems fine. last Wednesday she weighed 880g and today she weighs 820g. However we have to consider she had probably put on weight between the time I last weighed her and today sicne she was definatley heavier on Saturday when they went to the vets. I will call the vets now and I will arrange some transport to get her there. I will also give her some water by syringe and some pureed food if I can get her to accept it.
What is pediolyte? I'm not sure we have Gatorade here in the UK . I might have an electrolyte drink normally used for diahorrea in humans, would that be suitable by mouth?
gatorade is an electrolyte drink for adults....athletes, etc
So for her weight, she would need 2 to 3 cc per hour
of liquid to maintain hydration
Okay I will sort that out. I have also just spoken to my vet who wants her to come in straight away. Thank you for your help I will go back to the kitten now
I will let you know later how she gets on
Oh that is great :) good luck with her
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Experience: 7+ years in general veterinary medicine