Worried about Carlo

Perhaps I don’t have the nerves for this foster parenting thing, because tonight I’m agitated and have a big weight in the pit of my stomach as I worry about Carlo’s health.  He’s just not growing the way he should, and today he lost .2 ounces from yesterday.  The vet found nothing wrong with him temperature-wise or in the fecal sample, and just told me to switch back to liquid KMR and to keep giving the Albon.  Oh, I forgot to mention that both Carlo and Bunny were dewormed today with Nemex, just as a precaution.

Carlo won’t suck on the bottle at all today, although he will drink and swallow if I let the formula drip into his mouth.  While we were out he seemed to be crazed with hunger, and was even chewing on my shirt and finger, but at home he just won’t eat.  I’ve tried three different bottle nipples with three different holes in them to see if he has a preference, yet I just can’t get him to eat with enthusiasm.  Even his sister isn’t a great eater, although at least she’s a normal weight.  I’ve never had kittens who didn’t just love formula, so I don’t understand why both of these guys are so ambivalent.  They’re not ambivalent about eating, they’re ambivalent about eating formula.

The vet sent us home with more Albon, and a container of Rebound.  I had no idea this stuff existed (I usually see references to Pedialyte being used when people foster young animals).  I gave Carlo one cc in a syringe today and he swallowed it all, but everything that goes in his mouth, comes out the other end.  He’s a constant, never-ending poop machine.  I honestly think part of his problem is that his body isn’t absorbing nutrients properly, but I don’t know how to remedy that.  He’s two weeks old, and he can walk and his eyes are open, so he’s developed normally—he just doesn’t grow.

I’m hoping that a good night’s sleep plus the worming today will leave him feeling energetic in the morning, and ready to eat.  I want to sleep with him in bed with me so I can keep an eye on him, but the dogs will smell him and act crazy.  I also worry that he will just wander off the bed in the middle of the night while I’m passed out.

Here’s a photo of the two siblings that I just took about an hour ago.  You can tell from the photo that Carlo is very small compared to Bunny:

bunny_and_carlo_day_14

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 04/06 at 02:16 AM

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  1. Hi Leigh-Ann, I wouldn’t worry too much about the stuff coming out the bottom end, just keep refilling him from the top <g>. It’s amazing, really, that mother cats can keep the nest so clean. In my experience with sick kittens, but not any as small as yours, their appetites go off when they are dehydrated, so maybe the rehydrating solution will help. If he keeps losing weight in spite of your best efforts you can ask about a little subQ hydration.

    The other kind of bizarre suggestion I have is to make sure they have a surrogate mom. A stuffed animal or bundle of polartec will work. Even nicer if you can squeeze a warmed gel-pak inside. Remember the Psych 101 lecture where they demonstrated that baby monkeys do better with a mom figure, even when it’s a wire cage with a head-shaped object having a pair of eyes?

    Hang in there. If it weren’t for you, they wouldn’t have a chance at all.

    Posted by gottagopractice  on  04/06  at  09:32 AM

  2. How heart wrenching.  You are a great mom and doing the best for these little guys.

    Posted by Von Krankipantzen  on  04/06  at  10:19 AM

  3. Awww, Maybe Carlo is just going to be tiny. We had a tiny kitten too and he was healthy - but just small. They are so adorable. It will all be fine. Sending Purrs your way!

    Posted by Megan  on  04/06  at  04:28 PM

  4. He’s doing better today—eating and he actually gained a bit of weight.  I was sure he was close to death (and had the experience of Miles the kitten dying just two months ago, so I think my intuition was pretty good).  He’s still got the runs, but at least his poop is now yellow, and he’s a lot stronger than he’s been for a couple of days.

    GGP, I have two surrogate Moms—I’ve got a stuffed “Comfort Cat” with a heartbeat, and I’ve got Missy Mae!  Missy Mae isn’t very interested in kittens this young, although she’ll groom them if I stick them in her bed.  I hadn’t tried the stuffed cat toy because I figured the two kittens had each other for company, but I can certainly give it a try.  I need to find something to wrap it in so I don’t have to wash it daily!

    Posted by Leigh-Ann  on  04/07  at  12:35 AM
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