URI in kittens and Moms

We're having a time of it with litters of kittens this spring. I just got
the second litter last night that came down with URI. In both cases we had
trapped the moms a few weeks before delivery and the kittens were born
inside where there were no other cats with URI and the mom and kittens had
been isolated from the other cats. Just shy of two weeks after delivery the
moms have been coming down with URI and of course passing it on to the
kittens. Both litters have been seen by the vet and sent home on Clavamox
and Erythromycin (sp? and too tired to get up to check) ointment for the eye
infections. The first litter was started on Terramycin but that made the
swelling worse so the vet switched them to the Erythromycin. I've been
giving them 1 cc KMR with Nurtri-cal with a syringe every 2 hours and
running a cool mist humidifier to try to keep the noses as open as possible.
I have a humidistat in there so the room doesn't become a swamp and a
heating pad (under towels) where they can crawl on and off of it as
necessary.

I got the first litter 2 weeks ago and they seem to be doing ok. Didn't lose
any of them but am concerned because 2 of the three still sound congested
although they are trying to nurse on mom again and are taking the bottle
pretty well. The mom has unfortunately all but dried up so she is only able
to feed one of the kittens I supplement the other two with KMR and Nutri-cal
and they are all gaining weight.

They just sent the second litter over last night (I work out of my home and
am available ever two hrs). They are all just mouth breathing and not
sneezing at all. One kitten from this litter had died before I got them and
a second died last night.

So to my question. Is there anything else I can be doing for them?

W

Hello Wendy,

Sorry to hear about your kitties with URI. A friend of mine bottle
feeds kittens who are abandoned or mother can't take care of them.
She has had a lot of experience with kittens with URIs. I will forward
your note to her and see if she has some advice then I will post it
on the newsgroup.

Debbie Berry



Wendy wrote:

We're having a time of it with litters of kittens this spring. I just got
the second litter last night that came down with URI. In both cases we had
trapped the moms a few weeks before delivery and the kittens were born
inside where there were no other cats with URI and the mom and kittens had
been isolated from the other cats. Just shy of two weeks after delivery the
moms have been coming down with URI and of course passing it on to the
kittens. Both litters have been seen by the vet and sent home on Clavamox
and Erythromycin (sp? and too tired to get up to check) ointment for the eye
infections. The first litter was started on Terramycin but that made the
swelling worse so the vet switched them to the Erythromycin. I've been
giving them 1 cc KMR with Nurtri-cal with a syringe every 2 hours and
running a cool mist humidifier to try to keep the noses as open as possible.
I have a humidistat in there so the room doesn't become a swamp and a
heating pad (under towels) where they can crawl on and off of it as
necessary.

I got the first litter 2 weeks ago and they seem to be doing ok. Didn't lose
any of them but am concerned because 2 of the three still sound congested
although they are trying to nurse on mom again and are taking the bottle
pretty well. The mom has unfortunately all but dried up so she is only able
to feed one of the kittens I supplement the other two with KMR and Nutri-cal
and they are all gaining weight.

They just sent the second litter over last night (I work out of my home and
am available ever two hrs). They are all just mouth breathing and not
sneezing at all. One kitten from this litter had died before I got them and
a second died last night.

So to my question. Is there anything else I can be doing for them?

W

No rush now the 2nd litter didn't make it. They apparently all had pneumonia
when I got them and they just weren't strong enough to fight it off.

The weakest of the first litter had a set back yesterday. He had labored
breathing (ribs contract and belly swells on inhale) so I took him back to
the vet who told me he too has pneumonia. He told me we'd know if he was
going to make it in the next 24 hours. I'm running the humidifier at rain
forest level, keeping the kitten active, I've got him "nursing" on my finger
while I drop KMR onto it to get fluids into him without him raising his
head, am giving him globs of Nutri-cal and have been "tapping" on his back.
The "tapping" got something moving around in there and got him to cough (he
wasn't able to cough earlier). He seems to have perked up some since this
morning and was playing with his siblings after lunch. Crossing my fingers
that he gets over this hump.

I'll welcome any suggestions.

Wendy

"Debra Berry" wrote in message
...

Hello Wendy,

Sorry to hear about your kitties with URI. A friend of mine bottle
feeds kittens who are abandoned or mother can't take care of them.
She has had a lot of experience with kittens with URIs. I will forward
your note to her and see if she has some advice then I will post it
on the newsgroup.

Debbie Berry



Wendy wrote:

We're having a time of it with litters of kittens this spring. I just
got
the second litter last night that came down with URI. In both cases we
had
trapped the moms a few weeks before delivery and the kittens were born
inside where there were no other cats with URI and the mom and kittens
had
been isolated from the other cats. Just shy of two weeks after delivery
the
moms have been coming down with URI and of course passing it on to the
kittens. Both litters have been seen by the vet and sent home on
Clavamox
and Erythromycin (sp? and too tired to get up to check) ointment for the
eye
infections. The first litter was started on Terramycin but that made the
swelling worse so the vet switched them to the Erythromycin. I've been
giving them 1 cc KMR with Nurtri-cal with a syringe every 2 hours and
running a cool mist humidifier to try to keep the noses as open as
possible.
I have a humidistat in there so the room doesn't become a swamp and a
heating pad (under towels) where they can crawl on and off of it as
necessary.

I got the first litter 2 weeks ago and they seem to be doing ok. Didn't
lose
any of them but am concerned because 2 of the three still sound
congested
although they are trying to nurse on mom again and are taking the bottle
pretty well. The mom has unfortunately all but dried up so she is only
able
to feed one of the kittens I supplement the other two with KMR and
Nutri-cal
and they are all gaining weight.

They just sent the second litter over last night (I work out of my home
and
am available ever two hrs). They are all just mouth breathing and not
sneezing at all. One kitten from this litter had died before I got them
and
a second died last night.

So to my question. Is there anything else I can be doing for them?

W

Hi Wendy,

I'm so sorry to hear that some of the little ones didn't survive.
Working with young kittens is hard. So many things can go wrong.
My friend who bottle feeds is heartbroken when a kitten doesn't
make it, but I try to cheer her by reminding her of how many
she has saved that would have otherwise died.

She uses a nebulizer set up with a plastic box to help the kittens
breath. She uses medicine (probably a bronchial dialator like for
people with asthma) to assist. She recommends "Little Noses"
decongestant
(for children) to help clear kitten noses. A vet recommended it to her
and she has had good results. Just one drop to each nostril as often as
the directions recommend. It is hard for kittens to nurse if their
noses are stopped up because then they can't breath and eat at the same]
time.

She also uses "snuggle safes" for to keep the kittens warm:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...Np=1&N=0&Nty=1

I'll keep you and the kittens in my thoughts. I hope the others
survive and thrive.

Debbie Berry




Wendy wrote:

No rush now the 2nd litter didn't make it. They apparently all had pneumonia
when I got them and they just weren't strong enough to fight it off.

The weakest of the first litter had a set back yesterday. He had labored
breathing (ribs contract and belly swells on inhale) so I took him back to
the vet who told me he too has pneumonia. He told me we'd know if he was
going to make it in the next 24 hours. I'm running the humidifier at rain
forest level, keeping the kitten active, I've got him "nursing" on my finger
while I drop KMR onto it to get fluids into him without him raising his
head, am giving him globs of Nutri-cal and have been "tapping" on his back.
The "tapping" got something moving around in there and got him to cough (he
wasn't able to cough earlier). He seems to have perked up some since this
morning and was playing with his siblings after lunch. Crossing my fingers
that he gets over this hump.

I'll welcome any suggestions.

Wendy

"Debra Berry" wrote in message
...

Hello Wendy,

Sorry to hear about your kitties with URI. A friend of mine bottle
feeds kittens who are abandoned or mother can't take care of them.
She has had a lot of experience with kittens with URIs. I will forward
your note to her and see if she has some advice then I will post it
on the newsgroup.

Debbie Berry



Wendy wrote:

We're having a time of it with litters of kittens this spring. I just
got
the second litter last night that came down with URI. In both cases we
had
trapped the moms a few weeks before delivery and the kittens were born
inside where there were no other cats with URI and the mom and kittens
had
been isolated from the other cats. Just shy of two weeks after delivery
the
moms have been coming down with URI and of course passing it on to the
kittens. Both litters have been seen by the vet and sent home on
Clavamox
and Erythromycin (sp? and too tired to get up to check) ointment for the
eye
infections. The first litter was started on Terramycin but that made the
swelling worse so the vet switched them to the Erythromycin. I've been
giving them 1 cc KMR with Nurtri-cal with a syringe every 2 hours and
running a cool mist humidifier to try to keep the noses as open as
possible.
I have a humidistat in there so the room doesn't become a swamp and a
heating pad (under towels) where they can crawl on and off of it as
necessary.

I got the first litter 2 weeks ago and they seem to be doing ok. Didn't
lose
any of them but am concerned because 2 of the three still sound
congested
although they are trying to nurse on mom again and are taking the bottle
pretty well. The mom has unfortunately all but dried up so she is only
able
to feed one of the kittens I supplement the other two with KMR and
Nutri-cal
and they are all gaining weight.

They just sent the second litter over last night (I work out of my home
and
am available ever two hrs). They are all just mouth breathing and not
sneezing at all. One kitten from this litter had died before I got them
and
a second died last night.

So to my question. Is there anything else I can be doing for them?

W

hi I've lost 2 kittens and have one thats ill
hes just starting to sneeze. how much of this little noses do you give
them. I don't want to lose this guy too. my others were so sweet and so is
he. the vet tried but couldn't help
please let me know asap.