Sick Kitten

Question
QUESTION: I have a 2 month old kitten, she has been sleeping all the time for the last 5 days i have to wake her up to get water and food she wont eat much and she wont drink much when and if she does eat or drink, she hardly goes potty at all i think she is constipated and lethargic but i am not one to diagnose her i am scared i am going to lose her she used to be so playful and she wont play anymore please help me and get me some answers on what i need to do she needs to see the vet i think but i don't have the money to get her in till the end of the week what can i do for the time being till the end of the week i want my baby kitty back please help??? thank you so much..

ANSWER: HI Michelle,
It is quite frightening to see a little kitten this sick, and for good reason.
Little kittens don't have a lot of reserve to manage them through a serious illness. They really need supportive care to make it through, such as fluids, antibiotics etc. Her lack of output in the little box is a reflection of what is going into her mouth. Little food/water = little urine/stool.

You really need to get her into the vets on Monday if she is going to get well. In the meantime, get some Pedialyte in bottles and get an eyedropper or a syringe and start slowly giving her this by mouth every fifteen minutes.
Make sure it's at room temperature or slightly warm, but not cold.

You must get these fluids into her. They have electrolytes in them that she desperately needs right now, no matter what it is that is wrong with her.

Just put the syringe/eyedropper into the corner of her mouth and tilt her head back a little and then squeeze the bulb or push the plunger of the syringe in slowly. If her head is tilted back she "has" to swallow. It's a reflex. If you get about 1/4 cup of this into her over the course of a day that would be great. A little more even better.
But you need to start right away! Then call your vet and tell them it's an emergency that needs to be seen right away Monday morning. Be pushy if you have to but polite.

Get the Pedialyte at CVS or Walgreens or any pharmacy. Ask them if you cannot find it.

I wish you and your kitty well and please let me know what happens.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Well took the kitten to the vet today, she has distemper but it hasn't got to her Central Nervous System yet so she should make it. They said she has a fever of 105.2 and gave her a shot for it. Is there anyway else I can help get the fever down I just checked her temp again and it went up to 105.5. She also ate some chicken baby food what else can I do for her to get the fever down sooner.? Thanks again for your time.

Answer
Oh Gosh Michelle I am so sorry. Well if she isn't shaking or twitching that is a good sign.
What did the vet tell you to do for her fever or for her in general?

You cannot give her anything for the fever- almost all painkillers are toxic to kittens and cats.
So unless they gave you something for her don't give her any thing else.
I would continue to give her the Pedialyte. And get her to eat as often as you can. She is going to need her strength to get through this.

If her fever continues to spike call the vet and ask them about giving her tiny pieces of baby aspirin for the fever. Since distemper is a virus, it may have no effect and could cause other issues, so please call them first!

I really hope she pulls through this Michelle. Please let me know how she does.