feral 5 week old kitten sick

Question
So i guess I just need advice and i have a couple of questions. So about 4 days ago i rescued a homeless kitten. I noticed she had some worms so i took her to the vet. I also told them that she hadnt gone number two yet since I had her. after examining her the doctor told me she had tape worms which they gave her a shot for and also that she was extremely dehydrated and anemic. I had felt lumps in her belly and that was I guess hard poop. So they stuck a thermometer up her but and she went. Well ive had her for about 2 days since but today she started acting really weird. like breathing fast, seemed kind of twiekish then i layed her down and got her all comfy and she started breathing really fast and twitching her mouth and eyes. I thought she was about to die. I have been feeding her every3 to 4 hours of wet food and i pourr like 3 table spoons of water over it so she gets that in. I also have been giving her 1 table spoon of milk 3 times a day, and she also get.3ml of amoxicilin twice a day. anyways I still feel the lumps in her belly and I dont know how to help her. Yesterday I did the thermometer thing and she went but today i tried after she was being weird and nothing. Just wondering When do you think the lumps will go away and how much can of wet food i should be feeding her in one sittign and how often. I kow she is 5 weeks old and weighs less than 2 pounds

Answer
Hi Cassandra,

Unfortunately, there are a lot of variables in your situation, so I can't give you many solid answers. The lumps in the kitten's belly may be normal. There are lots or organs that you may be feeling that would be normal to feel. It's also normal to feel some stool if the kitten is eating regularly. If the kitten has moved her bowels each day, chances are she is probably no longer constipated. I would try to stimulate her with warm, moist cotton balls for several minutes and not resort to the thermometer trick unless she has not gone for two days. Most kittens go once a day, but some only go every other day without a problem, and there is a risk of intestinal perforation if the thermometer goes in too far. If the lumps are swollen glands, they should start to go down in several days, as the antibiotic clears any infection present.

As for how much you should feed, this will depend on the kind of food you're feeding. Different brands provide different densities of nutrition. I'm also not sure which size can you're using. But there should be a feeding guide on the can. This guide will give you a rough idea of what the kitten needs by weight, but remember that babies may need double or even triple what an adult cat does for her weight. Sometimes a growing 4-lb kitten will require the same amount that an 8-pound cat needs to maintain its weight.