Newborn kitten abandoned by mother- HELP

Question
A stray cat had her babies under my backyard shed but sadly had a runt kitten and refused to feed it or give any attention to it. I couldn't let the poor thing cry to death so i took it in and ran over to the Humane Society Shelter with it where they provided me with kitten formula and feeding bottle, and kitten knowledge (I am clueless, i have never owned a cat before!# anyway, today is my second day with the kitten and after stimulating it so it can pee/poop i noticed she had red diarrhea, i don't want to think it is blood but I'm almost sure it is. It has a weird smell to it...#or maybe cat poop smells like that?# She moves fine, sleeps quietly, eats okish but when its time to stimulate her she cries like she is in pain. I put some Vaseline on her genetails because i figured it would get irritated with all the liquids coming out but she keeps having blood diarrhea. What should i do? Can i fix it? Should i be prepared for the worst?

Answer
Hi Krizel,

Kittens typically do cry when being stimulated, so she may not necessarily be in horrible pain. However, I'm sure the diarrhea is uncomfortable for her. If you're using anything but wet cotton balls, I would switch to these, as these are gentle.

Depending on how old she is, diarrhea can be caused by deformities, infections, worms, or simply the change to formula. Unfortunately, because you mention that it has a weird smell and that it looks bloody, feline distemper comes to mind. It's a highly fatal condition in kittens. But a vet would need to take a look and see. Early treatment affords the best chances of survival, and if she's still eating some, you are still in the window of opportunity. However, she needs to get to a vet today, even if it means visiting an emergency center.

There isn't much you can do to treat a newborn from home. Unfortunately, diarrhea can cause a quick downward spiral for them due to dehydration and hypoglycemia. And if it is blood, it will cause anemia, too.

Thank you for taking in the little one. I'm sorry you're having such a hard time!

Good luck,
Jessica