Kitten refusing to eat

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Nora602
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Kitten refusing to eat

Post by Nora602 »

We took in a kitten presumably from a stray litter which we named Nora. We were told she was 10 weeks old but she is awfully tiny. She does have her molars, uses the litter box, has green eyes and weights just under 2lbs, 31oz to be exact. This seems more in line with 7-8 weeks but I have never owned a kitten before. Open to opinions on age.

Nora was wormed with 1 dose of panacur the day I picked her up and I was told they did not know of her previously being wormed and that she had diarhea most likely due to worms or change in diet. Kitten was lethargic for 24hrs, not eating or drinking. I chalked it up to a new environment but then she explosively defecated on me a milky white fluid and off to the vet we went.

She tested negative for Fiv and FeLV. Fecal tested negative for worms and parasites. She was given subq fluids and a shot to help her stomach. I was sent home with prescription hills food which she threw up both times I fed to her. She did start drinking water the following day but still will not touch food and has diarhea.

I have been feeding her instinct kitten wet food which she hasn't vomited and picked up KMR 2nd step yesterday. I am feeding her 3-4 times per day and leaving some wet food right before I go to bed. Any food I put out is untouched by her. I know this by visually inspecting and because I have a camera on her.

So basically I am shoving a teaspoon of wet food and 1 teaspoon of KMR 2nd step with a syringe down her throat 3-4 times a day. I don't know what to do next?

She isn't very playful or energetic but she does purr for me and will follow me around when out of her crate, is using the litter box and seems to like to explore.

I have read to try different foods but there doesn't seem to be a good variety for wet kitten food. I will add we did try blended chicken as well.
marigold575
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Re: Kitten refusing to eat

Post by marigold575 »

Hello

I think if it were my little one I would want to get back to the vets; kittens can go from normal to very not well in a short space of time.

I hope you get answers for the kitten.
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Mollycat
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Re: Kitten refusing to eat

Post by Mollycat »

I second a call to the vet. A tiny little thing like that will dehydrate extremely fast to a dangerous condition. It's not only a matter of getting her to eat, the vet can also give appetite stimulants and something to help stop the squits, as well as fluids full of vitamins and minerals to make sure she has the nutrients she's been missing, which in turn can stop the squits.

Have you tried letting the kitten lick food off your fingers?

For age, we used to home kittens at 6-8 weeks years ago and mother litter trains them long before that, so that doesn't tell you anything much. I very much doubt what you're seeing is molars as they don't come up until all adult teeth are out and at age of around 6 months. Milk premolars come at 6 weeks and are replaced by the permanent teeth at around 5-6 months, but milk incisors are replaced at around 14 weeks. So unless your kitten has adult incisors (the six at the front between the canines) teeth can't give you anything more precise than between 6 weeks and 3 and a half months I'm afraid!
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