my poor kitten! i rescued him from starving to death but his stomach was really huge. he also had an upper respiratory infection and seemed really hungry, but didn't want to eat much. we found out he probably had roundworms so we got some medicine for that and he's also on medicine for the cold. he's got a much better appetite after the roundworm meds, but as far as i know he hasn't peed or pooped at all. his stomach is still rather swollen and his little butt is swollen too, like he really has to go. i've tried rubbing it with a warm cotton ball and all it seems to do for him is make him squirm away from me. do i need to do this constantly until i get something out of him? i really don't want to hurt him, but i'm scared about how long he can go without passing anything. help!
Answers:
You know, I want to answer your question, and I really do want to help. I actually have done volunteer work with some NYC cat rescue groups and cat sitting for rescued cats, done a lot of medicating animals and such like. I do know and can tell you that after a kitten this age eats, his midsection swells, because his body mass is so slight. The meal shows. The thing that baffles me is this thing about a "swollen butt". That's a new one. I've never seen it, and I can't imagine it. But tell me: when you are constipated, does your behind swell? I certainly hope not. So this one just baffles me.
By the time a kitten is four weeks old, it eliminates without stimulus from the mother's tongue, so the cotton ball-warm cloth maneuver won't help, and if he is squirming away from you, he is telling you just that.
Your starving kitten's swollen belly was almost certainly from the worms, and dead roundworms would absolutely NOT cause an intestinal blockage, so kind of ignore that response. But he has ingested a lot of novel stuff since he came into your care, and it is possible that he is constipated. That is not at all uncommon in kittens.
I have seen other people in petqna.com write in with constipated kittens, and they were told repeatedly and by many, to feed a teaspoon or so of canned pumpkin with the kitten's wet food. When my cat was a kitten and got constipated, I gave him an eyedropper full of mineral oil (I read about this in a cat care manual), which greased the skids and produced results in a short time. If you are worried, try both, as neither will harm your kitten in any way.
The important thing when you are dealing with a constipated kitten is the kitten's behavior. Is he still eating? Is he lively and playful? Or is he, as the ads say, sluggish? If he is lively and will eat, even if he is constipated, he is okay. Just dose him.
Finally, if he is taking antibiotics for his upper respiratory infection (which is a very, very common ailment in rescues), they could be part of your problem with elimination. Antibiotics kill the bad guys, but they also destroy beneficial bacteria -- called "probiotic" -- in the digestive tract. Get thee to the grocery store and buy some really good yogurt. Really good yogurt lists the various kinds of -- guess what? -- probiotic cultures: acidophilus, bifidus, etc. The more cultures that are listed, the better the yogurt. Buy a carton of plain yogurt, and get about a teaspoon a day into your little guy for the duration of his course of antibiotics, and then for a couple of days beyond.
I mean -- from starvation to good food. Then worming meds and antibiotics. He's a little less-than-a-pound wee creature. His gut has been dealing with a lot since he met you. But if he is lively and eating, he is fine.
If he is sluggish or sick acting, then you should weigh in with the vet. And if this "swollen butt" you talk about translates into a swollen anus -- provided it's not from you and your cotton ball -- then you definitely need to weigh in with the vet on this. He could maybe have an irritated anus from expelling the worming meds?
I don't know how much help Ihave been. But I hope there's something in this response you can use and that helps. Good luck!
I would try bathing him and keep rubbing his bum with a soft cloth until he goes. if that still does not work try feeding him water in between formula.
you need to take that kitten to the vet. you should have taken that kitten to the vet before getting meds for him. it sounds like he has malnutrition thats why he isn't eating, or he could have a tumor is his tummy...he really needs a vet.
to be honest the last time i saw a cat like that it was cancer.
Get him to a vet, the worms may be blocking his intestines. This could easily be a life or death situation.
you either must take him to the vet NOW or turn him into the animal shelter where he can get help from a vet NOW. Or you will be the reason he dies. get off the computer and go now
Please take him to the vet ASAP. I had the same problem with a kitten in the past. The fecal matter had hardened in her intestines and caused a blockage. Kittens can and do die from this, so don't wait until it is too late.
Use a warm washcloth and "lick" his bottom with it. A mother cat will lick his behind to get him to go. So, pretend your hand with the washcloth is a momma cat's tongue. You don't need to be too gentle. Also, the washcloth will feel more like a cat's tongue. The cotton ball probably just tickles. If he's not going, you may need to take him to the vet and tell them you found it. If you are willing to do the care and everything, they may be willing to work with you on a price.
wow, the poor guy is in obvious pain, instead of asking ?'s on the net %26 self diagnosing him, TAKE HIM TO A VET. you should have done this when you first found him to begin with. it's not that hard to figure out.
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