The "P" Litter

[carolkoh]

A litter of 5 sickly starving 5 - 6 week old kittens which were treated at the shelter, stabilized, then fostered out. I took 2 because - if sickly I could not handle more since I work full time out of the house. Then after a week and they went back for a vet check to see how they were doing and first vaccines, the vet was so impressed at the bouncing healthy kittens, but as the other 3 had tested positive for coccidia and giardia (very common infections in kittens) I received the same medication for the two.

A week of icky medicines down the throat. If you've never heard a kitten scream, give it Metrodinazole - the nastiest tasting meds. Then the foster coordinator asked me if I would take the other 3 as their foster was going out of town. "Oh, sure!" I said - they would be healthy by now. Not so. Especially not the little runt. Well, I have 15 years of experience fostering kittens and informed the vet that when sickly, starving kittens now get plenty of food, they can get bloated and diarrhea as they 1. do not have a Mamma to help them by washing them and stimulating their systems, and 2. overeat, and their little systems can't keep up.

So the human foster has to help them by cleaning their rears (and stimulating them to go) as well as well massaging their bellies. So! Another week passes and I bring the entire lot back in for vet check and vaccine boosters. The attending vet and techs get a lesson on kitten massage.


The first 2 - too young to get over the 2 foot walls of the pen - Paisley is the black, Pinkie the Tabby.


Phoenix


Paxton on the carpet, Preston (the runt) on the cat scratcher

 

[carolkoh]

These are photos of the kittens after I got them healthy and they had the run of the house. Prior to that, they were caged or penned. It took a couple days of massage for the badly bloated ones to empty their systems - it's amazing how much poo a tiny 20oz kitten can poo out. I still rub their bellies, and my adult cat Baer helps by washing them too. The runt (Preston) was so bloated and his belly so hard that the vet did an ultra-sound - and informed me that it was all food and handed me psyllium husk (basically Metamucil) for him - I told her that a good belly rub would do it. When I got him home, I cradled him in one arm and massaged his belly - he simply closed his eyes and purred. So blissed out - and he went. And went, and went.


Paisley


Preston - the little runt.


Paxton

Both Paisley and Preston are full Manx - no tail at all. Paxton has a stub, and both girls - Pinkie & Phoenix have full tails.