7-8 week old kitten not eating for 3 days! Going on day 4...?

If it was pancreatitis, pancreatic enzymes in her blood chemistry would have been abnormal and very high. She sounds like a kitten with a URI, reduced hunger, lethargy, etc. She may not be emiting discharge from eyes or nose and she may not be sneezing, she definitely has something going on. Fishy canned cat food, warmed for 8 seconds, shredded chicken, and stage 1 meat only baby food, also slightly warmed for 8 seconds, are all options for anorexic cats.

Did she get subcutaneous fluid boluses, multiple small pockets of LRS, under her skin, before they sent her home? Ensure you keep her warm, as not eating and losing weight tends to lead to them being hypothermic.

Tempt her to eat. At this point, it's not you unnecessarily fussing. It's saving your kitten's life, and some respond to stimulation to feed. And where there's 1 flea, there's eggs and larva already laid and waiting to mature, as well as more adult fleas. Check your other cat closely and treat her. The kitten isn't strong enough right now for topical flea treatment, such as Revolution, but when she feels better this should be started. If they gave her multiple medicines (dewormer, mite treatment, flea prevention, etc) while she's been doing so poorly, this was poor judgment on their part, and seeking another doctor is recommended.

Another professional evaluation, especially listening to her lungs and examining her eyes, ears, and nose, checking for a respiratory infection. Having parasites can make them feel puny, but an anorexic, unwell kitten should not get ivermectin for ear mites, or any other meds, until their health is improved. Look for a hospital with multiple, descriptive positive feedback's on your local consumer reporting website, such as citysearch, yelp, community forum or others.

I'm sorry but I'd find another Vet. X-rays? Maybe the kitten has something internal that needs an x-ray. We brought a one year old home from a shelter. We had an existing neutered male cat about 2 yrs old. The new cat was fine, then after about 2 days she was having trouble swallowing, eyes were all runny, fluids coming out her nose. To our Vet we went. When she couldn't find a source, she took x-rays. Yes it cost money but that's part of the deal with pets.

Our other cat.....was taking this younger cat by the throat and not in a nice way, clutching, holding - like a death grip. He was doing this when we weren't in eye view. The vet could see a real small fracture to the younger cats windpipe. Sometimes the first cat doesn't like the competition.

We thought Josey was going to die but we kept forcing the medicine down, kept her food extremely wet and soft and fed small amounts, many times a day so the throat wouldn't have to work hard. WE KEPT THE TWO CATS SEPARATED. It took 2 weeks, then with repeat trips to the Vet, she was healing. Now, Josey is strong enough to stand her ground. The other cat doesn't mess with her anymore.

I'd make sure there isn't a blockage somewhere, or that something's wrong that an x-ray would pick up.

I only feed wet/canned food to kittens with a small amount of dry as an occasional treat. I mix a bit of KMR into the wet food until the kittens are 12 weeks. I would just keep trying with the wet food, but I'm surprised the vet didn't suggest bottle feeding with KMR. When one of my current fosters (on meds for a URI) stopped eating and lost 2 ounces, I bottle fed her every 3 hours for two days and she bounced right back. If you can't get your baby to eat in the next few hours, I'd take her to a DIFFERENT vet. Good luck!

Kitten Not Eating

You said that the vet said your cat wouldn't be alive if what you're saying is true. I agree with the vet. At the very least, it wouldn't be moving at all and would probably have had a bunch of seizures already.

Stop switching the food so much, since that can stress her out. Just give her what she's used to and don't make a big fuss over it. (Try to keep your other cat seperate from that food dish so it doesn't eat the kitten's food.)

ty tuna fish he kitten to a veterinarian to make sure no medical intervention is needed. Whether the baby kitten was abandoned, or the mother died, it is imperative that you get the kitten to a doctor so that it can be examined for problems such as dehydration. If the veterinarian approves, take the kitten home.

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Set up a bed for the kitten using a cardboard box, old towels and a heating pad. Wrap the heating pad in a towel or two and place it in the bottom of a cardboard box. Bunch up another towel or rag, and place it in a corner for a bed. You may also want to consider putting a stuffed animal in the box for the kitten to cuddle with, as they are used to being close to other kittens or their mother. Place the heating pad on low, as newborn kittens are not able to regulate their temperature until around 8 weeks of age.

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Feed the baby kitten using a small bottle designed to feed orphaned kittens, and some kitten formula or replacement milk. These can be found at any pet store and also at stores like Wal-Mart. Sterilize the bottle, and then fill it with the replacement milk. The instructions on the back of the can will tell you how much to feed a kitten of a certain age, and no mixing or adding of water is needed. If the kitten refuses to drink out of the bottle, you can use an eye dropper to slowly drip the milk into the kitten's mouth.

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Stimulate the kitten so that it urinates and defecates. To do this, you will need to wet a washcloth or soft towels with warm water, and slowly stroke it over the genital and anal areas of the kitten. After a few strokes the kitten should have defecated. It may take a few feedings to notice any urination. You are stimulating the kitten to substitute the mother kitten's act of licking these areas with her rough tongue. If you do not perform this act after each meal, the kitten will not be able to excrete. You can stop this process once you notice the kitten using the restroom by itself.

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Show the kitten plenty of love and affection. Kittens normally interact several times a say with their mother and siblings, and you will have to take the place of them. Let the kitten sleep on your lap, or gently pet it. Be careful not to over stimulate the kitten though, and let him sleep in the heated cardboard box as often as he needs.

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Wash the kitten with a damp warm washcloth. Gently stroke the kitten over its back and neck with the washcloth. This will teach the kitten the art of licking and cleaning itself. This is another job that is normally done by the mother cat, which now must be done by you to teach the kitten the essential skills.

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Give the kitten a bath in dawn dish soap or other mild soap if needed. Sometimes the kitten will become dirty, and a bath will be necessary. Do not over wash however, and do not use harsh flea soaps at this early stage in life.

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Start introducing solid foods to the kitten at 6 weeks of age. Begin by soaking some dry kitten food in the replacement milk or formula until it softens. Place the softened food into a shallow bowl, and offer it to the kitten. You may need to do this several times before the kitten gets the hang of eating on its own. You can then gradually feed just dry food once the kitten is old enough to chew the food. You can also start introducing plain water in a shallow dish at this time.

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Start to litter train the kitten at 8 weeks of age. Place the kitten into the litter box filled with litter after every meal, and whenever you notice it trying to eliminate in its box or around the home. Litter training should be a fairly quick process, as it is a natural instinct for most cats.

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Take your kitten into the veterinarian at the age of 8 weeks so that it can receive another check up and its first shots. Follow any additional instructions given by the doctor. At this point your kitten should be thriving on its own, and your work as a mother