I have a tiny sickly kitten. What are her chances?

Question

I found a teeny abandoned kitten abandoned near the road, I thought about 10 days old, and she was screaming quite loudly. I picked her up and she had a few ants on her and was COVERED in fly eggs. I took her home, got the bugs off of her with Dawn and a toothbrush (very gently), and warmed her up as she seemed clammy. When she was warmed up, I gave her some kitten formula, and took her to the vet.

She weighed in at 3 1/2 ounces, and the vet thought she was 3 WEEKS old. She had fleas, all kinds of worms, and neurological symptoms that were from coccidia that spread to her spinal cord.

She is being treated for everything now, but I'm so scared I'll find her dead when I go to feed her at some point. Please honestly tell me what you think her chances are to survive this??

Creaturenurse · Accepted Answer

The chances are better since she's under a vet's care, but Coccidia can kill puppies and kittens especially when malnourished because it causes severe dehydration. The treatment for Coccidia used to be Albon for 10 days, but at my clinic we now use Marquis paste and have had much better results. I don't know if your vet carries this, but you might ask because it only requires 2 doses (1 the first day, and 1 the 2nd day) to kill the Coccidia parasite. Because she is so small, dosing may be difficult but we've used it successfully on that size kitten. She needs to be kept hydrated constantly, we give small amounts of prescription fluids injected under the skin because even if she is vomiting or having diarrhea they will work their way into her system, whereas oral fluids may not be kept down long enough to work. Kittens/puppies cannot retain their body heat for the 1st 5-wks of age, so it is imperative that she be kept on a heating pad set on low to keep her body temp regulated. And as far as getting her nutrition, the best way right now may be to pass a tiny tube into her stomach where kitten formula can be injected thru the tube to ensure she is getting enough nutrients. If she is over 3 weeks her chances of survival are pretty good if all of the treatments mentioned are being done. The best way to determine age is the eyes and teeth, the eyes begin to open at 10 days of age, and they begin cutting their teeth at 3-4 weeks of age. Good luck to you and bless you for taking in this helpless kitten.

Lady Lavinia · Answer

Just know that you are doing the absolute best you can for that tiny life. I'll keep her and you in my thoughts. Best of luck to you and your furbaby.

reluctantlyhuman · Answer

It sounds like you're doing everything you can for her- whether she makes it or not, you've given her the best chance.  And if she doesn't, then at least she experienced very loving care before.

Audrey · Answer

hopefully she'll get better eventually, but if she doesn't, or it gets worse, it might be better for that little kitten to die -she wouldn't be in pain, and she'd be in a better place :) -but i really hope that she does recover and get to better health. i love kittens. good luck :)

Anonymous · Answer

Well, there's no way to 100% tell but if she is being treated then I think there is a good chance of living. As long as you keep feeding her properly, get her checked on regularly and obviously take care of her she will start to grow up into a stong, healthy kitten. 
I really hope she stays okay, don't worry too much about it because she should be okay. If you are still very concerned visit a vet again and ask them to let you know how her health, weight, living chances etc... are?
Good Luck and i really hope she is okay :)

Trending News

I have a tiny sickly kitten. What are her chances?

5 Answers