Calli, had 4 beautiful kittens a little over a month ago. 3 are very healthy babies but the runt is very small and not gaining weight. I have been hand feeding him and having Calli nurse him seperately. His tummy is swollen and he has pooped in a few days. The night before last he did poop a little hard ball but nothing since, I have been trying to give him alot of water since, I think he is constipated and dont know what to give him.
Veteran Advisor Angela Spar says:
March 26th, 2008 at 12:48 PM
Sorry to hear of his problem, however this can be a common problem with thesse hand reared ones.
Are you still having to stimulate him to go to the bathroom by wiping his back end with a damp cloth? If you haven't tried this then it might be worth doing. Sometimes using a rectal thermometer as if you were checking his temp can also stimulate them to go ( don't insert it far, just the very tip). One of my receptionists rears a lot of our kitten that get dumped with us and she will often add extra water to the formula to try and get the stool a little softer ( don't add too much or he won't be getting enough nutrition). Have you started to offer real kitten food yet, Sometimes a little canned kitten food can also help things along.
If he really isn't pooping anything then he may need to be checked over by your vet who may even need to give him an enema to get things moving properly.
good luck
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Brenda says:
March 26th, 2008 at 01:33 PM
I am still stimulating him to go to the bathroom. I will try some canned food. Someone has suggest olive oil. I have added water to the formula the past couple of days, I think it may be too rich for his system. He is nursing also. Thank you for your help.
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