Sick Kittens in SC- Updated...In tears as I write

[rooster0209]

OMG, they are adorable.

Sometimes kittens just get that eye infection. It doesnt take alot to cure it up either and its inexpensive. Clean their eyes with a warm damp wash cloth and get some Terramycin ointment (no rx necessary for it either) to put in their eyes (I read where you are getting some eye ointment) 4 times a day to start with. You can also give them shots of long acting penicillian (the same you give cows will be ok..if you have it on hand) about 1/4cc every 2-3 days will clear up the respitory infection.

If you do have cows, you can also give the kittens the same milk replacer that you would give a calf (medicated or not doesnt make a difference) I have given this to the last litter of kittens a cat had via c-section. They all turned out just fine and healthy!

Good luck with the kittens. That box looks like a good, warm spot for them.

 

[rroven]

Gee, I wish I had cows....would love a full scale farm but only sitting on an acre and a half...

.... hubby is bringing home penicillian from the feed and seed as well as some eye drops. Have been cleaning their eyes about 5 times a day and putting in Bactracin...one actually seems to be getting better already...it's eyes are not matted up today. Do you think the penicillian will help with the eye prob too?

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[rroven]

oh....mom is still taking care of feedings and she's the one drinking the milk and eating the food...she is probably half starved....lots of competition for food out there.

 

[rooster0209]

the penicillian sure cant hurt the eye infection.

Good luck!

 

[rroven]

These eye infections are terrible....one kitten is definitely clearing up in the eyes and has no noticable respritory probs, 3 still have bad eye infections and 2 of them have chest probs. All got shots of penicillin yesterday and the 2 that are are chesty got shots again today. None of them like getting their eyes cleaned nor do they like it when we put in the bactracin. We have to wrap them in a towel or run the risk of getting scratched up. So keep your fingers crossed none of them end up blind....

 

[rooster0209]

Yea for the kitties and Yea for you for taking care of them so well.

I have all fingers and paws crossed for a full recovery!

 

[Southern28Chick]

The kittens have conjunctivitis brought on by an upper respiratory infection. Hopefully it's just the infection and not the cat "herpes" which is uncurable and will stay with them for life, causing an infection to form at any given time. Having cat herpes does not mean they'll be sickly their whole lives. The mother could have passed on the herpes to the kittens or they just have a one time infection with is very common in stray and feral kittens. The vet can prescribe an eye cream or gel and antibiotics for the infection. I wouldn't inject the kittens with antibiotics, I would first take them to the vet.

One of my cats has the herpes virus. She only has one eye as a result of a serious ulcer that formed and ruptured causing us to have it removed. Even though she does have the herpes virus she does not suffer from infections her whole life. She is abut 5 years old and has only had 3-4 outbreaks of sickness that didn't last but a couple of days each.

You can not cure this on your own. Please take them to the vet. If you take all of them at the same time the vet should only charge you as if you were taking in only one of them. Momma cat probably should go too.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

You can not cure this on your own. Please take them to the vet. If you take all of them at the same time the vet should only charge you as if you were taking in only one of them. Momma cat probably should go too.

I would take her and her kittens to the vet, if you can not afford it, I dont know what your situation is, I would take them to a cat rescue, where they can get the proper medical treatment, without it, I think the kittens will die. If you explain to the vet, that they are stray cats, they might only charge you half of the vet visit, or less.​

 

[rroven]

We went out this morning to get the kittens to clean up their eyes but there were no kittens to be found. We thought maybe Momma cat had tucked them away under the house and they would show up in the own good time. Hubby wanted a quick stroll through the garden before going to work and just past the garage we found Momma cat dead.
We found dog tracks in the yard......our gate is normally kept open for convenience but it will be closed at night from now on. I am so sad...I am hoping the babies will appear later on but I am not holding out much hope.

Thanks for all the advice everyone, I appreciated it so very much.

 

[jjthink]

This is so heartbreaking. The poor mom probably put herself between the dog and her babies - what a terrible tragedy.
JJ