r/fosterkittens • u/babybitchboognish • 3d ago
Backyard kittens not gaining weight
So two weeks ago I found 4 kittens in my backyard. I snatched them in hopes they'd have a better life than being feral like their mother (I've been trying to catch her since February)
I've had them on the goats milk kitten milk replacement and now shifted to the KMR milk and baby pate mix (they are finally learning how to eat from a dish and pooping on their own (that was a rough week of helping them poop)
No one has diarrhea, pumpkin puree and the vet hospital gave me antibiotics and prebiotics
They are happy and lively and playful. BUT THEY ARENT GAINING WEIGHT!
I read that deworming them could be the solution but I also did heavy research on that whole topic and only a vet can give them dewormer because they are so small?
Any suggestions for food? High calorie gel? Am I adding too much water to their bottle? (They haven't figured out a water bowl yet)
I really want them to be healthy and get bigger. Should I do smaller meals and more frequently? HELP!
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u/West-Ideal6794 3d ago
Definitely give them as much as they will eat! Liquid kmr seems to be their favorite most of my kittens don’t love the powder version. I like to put the pate in the middle and pour the formula all around it I love the slurping they do!
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u/babybitchboognish 3d ago
So it says their bellys can only hold a certain ml amount (reading from bottle feeding)
So with the wet food just let them go to town as long and no measurements? I was thinking if feeding them solo instead of the chaos rush of everyone scarfing lol
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u/West-Ideal6794 3d ago
I use cardboard little cartons for feeding and I make them all at once and then each kitten gets one. I do not measure - I do like a can of wet food in each one and then fill it up with formula enough for it to be like a slurry. They will quit eating if they get too full.
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u/babybitchboognish 3d ago
If they are under weight should I do feedings every 4 hours instead of 5? Also I read they can go all night without food is that maybe my issue? I just stopped my 4am or 5am feeding. Instead it's been 7:30am 12:30 5:30pm 10:30pm. I've been sleep deprived so I just started all day feedings.
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u/West-Ideal6794 2d ago
I would let them be at night with kids dry food - feed them first thing in morning and then middle
Of day and evening and leave crunchies all the time. If you let them eat all they want, 3 -4 feedings is good! I wouldn’t worry about the worms so much right now ( all kitties have them) and just give them more food first and see if they start gaining weight :)1
u/babybitchboognish 2d ago
I can technically start giving them kibble? I read to wait
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u/West-Ideal6794 2d ago
I always leave a bowl of kitten dry food out - they usually don’t eat it but some will!
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u/ktalaska 1h ago
It's fine to offer a kitten kibble starting around 4-5 weeks, but also give them a shallow bowl of water with it.
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u/babybitchboognish 1d ago
Update: we spent the night last night at the emergency vet and then this morning at a regular vet. Kittens have been experiencing diarrhea and I e was vomiting. It's been a rough 16 hours for me. I got like 3 hours of sleep after setting alarms every 2 hours to check on everyone. Emergency vet only did tests and no hydration under skin. This morning I finally got more information. They also suggested a certain food. Hills prescription gastro biome. 3 bucks a can dear lord. I still have puking cats. Any suggestions? I'm doing 4.5 hour feeding I try to do every 4 but it's hard when I'm leaving work on my lunch break to feed
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u/More-Opposite1758 3d ago edited 3d ago
Are you weighing them in grams? They should gain approximately 10 grams per day. If you are weighing in ounces you could miss daily weight gain. Kitten food is best because it has more fat, protein and nutrients.
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u/babybitchboognish 3d ago
They haven't gained anything in 5 days. Staying the same weight since I switched them to gruel and bottle.
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u/babybitchboognish 3d ago
Oh yes sorry using a scale and in grams. They are all under 400 grams. But they were heavier a week ago
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u/More-Opposite1758 3d ago
They probably need deworming or you aren’t feeding them enough. Kittens burn tons of calories.
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u/babybitchboognish 3d ago
I'm gonna call to get an appointment for deworming. It's the one variable in this equation that may be the culprit.
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u/dramamime123 3d ago
You can order dewormer online. Don’t need an apt. Save that for their first vaccine apt (FVRCP). Are you working with a rescue for placement?
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u/AckCK2020 3d ago
I suggest that you first call the vet and let them tell you whether the symptoms require that they be tested for worms or dewormed. You can also take photos and email them to the vet. They might be able to tell you something from the photos. Ask about weight gain and ask about recommended food. The office should not charge for this, although medication would be a separate expense.
If all is clear medically, generally kittens need as much food as they will eat. When they can chew dry food, free feed them with high protein high quality dry labeled for kittens. Dry has the most protein and calories. I don’t know the age at which you can start feeding them dry, but all of my kittens have been 4 months upon adoption. They all easily ate dry food. Of course, canned kitten food can be added. At about one year, transition them to 100% wet food.
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u/babybitchboognish 1d ago
I have not been told to add dry kibble to the diet. Only gruel... I do have dry kitten kibble.
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u/AckCK2020 1d ago
That’s why I indicated that I didn’t know the age at which they can be given dry. They may be too young. I know that it is recommended for a 4 month old kitten.
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u/Tattooed_Everything9 3d ago
Revolution has a roundworm treatment for kittens like 1-1/2 pounds. Back of the neck. Works in24 hours. My kittens became less ravenous yet gained weight. Slowly. Feed them as much high quality food as you can. And I got mine on water fountains immediately to encourage drinking.
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u/babybitchboognish 1d ago
I ended up buying what kitty lady said to buy and they are on 3 days of panacur.
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u/ThreeDogsEightCats 2d ago
If they're losing weight (or even if they're just staying the same), something is wrong. The fact that they're eating is a good sign, but - if parasites are the issue, which is the most likely case - things can go from fine to dire overnight.
Definitely deworm them with a five-day course of BOTH Panacur AND Ponazuril. Panacur treats a bunch of different parasites. Ponazuril treats only coccidia, which can be deadly if not caught early. Trust me - administer both for five days and then repeat two weeks later.
Panacur can be over the counter. Ponazuril has to be gotten through a vet, but Toltrazuril (which is essentially the same thing as Ponazuril) can be bought over-the-counter on Amazon.
Don't wait to deworm these babies! It could literally save their lives. Other than that, I'd just recommend following the advice of the Kitten Lady on Youtube. She's amazing.
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u/Agent-Vigilence 3d ago
Yes, definitely doing a parasite treatment would be great. The kitten lady on youtube shares what she does, but she states to check with the vet, and get dosage instructions from them.
Also, they limit themselves if they are eating out of a bowl, so I wouldn't be too worried about controlling portions, filling it up to the top is recommend.