Along for the ride:

Saturday, July 10, 2010

The odds are against us



Sparkler is a ten day old, female kitten with an upper respiratory infection. She was found in a dry-grass area between some houses and some shops. The kids who found her brought her home to their Mum, whilst I was visiting, and we tried to find a solution together.
Animal Control and The Humane Society said that if we brought her in she would be euthanized as they don't have the resources to bottle feed a baby every few hours. The No-Kill animal shelters and organizations are overwhelmed, full to the brim, and the specialized kitten fostering and placement people can't take her in case she gives her sniffles to all the others.
My friend's children had quickly lost interest and she couldn't face the added burden of sleepless nights. My budget can't stretch to vet care for random foundlings.
J. took the kitten to the emergency vet for hydration, antibiotics and advice and then dropped her off with me in the hopes we can get her through the next ten days, at which time she has a reservation with a cat-wrangling professional who will launch her on her way to a loving forever home.
There is a cardboard box next to our bed with a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel and a sheepskin remnant to emulate Sparkler's absent family. Sparkler (a name related to the July holiday celebrations of her birth month and, hopefully, a good omen for her personality-to-be) has crusty eyes,  which I have been bathing clean and to which I have been applying ointment. Her poor nose is blocked which makes it hard for her to eat and sleep. She has not been participating voluntarily in the bottle feeding process. I woke her up twice during the night to feed but you could measure her intake in dew drops.
I hoped that the fluids she got from the vet would pull her through the night but I was still happily surprised to see her continued breathing as dawn broke this morning.
We've made it through the day so far. Our biggest achievement was having her latch onto the nipple for a few gulps of her milk. I have dosed her with her antibiotics again this evening and am putting my faith in their healing power. To be continued...

25 comments:

  1. Best of luck. We'll be hoping for a happy outcome.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hope she pulls through, I'm optimistic, she has the best of carers. I had a kitten with bad cat flu ( albeit a little older) and he pulled through with lots of TLC. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Am wishing that little kitty all the strength in the world to pull through... good on you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. But they are stacked in her favor with a name like that!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh my gosh, you are awesome. If that kitten is going to make it, the little cutie is in the right place to increase the chances.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sparkles (slight name adaptation) made it through another night. I have sleep deprivation headache and cancelled horse ride. What else is new? It's a question of priorities.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good news that she made another night, I'm willing her to make it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Each day is a huge step for her. I am sending
    best wishes and good vibes for the little tyke--and even better wishes along with thanks to you for all your generous efforts and determination to help her. You are her angel...

    ReplyDelete
  9. You are an angel in disguise... I'm sure of it now...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bless little Sparkles in her recovery and bless you for once again extending help to an animal in need.

    Her picture got my attention this evening, as we have just returned from our veterinarian's clinic where we took old Pilgrim, a stray cat who has been family for ten years now, for emergency care. In the last two days his eyes began oozing and he rapidly declined to where I was sure he was dying late this afternoon. The kind vet met us 1/2 hour after my call, and in the examination discovered a 106.7 temperature, the highest he'd ever seen. Pilgrim has both viral and secondary infectious respiratory issues. He had two huge vials of subcutaneous fluid and then the vet, my husband, and I all gave him a slow, cold bath to further cool him. He is spending the night in their quarantine kennel and I'll know more tomorrow. The vet said he is "not out of the woods yet," but he felt we had given him a chance to pull through this.

    May little Sparkles live as long a life as Pilgrim and certainly with as much love.

    Thank you for all you do.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You must have a target on your back, ER. Of the nicest kind.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for all the good wishes. Sparkles is coming to work with me this morning. She is learning to feed from the bottle, although the nose is still a bit wheezy and blocked. We've changed antibiotics to one that doesn't suppress her appetite (what were they thinking)?
    Our big success is that she is now urinating a tiny cotton-ball full after feeding so her hydration level is obviously improved. Kittens this young don't know how to pee and must be stimulated by Momma-cat, or me. I was worried when we had no results for the first 24 hours.

    Lydia, Pilgrim has another 10 years in him, I hope. Let us know.

    ReplyDelete
  13. With that look of somewhat groggy determination she's bound to survive . Good luck !

    ReplyDelete
  14. You are the kindest soul!
    Poor Kitty, if anyone can pull her through, you can.
    Good luck, both of you.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Vet called to let me know that Pilgrim made it through the night and his temp is now 103. I opted to leave him there today and tonight for them to administer meds and to keep the quarantine thing going a bit longer.

    So, how big a hit is Sparkles at work? A big hit I bet! I did not know that about the mother cat having to stimulate the kittens to pee. There were lots of litters of kittens in my childhood but this was news to me and it makes sense, given the kind of "grooming" you witness. I'm keeping good thoughts for you and Sparkles to work this out together. So precious of you.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Smit&son, well described.

    Friko, I am feeling positive.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Lydia, Good news regarding Pilgrim. They can bounce back quickly with the right care. Sparkles is really getting the hang of bottle feeding now that she is having less difficulty breathing. Her tummy is as round as a tennis ball. If she doesn't pee soon she'll surely pop!

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a sweetie! hope she is doing well. Has she peed yet? I'm wondering if she needs 'stimulating' to do so? I rescued a baby mouse from certain death and had to rub its bottom with a damp Q tip to simulate what its mom would do - worked great though!! Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Joanna, thanks for asking:) It is amazing the feeling of achievement you can get seeing a damp cotton ball turn yellow. The routine is kicking in now that she is no longer dehydrated. She's getting to be a pro at this!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Sometimes love is all it takes, knowing that someone cares can work wonders, trust me, I've seen it often in my days as a volunteer at the vet's surgery

    ReplyDelete
  21. J. Love combined with antibiotics and not giving up. Little Sparkles will soon need a deeper box to keep her in check. She is more and more lively and demanding by the minute.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I hope that sparkles pulls through. so much of medicine is still about the care and it's important to remember this.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Pixie, First poopie was this morning's big prize. So small I almost missed it, but a sure sign that things are working.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Please be sure to ask for preventative treatment for coccidia - there is a "new" drug that is a lifesaver with small kittens: Sheltermedicine.com: we recommend giving Ponazuril (Marquis Paste) to all puppies and kittens starting at 2-3 weeks of age, repeated in 7-14 days, and then as needed based on clinical signs/ fecal exams.

    I've used it extensively and compared to Albon, it's almost instant and works 98% of the time. Saved hundreds of our foster kittens. Most vets don't know about it yet. And the chances are very high your kitten has coccidia.

    Best

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi Diana, thanks for the tip. I visited your site and wanted to comment but the word verification is very tricky so I gave up.

    ReplyDelete