Is my bottle baby kitten aspirating? Signs, treatment, and survival.

Hi, I'm sorry to tell you bad news but if the kitten aspirated milk, it will likely die. It is very easy for kittens to aspirate at this age and usually results in death. Sometimes early intervention with antibiotics can save them. Likely, he will die in his sleep tonight. If he makes it to morning, you might want to consider euthanasia. On a better note, the remaining kitten can be tube fed instead of bottle fed until it is a little older. A rubber tube is inserted into the mouth and swallowed by the kitten and goes down into the stomach. You attach a syringe and inject a few milliliters into the tube, then pull it out. If you go to a vet and bring him they can demonstrate how to do this. If you notice any signs of eye, nasal discharge or coughing or breathing with effort, bring the kitten to the vet as soon as possible for antibiotics. Good luck, i hope this helps!

If you can't take it to a vet then there is a higher likelihood that the kitten won't survive. Based on your description it is possible that the kitten could have aspirated some fecal matter into it's lungs which will cause pneumonia. If it has pneumonia you cannot treat that at home. There is not much I can tell you to do without examining the kitten myself so I just suggest you refer to this link about how to care for an orphaned kitten. Watered down cow's milk it not recommended to feed. You need to either get kitten milk replacer or you can make homemade replacer (recipes in link). If it is suckling the bottle that is a good sign; if it is not, you really need to find a way to get it to a vet. ( https://kittenrescue.org/2017/03/raising-orphaned-kittens/ )

You need to take her to the vet for an exam. He will need to listen to her lungs to see whether she inhaled the formula, which is life-threatening. There is also a possibility that she may have a cleft palate which causes the milk to be inhaled or not being swallowed properly. Your vet can check your kitten for that. Unfortunately a cleft palate is not an easy defect to fix. It is very important to feed the kittens while they are prone, ie NOT on there back. If you feed them like a human baby they will have problems drinking properly. Make sure you stimulate their anus and urinary opening so they release the urine and feces , which you can wipe of with the moistened tissue you used for stimulation.

I am most concerned that Holly could have aspirated some milk into her lungs. Sadly this can be common with bottle-fed kittens and can be very serious if not treated by a veterinarian. Holly needs to see a veterinarian ASAP. She will probably need strong antibiotics and possibly oxygen supplementation to help treat aspiration pneumonia. I do not think you did anything wrong. It just happens sometimes. One thing I would change if possible would be to only offer kitten milk replacer. I do not recommend mixing egg in the milk as it is not cooked and the kitten should not need egg if on a good kitten milk replacer. Good luck!

First, if one of the kittens has an injury to the umbilical cord it is best to seek veterinary care to ensure it doesn't become infected or need additional treatment. Second, it may be you are not feeding the kittens often enough which is why they are crying and starving by the time you do. It is best to feed smaller meals more often than one large meal as it will prevent aspiration and keep the kittens full in between meals. You also want to make sure they are on their bellies and not their backs when nursing to avoid aspirating milk. I'm including an article on orphaned kittens that may help as well! https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-raise-orphan-kittens/

This would make me concerned about potential aspiration, but it's possible that the gurgling is from upper respiratory congestion. If Ambi is having difficulty breathing, or if she still is not eating well I think you should see a vet tonight even though you have an appointment to be seen tomorrow - these can be serious signs in such a young kitten. If she has been eating well this weekend and gaining weight and seems to breathe normally it is probably okay to wait until your visit tomorrow.

Hello and Greetings. Thanks for your question and using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If she is having upper respiratory signs associated with the inhalation of the water and the milk such as changes in breathing, difficulty swallowing, nasal discharge, weakness, loss of appetite or other changes, please take her into see her veterinarian soon as she may have developed pneumonia from aspirating the liquids. She may need a chest x-ray to confirm this and may need to be on antibiotics for a while. If she appears normal otherwise, just keep an eye on herald take her in if any of the above signs are witnessed.