Bottle-fed kitten coughing, mouth open, won't suck milk. What's wrong?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I do not think you did anything wrong but that this was a freak aspiration of the milk down the wind pipe (trachea). I would start weaning all the kittens now. Mix the formula in to canned kitten food and offer the bottle less and less. I recommend starting bottle fed kittens on kitten food starting at 3 weeks. I am so sorry this happened

If the kitten has aspirated milk it will have serious trouble breathing. It will get aspiration pneumonia and likely die. This is an emergency. If you think the kitten has aspirated milk and it is showing upper respiratory problems, is lethargic, then it must be seen by a veterinarian now, if it is to have any chance to survive at all. There are no home treatment options. This kitten will need intensive medical care in a hospital.

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 she keeps he mouth opened this is probably because of severe respiratory distress, this is common with kittens that are hand fed because of aspiration pneumonia (milk is aspirated into the lungs). this is usually a very severe condition, you will need to take the kitten to the vet ASAP in order to get it treated.

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.

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.

Inhalation of even a small amount of milk in a tiny little puppy like this can be deadly if treatment is not instituted right away. Aspiration pneumonia is one of the most common causes of death in bottle babies. If you are noting significant coughing / choking, I would also keep an eye out for increased respiratory noises. This would include wheezing and raspy hoarse noises. If you hear this, it would probably be a good idea to stop feeding until you get him to the vet. At that point, the doctor will decide if providing additional nutrition orally is worth the risk, versus injectable nutrition. Hope this is help.