My sick feral kittens have mouth pain and won't eat. What's wrong?

Ouch, that must be very painful to Frankee and the kitten. There are a couple of reasons why they may have both developed these ulcers, and they include nutritional (protein - calorie malnutrition, riboflavin deficiency), infection (FeLV, FIV, calicivirus, herpes virus), toxins, foreign body, or electric cord shock. I would take them both into the vet first thing in the morning for an exam, as it's concerning that they are both showing the same symptoms. It will also be painful for them to eat, and cats should not go long without eating or they end up at risk of developing a fatty liver. The vet can do a physical exam, blood tests, a urinalysis, and any other tests they deem necessary. Once a cause is found, the vet can discuss treatment with you. I would offer them both gently warmed wet food tonight to tempt them to eat.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Babies! At almost 5 weeks old these kittens can be completely weaned from a bottle. I always recommend bottle fed kittens start being weaned at 3 weeks old due to constipation or diarrhea side effects of the kitten formula. At this time, with them being so sick, I doubt they will start eating kitten food but you can try. Make sure their noses are clear from discharge so they can breath. Tube feeding is some what risky and you should be shown by a vet or an experienced tech before attempting. Once you are shown it is something you can do on your own but for kittens this old they may fight you on it. The risk is putting the tube down their tracheas instead of the esophagus and putting the food in their lungs causing death or aspiration. I overall recommend these kittens be re-evaluated by a Vet. Maybe they can teach you how to give subcutaneous fluids or teach you how to tube feed. They can consider starting an appetite stimulant. I hope this helps and I wish you and the kittens the best!

The ulcers are likely due to feline stomatitis, or a calicivirus infection. Without evaluating him, I can't make this diagnosis and would recommend consulting with your vet for more information about his specific condition. Stomatitis is a frustrating condition and the best remedy we have is often a full mouth teeth extraction. Antibiotics and steroids can be effective in some cases, but lysine has not shown to be effective. Either way, it sounds like poor Mr. Kitty is in need of pain control and further treatment, so it's best to take him for a recheck exam by your vet, so they can prescribe the necessary medication. Unfortunately, there is nothing more you can do for him at home. Below is a link to some more helpful information about the suspected conditions. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/gingivitis-and-stomatitis-in-cats https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feline-calicivirus-infection I hope that helps and Mr. Kitty gets better soon.

I'm sorry to hear the kittens are so sick. Unfortunately, there's not a lot you can do about a bacterial or viral infection at home. Things you can do would be to give them water with a syringe or eye dropper. Each kitten should get about 90ml of water in a 24 hour period. Make sure they are staying warm and clean. You could also give them Lysine which may not be hard to find, each kitten will get 250mg every 12 hours. I would also call the veterinarian back and ask if there is an oral antibiotic you could give the kittens as this is less expensive. Best of luck, I hope they get better soon.

It is possible phantom has rabies but very unlikely. Rabies is not a common disease in out domestic animals. I would be concerned about a possible viral or infectious cause of oral pain. Calicivirus can cause oral ulcers and tongue ulcers in young cats. Typically the treatment for viral infections is supportive care and pain management. I would recommend taking Phantom to a vet for a closer exam. Also you can start a lysine supplement to help decrease viral replication. In the mean time you can try and feed wet food. This might be less painful to eat than hard. IT is also possible the hyper salivation and pain is due to an obstruction or nausea. Your vet will help determine the cause and provide proper treatment.

How lovely of you to look after these feral cats! I would be concerned that Daisy may have dental problems preventing her from eating dry food. Those can be very painful. The only thing you can do for her is take her into a vet asap. The vet can examine her mouth and can discuss treatment options with you. If she does have a dental problem, she will need a dental cleaning, scaling, and polishing to fix it. I can give you some resources that may help you afford a vet. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to cat and kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes.
 God's Creatures Ministry helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help.
 The Onyx & Breezy Foundation has many programs including helping people with medical bills. They are a good resource for information.
 Brown Dog Foundation provides funding to families with a sick pet that would likely respond to treatment, but due to circumstances, there is not enough money immediately available to pay. IMOM is dedicated to insure that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged. I hope one of these resources helps you!

Poor Baby! She looks quite weak in that picture. It is fine to wipe her down but I would not give her a full bath right now. Make sure she is also staying warm after her "sponge bath". I would keep her on her formula right now until she is a little bigger. You can try to see if she will take some gruel out of a syringe - if so, then this would be okay as well. Since she isn't eating well, I would have her rechecked by your vet. She likely needs some fluids to help keep her hydrated. I would also talk to your vet about testing her for feline leukemia and feline aids. If she is positive for one of these then you know that she is going to have a hard time getting over this illness. It is just information to have. You may also talk to your vet about whether or not a change in antibiotics may help her especially if she isn't improving on the current meds. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better quickly.