My 3-week-old kitten drank spoiled milk and is lethargic. What now?

Lethargy can be concerning and indicate a medical problem, but it's encouraging to know that he is eating and eliminating well. Sudden lethargy is not too concerning in a kitten unless you are noticing other signs of illness, heavy breathing, or pale gums. Kittens can normally appear very lethargic at certain times of the day. It would also depend on how long this has been going on. If it's less than two hours, then I wouldn't worry. If it's longer than four hours then I would be more concerned. If it's been all day, then this would be a strong indicator that something is wrong. I would have to examine butterscotch to tell if this is an emergency. I would definitely recommend an emergency visit he is breathing heavily, or has pale gums. Otherwise, he's likely OK to wait the night and go to the vet in the morning if he's still lethargic. If you have further questions or need further clarification, then you may consider having an online consult with one of our vets on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This way, you can send unlimited pictures and have a text conversation with a vet. I hope that helps and all is well with Butterscotch.

Those poor kittens and their mother! Do not give Vinnie cow's milk, it's not good for cats. Cats are lactose intolerant, and it will give them diarrhea as well as possibly cause them to vomit. The mucus on her butt could be from diarrhea, and that diarrhea could also be caused by intestinal worms, which are common in young kittens. Both kittens need a deworming treatment, and they need a kitten formula to eat. If their eyes are open, then they are old enough to be weaned onto a kitten dry food. To help them wean and to get used to dry food, I would soak a high quality kitten formulated dry food in warm water until soft. Then mix that with kitten formula such as KMR to make a mush the consistency of oatmeal. Over the next two weeks, gradually increase the amount of dry kitten food and decrease the amount of water and KMR you use until they are eating the dry kitten food only. If Vinnie continues to not eat and act lethargic over the next 12 hours, he will need to see a vet immediately. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

Poor Maggie. There are several things that can cause vomiting and lethargy including hairballs, parasites, upper respiratory infection, eating human food, foreign bodies +/- Gi obstruction, certain viral and bacterial infections and much more. I would stop feeding her milk as most cats eventually get to where they cannot tolerate it. I would try to keep her inside so she can rest and offer her different types of food to try and entice her to eat. If she is still refusing to eat tomorrow or the vomiting is continuing, I would have your vet take a look at her. Your vet will be able to do a fecal, blood work and even x-rays if needed. Your vet will be able to get her the proper meds to help her feel better. I hope this helps!

Hello. Cow's milk may not be adequate for this kitten. If you have access to an actual kitten milk replacer, this would be best. It is also possible the kitten may have a lot of intestinal parasites like roundworms. We normally recommend starting to deworm kittens at 2 weeks of age using pyrantel pamoate. Illness is also a strong possibility as to why your kitten is not thriving & for this you will certainly need to see a veterinarian. I hope Tiger is doing better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Willow! It does sound like she isn't feeling well. It would be best to bring her to a vet ASAP to check for issues such as a foreign body from eating any kitty litter, GI upset, illnesses, etc that could be causing the symptoms you are seeing, especially if this has been ongoing for more than a day.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Lethargy can be caused by a lot of things including an infection, inflammation, among other possibilities. This could also be normal in a kitten as they are not always very active at that age. If you think she is sick it would be best to have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Have a good night!

Hello. I am a little concerned about your kitten because at 4 weeks of age she should be a little fireball & not require stimulation to move her bowels. She should also be eating a canned kitten food with a little replacement milk mixed in. If she has not been dewormed, this would be a priority as intestinal parasites like roundworms can make a kitten pretty weak. She may also be a little dehydrated if you have not seen her urinate. I truly hope you can have her seen by a veterinarian soon. Little babies like this can be pretty fragile. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.