My new kitten is having seizures and losing weight. What's wrong?

If she had what appeared to be a seizure, I would place a small amount of karo syrup on the gums and get her seen right away as her sugar level may be low. This could easily cause the seizures with low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Sick kittens oftentimes do not eat enough and will secondarily get hypoglycemia. I would take her into her vet right away to be examined and treated. Please feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation.

I would highly recommend bringing her back to a vet. She most likely needs some fluid and nutritional support. This can be a virus that she is fighting off but to fight it off properly she needs nutrition. Her glucose can drop very low if she does not eat and cause seizures and even death. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Please take your kitten to the vet immediately. It sounds like she may be having neurologic symptoms, which could be due to low blood sugar associated with not eating and drinking, and she is very likely dehydrated. This is potentially deadly, and your kitten should be seen right away to check her blood sugar levels, assess for dehydration, and address the cause of her weakness. Another very serious concern in a stray kitten is the possibility of rabies infection, which is transmitted from the saliva of infected mammals, can be passed on to humans, and is fatal. There may also be other underlying neurologic causes for her condition, and a veterinarian can help determine the cause and start treatment .

I'm sorry to hear that Gemma isn't feeling well. A kitten that is not eating or drinking and is acting lethargic should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Kittens can become dehydrated more quickly than an adult pet. It is possible that she has an infection or ate something that is making her feel ill. Your veterinarian will examine her and may recommend bloodwork to determine what is going on.

Hello, This could be several different things. Not eating following by seizures makes me concerned that they may be hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) from not eating. This usually leads to seizures, which can be associated with changes in urination and defecation. Infectious diseases are also very common in kittens. Many of the mother cats are not vaccinated and can pass viral diseases to their young. Feline Leukemia Virus, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline Herpes Virus, and Feline Panleukopenia can all cause kitten deaths. Unfortunately, with kitten rescue, we can't ever be sure of the mother's health beforehand. The better controlled the feline overpopulation problem is and the more cats are vaccinated, the better it will be overall. Thoroughly disinfecting bowls, litter dishes, floors, etc and quarantining cats in your home is the best way to minimize disease spread. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I am sorry to hear that about Cheese. Seizures in a kitten can be very serious, and there are several prescription medications that can be used in kittens to help prevent or decrease the severity of the seizures. The ears, paws, nose, and tails (think of extremities) will normally be cooler than the rest of the body (the core). If you take a rectal temperature, it should be between 100-102.5*F. If it is less than 100*F, than it could mean that Cheese is sick, since cats are prone to developing hypothermia with a variety of illnesses, and he should be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Drinking milk from the mom or a kitten milk replacer/formula is excellent. Once Cheese is 6 weeks old, he should start eating kitten food instead of milk to ensure that he is receiving appropriate nutrition.

It sounds like you are describing cerebellar hypoplasia. You can find videos on YouTube to see if it looks similar. Now, if the mom died and had neurological symptoms as well, you need to be concerned about the possibility of rabies. Remember, rabies is a FATAL disease so if I would strongly suggest you take the kitten to a vet for an exam and discuss with them the situation with the mother so the appropriate steps can be taken.