Kitten bitten by snake, won't eat, sleeping. What home care helps?

Unfortunately there is nothing I would recommend doing at home, other than keeping Panther warm and encouraging water consumption as much as possible. Treatment of venomous snake bites is usually focused on pain medication with injectable opioids, IV fluid therapy, and antivenom. Monitoring blood work is important as well. If there is any way to get Panther to a vet I would recommend traveling.

Most likely this is an abscess due to a bite by another cat based on your description. A snake bite would have in most cases swollen instantly and caused serious pain and additional problems. Unfortunately this is a condition that requires systemic antibiotics to treat. You will need to get your cat to a vet for treatment. You may look to see if there are any low-cost clinics around you. Sometimes the local humane society or APL or ASPCA will have a lower cost veterinary clinic. You may find out if any of the clinics in your area offer a payment plan or allow the use of Care Credit which is credit line for medical costs you can apply for. Or you may need to ask family or friends to help out. This website may provide some other ideas/resources: http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html In the meantime you can help the abscess to drain by applying a warm compress (like a clean warm washrag) to the area for 5-10 minutes a few times daily and cleaning any drainage away afterwards. The longer you delay treatment by a vet the more expensive the issue may become to treat.

If the antibiotic is causing some stomach upset, contact your veterinarian and request a different antibiotic. You can also ask for an injectable antibiotic, such as Convenia, which will bypass his gastrointestinal system. Subcutaneous fluids can be adminstered to maintain hydration. Warm his food slightly or mix in some plain baby food to stimulate his appetite. If he won't eat, you may need to syringe feed him. If there is an abscess from the bite wound, it needs to be lanced and drained. Pain medication may be needed. Do not medicate him with any over the counter medicines. Many can be toxic to cats.

Hi there and thanks for posting on PetCoach! I'm sorry to hear Tom is having all of these health issues. Poor guy! Spinal injuries can take a while to heal and some do require surgery. Spinal injuries are also often quite painful so making sure Tom has some pain medication on board would be helpful. If no pain medication was given, you may ask your veterinarian about this. Special food can be prescribed by your veterinarian or an appetite stimulant medication can be prescribed by your veterinarian to help increase his appetite. You can also heat up the wet food at home a bit to bring out the flavor and may entice him to eat a little bit. Ticks and fleas in small young kittens can actually cause anemia (low red blood cell count) which can cause weakness and lethargy. The ticks will need to be safety removed either by you or your veterinarian. If you are unsure how to remove a tick, I have linked a video below. You may use a bath of dish soap (Dawn dish soap works well) to help get rid of flea infestation until he is old enough to be on a month flea preventative such as Revolution or Advantage. If Tom is still not doing well, I would recommend he see his veterinarian again to see what else your veterinarian would recommend. I hope this helps and best of luck to you! https://youtu.be/0wotB38WrRY

She most likely has an infection and it can develop, if it has not already into an abscess. I would recommend trying to find an emergency veterinarian if you can. She most likely needs antibiotics. If this is the case, there is nothing you can really do at home. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm sorry to hear that Topsy has been going through this! It is concerning that you are now noticing breathing changes. This could indicate that Topsy has experienced a rib fracture from the bite, puncture into her lung fields, or is extremely painful from a more systemic infection. At this point, Topsy will need to go back to the vet and will likely need chest x-rays and other supportive medications or treatments, depending upon what is found. Breathing changes are an urgent matter and should be addressed quickly. I hope that she is on the mend soon!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bluey! I am glad that Bluey is doing ok at 2 days post snake bite. The prognosis is fair to good with early intervention (antivenom, hospitalization). I think he prognosis is guarded with out Veterinary care. In one study, 8/11 affected dogs survived to discharge, with a median hospital stay of 4.5 days. Clinical signs can last for 1-1.5 weeks, and full recovery may take months as neurologic receptors regenerate. Even if she doesn't receive the antivenom, administration of appropriate supportive care is very important. Clip and clean the wound. Broad spectrum antibiotics may be indicated for 7-10 days if infection and localized tissue damage/necrosis are present at the bite location. Although the mouths of snakes contain a multitude of bacteria, prophylactic antibiotics are not warranted for most bites. Clinical signs can be delayed, with American snakes it can be 10-18 hours. Clinical signs are primary neurologic, respiratory, and cardiovascular in nature. They may include hypersalivation, vomiting, diarrhea, ataxia, depression/decreased mentation, ascending flaccid quadriplegia (curare-like syndrome, decreased spinal reflexes), muscle fasciculations, reduced nociception, hypothermia, anisocoria, dyspnea, tachypnea, tachycardia, cardiac ventricular arrhythmias, cranial nerve deficits (e.g. decreased pupillary light, gag and swallow reflexes), weakness, and respiratory depression. Evidence of coagulopathy (e.g. hematuria, hematochezia) can also occur. Aspiration pneumonia is a potential complicating factor. Death is possible and is usually secondary to respiratory paralysis. My best recommendation is to seek Veterinary Care, but I understand your situation. The best thing to do is watch her closely and hope for the best! I hope this helps and I wish Bluey the best!