My 2-week-old kitten has a swollen leg, isn't eating, and is weak. What to do?

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Tmii! I think you need to have a Vet come to you or take him to one as soon as possible. Tmii looks critically ill and needs aggressive supportive care. I do not think any at home care will pull him through this unfortunately. Can you call the Vet again and see if he/she can recommend someone to examine Tmii? All you can do is keep him warm, syringe water and canned food slurries gently and give the recommended medications. I wish you and Tmii the best!

It is probably an abscess. You can try soaking the foot in warm epsom salt water for 5 minutes 3 times per day. That may help draw the infection out. Honestly though, most of the time oral antibiotics are also needed to get this to heal up completely. She definitely looks like she does not feel well so if you can eventually get her to a vet that would be really great.

Poor kitten! I'm sorry that its leg is injured - since it has swelling, drainage, and a foul odor, it sounds like it's probably infected as well. Tiny kittens like this can actually be treated with antibiotics when needed, so I would definitely recommend having the baby checked by a vet as soon as you can. He/she can prescribe antibiotics for the infection if needed, or even advise on other options such as amputation if the damage is severe. It's not ideal to do things like this in very young babies, but it's certainly possible to do them when needed.

Orphaned kittens at this age have a tough time surviving without their mothers and this kitten appears to be severely affected. The swelling likely indicates low protein levels, which can happen when they don't get enough in their diet and/or they get diarrhea. Unfortunately, their is not much you can do for this at home and would require a transfusion. For now, the best thing you can do is keep her from getting low blood sugar, or too cold. Since she is not eating, it's good to give her a little honey or karo syrup on her gums every two hours. Keep her warm by providing heating and covering her in blankets. For more information, I recommend you read the information at the link below. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feeding-orphaned-kittens I hope that helps.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your kitten. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian today. His behavior is worrisome. Even if you are not able to locate his pain, it sounds like he is sore if he is limping. There is a viral disease in kittens that can cause a fever, lameness and ulcers in the mouth. His veterinarian will examine him and determine if this is the case or if he has another problem. I hope this information helps!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It probably is an infection affecting most of the leg. It is an emergency. Please, try and call your local emergency service if your regular vets don't have any appointments.

Hi, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The kitten needs medication, I recommend taking it to a veterinarian as it sounds like it needs antibiotics and possibly pain medication as well. Do not give any human medications as many are toxic to cats. Depending on exam findings, the vet may recommend xrays as well if they suspect significant trauma to the leg. Best of luck, I hope she recovers quickly.