What to do about my orphaned kittens suckling and aspirating?

Hi, I'm sorry to tell you bad news but if the kitten aspirated milk, it will likely die. It is very easy for kittens to aspirate at this age and usually results in death. Sometimes early intervention with antibiotics can save them. Likely, he will die in his sleep tonight. If he makes it to morning, you might want to consider euthanasia. On a better note, the remaining kitten can be tube fed instead of bottle fed until it is a little older. A rubber tube is inserted into the mouth and swallowed by the kitten and goes down into the stomach. You attach a syringe and inject a few milliliters into the tube, then pull it out. If you go to a vet and bring him they can demonstrate how to do this. If you notice any signs of eye, nasal discharge or coughing or breathing with effort, bring the kitten to the vet as soon as possible for antibiotics. Good luck, i hope this helps!

You need to take her to the vet for an exam. He will need to listen to her lungs to see whether she inhaled the formula, which is life-threatening. There is also a possibility that she may have a cleft palate which causes the milk to be inhaled or not being swallowed properly. Your vet can check your kitten for that. Unfortunately a cleft palate is not an easy defect to fix. It is very important to feed the kittens while they are prone, ie NOT on there back. If you feed them like a human baby they will have problems drinking properly. Make sure you stimulate their anus and urinary opening so they release the urine and feces , which you can wipe of with the moistened tissue you used for stimulation.

If the kitten has aspirated milk it will have serious trouble breathing. It will get aspiration pneumonia and likely die. This is an emergency. If you think the kitten has aspirated milk and it is showing upper respiratory problems, is lethargic, then it must be seen by a veterinarian now, if it is to have any chance to survive at all. There are no home treatment options. This kitten will need intensive medical care in a hospital.

I am sorry to hear about your situation. This article on orphaned kitten care will provide you with details on how much/when to feed and other questions you may have about orphan kittens: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-raise-orphan-kittens/

I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with the kittens! At 4-weeks they should be starting to get a little interested in wet food, so continuing to try the slurry should help. You can put a little on a spoon or on their noses to see if they will lick it off to encourage them to try it. Keeping the formula warmed and feeding them on their stomachs (in the same position they'd be in when nursing from mom) may also help them recognize you are trying to feed them. If they're not on solid foods yet, they may not have a whole lot in the way of stool production, and any stool they produce may be very liquidy still. It's a good idea to bring them to the vet anyway, especially if orphaned, as they may need to start getting vaccinations sooner to account for the loss of mom's natural antibodies, and your vet can examine them, deworm them, and treat any issues as needed. This article about orphaned kittens may also help as well as it has feeding schedules, etc. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-raise-orphan-kittens/

Hello and thank you for reaching out to PetCoach. I'm sorry to hear you've had some bad luck trying to raise kittens. I've linked two websites from PetCoach that describe how best to care for kittens and keep them as healthy as possible. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-raise-orphan-kittens/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/new-kitten-101/ I hope these are helpful!

If you're unsure how to care for orphaned kittens, contacting your local humane society is a good first step as they often have programs to help foster parents learn how to raise kittens and can provide services such as food and medical care for the kittens. I'm also including an article on orphaned kittens that may help you. Most kittens this young will still need help with stimulation to go potty, however if they still do not go potty or seem ill or in discomfort, vet care is best. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-raise-orphan-kittens/