Ask the Veterinarian/kitten drooling

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Expert: - 6/7/2011


Question
Hi,
my cat had a litter of 4, but only one is left. the first died at birth, the second had the umbilical cord wrapped around his leg but it got infected so we had to put him to sleep and the third, she sat on him and he suffocated. The last kitten is now 9 days old and weighs about 249g. Since the third kitten died (3 days ago) she lost interest in the last kitten and would hardly stay with him. We have been supplementing his feeding with kitten formula. He seems to be better except for the following concerns:
1. Today is the first time i noticed the kitten sleeping with drool (clear liquid) on his chin which had made a spot on the bed. Also the sound when he cried was as if water was in his lungs.
2. His breathing also seemed different (is it normal for kittens to move when they're asleep as if they have the hiccups)
3. Sometimes when my cat licks the kitten she bites him - his legs, backside, head.. sometimes he squeals and sometimes he does not.

Please advice me if you know what of the above concerns are normal, and what are not.


Regards,
Sarah

Answer
I would say that it's a concern that she isn't feeding him much. He sounds like he has pneumonia to boot. I would get him into the vets as soon as you can.

Since her litter wasn't very healthy you need to get her spayed. She isn't going to be a good mother. Cats rarely, ever, ever suffocate their babies by sitting on them. The fact that she bites this one tells me that she thinks he is also dying.

She needs to be spayed and he needs to get to a vet if you hope to save him.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

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PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

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I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

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Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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