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Cats/Fractured 4-week kitten

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Expert: - 8/17/2009


Question
Hi, my question is regarding a 4-week kitten I adopted from the streets. Yesterday, while she was walking around the house, one of the room doors slammed and trapped the kitten in the mid-portion of the kitten.

I brought it to the Vet and had an X-ray to see if there was any bone fracture. However, the vet told me that she could not see much bone through the X-ray since the kitten contain most softbone.

Today, it has been 24 hour since the kitten was injured and she hasnt peed since. I tried to stimulate her genitals, as instructed by the vet, to make her pee. But nothing works.

Right now, i am unsure if it is possible that she is undergoing organ failure which result in her not peeing. She cant walk and barely meow anymore. My sister is suggesting for me to put her to sleep. I am left with confusion and desperateness...I need your advice.

Answer
Sue,

Remember, I am not a vet. At 4 weeks, unfortunately, there is not much the vet can do.  If the kitten is not drinking anything and is dehydrated, it probably will not pee.  You can try rehydrating the kitten.  I would use a soup made of one part good strained meat baby food (only ingredients strained meat and broth or gravy) and 3 parts unflavored pedialyte.  If the kitten will not drink it on its own you can syringe or eye dropper it into the kittens mouth (be careful not to drown the kitten). You should try to get at least 50 CC of pedialyte into the kitten a couple of times a day.

If the kitten is still losing motor ability and cannot be, there is probably spinal involvement.  I am afraid your sister is probably correct, the most humane thing is to have her put to sleep.

Sad regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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