Expert: Jessica - 11/15/2010

Question
We think our 2 month old kitten has distemper, although the vet didnt test
him he has all the symptoms. the vet has given him clavamox, and we have
been treating him with pedialyte, kitten distempaid and subcutaneous fluid
treatments. he has held down a egg and broth mixture. what form of vitamin
c and what dose shall i give him and would a vitamin b12 injection be helpful?


Answer
Hi Gwen,

I don't think that I would give a kitten with suspected distemper Vitamin C.  The major problem with Vitamin C in cats is that it causes stomach upset, and with a kitty who's already got a virus that cause major stomach issues, this would be a disaster.  

Additionally, the highest dose most fully grown adults can tolerate tends to be around 400mg.  We try to start at a quarter dose and work our way up over several days to see if the kitty will tolerate it without developing diarrhea or vomiting.  In an ideal situation, holistic vets find that 600-800mg (for a 10-lb cat) would be the most effective dose, but hardly any cats can handle this.  For a 2-lb kitten, an effective dose might be 125mg daily.  Most commercially available Vitamin C is at least 500mg, so dosing an adult cat can be difficult.  I think working out a beginning dose for a 2-month-old, who will need such a minute amount (I'd aim to start with 25mg), will be nearly impossible.

Keep in mind, as well, that Vitamin C is an essential vitamin for humans, meaning that we cannot make it on our own, and we must get it from our food sources or multi-vitamins.  It is not an essential vitamin for cats - they are able to create their own Vitamin C.  I have no problem supplementing kitties with Vitamin C for a little added boost of immunity when doing so would pose no additional problems to the kitty, but I think in this instance, it would probably do more harm than good.  You could consult your vet about it if you feel very sure that you'd like to try it, though.

As far as the B-12 injection, I think this would be a great idea.  Vitamin B-12 has great reparative and rebuilding properties any time cells are being destroyed, which occurs during a distemper infection.  It's also calming to the gastrointestinal tract.  It aids in building red blood cells, too, and some kitties become anemic due to distemper.  Your vet will need to determine the correct dosage based on the kitten's weight.  It can be given into his sub-q line (or given directly sub-q), usually once every 7-10 days.

Best of luck! I hope your little one recovers.

Jessica