Bottle Kittens: Smoky and Daisy

[BoboFarm]

He, and the others, may have ringworm. Lime sulfur dips are the treatment. You can hope it's localized and treat with an anti-fungal (athletes foot treatment) but you have to also be careful about ingestion. When I treated my litter of three they lost about 90% of their hair. We treated once a week for over a month. That was 15 years ago so I'm not sure if things have changed. Ringworm is highly contagious to humans and other animals.

If you have a black light you can bring him in a dark room and shine the black light on his foot. Ringworm will floresce. You can also see if the hair pulls out easily around the toe. Hair on affected skin will essentially fall out and pulls out like tufts from a shedding coat.

I wouldn't treat it as an emergency but a vet visit to confirm diagnosis might be helpful and will narrow down what treatment they need.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

He, and the others, may have ringworm. Lime sulfur dips are the treatment. You can hope it's localized and treat with an anti-fungal (athletes foot treatment) but you have to also be careful about ingestion. When I treated my litter of three they lost about 90% of their hair. We treated once a week for over a month. That was 15 years ago so I'm not sure if things have changed. Ringworm is highly contagious to humans and other animals.

If you have a black light you can bring him in a dark room and shine the black light on his foot. Ringworm will floresce. You can also see if the hair pulls out easily around the toe. Hair on affected skin will essentially fall out and pulls out like tufts from a shedding coat.

I wouldn't treat it as an emergency but a vet visit to confirm diagnosis might be helpful and will narrow down what treatment they need.

My concern is more that the tip of the toe appears necrotic and there’s purulent drainage underneath.

 

[BoboFarm]

Ringworm can cause nailbed infections.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Ringworm can cause nailbed infections.

Good to know!

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Olaf has taken a turn for the worst. He’s eaten less as the day has progressed. He no longer greets me or purrs. He’s very lethargic and even cool. My nurse instincts are telling me that he isn’t long for this world. As much as I hate it, I just don’t want him to suffer. The kids have also said their goodbyes and are very sad. We are cuddling him and just letting him know he’s loved for what time he has left.

 

[BoboFarm]

I'm so sorry Bottle babies are so hard and sometimes no matter what you do they don't make it. I'm glad he got the love and care that you provided.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Sorry to hear it's never easy

 

[Bruce]

I would guess some sort of an infection in the toe. Tomorrow is Monday, vet will be open regular hours.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Olaf is continuing to decline. He’s unable to defend himself against his siblings and only ate about four drops of milk when I last fed his siblings (eating 15-20ml per feeding.) I hated to separate him but after I caught Daisy roughhousing him and he was just laying under her as she bit at him, I can’t leave him to be picked on. He’s now in a shoebox with a heating pad. Still no purring despite laying with me. He is uncomfortable and just has an ill appearance. I’ll be stunned if he’s alive in the morning. (Depending on his condition, I’ll call the vet and discuss options.)

Daisy has aggressively grabbed me twice today when she was going to eat. I know that she’s hungry and she wants her milk but biting my hand repeatedly when there wasn’t milk the first ten times is excessive. She wraps her claws info me too. Picking on her ill brother was the final straw. I told the kids we aren’t keeping her. She’s already pushy. I don’t want to see how much moreso she will get as she grows. Not sure how I’ll rehome her yet as I don’t want her to go to a home with kids. Time will tell.

Smoky is growing well and now eats as much as Daisy regulary. His eyes look amazing! He’s very sweet and purrs readily. The kids favor him in the litter. We will be keeping Smoky. He should be very spoiled!

 

[babsbag]

Sorry about Olaf, it is so hard to raise these babies. The last litter I did we lost 3 of the 6 and I was devastated. I have had pretty good luck but that litter was tough. I had someone sharing the raising as I was out of town and maybe just the change of routine was not a good, IDK, but it broke my heart. I get really attached and I am a total cat person anyways. Obviously he has an infection of some kind so if he makes it through the night maybe the vet can help.

I lost one once that developed pneumonia in the middle of the night and I just couldn't justify $400 for the emergency clinic and she was gone before the vet opened in the morning.

As least he was warm and dry and loved.