Conference misery::feline_v1

    Jill, I am sorry to hear you are going through such a hard time
    with the new babies.  I wish I had a suggestion but your thought
    of hanging in there sounds good to me!  You're doing everything
    the vet told you and following instructions to the letter... what
    more can you do?
    
    I'm sure once some more knowledgeable people read this, like Jo
    and Cin and Elaine, they might be able to offer better advice. 
    Kittens are so cute but very suseptible to disease and infection.
    Have they received their first vaccination yet?  Probably not a
    good idea to vaccinate until this clears up.
    
    Good luck!  I'll be thinking of you.
    
    
    /Roberta
    

    Hi there!
    
    It sounds like you are doing all the right things, including
    being patient.  One thing to keep a watch for is that the
    kits are still nursing and/or eating.  With a stuffy nose,
    they may have trouble smelling their food or being excited
    about eating, and they also might have trouble breathing while
    they eat or nurse.  Make sure they are getting enough, especially
    fluids.
    
    As for the meds, some of them are to avoid/protect against
    secondary bacterial infections (such as the eye pus).  The
    upper respiratory infection itself is probably viral, and
    there is not much to be done about it other than relieve
    symptoms and support the patient...which you seem to be
    doing very well!
    
    You might want to check back with your vet about whether
    s/he thinks this length of time is reasonable, given the
    conditions last week.  
    
    Good luck!
    		Pennie

    All very good advice!!!  
    
    I breed exotics & persians, and eye problems are very common in
    the young kittens.  I usually start with the Chloromycetin, if that
    doesn't work I will often switch to Gentocin after week or so. 
    I find Gentocin to be more effective on the eyes.  
    
    Another thing you may want to try is bathing the eyes with saline
    solution before applying the ointment.  It helps get all the gookey
    stuff out.  With the small kittens, I also find that q-tips are
    easier to use than Cotton Balls, but that's just personal preference.
    
    The most important thing is to be consistent with the meds, which
    it sounds like your doing.  If after 10 days or so you still have
    alot of redness and puffyness, you may want to talk to your vet
    about trying Gentocin.  
    
    As far as the congestion, you can always try putting them in a room
    with a vaporizer and a little vicks!!!
    
    Good Luck, let me know if I can offer more help.
    
    cin
    
    

      You are experiencing what's currently going around the New England
    area...I recently got a kitten in Concord Mass, and when I picked her
    up I was told about this upper-respiratory infection that was going
    around. The treatment that seems to be kicking this particular one IS
    the "Amoxycillin" along with the eye ointments. According to Mrs.
    Morway, the usual course of this is about 7-9 days, and improvement is
    usually seen by the fifth day.
    
      Hang in there!! I know it's a heartwrenching thing to have babies
    that are stuffed up and runny-eyed, but it sure sounds like you are on
    top of it and doing what must be done to fix'em up. 
    
    Keep up the good work!! They should be well soon!!!
    
     JMcD

    Yup Yup Yup to all 4 responses.
    
    I call it 'Kitty Crud' - caught by one and shared by anyone around.
    A real pain!  Tough in tiny babies - makes one worry A LOT !!
    
    Hang in there - WASH WASH WASH - your hands (which you are doing,
    their bedding, keep them separated from all other (except mom unless
    she isn't feeding them any more) maybe even separate the 6 from
    each other if possible.  They may be reinfecting each other, little
    creepoids!  Wash their bowls and litter pans - delump frequently.
    
    Good Luck!
    
    E.T._who_freeks_if_she_sees_one_cat_just_wink !!

    Thanks to all.
    
    Years ago I had a cat who was given to me while pregnant (unknown
    to me and the previous owner).  She delivered 2 well-sized kittens
    and I never had a speck of care about them.  
    
    This was different.  Sage delivered 6 kittens (quite out of Jim
    and my ranges experience), and didn't quite teach all the lessons
    to these kittens (like how to use a litterbox).  A couple each seemed
    to suffer a bout of the flu last week (someone vomited once or twice)
    and then this started to set in.  Unfortunately, all but two of
    the cats look exactly alike.  At one time, we could never be sure
    if 1 or 4 cats were sick.
    
    To top it off, Gwen (a new addition--about 12 weeks old) has been
    adopted by Sage as one of the kittens.  She came down with it, too!!!
    They all want to sleep with each other to comfort each other and,
    like Elaine mentioned, I'm afraid they just pass it around among
    themselves.  Sage still nurses them about 1-2 times a day, and I
    prefer to let her continue as long as I think she might be passing
    some immunity along to them.
    
    We have been worried.  Thanks for the encouragement.  Since
    you have all the experience and tell me that it can last up
    to 3 weeks--I'll hang in there and continue to scrub the best I
    can and give them the loving (and treatment) they need.  Sometimes 
    I'm amazed, but even after all the medicine, drops, and ointments, 
    the kittens still want to climb on us and snuggle in our laps.  
    They are so forgiving!!!
    
    Thanks again,
    
    Jill

    Could someone explain the worries about passing this between the
    kittens?  How to they re-get it, aren't they immune after having
    whatever it is?
    

    re:7
    
    I would think that there is no immunity with an upper resp. infection
    due to the fact that it is caused by a virus - similar to the cause
    of the human common cold virus.  NO cure - you have two choices
    - medicate to prevent secondary infection or do nothing and let
    it run its course, which eventually it will.  The main medication
    is 'Worry' - you supply that in large doses.  It doesn't do much,
    but it seems to be a common thing for moms to do!  I'm getting
    real good at the 'worry' part.
    
    E.T.
    

    Yesterday must have been a low spot.  Everyone's eyes looked less
    inflamed this morning and we had very little "goop" to contend with.
    We're not letting up, though.  Everyone gets all of the treatment
    until it's banished.  Gwen had a temp of 103 last night, but it
    was normal this morning and she even started to play with the kittens
    who were running around like madmen.
    
    Everyone's appetite is good, so I have hopes for their health again
    after all.
    
    I'll keep you posted on their progress.
    
    Jill

    Sounds like a turn for the better!!!  Keep up the good work, sometimes
    these things get frustrating,
    

    Atta Girl - keep on truckin' - you WILL win!!

    YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!!!!  

    Just a quick update.  Five of the six kittens are well or have improved
    dramatically.  Unfortunately, the sixth is at the vet's.  Kinko
    (the kink in his tail is the only way I can tell him apart) started
    to sniffle and then sneeze through the weekend.  I kept a close
    eye on him and continued to treat him as the doctor ordered. Sunday
    night he was still eating, but by Monday morning, he wasn't.  So
    in to the vet he went.  His temp was 103.8 and we was starting to
    get dehydrated but he wasn't as bad as the first 2 I took in.  He's
    a scrappy fighter and the vet mentioned that this would probably
    help him recover quickly.
    
    I talked to the vet a bit ago and Kinko has to stay at least 1 more
    day and maybe more.  His temp is down and he's starting to eat again
    but his eyes are still pretty swollen.  He's getting antibiotics
    4 times a day now, and the vet and I hope this will do the trick.
    
    The others are thundering around the house and rolling head over
    heels with each other.  How such little things can make such loud
    noise, I will never know.  We are continuing with the medication
    and with any luck will have it beat soon.  
    
    Thanks again for the encouragement.
    
    Jill
    

    re: noise - it's probably that same trick that cats do to increase
    the pressure on your tummy when they walk on you.  I don't remember
    the note, but I do remember a discussion about that amazing talent
    that allows cats to increase pressure on their human at will when
    standing or laying on their human's body.
      Anyone remember that?

    When a kitten/cat is healthy, is their nose supposed to be warm
    and dry or cool and damp?
    
    Thanks, Pam

    More like room temperature and dry.  A warm nose indicates there
    might be some fever present, or the cat just ran laps around the
    house.  A damp nose could indicate a runny nose and possibly a cold.
    
    Cats noses aren't generally used to diagnose illness like dogs noses
    are.  
    
    Jo