MEDICATING NURSING KITTENS

Until I found a veterinarian who knew absolutely everything about neonatal kittens, I was taking kittens to clinic after clinic and being told that they are not treatable with medications. I had many, many die of routine intestinal infections because no one thought they could handle antibiotics. It turns out that it isn't true--for the past three years or so, I've worked with a vet who prescribes the right antibiotics in the proper doses and has helped me save dozens of babies. The dose for a 2 week-old might be 2 drops, but it will give him his only chance to beat infection. So, if your vet says there's nothing to do and to just hope for the best, run to another vet who does know how to prescribe meds for tinies. If your vet refuses to do an in-house fecal exam (under the microscope) on your tiny baby, go to someone who does. This is one of the most essential tests, and the parasites found in kitten guts need to be killed by the right antibiotics ASAP. Bottom line, tiny kittens and puppies CAN be treated. It's hard, and options are strictly limited, but there are doctors who know what to do with nursing babies.

Other treatments that are useable, useful and routine for rescued street kittens are dewormer (essential); flea and ear mite treatment; probiotics (especially for malabsorption); multivitamins (I use the children's liquid with lots of B-s, mostly for neurological care); treatments for ringworm and other skin infections; Pepto Bismol (has saved numerous TPR kittens with killer bellyaches, but get proper dosage suggestions from the doc. Some people say not to use it because it contains a chemical belonging to the aspirin family. All three of my most trusted vets prescribe it for short-term emergency use and say that claim is b.s.); and the list goes on.

If you are in Tel Aviv, you can visit the clinic I trust most, at 144 Ben Yehuda (between Ben Gurion and Arlozarov). The vets are Alon, Eyal and Tsachi. 03-527-3987

Here is my current baby, Grisly, who came to me at 10 days old with a nasty bacterial infection in her intestinal tract. She weighed less than 200g. She's been on .03ml (precisely 2 drops) of antibiotics twice a day for a week, and is going to survive.