u/2011murio

I returned the mixed age trio I had before since they were close to weight (photo 3) and there were two new tinies that needed help gaining weight.

Meet Jack (photo 1) and Sally (photo 2)! They are named after characters from the Nightmare Before Christmas 🎄💀🎄

Jack’s right eye never full developed so he’s going to get enucleation surgery when he reaches weight.

If anyone saw my earlier posts about Binx (photo 4), she is also scheduled for enucleation. Turns out there may not have been a healthy eye underneath the necrotic tissue that fell out, as the eye never healed but kept scarring over… they added serum to her treatment. That trio is back with the shelter since they were close enough to their respective surgery weights. There’s an amazing caretaker on the staff that manages the ringworm ward so I know they’re in good hands and I get to see them through the window whenever I swing by for more supplies.

No appreciation for their free room and board. None!

I just started fostering last year with the local Humane Society and started taking on ringworm cases this summer. This is my second mixed-age litter and the sickest so far, so I thought I'd photo-document their days with me and (crossing fingers) watch them improve day by day!

Photos
First 3 are intake photos from about a week ago when they were first captured. Then they spent a week with another foster before coming to me. The next 3 photos are right after their first bath yesterday, then 3 more from this morning.

Kittens from smol to lorge:
Trixie (tiny orange male)
I'd say 4-5ish weeks? judging from ear size and teeth and eye color. Very underweight at 385g. Eyes don't seem fully open (micropthalmia?). Maybe the infection got in the way of them opening normally. We shall see if they get larger.

Salem (tiny, but plumper tortie female)
Likely same litter as Trixie. 435g. The most energetic and healthiest looking, except for the large ringworm patch on her face.

Binx (mostly-black tortie longhair female)
6-7 weeks? The sickest one and most severely underweight at 835g so who knows. Heavy discharge from both eyes and nose due to URI, partially breathing through mouth. Not dangerously lethargic, but sits very still while the other two frolic around her. She can't see much at all through the goop, and needs to eat more than she is... but she seems to be moving in the right direction.

Illnesses & Treatment
All on doxy.
All being treated for eye infections and ringworm (except Trixie too small for itraconazole)
All underweight to varying degrees and supplemented with Nutri-cal.
Binx gets a topical appetite stimulant since she's so severely underweight.
Binx also gets special time with me in a steamy bathroom a couple times a day. I wrap her up in a burrito and wipe all the crust off her face while the steam clears her nasal passages. Then slip the nasal drops in.

Intake bath:
I assume they were probably much too fragile to bathe in their first week, so they came to me unwashed, crusty and quite smelly.

I steamed up my bathroom and observed them for a while to make sure they seemed stable enough for a bath. Then very warm bath with medicated ringworm shampoo that the clinic provides. I had the bathroom very warm and steamy, but I didn't want to take any chances so I burritoed in a washcloth soaked with very warm water while waiting out the 10 minutes.

Then massage-dried with heated towels and kept in the bathroom with space heater on high, until I was sure they were 100% dry. I'll blow-dry if the kittens don't get too spooked, but these guys were purring up a storm and almost fell asleep getting massage-dried so I didn't want to stop!

This morning:
The two younger kittens are very active and playful. Almost normal kittens, except size. Eyes looking much better. The older one is still very goopy and unable to see much (yesterday's picture looks better cuz right after bath) but slowly eating kibble and sitting up (just very still) when not sleeping. Purrs loudly when pet, which I try to do as often as I can (with gloves).

Appetite could be better and unsure if Trixie is eating or suckling the wet food, so monitoring weight closely. Thanks for tuning in!

She's the only tortie in a litter of 4 females (the rest were orange) and the most mischievous. She kept escaping the playpen and was so proud of herself every time.

Here she is napping after leading me on yet another chase through the apartment.

dog: won’t finish breakfast

Also dog: obsessed with English muffin