Panleuk litter runt vent
Could use some prayers and well wishes. We received a litter of six panleukopenia kittens from a cruelty situation. (These kittens are not in my home but I am caretaking them; some went to foster but most returned for care/passed.) Many were BCS 2, with weights ranging from 0.48 lbs for the runt to over 1.2 lbs. They have their teeth and should be 6 weeks old.
The runtiest is one of the thin ones. She was fading for a few days—totally syringe dependent, lethargic, just sitting on the heat. I mentioned it to the vets and she got a temp of 96F, so we went into measures to bring her up and got 99.9F. They decided to give her a shot and we increased feedings until she ate independently this last Thursday. Well, three of her siblings have now died. Some were even fat and good looking. Developed vomiting, no appetite, fevers, hypothermia. This runt is still trucking, but honestly, her temperature often runs low. We get 98.4, 98.6. The best I’ve ever seen is 100.4. She still sits on the heat a lot. She wasn’t up playing and eating today, but she still seemed round. It looks like she might’ve lost 15-20 grams from yesterday. The vets say she should be regulating her temp, so if they see her temp that low, it’s game over.
I am so stressed. I provide heat pads and try to keep the room temp up but we aren’t allowed to have anything plugged in overnight. We don’t have fosters for panleuk. The vets don’t even think she needs heat at all. I can’t tell if I should just have them call it before she fades out pitifully because she’s doomed, or if I should keep trying in case I can get weight on her and she somehow pulls through. I’ve never had a kitten this runty in four years. She is half everyone’s size. I don’t know what’s normal and okay. She’s made it through her first week and a half here somehow, and she did gain weight overall, but I can’t tell if I’m just making a body unfit for life fight a battle it can’t win.