Update on the sickies

Barley, Kit and Rainy came down with diarrhoea post-vaccinations last week, and today we brought them to the vet. Despite putting them on Baytril antibiotics on Sunday alongside loperamide and kaolin, only Rainy improved significantly. Barley especially was not doing well with little improvement to her appetite. We were running out of medication too, and wanted to get them vet checked and get Kit and Barley anti-diarrhoeal jabs to help their recovery.

Kit, Barley and Rainy waiting their turn at vet

The kittens' temperatures were fine as were their other vitals. But the fecal exams showed that the bacterial infection that the vaccinations brought to the fore requires a different antibiotic - Metrogyl, instead, because their diarrhoea was being caused by motile bacteria. Supposed to be on it for 8 days inclusive today, but we will be consulting remotely with Dr Chong to see if the course needs to be extended or can be reduced in a few days' time.

After this morning's jabs, and dose of new antibiotics, there has been much more improvement. Kit and Barley are very active now - back to normal business for them. Their appetites have returned: saw Rainy, Kit and Barley devouring their second therapeutic meal of the day - canned food with supplements of probiotics, slippery elm bark and chamomile tea. Their diarrhoea seems to be more controllable now, so if they get even better, they can be free-roaming again. For the meantime, they have to be penned as Dr Chong says they need to be quarantined, and constantly cleaned of soiling, them and their pen.

Echo remains on Baytril - yes she is back on antibiotics because her flu' recurred. She also got a bit of the diarrhoea, on and off, which the Baytril will help to control. She is on loperamide and the same supplements as the rest. Her diarrhoea seems to have improved much and we are allowing her to free-roam again to see if her runny poo is containable. She didn't suffer any diminished appetite or energy, still the same, a crazy friendly playful girl.

Her flu' this time around is much better than before - only clear mucus, and it is already receding, plus no eye discharge. Her eye has shown much improvement also, especially after new topical medication of Framixin was prescribed last week at the vet, to replace saline and Terramycin.

Echo inspecting the vet's inspection light!

Her eye can open more now, though still not all the way, and it is less inflamed. Beginning to be able to see more of her actual eyeball - which is cloudy, normal part of the healing process for severe conjunctivitis. Tried to take a picture of her eye's progressed but she squirms a lot! -

Her right eye squints less now

So we have 4 sickies now - our usual quota for intensive-care-requiring fosters is 3, up to 5 cats maximum, to ensure quality of care does not deteriorate further with an already low human to cat ratio at our foster home (still operating at near-max threshold).

On the upside, Rainy has already been adopted and will be collected to her forever home once she is well. It is Rainy's rescuer Jason's family that is adopting her - their mom even came to sign the papers herself as she is the adoption decision maker of the family and one of the primary caregivers. They are also going to sponsor one of the cats' vaccination as Rainy had already been sponsored before they came for the adoption visit. Photo and more details when Rainy is ready to go home!