meet kitten Cameo! This little greybie is a total sweetheart.
Last but not least, meet kitten Cameo! This little greybie is a total sweetheart. He’s a super lovey boy with a motor purr! This is the first solid grey kitten I’ve ever fostered—have any of you fostered/adopted a grey cat? If they’re anything like Cameo, they’ve got a big personality (and a loud voice haha)! Welcome, Cameo!♥️
windycityfosters
Oh, Cameo. He’s refusing the bottle and turns his nose up at slurry, he’s a little constipated, and his weight isn’t going up as quickly as I’d like it to be. I’m now force-feeding him KMR made with Pedialyte and probiotics through a syringe every few hours. My guess is that the KMR has thrown his digestive system for a loop (as it commonly does) and he needs time to adjust. Thankfully he’s still active and playful, so I’m hoping the issues resolve quickly with supportive care. I can’t wait to see him with the same chub belly as Braeburn and Gala. Come on baby boy, you got this! 💪🏻🍼
windycityfosters
Look who gained 15 grams yesterday AND started showing a lot more interest in slurry! Cameo is still being force-fed KMR every 4 hours to make sure he’s getting enough to eat, but we’re making great progress!
windycityfosters
Me when I wake up to rainy, windy, cold weather…anyone else wants to join Cameo in his blanket cave?🙋🏻♀️
windycityfosters
Finally finished all my exams, so I have time to write out a full update on this boy! Unfortunately, it’s not the best one. This last week Cameo has really been struggling. He’s not gaining enough weight, doesn’t have a great appetite, and has developed horrible diarrhea. It’s leaking out of him and there’s been a more recent development—occasional blood in his stool. He’s been getting butt baths and Vaseline to avoid getting rashes. He’s gone through Panacur, ponazuril, and Albon. He’s been given sub Q fluids, B12, probiotics, a single dose of Diagel, and Pedialyte in his formula and slurry (which is being force-fed). We went into the shelter clinic today where I picked up metronidazole, which treats for giardia and infection. His fecal exam didn’t reveal anything, but we’re guessing it’s a false negative. Through all of this, he’s remained alert and somewhat active although while Braeburn and Gala are learning to play and chase toys, he spends most of his day sleeping on his heating disc. Fingers crossed the metro is the answer here. It’s crushing my heart that he isn’t happy and thriving. If anyone has any suggestions or similar experiences, I’m open to hearing them!
windycityfosters
Cameo update! Today is his fourth day of metronidazole. He’s had a few improvements…his diarrhea has gone from a chunky yellow to a normal brown color. The smell has also improved massively. Unfortunately, he still has a leaky butt and occasional fresh blood in his stool. The shelter is discussing adding amoxicillin to his treatment (EDIT: decided to hold off on antibiotics while trying a new diet to avoid potentially harmful side effects!). The clinic is pretty certain it isn’t a parasite related considering his litter mates have perfect poops. At this point, we’re trying everything we can to promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria.
One thing I am ecstatic about is his weight gain! In the past two days, he’s gained 150 grams. This is a huge relief after he gained little to nothing for the past week and a half despite force-feeding him every 3 hours. I can already feel more muscular padding on his ribs and hips. This tells me that at least his body is absorbing nutrients and it’s not all being lost to diarrhea. I’m guessing that is the metronidazole doing its job.
So that’s where we’re at! Diarrhea is still present but getting better. Weight gain is great. I’m cautiously optimistic that things are looking up for this little guy! He can’t wait until he never has to have another butt bath again!♥️
