nursing kittens
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bubblesmom
nursing kittens
I have a first time mom who had a litter of 5 kittens but we are down to only 2 (3 weeks old) and I just noticed most of her nipples are crusted and dried but she is full of milk in these that the kittens will not nurse from because they are so badly crusted/scabbed. She only has 1 really good nipple and one that is okay but they are almost flat like there isn't much milk in them at all. Is there anything I can do to get these back in shape to use? Should I bottle feed the kittens some as well? I am not sure what to do. Thanks so much in advance for any advice.
either wash them of with mild soap and water and then
rinse and dry them well or get some Dr. Lagears Bag Balm (drug store) and softent them up and then clean with fresh water...you gotta get that cakiness off and them cleaned...ASAP
You should get your kitty to your vet for a thorough exam, on the offchance this is mastitis, it will worsen quickly, so don't take that chance.
Yes, you should start supplementing the two kittens left with kitten formula (please only use KMR Kitten formula, the dry mix is preferrable, easy to mix and unmixed canister can remain in fridge up to 3 months).
You can probably start weaning them next week or the following week, at 4 weeks of age, they should start showing interest in solid food (Iams canned kitten food is a good starter food). Be patient, some kittens aren't ready to be weaned until nearly 6 weeks of age.
First things first, get momma kitty seen by your vet immediately. He can then tell you about her condition, and will be able to provide you with kitten formula and nursing kits.
Yes, you should start supplementing the two kittens left with kitten formula (please only use KMR Kitten formula, the dry mix is preferrable, easy to mix and unmixed canister can remain in fridge up to 3 months).
You can probably start weaning them next week or the following week, at 4 weeks of age, they should start showing interest in solid food (Iams canned kitten food is a good starter food). Be patient, some kittens aren't ready to be weaned until nearly 6 weeks of age.
First things first, get momma kitty seen by your vet immediately. He can then tell you about her condition, and will be able to provide you with kitten formula and nursing kits.
..........Traci