URGENT PLEASE HELP

[Ash]

Well, the one thing that is good about India is that usually the vets do house calls for only a small extra fee. And even a cattle vet will be able to administer a rabies and other vaccine. (Just make sure to check with Traci about where to give the shots - it's important.)

I would check that posh vet out though, that's better still than government cattle vets. We have those kinds here too, they work mainly with dogs and know at least some of the common illnesses of dogs and cats. The rest you have to research yourself. I always check the dosis for cats before starting mine on any meds, and also I found that they do not use specific feline ranges for blood tests, they seem to know only the ranges for dogs (and cattle) and just assume it's the same for cats (and it isn't). It's often hard to get through to them, they are kind of "who is SHE to tell me how to read a blood profile??" But what to do? The cats need a vet from time to time, so I have to battle on. Like I said, I now found a female vet who at least listens to me when I tell her what I learned on the Internet. Hopefully, that posh canine vet in your area is open minded too. In an emergency he would certainly be the better option than any large animal vet, so in any case I would make sure you have his phone number and know where his surgery is located.

For how long has BeadyWhite not eaten? One typical disease for cats is fatty liver (a deterioration of the liver) which can happen when a cat doesn't eat for more than 2 or 3 days. Please watch her closely, her food intake, behaviour. If she shows signs of lethargy and eats less and less she is in danger and has to be treated.

Now I'm scaring you again, but it's true, cats can get this disease easily ...

Traci will be able to tell you more exactly what to watch out for.

[Traci]

If you think the kittens' symptoms indicated distemper, you need to notify your vet, or any other vets in the area, they need to know there may be an epidemic in the area and need to be able to take precautions with other pets in the area, including recommending that owners get their cats vaccinated, and kept indoors. They need to be aware of such an epidemic so that if other cats are brought in, that the vets recognize the common signs and symptoms of the disease, can treat properly, and can isolate infected cats until they have been treated appropriately. It's crucial the vets in your area are aware of such an epidemic, because they need to take steps to control the spread of the disease. This disease can claim hundreds of lives of cats, it is easily spread between cats, and the virus can live in the environment for months or years.

I would recommend you do NOT adopt any new kittens or cats, at least for 6 months to a year, and in the meantime, you must de-contaminate your home, using a solution of bleach and water (1 part bleach to 32 parts water), wash and rinse all porous surfaces, and discard all food/water dishes and litterboxes, toys, etc that the kittens came into contact with. Steam clean all carpets, rugs and furniture if possible and allow to dry thoroughly before allowing any pets near them.

There should be a vet available to you who is familier with spaying cats. It's important your kitty is spayed, because for every heat cycle/litter you allow her to have, she is at increased risk for uterine cancer, mammary cancer, urinary tract infections, etc. Since she's already 6 years old, it would be prudent to get her spayed immediately, but she must be in excellent health prior to spaying, so if you suspect she may have had a subclinical infection of distemper, she must be evaluated/examined completely prior to a spay. I would recommend a pre-surgical blood screen prior, that includes a CBC, ALT, BUN, Creatinine and Total Protein.

Keep your kitty and all other kittens/cats you already have Indoors ONLY.