shelter's kittens crashing from mysterious ailment-

[barbaraLo]

i just returned to the local rescue shelter and they've been having alot of kittens crashing after someone dumped 13 -all different sizes and colors-on them a few weeks ago. it starts with a slight URI however when the kittens were put on clavamox, before a week passes, they suddenly spike 106 fever and crash. anyone elsehaving this problem? I seem to recall a similar situation in california last year(?). (some kittens did throw up green bile but not all). it is not affecting the adult cats at all.(thank god!)

[Traci]

The situation in CA and elsewhere was distemper. Other rule outs would be salmonella, toxoplasmosis, calicivirus or associated conditions, and feline infectious disease (FELV/FIV/FIP) . Your shelter needs to get a qualified vet in to agressively test for all of the above before an epidemic breaks out in your town or neighboring counties, etc, and the shelter needs to be isolated until the problem is isolated and remaining kittens are treated effectively. This also includes strict cleaning and isolation throughout every area of the shelter (quarantine)

[barbaraLo]

the sick kittens were sent to vets-3 in fact-and neither has any idea what it could be. I will make sure all the above possibiities were explored, though. and yes, they have been cleaning etc. however this time of year people keep dumping their "beloved pets" or "miracle of life" kittens, they wanted their idiotic children to view.....

[Traci]

Toxo, hemobart, or other virals/fungal/immunological potentials often require outside lab testing to confirm. The shelter needs to forego "office politics" and get the vets to send feline serologies out ASAP. When an epidemic breaks out, there is no time to question the politics, the task at hand needs to be done effectively in order to apply the solution.

Don't know the entire story of course, just know that most shelters don't or won't ammend office policies, and it's the animals who suffer. If they are under a city contract for example, then it's the vets who need to get involved and get the ball rolling toward testing, etc. If the vets aren't willing to reduce the costs for outside lab testing, then the shelter needs to come up with the funding pronto, or the problem will only escalate.