stray cat very sick - HELP!

[bearsmomma]

Someone dropped 3 older kittens off on our road and they ended up at my house.  We found a home for one.  The other two are going to a foster home for Because You Care so they can be adopted out.  The lady can't take them until after the fist week of May.  They have been at my house for 2 months.  They seemed very healthy and playful and I've been trying to keep them that way till they go to the foster home where they will get all their shots and get fixed.  I haven't seen the girl cat for a couple of days and today I foulnd her and she is very sick.  Her eyes and nose are runny and she is breathing with her mouth open and she sounds rattlely when she breathes.  And she has lost so much weight in just a couple of days.  I'm  giving her pedilyte every  half hour with a dropper.  I also gave her some juice from some tuna.  My friend had some antibiotic left from her cat.  ( I don't know why she didn't give it all to her cat)  Her cat had an infection after getting spayed.  I gave some to the kitty tonight.  I hope it's ok that I did.  It is called Clavamox.  I called 4 different vets to see if it would be ok and 2 wouldn't tell me that over the phone, and the other two were closed.  I can't afford to take them to the vet.  My dog has cancer and I already have a lot of vet bills.  I also have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 parrots, and  2 chickens and can't not afford to keep two more kittens.  Oh how I wish I could - they are so cute!  I'm so worried though.  I tried to call the lady from the Because You Care that is going to take them in May, but she is on vacation this whole week.  Can anyone give me any advise?  Is the Clavamox ok to give her?  And what else can I do to help her?

[Savas]

Sorry no one else got back to you, I suffered a system crash after days of computer glitching, I THINK I'm running okay again;

How are the cats? Has their been any new developments in the past few days? Have you seen another vet yet? (It COULD have been a blockage that cleared...and hopefully didn't do to much damage in the process). I'd worry about infection as well, if there's a swallowing issue. (This was a few days ago, I hope things have improved!)

T.F., btw, is fine now. It's been some time since he lost that toe. It was years before he'd let us even touch his feet again, though. Apparently the bad memories left him temporarily an anti-foot fetish cat. :)

[bearsmomma]

OH NO!  I don't want my kitty's sick.  I have one older cat (so I really worry about him getting sick) who doesn't go out much, but the other one wants out every day.  I have instructed - no threatened - everyone in this house to not let either one of them out.

I have still been alternating the pedialyte and mothers milk every half hour.  I got the milk from my vet.  It's called Nurtureall-C.  My vet is a homeopathic vet.  I tried to call him when I discovered the kitty sick, but he was closed.  So I called in the morning and he went away on vacation.  Geees....Is everyone on vacation?  The foster lady is too.

And now I really need help.  I just got home about 1/2 hour ago.  I had to leave the kitty for a few hours.  She seemed a little more alert and was purring. When I gave her another dose of the antibiotic dissoved in the pedialyte I noticed she had blood comming out her bottom area. I went and got my husband and by the time I came back it was like a sack or bubble of blood comming out.  Now I'm really freaking out.  It's almost midnight now and tomorrow is Sunday so I can't even call my vet in the morning.

The weird thing is she seemed a little bit better.  She got up and walked around a little, and earlier she drank some water on her own.  She was real wobbly though.  I can't get her to eat though, just the pedialyte and mother's milk, but I force that down her with the syringe.  She seemes to have a hard time swallowing, she keps making a swallowing noise and movement.  

Oh I also checked the boy kitty's teeth to compare the color of them to hers (hers are paler than his) and I discovered while looking in his mouth that he had a fish hook stuck in  there up by his top teeth on the inside of his cheek.  But, thank God it is out now.  I checked on him tonight and it isn't there. I don't know how he got it out, he wouldn't let me near it earlier.

Thats too bad about T. F.  Is he okay now?

Any idea why kitty could be bleeding now?

[Savas]

Yes, it is transmittable to other felines. I'd get them checked for FLV and other illnesses as they are common among strays, and these types of infections in younglings tend to be an indicator of such a health issue (but not always!)

It is startling how quickly these things develop. I tell people to check in with their cats once a day. When ill, they will hide and isolate, as is an animal's nature. We had a big group here at one point due to overage and we lost track of one big fellow. It turned out he'd accidentally torn out a nail (we were aware of it). By day two, we'd dragged him out from under the bed. The foot was swollen three times its size and the toe was gangrenous...it had to be amputated. All in just under 48 hours!!!  (His name is  T.F. (Tiny Friend...he got REALLY big for a runt), I think I've got a picture of him in my p-file)

I'd suggest picking up one of the milk replacers (I use KMR Milk Replacer, powdered, as it stores easier) and a feeding syringe. It's great for sick kitties, high in nutrition. It sounds like you know how to use a dropper/syringe so I won't get detailed on that unless you need to know.

As to the L.E., i've never used it, but i've heard it does work. I think it's .5 3-4 times daily, but I'd google to check to be sure. I'm also not sure about if it contraindicates with the oral antibiotic (don't see why not, but who knows?) so I wouldn't use them at the same time.

[bearsmomma]

Should I give her some echinacea?  I have some liquid echinacea?  I know it's supposed to be good for viral and bacterial infections?

[bearsmomma]

Thanks for responding.  That's what I did, I just gave her the same dose my friends cat took.  They seem to be about the same age and size.  The dosage was 1/2 tablet, twice a day.  She wont eat anything, so I crushed it and dissolved it in some pedialyte and forced down her with a dropper.  She made it through the night!  She doesn't sound as rattlely, but she still wont eat anything, and is so weak.  I just can't believe how fast she got sick.  I hope the boy kitty doesn't get sick also.  Is this something that my other cats will catch from her, because I have brought her in the house and I have two cats  and surely don't want anything to happen to them.?  Maybe I shouldn't have her in my house?  

I will look for that herbal humidifier today, I have a regualar one but not an herbal one.  
Even though she is an older kitten, about 4 - 6 months, I should get the mother's milk?  I will look for that today also.  The closest pet store is about 35 minutes away.  I hate to leave her that long because I've been giving her fluids every 15 minutes, but I will go get it, cuz she wont eat.

I gave her another dose of the antibiotic this morning, I hope it helps.

Thanks

[Savas]

The only thing you need to be sure of is the appropriate dose due to weight (which...I can't recall offhand with clamovox. But I'd go by the dose you're friends cat had. A little math based on milligrams and kitty's weight should tell you what your cat needs).

It sounds like kitty has a respitory infection, which can lead to eye infection and eventually blindness. As soon as she's back, ask the fosterage if they can AT LEAST give her the shots and other treatments. I'll warn you, fosterage's tend to be booked, the workers overwhelmed, so you have to stay on top of it.

You can try getting one of those little herbal humidifiers you get at the drug store, plugging it into the bathroom socket, running the shower, and leaving kitty in it for a half hour 2, 3 times daily.

You should also pick up mother's milk replacer at the pet store (I use KMR), and force feed kitty as instructed with feeding syringe. A big danger with a congested cat is their lack of desire to eat.

If the eyes begin to exude discharge, kitty will need a vet/more antibiotic.