charliebubs
12-11-2006, 04:22 AM
Hi all,
Thank you for all your kind comments on my other thread. Abi had indeed had her kittens, but not without drama.
After my last posting, her labour went on for about 14 hours with no kittens, but she wasn't really straining and wasn't in distress. I made several calls to the local emergency vets during that time, who were great and reassured me. When I woke at 6am yesterday morning there were still no kittens and she had had some bloody discharge during the night.
I called the emergency vets again and was advised to wait until my regular vets opened at 8am and call them as they may want to induce her. By the time 8am came she was in the full throws of labour again and the contractions were coming less than every two minutes. After about half an hour of this, and no kittens, I called the regular vets and was asked to bring her in.
In the time it took me to get dressed, she had the first kitten - which was unfortunately stillborn. This was quickly followed by the second kitten, which was alive. Abi (mother cat) made no attempt to remove the second kitten from its sac, so I did this and severed the umbilical cord. I think she was distressed about the first dead kitten, but I wasn't sure whether removing it would make her more distressed.
I rang my dad for assistance and together we got Abi down to the vets in her kittening box. She had another kitten in the car and again I had to get it out of its sac. The vets then cut this umbilical cord. This kitten was alive.
By now she was pretty exhausted & we weren't sure if she still had more kittens. She was accepting the two live kittens, washing them and letting them try to nurse, although they didn't actually suckle.
She was then given an ultrasound which showed that there were still more kittens. After a hormone injection her contractions started again and she gave birth to the fourth kitten, which again was sadly stillborn. The vet staff did all they could, but it was lifeless.
She then seemed to give up again. She was exhausted, not that interested in her kittens any more and seemed to just want to sleep.
Another ultrasound showed that there was still a kitten inside her and it was alive. She was given another hormone injection, but after 15 mins that hadn't induced her so it was decided that she would need a ceasarian.
She was whisked off for the c-section. The final kitten came out with a heartbeat, but unfortunately didn't live long. The vet staff said that they did all they could for this little kitten too, but it was struggling to breathe. By this time her labour had been going on about 20 hours.
So, we are now home with two kittens!
Abi was very groggy after her op initially, so the vets gave me some formula to feed the kittens, which I have done. They don't seem very enthusiastic, but I have managed to get them to take some and have also cleaned their rear ends.
Abi will now go in with them and lie there for them to suckle, but the kittens haven't suckled so far. My question now is how to encourage them to do so????? Abi is willing and I have tried everything I can think of to attavh them to a nipple, but they don't seem to know what they're doing. Is this normal? They are now about 12 hours old.
Abi also has stitches across her belly now from the c-section (and she was spayed at the same time at my request) and the kittens keep getting their tiny, little claws stuck in them when they are trying to crawl across her belly.
I know this is a tremendously long post - but any advice would be appreciated. At the moment I'm trying to feed them formula every 2 hours to make sure that they are eating something and keeping warm (hence why I'm up at 3.20am!). Abi does go in with them, but it'd not all that voluntarily. Once she's in there she will lay down and let them try to nurse, but she doesn't really go in there off her own back - even when they are crying for her.
I look forward to getting any tips please!!!!!!!!!
Charlie
xx
Thank you for all your kind comments on my other thread. Abi had indeed had her kittens, but not without drama.
After my last posting, her labour went on for about 14 hours with no kittens, but she wasn't really straining and wasn't in distress. I made several calls to the local emergency vets during that time, who were great and reassured me. When I woke at 6am yesterday morning there were still no kittens and she had had some bloody discharge during the night.
I called the emergency vets again and was advised to wait until my regular vets opened at 8am and call them as they may want to induce her. By the time 8am came she was in the full throws of labour again and the contractions were coming less than every two minutes. After about half an hour of this, and no kittens, I called the regular vets and was asked to bring her in.
In the time it took me to get dressed, she had the first kitten - which was unfortunately stillborn. This was quickly followed by the second kitten, which was alive. Abi (mother cat) made no attempt to remove the second kitten from its sac, so I did this and severed the umbilical cord. I think she was distressed about the first dead kitten, but I wasn't sure whether removing it would make her more distressed.
I rang my dad for assistance and together we got Abi down to the vets in her kittening box. She had another kitten in the car and again I had to get it out of its sac. The vets then cut this umbilical cord. This kitten was alive.
By now she was pretty exhausted & we weren't sure if she still had more kittens. She was accepting the two live kittens, washing them and letting them try to nurse, although they didn't actually suckle.
She was then given an ultrasound which showed that there were still more kittens. After a hormone injection her contractions started again and she gave birth to the fourth kitten, which again was sadly stillborn. The vet staff did all they could, but it was lifeless.
She then seemed to give up again. She was exhausted, not that interested in her kittens any more and seemed to just want to sleep.
Another ultrasound showed that there was still a kitten inside her and it was alive. She was given another hormone injection, but after 15 mins that hadn't induced her so it was decided that she would need a ceasarian.
She was whisked off for the c-section. The final kitten came out with a heartbeat, but unfortunately didn't live long. The vet staff said that they did all they could for this little kitten too, but it was struggling to breathe. By this time her labour had been going on about 20 hours.
So, we are now home with two kittens!
Abi was very groggy after her op initially, so the vets gave me some formula to feed the kittens, which I have done. They don't seem very enthusiastic, but I have managed to get them to take some and have also cleaned their rear ends.
Abi will now go in with them and lie there for them to suckle, but the kittens haven't suckled so far. My question now is how to encourage them to do so????? Abi is willing and I have tried everything I can think of to attavh them to a nipple, but they don't seem to know what they're doing. Is this normal? They are now about 12 hours old.
Abi also has stitches across her belly now from the c-section (and she was spayed at the same time at my request) and the kittens keep getting their tiny, little claws stuck in them when they are trying to crawl across her belly.
I know this is a tremendously long post - but any advice would be appreciated. At the moment I'm trying to feed them formula every 2 hours to make sure that they are eating something and keeping warm (hence why I'm up at 3.20am!). Abi does go in with them, but it'd not all that voluntarily. Once she's in there she will lay down and let them try to nurse, but she doesn't really go in there off her own back - even when they are crying for her.
I look forward to getting any tips please!!!!!!!!!
Charlie
xx