Kittens and Heat Stroke: Symptoms and Remedies

You guys! Has it finally warmed up where you are? Or perhaps gotten even hotter? I can’t commiserate with you because I’m in the comfort of my air conditioned little condo, but I look outside and I can just see the flowers wilting. Well, not only do flowers wilt, but kittens can wilt, too!

Back with us today, we have Tammy from Feral Fixers in Lombard, IL. Last time, she gave us some great advice on keeping kittens warm and healthy. This time, she’s here to give us some advice on what to do if you find kittens who might be suffering from the intense heat! Although Tammy is not a vet, she’s a seasoned cat rescuer and has seen this many times and her advice can save some tiny lives in a pinch until you can get your little rescues to a veterinarian. Please note that this advice is not for treating your own cats at home! This is for saving outdoor kittens who wouldn’t make it otherwise. If you have health questions about your own cats, consult your veterinarian.

Hit it, Tammy! Tell me, how do you know if kittens are suffering from the heat?

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Kittens under heat stress usually stretch out and mouth breathe.  In that case, the first thing to do is bring them in where its cool or at least take something frozen, wrap it well in a towel and set it next to them to start cooling their bodies.  Do not put it over them! Leave them enough room to move away but give them the option.  Syringe water into their mouths – 3mls can make a life or death difference – 10 mls would be great!  If you have the ability to do subQ fluids,  warm the fluids up to normal body temperature – cold subQ is painful to everyone, and do 5 – 10 mls per pound, up to 30 mls total for a 3 – 4 lb kitten – (This is just what has worked for me. I am sure there is a formula that someone could provide but I tend to go on gut instinct.)  10 mls of subQ can also be life-saving.  If they have not been under heat distress for a long time, this can help them bounce back quickly.

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Part of heat stress is upper respiratory symptoms.  If their noses are gummy and they cannot breathe, clean their faces with simple water and a Kleenex or something soft, at the very least loosen the buildup of mucus.  If you can, use a syringe or even a tissue to put a few drops of plain water into their nostrils – same as Little Noses for human children, it loosens everything up and gets the gunk moving out.

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The kittens eyes may be inflamed.  Part of any stress in kittens is that their eyes get inflamed and gunky.  Clean and don’t immediately medicate; give them 24 hours to improve. If no improvement is seen in that time or the are worsening, until you can get to a vet, using Neosporin WITHOUT PAIN RELIEF can keep their eyes lubricated, reducing any damage.  The pain relief can cause damage to the eyes so be very, very careful if you do this.  This is the same stuff the vet dispenses, calling it 3 in 1 or neopolybactin.

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Deworm them for roundworms as soon as possible.  The dehydration can cause the worms to jam up their digestive systems even faster than usual, so along with hydration, those worms need to be kicked out before they can do any more damage.  There is an off-the-shelf roundworm dewormer available at Walgreen’s and Walmart.  Different medication than you would get from the vet, but in most cases does just as good a job.

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