Angelica my Persian cat has just lost her complete litter of three......I am
still not over the schock and need to know the cause!
The birth was about four days too early, but everything went normal, and
was a quick birth. Afterwards there just wasn't any milk - I know this can
sometimes happen, but to me she didn't show enough interest in the babies
and left them alone in the box. Later the same day the vet came to give
her an Oxytocin injection, and I continued every 2 hours to give this in her
mouth, but with no real results. Next day she had a scan, to see if there
was anything left inside from the birth, apart from some air - all was O.K. Even though she was given then a second Oxytocin injection, she only had later slight milk, but by next day it was detiorating again, and now there is no more milk. All the babies died at just 3 days old - my vet had found nothing wrong with them; only the mother never had milk early enough and she never really looked after them properly.
By the way, Angelica is just two years old and this was her second litter - she previously had four babies without any problems and was the perfect mother, so this was the last thing I expected was going to happen. Has anyone been through something like this - what can be the reason for no milk coming through?? I shall be so nervous when next time she has babies!!
PLEASE can someone help me with this big worry??

[QUOTE=carolS;1177344]Angelica my Persian cat has just lost her complete litter of three......I am
still not over the schock and need to know the cause!
The birth was about four days too early, but everything went normal, and
was a quick birth. Afterwards there just wasn't any milk - I know this can
sometimes happen, but to me she didn't show enough interest in the babies
and left them alone in the box. Later the same day the vet came to give
her an Oxytocin injection, and I continued every 2 hours to give this in her
mouth, but with no real results. Next day she had a scan, to see if there
was anything left inside from the birth, apart from some air - all was O.K. Even though she was given then a second Oxytocin injection, she only had later slight milk, but by next day it was deteriorating again, and now there is no more milk. All the babies died at just 3 days old - my vet had found nothing wrong with them; only the mother never had milk early enough and she never really looked after them properly.
By the way, Angelica is just two years old and this was her second litter - she previously had four babies without any problems and was the perfect mother, so this was the last thing I expected was going to happen. Has anyone been through something like this - what can be the reason for no milk coming through?? I shall be so nervous when next time she has babies!!
I just wouldn't want to go through all this again. Is there something I can
give BEFORE the birth, to help the milk start

PLEASE can someone help me with this big worry??[/QUOTE

Okay, reposting because no one has answered in *four minutes* is a little ott I'm sorry this has happened to you, there are several experienced breeders that kick about on these forums, just given them a bit more than four minutes and someone will be along soon with some advice

__________________
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Electra - silver Egyptian Mau
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And 6 little balls of silver spotty fluff! OMG KITTENZ etc

Didn't you try hand rearing the kittens?

Liz

Hello Liz!
On Saturday when I saw that the mother wouldn't allow the babies to
suckle, I took the three babies to a person who can successfully bottle
feed kittens(I can not successfully do this - have tried many times, but
too frightened the milk will go into the lungs). While they were there,
they then didn't have the suck reflex anymore. What was actually needed
was someone who could feed them with a tube into the stomach......that
is hard to find! I feel I didn't get enough help from my vet concerning the
babies.

Sorry this has happenend
Notthe same but ive just done a 2 weks stint feeding 8 pups as mum was ill .
My vet showed me how to feed them ,suprised your vet couldnt /didnt try to show you .
Hows your girl doing now ?

hey, carol! :--)

i dunno about there in the UK, but here in the USA practically any vet-tech can demo the art of tube-feeding - it is not that complicated, so long as U watch the amount fed per meal (not to overload nor skimp), and make sure ALL equipment is thoroughly cleaned.

having a dedicated tube per infant is also a good idea - just in case ONE gets ill, all the others need not have the diarrhea, pinkeye, whatever it might be; one less route of contagion.

i would get instruction for tube-feeding BEFORE she comes into her planned breeding heat, and give her at least 3 to 4-mos to get over this lost litter - she gave up body condition to build them, and needs to get her calcium, etc, back for her own health / use.
U would also need an accurate set of scales - to ensure that every kit is gaining daily as they ought to, and catch any problems on the hop.

there are also excellent websites for DIY instructions on tube-feeding - i would seek out an experienced breeder-mentor, or a vet-tech, or a SHELTER, and learn by doing a bit. then find the on-line instructions, print off a copy, and have that by as a reference, in case U forget anything...

hands-on learning + practice, plus a cheat-sheet, should get U thru the next litter safely, and the kits + mom, too! i would guesstimate that by mid-April she might be physically recovered from her preg, and ready for her long-day heats + a breeding. that would mean kittening in June or so.
plenty of time to get practiced + comfy with the process...

cheers,
--- terry

__________________
terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

Was it possibly a blood group incompatibility? I've no idea if Persians have this problem, but if so, it is possible mum knew something was up and so let nature take it's course. Obviously it is hard to watch the whole litter die, but hand rearing would have seemed the next option, young ones go downhill so quickly. Were they warm enough? Were you weighing them every day? etc. Sometimes these things just happen and there is nothing you can do. My thoughts are with you.

__________________
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Yes I agree, if Mum didn't want them she may well have known something was wrong with them. Not sure how long you left it before trying to hand rear, if they were already dying it would have been too late, but as newborns can survive a surprising amount of time as long as they are warm enough, that may well not be it.

They need to be warm before you hand feed them. With only three kittens and Mum absent, it could well be that was why they wouldn't feed.

Liz

Hi I had a litter 9 weeks ago and my queen Blossom also did not produce any milk. She had an injection the night of the birth and nothing so I had to hand feed. They were so small they couldnt take a feeding bottle and so I had to use a small syringe. (I know it can be scary in case you drown them but if you do it slower they will usually spit it back out before they allow it into their lungs or so I have found) You need to try and learn this as it is vital as young kittens go downhill fast if they dont feed and get cold. My kittens were so small smallest was 48g but all 3 are now doing well and weigh 900g. Blossom had to have another Oxytocin injection the next morning and then her milk slowly came but only after she calmed down. Was your cat stressy after the birth my vet thought this could be stopping her milk, when I had to move the babies to feed them she became aggitated, how was your cat.

So sorry you have had to go through this, perhaps the other ladies are right and it was a gene problem mothers usually know best. Have you used the stud before?