[Lisac27]

Hi, my 5 kittens had their first vaccination yesterday evening. The vet said they may be a little quieter than normal but they should be fine.
However one of my girls has vomited twice in the last half an hour. She has eaten normally and been fine all day, until she refused her last meal at about 7 and began vomiting soon after.
This is my first litter so I'm not sure if this is a normal reaction, all the other kitties are fine. Can someone tell me if she is ok?
Thanks

 

[catcoonz]

i would phone the vet and just ask what they think.
i have had kittens be very quiet for 3 days but none have actually been sick.
best to be safe not sorry... hope all goes well.

 

[wicket]

My first litter had their first vaccinations two weeks ago and one was very quiet for few days and didnt gain any weight for over a week, although he is gaining well again now. I would take Catcoonz advice and ask your vet x

 

[havoc]

Watch the kitten, watch it's weight as they can lose a frightening amount very quickly with this sort of reaction. Try to keep it hydrated if it's vomiting. Syringe rehydration fluid in little and often.

 

[Lisac27]

Thank you for you advice everyone. The kitten seems a lot better today. The vet said to keep an eye on her and feed her white fish as its gentle on her tummy.
She was sick some food in the night but has kept her breakfast down, so fingers crossed. She hasn't lost any weight thankfully, but I will be keeping an eye on that as well.
I'm dreading telling her new owners that she has a poorly tummy, I will probably wait until she is better

 

[catcoonz]

why do you need to tell the new owners she has a poorly tummy, its only the first vaccinations and you should always keep a kitten for at least a week after vaccines anyway, this would just put many people off for no reason.

 

[spid]

Vaccinations often make kittens a little poorly - it's a side affect not an illness - no need to tell the new owners, if would just worry them unnecessarily (if you want to say something - when they pick her up just tell them she had a mild reaction to the vacs but that is very normal and she's fine now, but to keep an eye on her when she has her annual booster.)

 

[Lisac27]

Thanks spid I will do that. I read that it is advisable to give the kitten antihistamine before a vaccination if they had a reaction in the past, just as a precaution. I mentioned this to my vet as I'm dreading her next one in 3 weeks, so hopefully they can prevent nasty side effects next time

 

[Notnowbernard]

Hi Lisa, I don't have any experience of first vaccinations in kittens but I re-homed my siamese girl Rosie from a breeder and had to re-start her vaccinations. She had a very frightening reaction to it, she kicked her legs like she had some sort of neurological disorder, was very uncomfortable and unhappy and had extremely hot ears.

Obviously I was very concerned to take her back for the second jab, but on the vets recommendation I gave her half a piriton a day in the week leading up to the second vaccine and there was no reaction.

I would definitely speak to your vet about the piriton but my main reason for posting this is that Rosie's reaction was very different and I'm not sure a piriton would help your kitten in the same way.

Out of interest, did you get the kittens vaccinated against FeLV?

 

[Lisac27]

I can't believe it but I came home today and another kitten was displaying the same symptoms of lethargy and vomiting. It looked like he had been vomiting for a while, I feel so bad I wasn't here for him
He was rushed to the vet as he seemed really out of it and could hardly be bothered to move. The vet gave him anti biotics and an anti- emetic and some hydration powders for me to give him. He basically said it would be touch and go because he was pretty sick, but they could do no more for him than I could do at home

So I have spent the last 2 hours syringe feeding him and he is now rushing around my front room. I can't believe a kitten go get so sick in such a short space of time (4 hours from hubby seeing him til I got home) and then back to almost normal a few hours after that.
He is still refusing food but I hope that will change soon.

 

[havoc]

Don't stop giving the rehydration fluids until he's eating well again. Even once he's eating and drinking it wouldn't hurt to leave rehydration fluids in place of drinking water. They aren't a prescription item so you might choose to have some in your cupboard for emergency use in future. I do go on about them I know but being able to get them started quickly can make a huge difference.

 

[Lisac27]

I wish I already had them in my cupboard and will definitely get some for future use. They turned a very sick kitty into a cheeky gorgeous baby. I'm so glad he's ok, I never realised how heartbreaking this can be

 

[havoc]

I'd guess your vet gave you Lectade or something similar. It is brilliant but pricey. Royal Canin do a cheaper version which is good enough to have in. Having looked for an example I've also come across a great deal - you won't find it cheaper than this as petplanet have it on at half price.

Royal Canin CanineFeline Rehydration Support 15x29g Royal Canin Vet Diets Dog: All for Sale

 

[OrientalSlave]

It costs pennies to make your own oral rehydration fluid as and when needed. There are lots of recipies on the internet and you should check the quantities, but it's something like a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of sugar in a liter of boiled water.