Bottle Baby Program - Amazon Web...
Transcript of Bottle Baby Program - Amazon Web...
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 1
Bottle Baby Program
How is this different? Based on Wildlife Center strategy to save baby
wildlife Problem Solving without Euthanizing
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 2
You can start a bo,le baby program anywhere!
Trailer on South Congress
Don’t lose sight of either one
Volunteers and Fosters are equally important
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 3
BB Organiza<onal Chart Bottle Baby Manager
Bottle Baby Foster Coordinator
Bottle Baby Rescue Coordinator
Nursing Mom Coordinator
Volunteer coordinator and mentor
Trainers Data Manager
2 Important External Posi<ons Cat Program & Rescue Manager Oversees anything to do with rescuing cats over 6 weeks old and once our babies turn 6 weeks old.
Cat Adoption Manager Oversees adoption processes, adoption centers and where our kittens go when they are old enough to find forever homes
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 4
How do we get and keep volunteers?
Posi@ve messaging-‐ Social media Signs Orienta@on Fun
Keeping volunteers Train them well Give them ownership Manage expecta@ons Expect turnover Help them Give them specific roles
Protocols Intake Sanita@on Preven@on
Ringworm URI Diarrhea
Illness protocols Fading Ki,en Syndrome URI Ringworm Diarrhea
Feeding/Recipes Outcome Vaccina@ons/Tes@ng/Parasite Control
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 5
What is a Bottle Baby?
Unweaned kittens, usually between 0 and 4 weeks old. The youngest require attention every two hours.
Typical Course for a new BB Picked up from TLAC within 2 hours
by volunteer Tested for felv
If positive, retested with serum If still positive, set up in separate area/
foster If negative, proceed in nursery
Treated for fleas, worms Pen G Injection Charted- intake Fed- charted Set up in kennel, added to white board
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 6
Charts
Intake Feeding/weight Medications Comments/vet
notes
Care Basics Bottle Baby Care includes many steps: sterilize, warm,
feed, medicate, stimulate, clean, warm, sterilize Feeding basics:
mix formula & warm it up record kitten’s weight wrap like burrito, hold upright, and give bottle bottle nipple must be loose to release vacuum if no luck with bottle, try oral syringe record amount consumed
Consider "topping off" young kittens with a second feeding Give meds if applicable
• Stimulate kitten with cotton ball & record output (consistency/color)
• Wipe kitten with baby wipe • If you ever bathe a kitten under 5 weeks old, you should
completely dry them with a warm towel before putting them back in crate. NEVER BLOWDRY! • Check heat source and put kitten back in SECURE crate or
carrier
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 7
Development Milestones Kittens weigh about 3 to 4 ounces at birth (90-110g);
they should double their body weight in the first week.
Eyes open at 7-10 days. If eyes seem to be pus-filled or sealed shut, open and clean with a warm wet cloth until infection clears; if it doesn't, contact the Med Techs.
• Eyes will stay blue until they are about 6-7 weeks old, but true eye color won't settle in until the kitten's about 3 months old.
• At about 3 weeks, they will start crawling around, but can inch around in as early as 4 days.
• At 3½ weeks, the ears will start to stand up.
• At 4 weeks, they'll start to play with each other and develop teeth.
Warmth Single most important care you can provide Cannot maintain own body temperature Mother cat 103°F Snuggle Safe disc (or heating pad w/o auto-
shut off) Never place kittens directly on heating
source • “Nests” get damp, so
always clean bedding for warmth
• Carrier or crate, covered with a blanket in a non-drafty area
• Isolated from other animals
• Kittens must be kept warm when eating
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 8
Healthy Weight Progression
At birth - 3.0 to 4 oz. (90-110g) 2 weeks - 7.0 to 11.0 oz. (200-300g)
dewormed 3-4 weeks - 11.7 to 15.0 oz. (350-450g)
dewormed
5-7 weeks - 1 to 1.5 lbs. (450-700g) 6 wks, 1st vaccinations & begin advertising
8 weeks - 1.7 to 2 lbs. (800-900g) 8 wks AND 2 lbs. schedule for S/N
It is critical that babies are weighed at every meal. Weighing before & after can also tell you how much they are actually ingesting. Over time will indicate trends.
How Much to Feed 1st week 3.7 cc’s per ounce of body weight 2nd week 4.9 cc’s per ounce of body weight 3rd week 5.7 cc’s per ounce of body weight 4th week 6.3 cc’s per ounce of body weight
As long as the kitten does not cry excessively, gains weight, and feels firm to the touch, the diet is meeting his/her nutritional needs.
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 9
What & How Often to Feed
Feeding Intervals < 1 week old = every 2 hours 1-2 weeks old = every 3-4 hours 3-4 weeks old = every 5-6 hours 5-6 weeks old = every 6-8 hours
x
• Food Progression – < 1 week to 3 weeks – formula from bottle or oral syringe – 4-5 weeks – transition to gruel (mixture of formula & wet kitten food) – 6-8 weeks – supplement wet kitten food with kibble (e.g.,Royal Canin BabyCat)
Typical Diseases and Meds URI- doxycycline suspension, zithromax, baytril, or convenia
(depends on severity) Diarrhea- Pen G, kaolin, amoxi, metro, panacur, marquis,
baytril Vomit/Diarrhea- parvo protocol (5mg/kg baytril sq NOT 20mg/
kg) Ringworm- wait on itraconazole, use topicals until >8wks Fleas- tiny drop of frontline or capstar Constipation- mineral oil PO with each feeding – a few drops
per feeding until has bowel movement then stop to prevent diarrhea, sq fluids
Not eating- tube feed, reglan, sq LRS, antibiotic Almost ALL kittens get sick with something! Fading Kitten Syndrome- usually has underlying problem, treat
even if you don’t see it
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 10
Medical Guide URGENT – email or call person on call, start fading kitten protocol first!!!
Diarrhea Abnormal twitches Bleeding from any part of the body Loss or decrease of appetite Lethargic or depressed Breathing heavily, gasping, breath interval is low Head slumped in food/water bowl and can’t wake up Body is completely limp and non-responsive
WATCH CLOSELY Coughing Wheezing Sneezing Tires easily Straining to urinate or defecate – stimulate, consult vet team
if not productive Change in attitude or behavior Behavior that is unusual compared to normal behaviors
Fading Kitten Syndrome
Sometimes kittens just fade Stop growing Lose weight Stop nursing/eating Can’t stay upright Cry continuously
Chronic Illness can also pose problems (e.g., persistent diarrhea even after treatment)
If kitten becomes lethargic/gasping for air: Wrap kitten in heating source/pad, protected with a blanket, like a burrito Make a sugar water mixture (or diluted Karo syrup) and carefully force
feed with dropper or oral syringe Call On Call Person
For more details on medical emergencies with examples, refer to the Austin Pets Alive! Bottle Baby Manual: http://austinpetsalive.wiki.zoho.com/Bottle-Baby-Manual.html
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 11
Aspirating If a bottle baby accidentally gets formula into their lungs while
feeding: Firmly pat kitten’s back until you hear a cough If no coughing, turn baby upside down (tail over head) and shake
GENTLY, then pat back again
Because any fluids in the lungs can lead to infection, it may be necessary to start the kitten on Amoxicillin but consult Med
Techs.
Weaning & Litter Box Training
At about 4-5 weeks, introduce “gruel” to kittens. Gruel is a mixture of wet kitten food & KMR or water. Serve on a flat saucer. At the same time, place a shallow pan for the litter box
nearby so kittens always have access. Use shredded newspaper or non-clumping cat litter. Kittens will walk through their food & be quite messy. Kittens will also start learning to clean themselves. Expect accidents! You can place some of the “waste” in
the litter box so they learn what it’s there for.
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 12
Equipment Fridge Microwave Snugglesafes Blankets Hamster cages Bowls (spill proof) Baby wipe warmer SCALE
Nursery ATre
Smocks for each kennel Gloves Closed toe shoes Hair tied back
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 13
Supplies KMR Bottles Cat litter Cotton balls Hand sanitizer Disinfectant (nonirritating) Towels (small and paper) Canned kitten food Dry kitten food: (Royal Canin Baby Cat Kibble
preferred)
Nursery Coverage
Feeding shiUs-‐ 95% + Volunteers!
ShiU Leaders Feeder board/log Lock box so it can be accessed 24/7
Chart for each li,er
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 14
Communica<on Google Calendar Signup Reminder emails to the people who signed up BB Yahoo group
pros and cons White board Notes Daily Log
Instruc<onal Video Youtube Video on how to feed and care for bottle babies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lifzi3oOVo4&feature=relmfu
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 15
Instruc<onal Video Youtube video on how to feed and care for gruel
babies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFNcs3mCCUQ
Lessons Learned
Weighing ki,ens before AND aUer they eat. Messy gruel babies LOOK like they have eaten a lot when actually they are wearing all of it!
Ki,ens fade fast, and some you can’t save
Vaccinate at 1 #
Trainings -‐ Shadowing is very important
Video to help new volunteers understand the nursery before they start (welcome email)
Too Young to Die: Saving Neonatal Kittens and Parvo Puppies – Ellen Jefferson, DVM
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 25–28, 2012 16
Lessons Learned It is easy to get overwhelmed-
set capacity based on volunteers/staff that you have to feed
Fosters are just as important as the ward and need to be ready to take kittens as soon as they can eat gruel
Sometimes you have to triage- choose between a fading kitten and everyone else who needs to eat Set expectations for that
Don’t Give Up!!!!