I filled out the necessary paperwork, completed the phone interview, and scheduled a training session with one of the neonatal program directors. Since I am trained in the medical field I offered to help foster some of the special needs cases.
About a week later we were contacted with our first case: Elliot!
When we went to pick up Elliot we were fully de-briefed on our special little boy; Elliot was almost five weeks old but weighed less than 200 grams (7 1/2 ounces). That is the weight of a three or four day old kitten. He was SEVERELY underweight due to digestive issues; he threw up everything he ate and was not eating on his own at all. Usually a 5 week old kitten is well on their way to being weaned and gobbles up food as soon as it is provided. Elliot was still being force-fed with a syringe. On top of his weight and digestive issues, he had a severe case of ringworm.
Things were looking pretty dire for little Elliot. The program director was sure that if he was left in the shelter he would fade and die within a few weeks.
We brought Elliot home and prepared for a hard few weeks: feedings every three-to-four hours, injections of fluid and antibiotics daily, and a slew of oral medications.
Within the first week Elliot started eating on his own. By the end of the second week he had tripled in weight! At his first checkup at the end of the two weeks, the prognosis was great! Little Elliot was healthy enough to begin the treatment for his ringworm.
It. Was. Terrible!
Elliot turned out to be extremely allergic to the lime-sulfur dip that is used to treat ringworm in kittens. Within two days of his first treatment almost a quarter of his fur had fallen out.
Poor Baby!
So, the dip-treatment was discontinued and Elliot was again started on antibiotics to combat the nasty skin infection that the treatment had given him. In addition we were given some little kitten sweaters (made from children's socks) to help keep him warm.
Here's Elliot in his little hipster-kitten gear.
Elliot is now 9 weeks old and almost 2 lbs in weight. He is well on the road to recovery and will soon start an oral treatment for his ringworm.
Diagnosis: Success!
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