Fading Kitten Protocol
**Adapted from Austin Pets Alive! Resource Documents - http://www.maddiesfund.org/assets/documents/Institute/Austin%20Pets%20Alive!%20Resource%20Documents.pdf
Fading Kitten Syndrome is a life-threatening emergency in which a kitten, sometimes one that was previously healthy, “crashes” and begins to fade away. If not dealt with immediately, it can result in death.
Symptoms:
- Low Body Temperature – the kitten feels cool or cold to the touch
- Extreme Lethargy - not getting up, unable to stand, not responding when pet - Gasping for breath
- Meowing/Crying out
It is caused by 2 things: Hypothermia (being too cold) and Hypoglycemia (not enough blood sugar). When this happens, it is vital that you take these immediate steps!
Step 1- Get them warm:
- Create a “burrito” towel. Immediately wrap the kitten up in a towel like a burrito leaving their face exposed
only. Their whole body, tail, ears, and paws should be in the towel, only nose and mouth exposed. Do not take the kitten out of the towel to adjust them, check on them, etc. - this is very important! Every time you take them out you will make them cold again, even if it is only for a second.
- Wrap a HEATING PAD turned onto *low* around the burrito towel (to avoid burns) as an EXTRA source of heat. Secure it around the towel so it stays in place
Step 2- Get their blood sugar up. Once you get the heat on them,
- Get a bowl or Tupperware and a few tablespoons sugar in hot water.
- Stir it up so you get a sugar-water solution - as strong as possible while still pretty runny.
- Using a syringe or your finger give 3 drops every 3 minutes into the mouth.
- If they aren’t swallowing, try not to get it down the throat, try to get it on the tongue or gums.
- Set an egg timer or use the stopwatch on your cell phone to make sure you are doing it at least every 3
minutes. Every 5 minutes or 10 minutes will not work, it must be every 3 minutes.
Step 3 – Bring the kitten to VCAS:
- Keep kitten with you and continue sugar every 3 minutes.
- They won’t have any extra advice for you that isn‘t in this handout, but they will need to be made aware of what
is going on.
Sometimes it can take hours for them to come out of it. Once they do come out of it, make sure you contact VCAS.
Keep in mind, even with all the love and attention and perfect treatment of this condition, some of them still won't make it.
The Survival Rate with our care FAR surpasses their survival rate in Nature.
**Adapted from Austin Pets Alive! Resource Documents - http://www.maddiesfund.org/assets/documents/Institute/Austin%20Pets%20Alive!%20Resource%20Documents.pdf
Fading Kitten Syndrome is a life-threatening emergency in which a kitten, sometimes one that was previously healthy, “crashes” and begins to fade away. If not dealt with immediately, it can result in death.
Symptoms:
- Low Body Temperature – the kitten feels cool or cold to the touch
- Extreme Lethargy - not getting up, unable to stand, not responding when pet - Gasping for breath
- Meowing/Crying out
It is caused by 2 things: Hypothermia (being too cold) and Hypoglycemia (not enough blood sugar). When this happens, it is vital that you take these immediate steps!
Step 1- Get them warm:
- Create a “burrito” towel. Immediately wrap the kitten up in a towel like a burrito leaving their face exposed
only. Their whole body, tail, ears, and paws should be in the towel, only nose and mouth exposed. Do not take the kitten out of the towel to adjust them, check on them, etc. - this is very important! Every time you take them out you will make them cold again, even if it is only for a second.
- Wrap a HEATING PAD turned onto *low* around the burrito towel (to avoid burns) as an EXTRA source of heat. Secure it around the towel so it stays in place
Step 2- Get their blood sugar up. Once you get the heat on them,
- Get a bowl or Tupperware and a few tablespoons sugar in hot water.
- Stir it up so you get a sugar-water solution - as strong as possible while still pretty runny.
- Using a syringe or your finger give 3 drops every 3 minutes into the mouth.
- If they aren’t swallowing, try not to get it down the throat, try to get it on the tongue or gums.
- Set an egg timer or use the stopwatch on your cell phone to make sure you are doing it at least every 3
minutes. Every 5 minutes or 10 minutes will not work, it must be every 3 minutes.
Step 3 – Bring the kitten to VCAS:
- Keep kitten with you and continue sugar every 3 minutes.
- They won’t have any extra advice for you that isn‘t in this handout, but they will need to be made aware of what
is going on.
Sometimes it can take hours for them to come out of it. Once they do come out of it, make sure you contact VCAS.
Keep in mind, even with all the love and attention and perfect treatment of this condition, some of them still won't make it.
The Survival Rate with our care FAR surpasses their survival rate in Nature.
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