It turns out that poor baby Rascal has Distemper.

My sister said it is unlikely he will survive but IF he makes it passed 5 days he SHOULD be ok.

Currently I am doing antibiotics, enema fluids, bottlefeeding and keeping him warm, comfortable and safe.
He still has such a will to live but I know his chances are slim. Its not going to be easy but this is the down side of what I do, and it didnt help that the cows milk he was being given ripped his intestines to shreds.

I do hope little Rascal makes it---wishing him all the best.... and I'm adding Rascal to my prayer list.....

Here are some new pictures of him. He's so darling and UGH I'm just not going to cry!

It's is so rewarding when a rescue has a happy ending but on the other end, there is so much death and pain and sadness and the lives involved are alwasy so innocent!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b105/rod...pg?t=1243664702
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b105/rod...pg?t=1243664800
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b105/rod...pg?t=1243664832

Ooooh how precious---come on Rascal, you can make it...and yes you are right rodeo about the death, sadness and pain that involves little innocent lives....

Good luck. I know that you are giving it your very best and hopefully things will turn out well. At least the little fellow had someone who cared and went the extra mile just for him. We all appreciate the work and sacrifice you are making.

He's so adorable he just has to make it. There is a lot of spunk in those little eyes. I hope that with your awesome care that he'll be OK

He is so cute

Sending poititve thoughts your way...

What a precioua kitty!
I have heard froma vet assistant that small amounts of Gatorade will help. They saved a dog wirh Parvo using Gatorade and you kn0ow how hard Parvo is to fight.

It has a lot of sugar, so they can't take a lot of it. Maybe an eyedropper full a day.

The lactose is broken down into something else in yogurt, so that would be a good thing to fight it also. It's not at all like giving a milk or dairy product. At this point, I'd try anything.

Sending prayers for little Rascal.....

Currently he can't keep down oral fluids. IV fluids don't generally work on Distemper babies as the fluids aren't absorbed into the system quickly enough and the baby can't hydrate. The enema fluids are about the only thing we can do until he can keep it down orally. In a normal, hydrated kitten, the enema would come right back out but in a dehydrated baby, they are not only all retained but also nearly instantly absorbed into the baby's system which is what he needs at this point.
I have been continuing to feed him and he's on an antibiotic to prevent a secondary infection (which is usually the ACTUAL cause of death in a dog with parvo or cat with Distemper....secondary infection due to all of the white blood cells being destroyed OR dehydration)....So we will just have to wait and see what happens over the next few days.

Parvo and Distemper are ESSENTIALLY the exact same virus. They work in the same exact way only Parvo can only be caught by dogs and Feline Distemper is only caught by cats. Also, Distemper is more often a fatal disease although they BOTH have a very high fatality rate.

I was always close to my sister but let me tell you, the things she does for me and for animals in need is just incredible. I have learned so much from her and would not be able to save 3/4 of the animals I do without everything I have learned from her.

Best of luck with little Rascal!

Praying things turn out well.I had the same thing happen to me many years ago when I took in a stray kitten.Since then there have been many rescues in our house and some very happy endings.I hope yours turns out to be one too