How can I save a kitten with head injury occurred in an accident?

Question

Two days ago, I found a nearly dead kitten with eyes open in the street. I rushed him to the vet and they injected him some vitamin and anti-inflammatory and said his spine has been moved and he won't be able to have balance. They told me to feed the kitten chicken water and milk with a syringe if he survives.

The first day, he wasn't moving at all and was mostly asleep without any whispering but just breathing.

The second day, he began to get up and move a couple of steps, then falling to his left side.

Now, he is crying sometimes with eyes barely open and moving in circles, but again, falling to his left side and it seems to me he's been improved with his condition.

I'm still feeding him and hope for him to get better and maybe I can save his life.

My question is, will he be able to walk again with no assistance and no problems? How long would it take? Is there any chance that he won't survive?

And also, what can I do to make sure he gets what he needs right now to get better, other than feeding him and watching him?

Answer 1

This question is almost impossible to answer. The only reason why I don't close it is that you've already been to the vet and they didn't give you any answers either. No-one can know whether he will survive or not.

You should not feed milk to cats, it could cause diarrhea. A better alternative is a teaspoon of yogurt or any of the alternatives listed in this question. If the little guy was hit on the head, he will probably have difficulties eating solid food, so a thickened broth or even soaked bread can help. Of course the ideal solution would be canned or dry cat food soaked in water until he can eat properly again.

Don't forget to offer fresh water in a bowl.

As to the medical problems, I can only guess the extend of his injuries. He probably fractured some bones, so you should give him a soft place to rest and make sure he isn't attacked or harrassed by any other animal. It can take a week or two before animals with fractured bones start moving around again and it takes at least 4 weeks for the bones to heal properly.

Since his spine is injured, don't grab him, shake him, pick him up or touch him on the back for at least 4 weeks. If a vertabra is fractured, that could cause even more damage and in the worst case leave him paralyzed.

If his skin is injured as well, you should keep an eye on the wound to make sure there are no infections or flies. There isn't much else you can do here.

Don't give the cat any medication for humans, those could poison him. Please read more in this post or ask your vet for suitable medication.

Since the injury is new, there's a chance that he gets used to whatever is wrong with his spine and regains his balance. But there's also the chance that nerves were damaged and he will never be able to balance again. That doesn't mean he can't have a happy life despite his disability. Only time will tell how well he recovers.