Normal recovery versus warning signs
After a birth it is normal for the queen to have some discharge for a few weeks, to eat noticeably more while nursing and to spend most of her time with settled kittens that nurse and sleep in a warm pile. Warning signs are the opposite picture, a queen who stops eating, has a fever, seems listless or restless, leaves the nest constantly or ignores crying kittens, or discharge that turns foul-smelling or heavily bloody after the first days. Take her temperature if you are unsure, and when in doubt call your veterinarian and describe what you see, a phone call costs nothing and early treatment saves lives.
Mastitis: an inflamed mammary gland
Mastitis means one or more mammary glands become infected or inflamed. Check the glands daily during nursing, an affected gland feels hot, hard and painful and may look reddened or discolored, and the queen may have a fever and refuse to let the kittens nurse. The kittens themselves are a clue, if they cry, seem restless and stop gaining weight the milk supply may be failing. Mastitis needs veterinary treatment, do not try to manage it at home, and the kittens may need supplemental bottle feeding while the gland heals. Contact your veterinarian the same day you suspect it, an untreated gland can abscess quickly.
Eclampsia: a true emergency
Eclampsia, also called milk fever or hypocalcemia, happens when nursing drains the queen's blood calcium faster than her body can replace it, most often during peak lactation with a large litter. Early signs are restlessness, panting and irritability, progressing to trembling, a stiff or wobbly gait, muscle cramps and in the worst case seizures. This is a genuine emergency, go to a veterinarian immediately, day or night, because intravenous treatment works quickly but the condition is life-threatening without it. Never give calcium supplements on your own initiative, dosing must always be guided by a veterinarian.
Metritis, retained placenta and pyometra
Metritis is a uterine infection in the first days after birth, often linked to a retained placenta or kitten, watch for foul-smelling discharge, fever, lethargy and poor appetite, and treat it as urgent, the queen needs a veterinarian the same day and her milk may be affected. Pyometra is a different uterine infection that strikes weeks after a heat rather than after a birth, the queen may drink and urinate more, seem tired, run a fever and have discharge, though a closed pyometra shows no discharge at all. It can become life-threatening quickly and spaying is often the treatment, so any suspicion belongs at the clinic without delay.