Flat-chested Kitten Syndrome

Success (well..99%). Nigel's ribcage is basically back to normal! There is a small indent at the end of the sternum, but otherwise I can hardly tell that he used to be deformed, he chest is so nice and round.

At six weeks, he is now 1lb 6 oz and his brother is 1lb 10oz. They're getting so big!

That is just fabulous!!

I won't have the same result, but my boy will live and will just be a little breathless.

I'm sure lots of love and attention helps, and you certainly gave him that

I always thought that he was just squished in the womb...his brother and he are so big and momma was so tiny...luckily being so young, he was still growing and his bones actually could fix themselves. I also think that being out of the hoarders house (his momma had stuffed him and his brother into the teeniest clean spot ever...super squished) and being in a place where he could roam and grow was a big factor. So I glad we could save him! He's my little cuddlebug- he'll snuggle up under my chin

Nigel was adopted today- a lovely family who actually adopted another of my fosters almost 2 years ago!

I acquired a new group of kittens...and this time a little girl has the concave chest. Her case is very extreme. She is 6 weeks old and half of her ribs are normal...the other half is shaped like a boomerang- the ribs come down and straight back up again.

Her heart is in the right place (literally)...but her lungs are not being protected by the ribcage at all on the bottom. She does breathe odd and is much smaller than her brother.

ClaraAdele said:

Nigel was adopted today- a lovely family who actually adopted another of my fosters almost 2 years ago!


Her heart is in the right place (literally)...but her lungs are not being protected by the ribcage at all on the bottom. She does breathe odd and is much smaller than her brother.

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Brilliant that Nigel found a great home!

The girl with the concave chest.. do you mean that the top ribs are normal and the lower are concave?  If her lungs are not protected by her ribs, then what is her diaphragm attached to? Normally it attaches to the sternam and lower ribs, and the diaphragm is essential for breathing to occur.  Whatever is happening, I'm afraid it doesn't sound very good.

It doesn't feel very good either. The front half (the top and bottom closest to her head) is normal. The back (top and bottom, closest to her stomach) is the extreme part. The ribs go down her sides like they should, but then fold straight back up, instead of coming around to meet at the bottom.

I have no clue what her diaphragm is attached to...she is much worse than Nigel ever was. Also, by the time he was 6 weeks, he was already very much improved.

Her name is Viola. She is over 1/2 a pound less than her brother, Vincent- whose ribcage is totally normal.

I've already emailed the rescue person I work with. I told her everything I can feel. We noticed it when a vet tech was giving her an ultranasal vaccine- turned her on her back to put the drops in her nose and eyes and she suddenly started breathing extremely oddly. The vet tech is legally not allowed to diagnose, but she did say that the ribcage was not normal and should be looked at by a vet asap.

Her brother is getting fixed thursday- he's big and already over 2 lbs. Hopefully we can slip her in as well to check her out.

ClaraAdele, if you look at the xray and pictures I posted early in this thread, it sounds like funnel chest.  Is there a pretty obvious indentation going right in at the lower ribs?

If the kitten is gasping from breath, there is a big problem.

This is what my boy has, but it isn't so bad that it impacts the internal organs fatally.. he just gets breathless easily.. 

They can try to fix it if it is extreme, but (here in Australia at least) it is expensive and there's no guarantee it will be 100% effective.  It also needs to be done early.  She certainly won't be spayed as her breathing is probably too compromised for anaesthetic.  I went to a specialist cat vet to have my boy done.

Yeah...it's like someone pushed the back half of her sternum up to her spine. Keeping an eye out for gasping...we only noticed gasping when we turned her on her back.

Yes... it is called Pectus Excavatum or Funnel Chest, and, as I wrote before, it really depends on the severity.

Here is what my Cat Clinic says on their website:

 http://www.thecatclinic.com.au/medical-and-health-info/pectus-excavatum/

At 6 weeks old you just don't know how it will impact as she grows.  I was asked whether my boy would stop regularly and pant, which he did a little, but only after really strenuous exercise.  His looked really bad as a tiny kitten.  You'll see the list of symptoms on the website....

Unless the Rescue org can afford the surgery, I'm afraid it's a waiting game. The surgery doesn't immediately fix it.. it involves applying a cast... see this site:

http://www.vetsurgerycentral.com/pectus.htm

Lots of !!!

We're hopefully going to get an appointment with our vet on Thursday. But seeing the difference between her and my previous boy....her future is pretty shaky. I don't think the rescue could afford the surgery and the way I feel it...I think if her ribcage tried to fix itself, it would expand against the lungs and suffocate her...

Crossing our fingers for a miracle here- she's a purry little thing, absolutely darling.

And you know there is no guarantee with the surgery (just in case you feel concerned that they could not afford it).

My boy did look really bad as a kitten but got a lot better. With Flat Chest syndrome (which it sounds like what Nigel had) the kittens will do well if they survive very early kittenhood. But with the PE, the problems can come as they grow.. I'm sure you can see how that would happen from the look of the ribcage.

Let us know how you are going with her.  I do hope she makes it 

Sometimes being in a rescue is very hard. I've been told we cannot afford to spend the money just to find out something we cannot fix. And I cannot afford to bring her to the vet myself, being a broke college student.

I suppose I am just going to have sit and watch and hope.

You're doing the very best you can for her and she is very lucky to have you.

You really need to know that.


 

Viola is now with another foster. She is accompanying little Violet, her foster sister who is having trouble gaining weight. Luckily, this foster knows a vet, took one look at her chest and said she would bring Viola to the vet to be looked over.

My parents have said that if the vet says she is unfixable (because they would not be able to put her under with the breathing problems) and/or if they say she just won't make it very long, I can adopt her myself and keep her until that time comes. She will just stay with the other foster until Violet is at a good weight and ready to be fixed and go to a good home (we believe Violet has a sensitive stomach, we just need to find a food for sensitivity that she will be ok on. And she's a siamese mix, so she's picky as can be.)

That's an excellent outcome.

Keep us posted!

Viola has been seen by the vet!

Her syndrome is very extreme, but so far everything looks good. Her lungs are not being crushed or improperly formed and her heart is protected by the part of the ribs that is normal. We'll keep checking her, but it looks like she will have a pretty good lifespan as of now

ClaraAdele said:

Viola has been seen by the vet!

Her syndrome is very extreme, but so far everything looks good. Her lungs are not being crushed or improperly formed and her heart is protected by the part of the ribs that is normal. We'll keep checking her, but it looks like she will have a pretty good lifespan as of now

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That is good news.  Fingers crossed!