Flat Chested Kitten Syndrome

Hi everyone, 

I took on two foster kittens today and noticed as soon as I picked up one of them that they had a flat chest. I googled this because it worried me and the only thing I am seeing is Flat Chested Kitten Syndrome.

However, this seems to be mostly younger kittens. This kitten I got is about 7-8 weeks old. Is this possible for him to have FCKS? I will be getting him to the vets tomorrow (it's almost 11pm here we just got home with them).

They also have patches of hair missing all over their body, it looks like mange in dogs. I have had ringworm kittens before and this doesn't look like ringworm (though I am treating it as it is in the sense I am not letting them anywhere near my animals and washing up well after handling them). The mother cat and father cat at the home I rescued them from and all the other animals looked perfectly fine, however, the entire litter looked the way my two do.

I will try to get photos. Please let me know what you think. Is it even possible for an 8 week old to survive this long with FCKS? I am terrified, don't want to lose any foster babies. But like I said, they will be in to the vet first thing.

Thank you! 

Actually, if the kitten has made it this far with FCKS, it will most likely live. It is first seen when they are born, which is why you are probably thinking it's in younger kittens.  The ones that don't make it are ones whose bones don't expand enough for their hearts to grow fast enough to support their circulation.  If they make it to 7 weeks, they are going to make it.  I've had a couple like that and they grew into fine adults and their bones rounded out.  Early on, they needed help learning to walk because they were "swimmers" and could not get their legs under them, but they learned and grew and it sounds like yours is already to that state, so he/she should be fine.

As for the missing hair, your vet can check with a black light to make sure it isn't ringworm.  It could even be healed ringworm, as the patches go from scaly to just plain naked when they heal, and then start growing hair later.  It could well be scabies, i.e. body mites, i.e. the same thing as mange in dogs.  That is easily treated as well.

I'm sure you will feel calmer after your appointment with the vet.

Hello :-)  I have an 8 week old kitten who has Pectus Exavatum.  We have not done the x-rays yet to determine which form she has.  Have you done any x-rays?

Debbie

Hello everyone, thank you for your replies! I took them to my vet this morning and found out it is ringworm The vet said it is a horrible case, it has been left untreated for a long time. The ones I fostered with ringworm looked so different because we treated it quicker than these ones were treated. I only got them last night. The poor things look dreadful. The vet however, was not sure what was going on with his chest. She took an x-ray and said his heart is shoved over to one side and is not in the middle like normal cats. 

The little guy looks like his arms are spread so far apart. Is it too late to do anything for him to make him any better? The vet wasn't sure if he is going to survive and live to a normal life expectancy. Just got him last night and I started crying hearing that. I wanted a second opinion so I took them to another vet who did the black light and told us it was ringworm. The first vet did a culture so I'll have to wait a week to know for sure but the second vet is pretty positive anyway so we are treating it as ringworm. Will not start oral medication until I get them over their URI and we are confirmed 100%. The second vet just thinks he has a deformity and he may live a normal life expectancy but she can't be sure. But no one said anything about FCKS, I just googled it myself. They will be going to a third vet as soon as I can get them in. I just want a definite answer. I mean obviously I cannot adopt them out until they are completely treated but I need to know if I can adopt the FCKS kitten out at all! If he is not expected to live long, he will stay with me until he passes. (Like I need more devastation! But he would get the best possible home here to live out his life).

I sent out the results to his previous "owners" and they have decided that they are getting their cats in to be neutered ASAP. Thank goodness. As if we need more kittens added to the world, but especially don't need kittens with a ton of issues I feel horrible for these guys. Their names are now Lenny and Liam.

Any other advice is much appreciated. Even information on ringworm, I have treated it before but I am always wanting to learn about more treatment options so I can look in to it! I just want to get them better ASAP.  

Thanks again everyone!