Kitten breathing like he is panting

MServant said:

 
@SuperSam  Has your vet taken an Xray of Ace's chest?    I have read a number of other threads where people have followed catwoman707's advice and it has made an amazing and rapid difference to so many kittens' life.   I do have a little anxiety for Ace however - in case his ribs are not only flattened but also have any curve inward which might make the use of a little jacket inappropriate.  If an Xray hasn't been done please do ask your vet whether they think Ace has 'Flat Chest Syndrome', or 'Pextus Excavatum'.   However, making one using catwoman707's instructions and fitting lightly to prevent Ace's body weight pressing down on his ribs and aggravating the problems he is having for a short period until you can check this with the vet should not do anything other than help your little guy feel easier in his breathing.

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Thank you @MServant  , I had hoped to hear that the gentle squeezing had been done and hear comments from the OP, whether squeezing the sides of his ribcage causes the center to protrude.

I was afraid to mention any other at this point so as not to discourage helping this kitten since there are clearly some hesitations now.

The "deformity" has not been elaborated on yet though....waiting/hoping.

catwoman707 said:

 
Thank you @MServant  , I had hoped to hear that the gentle squeezing had been done and hear comments from the OP, whether squeezing the sides of his ribcage causes the center to protrude.

.......waiting/hoping.

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Me too!   I do not want to deter anyone from starting little Ace with a jacket as, like I said above, even if there were worries about any inward curve on the ribs that the vet would need to advise on, a light fitting of the jacket now would help by relieving pressure on his lungs while the information is quickly sought.   Chances are the ribs are just flattened and perhaps spinal curvatures forward/back and to the side (lordosis and scoliosis) and the jacket would also help with these.  

MServant said:

@SuperSam
 Has your vet taken an Xray of Ace's chest?    I have read a number of other threads where people have followed catwoman707's advice and it has made an amazing and rapid difference to so many kittens' life.   I do have a little anxiety for Ace however - in case his ribs are not only flattened but also have any curve inward which might make the use of a little jacket inappropriate.  If an Xray hasn't been done please do ask your vet whether they think Ace has 'Flat Chest Syndrome', or 'Pextus Excavatum'.   However, making one using catwoman707's instructions and fitting lightly to prevent Ace's body weight pressing down on his ribs and aggravating the problems he is having for a short period until you can check this with the vet should not do anything other than help your little guy feel easier in his breathing.

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Yes we have had an xray of his chest. Vet says its worst one he has seen. I wish those little jackets would work for him but his ribcage is just too bad. He isnt in pain and he runs, jumps and climbs like a normal kitten

Can you post the X-ray?

SuperSam said:

Yes we have had an xray of his chest. Vet says its worst one he has seen. I wish those little jackets would work for him but his ribcage is just too bad. He isnt in pain and he runs, jumps and climbs like a normal kitten

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Worse in what way? Did he elaborate at all?

No sorry i cant post xray. It on vets computer. His ribcage is twisted too but i havnt got all details. Vet is a little vague. My partner has been taking him. I will ask more questions at his check up next week

  I'm so sorry  @SuperSam, and that the vet says his ribcage is twisted and that it is one of the worse cases he's seen.  

I have a boy with pectus excavatum (where the ribs curl in, making the jacket treatment impossible) and a downward deformed spine, so there is very little space for his diaphragm to work in and do its job.  Nothing could be done for him but somehow he managed.  I did my best with stretching/massaging and keeping him as active as possible.  But in some cases it's just too much if there just isn't room for the growing lungs and heart, and the Flat Chest treatment isn't appropriate.

I can see you really care and are working with your vet on this.  Don't give up hope, keep in contact with the vet and work with him.  You could get a second opinion as well, if possible.

Please do let us know how you're going.

Anyone have any ideas on weaning? Ace is just not interested in solid food. We are supplementing with kitten formula at the minute as vet said he is a little bony. He has gained 70g in a week but cant get him to eat anything

Try Gerber turkey or chicken baby food. Mine loved it and weaned easily on it.

Yes, and warm it up a bit, shallow dish, and poke his nose in it so he will lick it off and get the taste.

You can also add kmr in it.

Once he does this go for canned pate like fancy feast kitten.

I think it's a good thing that you're following your vet's advice on this. I know there are some extremely experienced rescuers who posted here, who have saved many kittens in the past, including those with FCK. Still, nothing compares to a physical assessment by a veterinarian. I'm glad the jacket option was raised here and you could discuss it with your vet but please don't feel pressured into doing anything your veterinarian advises against. He's the one who actually checked the kitten and seen the x-rays.

Thank you for caring for the little darling! We'd love to see some pictures too!

@SuperSam  Have you asked your vet about the jacket? Yes his ribcage is bad I'm sure, and you should follow vet advice, but if you haven't brought it up with him yet, how can you know if it will help or not?

newkitties said:

@SuperSam
 Have you asked your vet about the jacket? Yes his ribcage is bad I'm sure, and you should follow vet advice, but if you haven't brought it up with him yet, how can you know if it will help or not?

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He has appointment on fri. I am going to ask vet about it then

@SuperSam  Oh okay. Goodluck! I hope you are able to find something that can help the little guy so he is able to live a long life!

S supersam

You asked about finding Gerber in the UK. I did not realize you were not in the U.S. An internet search shows that some Gerber items are available for purchase on UK eBay. I did not see Gerber jarred meats in your Tesla stores, but I did see other jarred foods, but not clear if any are the plain meat like this:


Perhaps check your stores to see what might be available. [emoji]128522[/emoji]

@sarthur2    For different baby foods, am I right that the main thing is that there isn't any onion or garlic in there?

MServant said:

 
@sarthur2    For different baby foods, am I right that the main thing is that there isn't any onion or garlic in there?

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Yes.  It usually contains meat and broth.

mservant

Yes! Thank you! I should have specified no onions or garlic - those are toxic to cats.

The mash is as Handsome Kitty said - just strained meat and broth. [emoji]128522[/emoji]

The vet says Ace cant have a vest on but he is now eating solid food mixed with formula and getting into all sorts of mischief. His Mum Belle was neutered yesterday so he cant feed off her. I think vet is surprised he has survived this long but his breathing has improved significantly and he is jumping on the dog, climbing our legs, chasing little balls etc. Just like a normal, healthy kitten. He is lush. I love him loads

What a great report! Perhaps his rib cage is growing along with him. It's wonderful to hear that he is so active, eating well, and having fun! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

Can you post a new picture of him when you can?