Surgical correction of pectus excavatum in a kitten. Flattening of the sternum in kittens. Flat chest

As you can see, the degree of manifestation of this syndrome can be different; the survival rate of kittens depends on the degree of severity. The ribs can be completely flat underneath and even curl inward into the chest (funnel chest).

Critical age for kittens withFCKS- 3 weeks and 4 months. At 3 weeks, kittens die with very severe pronounced syndrome due to difficulty breathing and, as a result, insufficient oxygen supply. At 4 months, kittens die from compression of the lungs, and, as foreign sources write, from inversion of the sternum into the chest, disruption of the diaphragm and compression of the heart. If the kitten is worried critical age, then it grows into a normal healthy cat, like any of his peers. They also say that with age, the back and ribs return to normal and no one will notice that the kitten had any problems in childhood.

Symptoms:
flat rib cage
a depression on the back behind the shoulder blades (the fact is that, as can be seen in the picture above, flattening occurs both above and below. Sometimes the back is more convex, sometimes flatter)
difficulty and rapid breathing
fast fatiguability
decreased activity, apathy
significant growth retardation
kittens are generally in poorer condition than their littermates
the legs are spread apart, like in amphibians (popularly the syndrome is also called “turtle chest”, ribs in thoracic region resembles a turtle shell)

Where does it come from?
The reasons for the birth of a kitten with flat chest syndrome may vary, but it is impossible to determine the exact cause. The following theoretically possible reasons have been put forward:
Environment Wednesday - the cause of the syndrome may be factors such as too flat a hard surface in the “nest”, with too high temperature. In such conditions, kittens scatter in different sides and lie down on their backs, while normal temperature they lie all together, or in pairs, often changing positions. The mother is constantly in the nest, and as a result, the kitten can lie for a long time in one position. It is also believed that bacteria or viruses can cause this side effect.
Nutrition - perhaps the pregnant cat’s diet was lacking important vitamins and microelements or they were not absorbed for some reason. Hypotheses have been put forward about a lack of Selenium, taurine or calcium. However, there is no practical evidence of this.
Genetics — it is possible that FCKS or a predisposition to it is inherited genetically. Polygenic inheritance is possible, but autosomal recessive inheritance can also be assumed.

Caring for kittens with flat chest syndrome (FCKS)
Foreign sources suggest different methods. It is proposed to put a bandage on kittens made from the frame of a paper cup, in order to thus give the chest round shape and do not put pressure on the stomach, you can also do massages; it is also believed that swimming will help improve the tone of the intercostal muscles. I really can’t imagine how to make a two-week-old kitten swim...

You also need to make obstacles in the nest, such boulders from the litter, so that the kittens have to overcome barriers on the way to the mother cat. Sometimes you need to turn the baby over.

Orientville

Oriental and Siamese cattery

source http://orientville.livejournal.com/30649.html

Photos courtesy of GarfieldCat*IL Cattery

How to make and apply a corset correctly!

Take a paper cup to make a corset. ​

We cut it along the seam and cut off the bottom of the cup... ​Now you need to measure the corset on the kitten and cut off the required length of the corset ​(measure from the front paws (under the paws) to the stomach)

We take the upper part of the cup, the part that tapers towards the bottom - it will be towards the front paws, the one with the rim towards the hind paws

We do the following according to the drawings...

The baby was born fifth, with a very strong crease in his tail. Otherwise, a normal cat, healthy, large. He gained weight well and grew at the same rate as everyone else. On the 8th day he developed flat sternum syndrome ( FCK - Flat Chested Kitten). We don’t like to write about defects, so it was difficult to figure out how to deal with it further. I turned to Inna Vladimirovna Shustrova for help, she sent me big article about this defect on English language. Having learned how it is written in English, I found more materials on this subject.

In most cases, flattening appears from the 2nd to the 10th day from birth. It’s hard not to notice, because the kitten has flat ribs, with to varying degrees expressiveness. In the picture from left to right: regular rib cage, flattened sternum, funnel-shaped sternum.

As you can see, the degree of manifestation of this syndrome can be different; the survival rate of kittens depends on the degree of severity. The ribs can be completely flat underneath and even curl inward into the chest (funnel chest).

The critical age for kittens with FCKS is 3 weeks and 4 months. At 3 weeks, kittens with a very severe syndrome die due to difficulty breathing and, as a result, insufficient oxygen supply. At 4 months, kittens die from compression of the lungs, and, as foreign sources write, from inversion of the sternum into the chest, disruption of the diaphragm and compression of the heart. If the kitten experiences a critical age, then it grows into a normal healthy cat, like any of its siblings. They also say that with age, the back and ribs return to normal and no one will notice that the kitten had any problems in childhood.

Symptoms:

• flat chest


• a depression on the back behind the shoulder blades (the fact is that, as can be seen in the picture above, flattening occurs both above and below. Sometimes the back is more convex, sometimes flatter)


• difficulty and rapid breathing


• fast fatiguability


• decreased activity, apathy


• significant growth retardation


• kittens are generally in poorer condition than their littermates


• the legs are spread apart, like in amphibians (the syndrome is also popularly called “turtle chest”; the ribs in the thoracic region resemble a turtle shell)

• Environment- the cause of the syndrome may be factors such as too flat a hard surface in the “nest”, at too high a temperature. In such conditions, kittens scatter in different directions and lie down on their backs, while at normal temperatures they lie all together, or in pairs, often changing positions. The mother's constant presence in the nest, as a result, the kitten can lie in one position for a long time. It is also believed that bacteria or viruses can cause this side effect.


• Nutrition- perhaps the pregnant cat’s diet lacked important vitamins and microelements or they were not absorbed for some reason. Hypotheses have been put forward about a lack of Selenium, taurine or calcium. However, there is no practical evidence of this.


• Genetics- it is possible that FCKS or a predisposition to it is inherited genetically. Polygenic inheritance is possible, but autosomal recessive inheritance can also be assumed.

I looked through different sites, some of them have direct diaries from the life of such kittens. And what I definitely decided not to do was the bandage... it seemed to me that if I put pressure on the already compressed chest, the kitten would simply suffocate. I decided to give the baby massages. Several times a day I took it out of its nest and, with a little effort, massaged the ribs on both sides at the same time. At the same time, after a few days I began to feel that the ribs began to smooth out on the sides. The most important thing for me was for the baby to get on his feet, I thought that then he would be able to move more and his muscles would strengthen better.

I also made obstacles in the nest, such boulders made of bedding, so that the kittens would have to overcome barriers on their way to the mother cat. Sometimes I carefully turned the baby onto his side, you know, the first times were simply terrible, imagine putting a turtle on the edge of its shell... At the same time, breathing became very difficult. Gradually I increased the time I slept on my side. I had to find support for the kitten, in the form of a brother-sister or mother :) Now the baby can sleep on his side.

Unlike terrible symptoms, which I gave above (I took them from one English-language site), my baby did not experience any retardation in growth, appetite and condition. He is very active and gains weight along with everyone else. And a miracle happened, he learned to walk. Of course, compared to his littermates, he is less able to stand on his feet, but I think everything will be fine with us.

About the Law of Meanness...
I really wanted to keep a white cat from this litter.
Of course, this kitten will be the most extreme;) Absolutely white, with blue Siamese eyes. I spent a long time looking for a name for him and found it with a double meaning. As always, this is a hero from a movie, this time from “Alice” the Knave of Hearts. But for me he is the knight of my heart. Very tame, talkative and kissable. Meet me Orientville's Knave of Hearts, Siamese white cat "foreinwhite".

Orientals are one of the unique breeds, unlike any other. Charismatic appearance and quite good health making them very popular among cat lovers. Orientals have practically no specific ailments that are transmitted genetically, and when proper care and when kept, these animals live quite a long time. Only two problems, inherited from generation to generation, darken the cloudless life of Orientals and, as a consequence, their owners.

PROGRESSIVE RETINAL ATROPHY

This is a hereditary defect (the accepted abbreviation is PRA), in which the visual cells of the retina are destroyed, which ultimately leads to complete or partial blindness animal. As soon as the process of cell atrophy affects nerve endings the process will become irreversible and it will be impossible to restore vision. The disease can develop in both young and adult animals. Symptoms of early progressive retinal atrophy are detected between the ages of 3–4 months and 2 years, late atrophy- after 4–6 years.

PRA is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. This means that for apparently healthy parents who are carriers of the disease, the probability of giving birth to healthy kittens is 25%, while the rest will be either sick - also 25%, or carriers - 50%.

It is impossible to immediately understand that an animal is sick, since the symptoms are vague. During the day or in good lighting in a familiar room, the cat, as a rule, orients well, and begins to show anxiety only in the dark. The eyes appear normal in appearance, without redness or excessive tearing. The animal does not squint or rub them, as the disease is painless. In addition, PRA develops over a long period of time, so the cat gradually gets used to its illness. Noticeable eye changes occur over more late stages: the pet's pupils dilate, sometimes the lens becomes opaque or cloudy.

Most effective way identify the disease early stage and do everything to stop total loss vision, - examination in veterinary clinic. The diagnosis is made after an ophthalmological examination; less often, electroretinography is used. Examinations do not cause the cat pain. Unfortunately, PRA is not completely curable. Animals suspected of having PRA are excluded from breeding and sterilized. Breeders must be sure that none of the cats or toms participating in breeding programs are carriers.

FLAT CHEST SYNDROME

Another problem in Oriental animals is flat chest syndrome in kittens (accepted abbreviation FCKS). This genetic disease leads to significant deformation of the sternum - it either becomes flat or funnel-shaped. In most cases, flattening appears from the 2nd to the 10th day from birth. It is almost impossible not to notice the disease: in addition to the altered shape of the chest and a clearly visible depression on the back behind the shoulder blades, the kitten has difficulty and rapid breathing, fatigue, decreased activity. The animal is weaker than its littermates, its limbs are spread apart, like those of amphibians.

Until now, it has not been possible to accurately determine the cause of the birth of sick kittens. Only theoretically possible versions are put forward: bacteria or viruses; poor nutrition a pregnant cat, as a result of which she either lacks vitamins and microelements, or for some reason they are not absorbed, as well as a genetic predisposition.

A kitten with FCKS does not expand its lungs properly. It takes effort for the animal to take a full breath and get enough oxygen. Probability fatal outcome very high - kittens die from compression of the lungs and heart. However, in case of a mild form of the disease, there is a chance to save the kitten.

Kittens with FCKS go through two crisis points - 10 days and 3 weeks after birth. If the period of 3 weeks has passed and the kitten is alive, there is a possibility that during growth the chest will return to its normal shape or, remaining flattened, will not have a detrimental effect on the health of the animal.

Previously, FCKS was attributed only to Burmese cats, but studies conducted in 1995 and 2013 showed that the pathology occurs in other breeds, as well as in mongrel cats. FCK is most common among Bengals and Orientals. Russian and foreign breeders have created groups in in social networks, where they share information about this disease in order to accurately determine the path of its occurrence.

How to help a kitten with flat chest syndrome?

When faced with such a problem, first of all, you need to try to reduce the pressure on the kitten’s chest. It is worth considering that the bones of newborn kittens are still soft and the hard surface on which they lie leads to even greater deformation of the chest. In addition, it is necessary to constantly keep the newborn in the side position using bolsters and pillows to reduce pressure on the chest. Some breeders use homemade corsets, and also use physical therapy and chest massage every three hours during the day. It must be remembered that the most reliable degree of disease can be determined using x-rays.

STRABISM IN ORIENTALS

It is generally accepted that strabismus occurs only in Siamese cats. In fact, in the Siamese-Oriental group, 80% of patients with strabismus (as strabismus is called in medicine) are Siamese, and 20% are Orientals. Strabismus is a lack of ability to coordinate eye movements, causing the eyes to look in different directions and the gaze to be unable to focus on one object. Strabismus may be congenital or may result from injury that damages the nerves. eye muscles. Rarely in cats, strabismus occurs, which develops as a result of a disorder nervous system And vestibular apparatus. Strabismus in Orientals can be inherited, so such cats are not used for breeding.

The baby was born fifth, with a very strong crease in his tail. Otherwise, a normal cat, healthy, large. He gained weight well and grew at the same rate as everyone else. On the 8th day he developed flat sternum syndrome ( FCK – Flat Chested Kitten). We don’t like to write about defects, so it was difficult to figure out how to deal with it further. I turned to Inna Vladimirovna Shustrova for help, she sent me a large article about this defect in English. Having learned how it is written in English, I found more materials on this subject.

In most cases, flattening appears from the 2nd to the 10th day from birth. It’s hard not to notice, because the kitten has flat ribs, with varying degrees of severity. In the picture from left to right: regular rib cage, flattened sternum, funnel-shaped sternum.

As you can see, the degree of manifestation of this syndrome can be different; the survival rate of kittens depends on the degree of severity. The ribs can be completely flat underneath and even curl inward into the chest (funnel chest).

The critical age for kittens with FCKS is 3 weeks and 4 months. At 3 weeks, kittens with a very severe syndrome die due to difficulty breathing and, as a result, insufficient oxygen supply. At 4 months, kittens die from compression of the lungs, and, as foreign sources write, from inversion of the sternum into the chest, disruption of the diaphragm and compression of the heart. If the kitten experiences a critical age, then it grows into a normal healthy cat, like any of its siblings. They also say that with age, the back and ribs return to normal and no one will notice that the kitten had any problems in childhood.

Symptoms:

• flat chest
• a depression on the back behind the shoulder blades (the fact is that, as can be seen in the picture above, flattening occurs both above and below. Sometimes the back is more convex, sometimes flatter)
• difficulty and rapid breathing
• fast fatiguability
• decreased activity, apathy
• significant growth retardation
• kittens are generally in poorer condition than their littermates
• the legs are spread apart, like in amphibians (the syndrome is also popularly called “turtle chest”; the ribs in the thoracic region resemble a turtle shell)

Where does it come from?
The reasons for the birth of a kitten with flat chest syndrome may vary, but it is impossible to determine the exact cause. The following theoretically possible reasons have been put forward:

• Environment– the cause of the syndrome may be factors such as too flat a hard surface in the “nest”, at too high a temperature. In such conditions, kittens scatter in different directions and lie down on their backs, while at normal temperatures they lie all together, or in pairs, often changing positions. The mother's constant presence in the nest, as a result, the kitten can lie in one position for a long time. It is also believed that bacteria or viruses can cause this side effect.
• Nutrition– perhaps the pregnant cat’s diet lacked important vitamins and microelements or they were not absorbed for some reason. Hypotheses have been put forward about a lack of Selenium, taurine or calcium. However, there is no practical evidence of this.
• Genetics– it is possible that FCKS or a predisposition to it is inherited genetically. Polygenic inheritance is possible, but autosomal recessive inheritance can also be assumed.

Caring for Kittens with Flat Thoracic Syndrome (FCKS)
Foreign sources offer different methods. They suggest putting a bandage on kittens made from the frame of a toilet paper roll in order to give the chest a round shape, you can also do massages, and it is also believed that swimming will help improve the tone of the intercostal muscles. I really can’t imagine how to make a two-week-old kitten swim...

I looked through different sites, some of them have direct diaries from the life of such kittens. And what I definitely decided not to do was the bandage... it seemed to me that if I put pressure on the already compressed chest, the kitten would simply suffocate. I decided to give the baby massages. Several times a day I took it out of its nest and, with a little effort, massaged the ribs on both sides at the same time. At the same time, after a few days I began to feel that the ribs began to smooth out on the sides. The most important thing for me was for the baby to get on his feet, I thought that then he would be able to move more and his muscles would strengthen better.

I also made obstacles in the nest, such boulders made of bedding, so that the kittens would have to overcome barriers on their way to the mother cat. Sometimes I carefully turned the baby onto his side, you know, the first times were simply terrible, imagine putting a turtle on the edge of its shell... At the same time, breathing became very difficult. Gradually I increased the time I slept on my side. I had to find support for the kitten, in the form of a brother-sister or mother :) Now the baby can sleep on his side.

In contrast to the terrible symptoms that I cited above (I took them from one English-language site), my baby did not experience retardation in growth, appetite and condition. He is very active and gains weight along with everyone else. And a miracle happened, he learned to walk. Of course, compared to his littermates, he is less able to stand on his feet, but I think everything will be fine with us.

About the Law of Meanness...
I really wanted to keep a white cat from this litter.
Of course, this kitten will be the most extreme 😉 Absolutely white, with blue Siamese eyes. I spent a long time looking for a name for him and found it with a double meaning. As always, this is a hero from a movie, this time from “Alice” the Knave of Hearts. But for me he is the knight of my heart. Very tame, talkative and kissable. Meet me Orientville's Knave of Hearts, Siamese white cat “foreinwhite”.