more twisted leg kitties

[overtgabby]

I work at an animal shelter, but we do not have cat facilities. However, on occasion I take sad cases on at my own home. I have a kitten with twisted back legs that was found by some kids thrown in a trash can at the park at only one week old. He is healthy and very much wants to live! He is now three weeks old. Our vet has splinted his legs in an effort to help straighten them, but I am not sure I like the splints (seems like he moves around better without them!).
They are twisted to the point that the toes curl around eachother and tangle him up. I am wondering if anyone has tried surgury (I am thinking amputation at the hock may help) on a kitty like this or if it is better to just let him be and try massage and stretching as I saw in some other posts. I have a wonderful sponser who is paying for his vet care, so cost isnt an issue. I just want to do whats best for the little guy ( we named him Thor, in the hopes that he will grow big and strong)
He has been dealt a double whammy apparently, because I notice in other posts that kitties like him can have continence problems, but he is also a Manx, which are prone to Megacolon ( I just recently lost my Manx George Stubbs, who had Megacolon, he was 10). There is some great advice on dealing with incontinence in here, thank goodness!
Any insight on the surgury option will be appreciated!

[BendyMom]

I would wait until he is at least three pounds before considering surgery. If there is no way to keep his legs from tangling, then I would consider it. Splinting at such a young age be a huge help, their bones are still very soft and malleable. I would keep those splints on even if he doesn' t like them much. He'll adapt. I would also do physical therapy with his legs, moving them through range of motion, stretching them.

it seems to be raining hind end twisties lately! I have two.

picts? can we see picts?

[overtgabby]

Here are some pics of Thor. I devised some less bulky splints than what the vet has used that are also easier to remove for stretching therapy. These pics are before splinting. Ill get some splint pics later.

[critters]

That baby is surely bent, but what a cutie!

[BendyMom]

wow
major cute attack!!!!!
i had another thought to keep his legs from tangling. you could put a little bolster on the inside of each leg or foot, just even a little gauze roll, to provide some extra space but still keep his legs free to move. it will take some experimenting to get it right but i'm a great believer in the power of vetwrap.
and since you can design your own splints, then surely you can design bolsters. you sound like one of us for certain "hey the vet didn't do it right...let me fix it"

hoping he is making some progress!

[BooBooMom]

Hello, I am new to this site and looks like maybe a good place to get information on my Twisted leg baby. I have BooBoo, my little 5 month old darling boy. From my research, he was born with front twisted legs. I have had him for two months. Basically looks like he walks/runs on his elbows. He acts like any other lively kitty, meaning he runs, jumps, plays, climbs stairs, anything another kitty can do, just on his elbows! The kitchen linoleum is tough for him but he makes it.
I have read about massaging and splinting, but wondering is it too late to do for BooBoo being five months old? Would it even have any effect at this age? He's still growing so wondering if it could help at all. Has anyone had or heard of a kitty having surgery to fix this problem?
He uses his litter box fine, the only problem I have with BooBoo is that he refuses to eat kitty food!! When I got him I couldn't get him to eat so I have him a bottle with kitty replacement. Finally got him to lap that out of a bowl last month but he still won't eat kitty food. I have tried every brand, kind, tried every trick there is, and still he won't even try it. He smells it and then acts like hes "covering" it up, like after he goes potty in the litter box! I've softened it with water and formula, really I have tried everything. I'm at a loss as to what to do! I still give him his formula 3 times a day, and the only "food" I can get him to eat is ham. Some tell me to give him nothing and he will eventually give in and eat the kitty food, but I have to tell you that I just can't stand to listen to him cry because hes hungry! I've held out for one whole day once, and he did not give in. This can't be a good diet for him and is the reason I still offer the kitty formula to him. Anyone have any suggestions??
Someone found BooBoo abandoned near my work in a box and of course I was the first to offer him my home. He is smart, cute and the love of my life! I would love to help him with his front paws so he could walk somewhat "normal". Thank you for any help or advice

[BendyMom]

hello and welcome to you and BooBoo.
hard to say how well splinting will work, sounds like his bends are pretty extreme already. can you post picts?
you can do surgery but it is expensive, and as it involves cutting bone would be very painful. I personnally opt not to go that route but I have read about cats who have had it done.

my bigger concern is the food. kitten replacement by itself isn't a good diet for 'teenagers' and adults. i classify his age as a tennager (more a behavioral description that anything to do with numbers).
yes, it can be frustrating and difficult for both of you. Since he has been eating milk replacer this longer it will be an extra challenge.

There are a couple foods that seem to work better than others. 9 lives canned liver and bacon is appealing to many a finicky, stubborn, or sick kitty. the Friskies flavors with cheese are appealing to many cats. you could also get the premium foods that are a high percentage meat and try the different flavors of those. they aren't cheap but neither is milk replacement.

Another route is a raw diet, offering chopped up raw chicken or small beef cubes.

that is where I would start.

welcome to the board!!

[BooBooMom]

Hello, Thank you for your reply.
The food you mentioned, I've tried. He refuses to eat it. So, what do you think about putting the ham away and holding out? Mean?
I feel terrible doing it but if it means he will eat cat food I would. I just don't know how stubborn he would be and how long he would go without eating. I've never had
a cat that wouldn't eat kitty food!
I will post a pic of my BooBoo later tonight. Thanks again for your reply

[BendyMom]

well, i mentioned several food options. i think you should try them all and see if any work.
letting him get hungry for a day at 5 months is not a problem. he needs to learn to eat.

[BooBooMom]

So far I have tried many, many different brands/types of wet and dry food for BooBoo. He does the same thing every time, trying to "cover" it up.
The raw food, your talking about just plain old chicken and beef that we would eat? I'm sure he would eat that, he does like "human" food.
Trying to find some pics to post so you can see his front paws....
I'm going to try tomorrow not feeding him his ham and see if he will eat some kitty food when I get home from work tomorrow. There is always food available, I have two other adult cats.
Thanks for your advice, I appreciate it..I hope he eats kitty food soon, he is making me crazy!
Also, what are the premium foods you mentioned? From the Pet store?

[BendyMom]

premium foods aer brands like Wellness, by Nature, Evo, Innnova, California Natural, you need to get them in pet stores.
raw food you can make yourself, starting with regular meat, or buy premade but i'm thinking he'd probably go for the home-made kind best. you can get a suppliment like Missing Link to sprinkle on the meat to give him teh vities he needs. There are premade raw diets you can buy frozen, I have used those too.

[critters]

My Fartling was an emaciated 4 WO gift from the universe who was VERY reluctant to give up his babyfood of choice--vanilla ice cream. To this day he'll come running from the far reaches when he hears that little slipping sound of an ice cream container opening! To wean him, I first top dressed canned food with ice cream, later mixing the ice cream into the food. When he ate the ice cream mixture readily I began to decrease the ice cream until it was gone.

Having sibs to show him what's good to eat should help, too, but Fartsy was unusually hardheaded about it all and really wasn't interested in moving on to more filling options.

[overtgabby]

Sorry I have not posted an update on Thor sooner. He had a setback and the only option was to amputate his feet. He is getting along great without them, Standing and walking on his "nubs". We are having bowel problems due to his being Manx, but we have experience in that, and I beleive we now have that under control. I would love to see pics of Booboo also!
Thor is now 6 weeks old, and I have him started on Gerber Chicken and gravy baby food to start. Perhaps Booboo would like that? Then you could gradually mix in real catfood. Here are some new pics of Thor (sorry they are blurry, but he won't stop moving!)

walking towards me

taking a pause, legs still bandaged from surgury

[Bendy Kitty]

I just received notification of tihs reply today!!!

I have had to amputate limbs before, they adjust. If it was needed, then well, it was needed. In fact I've been so impressed with how well they adjust that I told my own doc that I wanted a nice plastic foot instead of this arthritic one attached to me now. he did not agree. darn.

Thor looks great in these picts. I hope he has healed up and continues to do well.
I have no idea why it took two months for me to get a notificcation of your reply! very strange.

Bendy Mom

[PaddyCat]

I just found this site and am not certain I am posting correctly. If not, please forgive me. I have a litter of 5 kittens that are almost 3 weeks old and whose mother was killed a week ago. I have been bottle feeding them and they are doing well. The litter consists of 3 black and white spotted (like their Mom) long haired kittens and two very pretty dark gray tigers. One of the tigers is a polydactyl with 6 toes on her front paws. One of the black and whites is the one I am concerned about. I have named him Pasche and he is a polydactyl only on his hind paws with 5 toes on each. However, his two front paws are bent down and inward at the wrist and he walks on the top of the right paw but is able to walk on the pad of the left paw. I have seen the posts about bracing and have a question. Pasche's right front leg is bent pretty severely and sees to have a knot at the wrist. The left front leg has straightened some since birth and I am hopeful it will fix itself. How do I gently brace his right wrist to get it to eventually straighten out? I am worried about the bony knot. I don't want to hurt him. Also, Pasche's toes do not seem to have any bone in them. They are long and very pliable. Is that going to be a problem for him? Thank-you to anyone who can help me.