Dwarf cat with back problems

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Joshh
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Dwarf cat with back problems

Post by Joshh »

Hello everyone,

A few months ago I adopted two brothers kitten from a rescue organisation. I was told upfront that one of them either had dwarfism, or had a brain issue (finding out exactly which one it was was going to cost 3000$ so the association could not afford it). He is now about 9 months old, half the size of a normal cat, and as a result, is likely a dwarf. Now, as in humans, dwarfism comes with a whole lot of problems, and in his case, he has some back problems which keeps him from walking properly (he walks on 4 legs, but he does not walk on his paw but on the back of his legs). As a result of this, he keeps most of his time sleeping in his bed, and sometimes doesn't even come out to pee and poop.
I have tried a few things. Pet wheelchairs are a no go, I tried a very small one and he hated it. I was told to put food further away from him to encourage him to move, it just made him stop eating.
I was wondering if anyone here encountered similar issues, and had advice about how to make his life more comfortable. Note that he is not in pain unless I try to make him move in ways he does not want to (for example raising his tail).

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CarolC
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Re: Dwarf cat with back problems

Post by CarolC »

Hi Joshh,

He's cute!

I haven't had a dwarf or Munchkin cat, but I had one that walked on her forearms. I made her a crate with a recessed litter box so she would not have to climb in. The box had a low entry of a couple of inches to begin with, but when I recessed it down into the floor of her crate, it was basically even with the floor.

Here is a video of Honey walking.



Here is the recessed litter box.

https://www.handicappedpets.com/mediawiki/index.php/Recessed_litterbox

I was looking at the photo you posted. The way he is sitting with his bent arm reminds me of a radial hypoplasia cat. Someone invented cat furniture to make them comfortable. I don't know if it will help your cat (since hind legs are also affected), but you can see. The cat's name is Bunny and they're called bunny boxes. Here it is, scroll down to the end.

http://messybeast.com/moggycat/rh-cats.htm

On that same page, I see they describe another cat, Heidi, as walking on her hocks. It's halfway down.

:group:
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critters
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Re: Dwarf cat with back problems

Post by critters »

:whale: In my experience, hock walking comes from a spinal cord injury, and at least most cats severely disabled from young kittenhood are permakittens. My Koi Boy, who was spinal cord injured from being shot in the spine, had a contracture in his foot and was a hock walker. I had a splint custom made for him, but I can't find it. Maybe CarolC can find a pic of it on the board or somewhere? She can do miracles like that. I was telling an orthotist about that splint last week and will be keeping an eye out for it, but you need a pic sooner than that. If you can prevent contractures you're FAR better off, but they'd already set in by the time he got to me.

:lol: Yeah, cats seldom go along with wheels; they like to do things their own ways.
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CarolC
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Re: Dwarf cat with back problems

Post by CarolC »

Is this it? :D

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Joshh
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Re: Dwarf cat with back problems

Post by Joshh »

Thank you all for the answers.

I adapted a litter with a cooking tray so it is very low on one side, it helped a bit with encouraging him to poop in it (now I need to find a way to discourage him from sleeping in it).

Danny doesn't have problems with his front legs (he just likes sitting this way :D), it's more toward the back.

So the custom splint was to try to set the back back how it should be ?
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critters
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Re: Dwarf cat with back problems

Post by critters »

:lol: Yeah, cats like to sleep in them. No, Koi's foot was already contracted when he got here, so the splint was to protect his skin. His foot was clubbed, so he walked on top of it.
Joshh
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Re: Dwarf cat with back problems

Post by Joshh »

Thank you.
Sadly my sweet Danny had to be put down last year. He was being less and less active and he ended up becoming extremely constipated and unable to poop, he had to be operated and sadly did not make it. He is still in my heart and I try to make it up to him by rescuing stray cats.
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CarolC
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Re: Dwarf cat with back problems

Post by CarolC »

I'm sorry it turned out that way. It sounded like you did everything you could, but sometimes it's just out of our hands. He was lucky he had someone who tried to help him have the best life he could. They know when you're there for them. I'm very sorry for your loss.
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critters
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Re: Dwarf cat with back problems

Post by critters »

Aww, I'm sorry for your loss too. :cry:
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