congenital problem???

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rosalind
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congenital problem???

Post by rosalind »

Hi everyone new on here, Ok, hoping someone will have some answers for me about a sweet little cat who just wandered into my daughters house about 4 weeks ago and we can't find the owner. We thought she had been in an accident because she was walking very oddly so, we rang the rspca who basically said they would probably end up putting her to sleep if we took her to them, so naturally we kept her! She has settled down like she's always lived with us and is so cute, she loves to sit next to you and have her chin scratched and behind her ears, she plays and eats like a horse, slowly put a little weight on. My grandsons named her Winnie, because she's pure white, ( we live in Wales, wynne means White in Welsh) So, here's my question, has she a congenital deformity, I can't find anything online that describes how she is. Ok, to start, her two front paws turn out like a ballerina but their normal length, her spine is terribly boney and rib like bones seem to stick out so much so you can hold one between finger and thumb. Her hindlegs are weak, they tend to start spraying out when she's not actually walking ( a very wonky gait to her walk) so she flops down rather than sits. She manages to get onto the sofa and bed by hauling herself up by her front two paws. She has problems toileting cleanly, as if her rear end muscles can't 'complete' cleanly, which can leave her rear a bit messy, she grooms herself Ok except for her back she can't reach due to unsupportive back legs, so has hard hair clumps along her spine. Despite all this she copes and seems content. Has anyone a clue what it is? And how do I remove these clumps of hair without hurting her? She cries if even stroked too hard along her back! have we let ourselves in for massive vet bills and a lifetime of cleaning bottoms!! Any tips in that dept would most appreciated! We try to keep her off pouches as they seem to make things worse! Thanks everyone
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lilynmitz
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Re: congenital problem???

Post by lilynmitz »

Hi and welcome to the site. Thanks for taking in this little puss and giving her such a lovely home.

She sounds a lot like my little Lily. She may be very arthritic, and quite elderly, hence difficulty in grooming. Just gently brush out the worst areas, but once you've got her trust you could gently snip out the worst bits, just a little at a time. Lily is also a bit bandy-legged, as you describe, but seems to manage ok. I've always suspected she was the runt of the litter.

Lily is now 16 but to be honest has always been like this since I got her at 10 years old. She also has hyperthyroidism (which can contribute to them being skinny) and kidney problems which can weaken leg muscles.

I'd suggest you get your puss to a vet for a thorough check up, including full "geriatric cat" blood tests to check for things that afllict older cats such as Hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, diabetes etc, as most of these are treatable and will make WInnie's life much more comfortable, and longer. Assuming her kidneys are ok, she may benefit from anti-inflammatories or other treatments to help her arthritis. So while some of her wobbliness may be congenital, she may also have medical conditions that are treatable, and the vet will be able to help out with this to make the rest of her time with you as comfortable as possible.

Do let us know how you get on.
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Jacks
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Re: congenital problem???

Post by Jacks »

Good advice - I have no experience in his area but I think a vet trip, to give you an idea about her age and issues, is really important. Gentle fusses to your lovely girl. X
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Kay
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Re: congenital problem???

Post by Kay »

it sounds to me as if she may have been in an accident, and perhaps didn't get proper veterinary treatment at the time, so some residual damage remains - an Xray on top of the blood tests should show up anything going on with her skeletal structure

you may find Petwipes the easiest way of cleaning up her rear end

and must just add that Winnie bach has been very very lucky in her choice of house to wander into - a gentle cwtch for her from me in Carmarthenshire
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Lyn from Australia
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Re: congenital problem???

Post by Lyn from Australia »

I am wondering if little Winnie has cerebellar hypoplasia. I am not an expert, but have seen bits and pieces about this neurological condition on TV and a little on this forum, ages ago - I had never heard about toileting issues with this disorder so I just Googled it and, yes, some cats with CP have difficulty with toileting. Winnie's skinniness could simply be because she's been unable to feed herself whilst she's been on the streets - it would be very hard to hunt when your legs splay out or you fall over unexpectedly.

I don't want to come across as any sort of expert, so perhaps you could look this condition up on the Internet, see if you think it's a possibility and go from there. Of course a vet checkup won't go astray, but from what I can gather cats with CP can live very happy lives and learn to mostly be able to look after themselves with a minimum of help from their human families.

What ever this turns out to be, thank you for refusing to send Winnie to the RSPCA and hopefully you will have a wonderful little cat who will make your lives much richer.
rosalind
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Re: congenital problem???

Post by rosalind »

Thanks everyone, will be taking winnie for a checkup soon and will let you know how she gets on. I have looked at video. Of cellebellar hypoplasia she isn't like that at all, so still in the dark, will keep researching, does this site let you upload video? Possibly videoing her walking etc may explain what I mean about her legs and spine...?
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Lyn from Australia
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Re: congenital problem???

Post by Lyn from Australia »

Please keep in touch - I don't know anything about uploading video to this site (I have trouble with photos), but I'd certainly be interested in seeing her.
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