Two 18-day-old domestic shorthair kittens presented with dyspnoea, mild cyanosis, heart murmur, lung pattern, abnormal crawling and a marked dorsoventral flattening of the thorax. Deformity of the thoracic wall without pectus excavatum was diagnosed. Cardboard corsets tailored to each kitten were applied. This gave immediate respiratory relief, easing distress and pain. After 10 days, clinical and radiographic monitoring revealed normalisation of the shape of the chest wall with an improvement in general condition. At 6 months of age, clinical examination showed normal growth and development of both kittens, with a normal thoracic profile and shape also seen on radiographs. Data about flat-chested kitten syndrome and its aetiopathogenesis, treatment and outcome are scarce, but there is significant experience among breeders that is shared through online communities. High mortality rates are reported. The use of a cardboard splint appears to be novel in the published literature; in this case report, it proved to be a rapid and easy solution. For this reason, cardboard splints could be considered as a first approach for the clinical management of flat-chested kitten syndrome.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/20551169241273665 | DOI Listing |
JFMS Open Rep
September 2024
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
Two 18-day-old domestic shorthair kittens presented with dyspnoea, mild cyanosis, heart murmur, lung pattern, abnormal crawling and a marked dorsoventral flattening of the thorax. Deformity of the thoracic wall without pectus excavatum was diagnosed. Cardboard corsets tailored to each kitten were applied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVet Rec
November 1997
Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol.
Flat chests, characterised by a dorsoventral flattening of the rib cage, affect 3 to 4 per cent of all Burmese kittens born in the United Kingdom. Similar deformities have been reported in kittens born to taurine-depleted queens. In an investigation of whether there might be a relationship between whole blood taurine levels and the appearance of flat chests it was found that Burmese kittens had significantly (P < 0.
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