Dwarfism-PICTURES

[ratchet22]

Anyone? Im stumped:

I took her
to see santa yesturday at pet smart and she had the best time, people enjoyed seeing
her, of course everone thought she was a kitten, but shes a teenager. They would just
stare at her with disbelief, then a 27 pound cat showed up and it was pretty neat, the smallest
and the largest cat in the store at the same time.....her deformaties range from her upper jaw is longer than her bottom, she has no upper teeth in front, and her feet turn in at an angle they are not straight like
a normal cat, each of her paw pads, I said pawpads..... is an extra type of material sticking out of each one that looks to be extra nails, her hair is VERY thin, she eats that of which a teenage would, in other words she eats according to her age not her size, so she has this large tummy, and a thin back bone, her shoulder area and chest area are really large where the back of her is really small. She was estimated at 8 weeks when I got her, but if she is a midget kid, her 6 months age could be wrong too and she could be older, she is a happy girl she runs plays but tires very easily.
A few weeks ago she had tremors, and twitching going on, we suspected toxoplasmosis, she would stiffen up and couldnt walk also, we have her on clindamycin and that has all stopped and she has improved, she has a yukky eye that wont heal and Im taking her to a specialist wed. for that, she has a runny nose, and she always feels warm, temp has been recorded many times where she runs a constant slightly elevated temp. she eats VERY well, its her favorite time, she has never had diarrhea, and she is not lathargic
Im looking into dwarfism, the growth gene, ect. I think my intervention is what has
kept her going, as normally in the cat world she would have died already. I cant help it she has a great spirit and loves life despite her deformed look and her size. Will get some pictures posted soon, she is 6 months old and weighs 2 and 1/2 pounds

what do you think?

carrie

[kb2yjx]

Have NO clue, but you did mention that she " tires easily," so of course the nurse thinks cardiac. Please let us know what you find out after seeing the specialist on Wednesday! GOOD LUCK!!! Sandra

[ratchet22]

cardiac. Sandra

The heart?

[kb2yjx]

I just thought that ONE of her problems could be cardiac since she tires so easily. Not enough O2, anemia, a cardiomyopathy(sp)....curious to see what the specialist has to say! Sandra

[ratchet22]

I just thought that ONE of her problems could be cardiac since she tires so easily. Not enough O2, anemia, a cardiomyopathy(sp)....curious to see what the specialist has to say! Sandra

The specialist she is going to is the eye dr. Will look into those things though, thanks. Everything helps! I am looking at everything! :p

[kimlovescats]

She sounds like a very special little girl ... and I am happy that you are giving her such care! ;) I hope all of her test results come back fine.

[ratchet22]

She sounds like a very special little girl ... and I am happy that you are giving her such care! ;) I hope all of her test results come back fine.

Thanks, I am starting to think God is giving ME all these special need
kitties, Im tired and broke, tee hee, but I guess I wouldnt have it any other way. She is very special, and alot of fun to watch, she has such a happy spirit, I still have faith she will live a little while. She shows no stress, but I do watch her close......

[catmandu]

Hopefully shes just a Tiny Cat.
Precious and Diane are about 9,and they weigh 7 Pounds.
Roccas 7 and weighs about the same.
We pray that theres nothing wrong with your Little One.

[ratchet22]

Okay here she is, feet, mouth body a few extra, even one next to the male calico same age.....sorry it may take time to load, but I wanted you to see close up shots of her, 5 total

meet sasha! :)

her being good
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/ratchet22/DSC05281.jpg

her next to a cat same age,,,,,,
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/ratchet22/DSC05290.jpg

here is her mouth her top is longer than her bottom

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/ratchet22/DSC05356.jpg

here are her feet, they curve inward

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/ratchet22/DSC05387.jpg

her trying to bite me,,,,,tee hee

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/ratchet22/DSC05388.jpg

[kimlovescats]

:( Poor sweet baby! Does her mouth cause her to have to breath only with it open?

[ratchet22]

:D :D
:( Poor sweet baby! Does her mouth cause her to have to breath only with it open?

No, she breaths fine, if she gets to excited or a bath then she breaths really fast and it scares me she will have a stroke or something, but no she runs and plays and seems to do well, we went to the vet today and did xrays, it appears her growing plates are closeing, something you would see in a cat this age, we are sending the xrays off to dallas to have a specialist look at them and we will see what she says,,,,,,,,,

my son calls her a sewer rat, I think she is awsom, and she has stolen the hearts of so many, she is so sweet, she attacked the vet today he pissed her off, ha ha ha :D :D , by holding her down for xrays, she was playing with him but then she jumped up and scratched him good, she is fast, and furiociuos, she has no meow so to say, but she growls when she is mad, and she attacks and bites and hits hard

Im considering documenting everything about her, as I dont see there is any info out there on this, and Im not sure how long we will have her......

[kimlovescats]

Glad to know she's got some spunk! ;)

[kb2yjx]

I think she is BEAUTIFUL!!!! It will be interesting to hear what the vet has to say and what is found out!!!! Thank you for sharing the photos!!! It is the tiny ones that are the fiesty ones!!!! Please give Sasha a BIG hug and kiss from me!!!! Sandra

[rg_girlca]

What a sweet baby girl. Seeing that first picture of her, she looks like any other normal kitty, but I never would have guessed she was 6 months old.
Like Sandra said, she sure sounds like one fiesty little girl.
I pray that you have Sasha longer than expected.

[QueenScoopalot]

What a little darling Carrie! :) The first thing that comes to mind when you mentioned her size, and neurological goings on, is a liver shunt. :eek: This is when the blood vessels going into and out of the liver are malformed and not filtering things as they should be. It can cause a cat or dog to be very undersized. I had a very tiny kitten some years back that my husband dubbed "Molecule" (Molly for short) and she was no doubt a liver shunt baby according to the vets take on things. Surgery is high risk, and very expensive too. Dear Molecule survived till about 8 months old, but looked about the size of a 6 week old. Here's a link to liver shunts... ;) http://www.vin.com/vin_ce/abvp/html/liver_shunt.html
You may want to mention this to the vet along with possible heart problems as mentioned by kb2yjx. Heart defects however are pretty easy to diagnose, whereas liver shunts require MRIs etc. to properly diagnose. Her bent legs could be radial hypoplasia in which the bones in the forearm are bent to varying degrees. My Kirby(the handsome boy below) has the severe form called radial aplasia where there is absence of bones in his front legs. It's a birth defect that occurs once in a while with polydactyl cats, although Kirby is not a poly! Keep us posted on that little cutie. Another great place to search (and bookmark) is www.messybeast.com Give her a whole mess of kisses for me please! ;) Jan
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v128/QueenScoopalot/scan0018.jpg

[kb2yjx]

Hi everyone!!! Late last evening, a memory came back to me. I remembered when I volunteered at a shelter, there was a little orange female that had been diagnosised as a dwarf. She was so sweet like Sasha and the Queen's Molly!!! However, she had many genetic problems(many like the Queen mentioned). A wonderful family was going to adopt her, and they accepted the fact that the little one's life span was not going to be very long, but the kitten died from heart failure a few days before she was to go to their home. It is very lucky that these little ones, found good MOMS to care for them!!! Sandra

[ratchet22]

Well for the most part she seems ok, she is a kitten size animal with a big cat attitude, :D
Seeing the eye specialist today.....hoping it can be saved.

carrie

[ratchet22]

What a little darling Carrie! :) The first thing that comes to mind when you mentioned her size, and neurological goings on, is a liver shunt. :eek: Jan
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v128/QueenScoopalot/scan0018.jpg

Okay I called the vet on this, actually he was already on the line, as we are in full force of her and awaiting xrays, so anyways I mentioned it and he said she does not have the signs you would see in shank, and he does not see it being that, also he said the blood work on her that we did was fine, no evidence pointing that direction, He is REALLY good, I would not rescue without him, he is not afraid to say I dont know, and hes not afraid to get into his research books for me and try to find out the what and whys when we dont know? :D

[catmandu]

The Found Cats and I are hoping and praying that that Little Gray Baby can overcome her rough start and outgrow her illness.
And be that Big Healthy Cat that Our Lord wants her to be.

[kb2yjx]

Awaiting to hear what the doc said!!! BIG HUGS for Sasha!!!! Sandra

[ratchet22]

The vet called and the xrays came back that she does not have signs in her bones of dwarfism,
yeah! Which means I guess she could still grow? Interesting, they said she has broncitis in her
lungs. Off to the eye guy in an hour....
I could picture this person looking at the xrays, and seeing nothing wrong, but then looking at the cat
you KNOW something is wrong, geeze.......

I think after today Im done, I am keeping her, and loveing her, and she stays with me, forget the docs, she will live with me till its her time to go,,,,, :)

carrie

[ratchet22]

FOUND HER BABY PICS, THESE WERE TAKEN IN SEPTEMBER.....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/ratchet22/DSC03582.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/ratchet22/DSC03581.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/ratchet22/DSC03579.jpg

[kimlovescats]

She is absolutely precious, both then and now! I agree, do what you can and just LOVE her!!! :)

[ratchet22]

Well we are back, tee hee, he said she is not a dwarf, she is a midget :eek:
The difference being? Oh well, he said her legs are to short, every dr a different opinion, I give up

Her eye has an ulcer but its healing, yeah! :D
He gave her somw meds to help it along, but it should recover nicely.
The yukky part I am seeing is just scaring from the ulcer. :D
So my sweet little one will return for more observation in a few weeks, but all is GOOD!

Carrie

[kimlovescats]

Glad she will be fine!

[Laura's Babies]

She is a little heart stealer! What a little DOLL! I think she is as cute as can be!! A little doll baby!

[kb2yjx]

What great news to read at this hour(0500)!!! Is there a chance that Sasha could be a munckin(sp, it IS early!!)? This is reason to celebrate! The Clan Cats are thrilled! Will send prayers to clear up the bronchitis and the eye ulcer!! Thanks for the photos, too. Sandra