I'm currently fostering a mother cat and her kittens through a local cat rescue group. Everything is going well, except the kittens are three weeks old and one of them has swimmer's syndrome. I had never heard of this until I started googling it a few days ago to see what might be wrong with the poor little tadpole-- when I had flagged it earlier for the rescue group, they told me it's very common in kittens and they usually grow out of it. I called them again now that 3 weeks have passed and the other 4 kittens are all walking normally, and they seem to know very little about this--they assume it's usually neurological and there's nothing to be done for him. They also made it clear they were not willing to cover any vet medical expenses related to this (I was a little taken back that that was their first reaction, when I wasn't asking for that, just looking to see if they had an on-staff vet or expert I could speak with).
I've done a lot of research online in the last few days and I'm convinced this is a very treatable condition when caught early enough, and that a combination of leg taping and physical therapy is probably the best approach. However, I'm nervous that I may be taping incorrectly and could use some advice or a set of eyes. The mama cat is also a stray who I took in three days before she gave birth. While we have developed a good relationship and she seems to trust me now, I am still concerned about causing her distress by handling her kittens too much (and this one's a yelper!)
I was wondering if anyone can recommend an expert in this area who would be willing to do a quick video consultation with me. I called all of the local cat clinics and nobody seems willing to try video with me. Not only are we still in quarantine times right now, but I am trying hard not to remove the kitten from the mother for a vet visit if I can help it, and I don't know that I see the value of an in-person visit right now anyway.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
I've done a lot of research online in the last few days and I'm convinced this is a very treatable condition when caught early enough, and that a combination of leg taping and physical therapy is probably the best approach. However, I'm nervous that I may be taping incorrectly and could use some advice or a set of eyes. The mama cat is also a stray who I took in three days before she gave birth. While we have developed a good relationship and she seems to trust me now, I am still concerned about causing her distress by handling her kittens too much (and this one's a yelper!)
I was wondering if anyone can recommend an expert in this area who would be willing to do a quick video consultation with me. I called all of the local cat clinics and nobody seems willing to try video with me. Not only are we still in quarantine times right now, but I am trying hard not to remove the kitten from the mother for a vet visit if I can help it, and I don't know that I see the value of an in-person visit right now anyway.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
