Kitten & abnormal rear legs

[lehughes]

Hi Laurie,

I have a patient that is an 11 week old female domestic short hair that has been fostered with her littermates and mom cat for the past 6 weeks. When she was acquired there was a notable deformity to this kitten’s hindlimbs such that she walks on the cranial aspect of the tarsus bilaterally and the metatarsus and feet are caudally angulated. Basically her ankle bends backward not forward. She is developing some callous over the cranial aspect of the tarsus where it communicates with the ground when walking. Doing really well despite the deformity and quite ambulatory.

Radiographs are attached, which show normal bone structure, but a caudal angulation (hyper-hyper-extension!) of about 125 degrees (measured as the caudal angle) at the talocrural joint on both sides.

No collateral ligament instability is appreciated.

I showed the fosters how to do some gentle stretches to the paw and tarsus to try to restore a more normal position but of course this kitten is quite uncomfortable and not very cooperative- but it is doable. I even showed them some taping technique (1 inch Elastikon) to hold the toes in more extension and try to tension the tarsus in more flexion with recommendations that the tape be removed and replaced every 12 to 24 hours and to monitor for skin irritation/swelling.

Any other advice? Any hope for Hope? (they named her Hope).

I can do a tarsal arthrodesis when she is full grown, but I’ve not done it in cats and not sure how well tolerated (cats seem to walk in more flexion than dogs do most of the time).

Sincerely,

CG

[lehughes]

Hello CG,

As for the kitten…
You can’t beat a contracture with manual stretching / ROM. At this point in time, scrap that! The joints / tissues needs to be held in position for an extended period of time.
It reminds me of the 3-day old puppy I treated who’s legs were like this (it’s a video on FourLeg). We ended up wrapping him up in full rear leg flexion while he slept.
He corrected quickly and was normal by the time he went to his new home. However, your kitten has gone this way for a bit too long before they brought it to you.
If you want to correct it, you need something dramatic!
What about serial splinting and a wee cart of some kind to allow movement?
OR half casts created weekly?
Or wrapping into full flexion like my puppy case - at night, and put into a crate?
This will need something ‘meaner’, ‘more aggressive’, and 'tough love' on both the part of you and the owner' if you want to correct the deformity.
The owners will have to buy into the plan and not ‘feel bad’ for the kitten in order to make it work! You don’t really have middle road to go down if you want to change those legs!
OR, they decide that his wonky legs are just fine, they love him anyways, and hopefully he’ll grow enough callus to not cause pressure sores there, and they let it be.

Contractures and deformities don’t respond to ‘gentle nudging’. Sorry, I can’t offer a nice ’nicer’ solution either…

Laurie

[lehughes]

Thank you.
I am going to see kitten this week and start a more aggressive plan
Yes- I told foster owners I wish they had brought her to me when they got her at 3weeks of age
Cats and bandages are tough
We’ll see!
C