Flat-chested kitten syndrome (FCKS)
Flat-chested kitten syndrome (FCKS) can occur in any kitten just after birth. They will appear normal, moving around and actively suckling along with their littermates, then suddenly, as early as 3 days of age, you begin to notice that a kitten’s chest appears to be somewhat flattened, the kitten stops feeding, and may experience difficulty in breathing.
Kittens with FCKS can experience:
• Labored breathing
• Failure to nurse
• Lethargy
• Weight loss or failure to gain weight
Now, newborns should not lose weight as their teeny, tiny bodies are growing at a rapid rate, so daily weight checks, preferably at the same time every day, are strongly encouraged. If a kitten has FCKS and it's not addressed, it can quickly lead to malnutrition, failure to thrive, and even death.
WHAT IS FCKS?
FCKS is a soft-tissue disorder in cats that causes a kitten's chest to appear flattened due to lung collapse and thoracic compression.
Normally, the ribs curve round from the spine, but instead of curving downward where the cartilage that attaches the ribs to the sternum, the chest cavity looks flat (or flat-ish). This shape is the result of a change in the joint angle where the ribs meet the cartilage, not the bending of the ribs as once thought.
The flat chest, along with other symptoms, may last only a few hours or continue for days. Kittens who survive typically have no symptoms into adulthood.
TREATMENT
Mild cases of FCKS can often recover without intervention, and the ribcage may return to normal or remain slightly flat. However, in more severe cases, you may be able to support the kitten until they're strong enough to recover on their own.
The following are ways to treat FCKS. These should be used TOGETHER, not as separate options:
• Massage as often as possible and for as long as possible, splinting where practical and useful, until the kitten's ribcage is normal.
• Encouraging the kitten to sleep and eat while lying on its side will speed up the therapy considerably, but don't force the kitten. This should be gentle, not causing the kitten to require psychological therapy for PTSD when complete.
• Splinting using a "kitten corset" can assist the ribcage in growing into a more "normal" position, which will help move it into a more correct position.
OXYGEN CHAMBER/TENT AND WHY TO AVOID THEM FOR FCKS KITTENS
Some have asked, "Why not place them in the ICU Brooder and give them oxygen support?" Placing a kitten with FCKS in an oxygen tent would more likely than not make a kitten with FCKS worse by causing collapsed lungs. Here's how: (Warning, the following is a scientific explanation) Our atmosphere is composed of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. Since oxygen is exchanged at the alveoli-capillary membrane, nitrogen is a major component of the alveoli's state of inflation. If a large volume of nitrogen in the lungs is replaced with oxygen, the oxygen may subsequently be absorbed into the blood, reducing the volume of the alveoli, resulting in a form of alveolar collapse known as absorption atelectasis, which in turn can result in complete airway occlusion or nitrogen washout. Either way, with tiny kittens, results are cruising the rainbow bridge.
THE TAKEAWAY
FCKS is VERY, and usually easily, treatable and should NOT be a reason for euthanizing.
Fostering requires time and commitment. Fostering critical care kittens requires not only time and commitment but also patience. If you are not able to devote your time and energy to these kittens you've been trusted with, find and give them to someone who can. We are to be a voice for these tiny, brave souls, and losing even one life because your other commitments prevent you from properly caring for them would be tragic.
SPAY/ NEUTER YOUR DOGS AND CATS. Let's make them less of a supply and more of a demand so they go to good and loving homes, not into the hands of horrible people or those lacking common sense.
REFERENCES:
https://wagwalking.com/cat/condition/flat-chested-kitten-syndrome
https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis/respiratory/articles/lung-atelectasis/