Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 8/23/2009

Question
My queen cat (age 1 1/2) had her first litter of kittens about 6 weeks ago. As the kittens got older, at about 4 weeks of age, we noticed one of the kittens had a hole on top of his head. We were very baffled by this, maybe thinking one of my other cats had gotten to him. It was infected and severely swollen. Later we found out there was some form of maggot living in this hole on his head. The maggot was extracted and the whole healed up just fine.

Since about the time of discovering this living space for this maggot (maybe before the maggot was discovered, we aren't really sure), the kitten has had a severe balance problem. He is know 6wks of age and constantly shaking his head as if there was an invisible fly that landed on top. He also walks as if he was drunk, like he doesn't know how or where to place his feet. He's also very lethargic, you can wake him up for him to take two or three steps and lay back down and start sleeping again. He is also the runt of the litter, very tiny compared to his siblings.

I am very worried about this kitten, but with a baby on the way myself, I don't really have the money to be able to take him to the vet. Is it possible that this maggot put some pressure on his skull affecting his brain and this nervous system? Or could it be another issue like an inner ear infection? Is there anything I could possibly do to help this poor kitten out?

Thank you for your time.

Answer
IT could be the maggot, it could be an inner ear problem , or it could be a birth defect affecting the brain.  Without a proper examination and evaluation, it is hard to determine that on the internet. If you are pregnant, this is one of the situations where you should never handle this kitten or change the litter for fear of Toxoplasmosis, which can cause neurological problems in kittens.