Expert: Ali - 5/20/2009

Question
I know you are not a vet, but seeing as you have experience raising strays, I thought you may have some information on this - I'm desperate. I rescued a stray baby kitten (approximately 3 weeks old when it was found, a week ago), and it has been doing well (got up to the correct temperature, gaining some weight, etc). However, the vet just noticed the kitten has a skull deformity on the lower back left side of his head, from which a small bubble of brain fluid has formed. The vet drained the fluid (which quickly returned), and said if it didn't close up on its own, which it most likely would not, there is not much we could do and would probably have to put the kitten to sleep. I love this little guy more than anything, and he seems so happy and to be doing so well. Do you have ANY idea if there is anything else that can be done for this condition? The vet seemed to think the only option was putting him to sleep, but I was just hoping maybe you had heard of a case like this at some point, and had some idea of what else I could do. Please let me know if you're aware of any other treatment options for such a situation, he is such a wonderful little kitten. Thank you.

Answer
Morgan,

I'm not a vet, but I have a few ideas that might help find out what's going on with this baby and hopefully treat whatever is going on here. I'm not sure what kind of financial situation you have but to be completely honest I think it's only fair to warn you that diagnosing and trying to treat this kitten's issues could potentially get very expensive. I do have a few questions as to what tests your vet has performed, because that can sometimes be helpful in figuring out what the next step should be.

- Has this kitten had x-rays, ultrasound, MRI or other similar diagnostic tests performed?

The reason I'm asking about these tests in particular is because the fluid that's showing up might be the result of a skull fracture caused by an intact tom trying to kill the kitten, an experienced mom trying to move the kitten or some other traumatic injury. Sadly the issues you're seeing may also be related to an act of human cruelty - for instance the kitten may have been shot with a pellet gun or experienced head trauma as a result of physical abuse. I can't tell you for sure that everything's going to be okay or even what the cause of your kitten's current issues is, but I do think that it's worth pursuing some further investigation if you have the means to do so. If your kitten has suffered a traumatic injury of some sort it's possible that s/he can be treated and have a relatively normal life. If the leaking of brain fluid is related to something like a severe case of hydrocephalus there's a good chance that your kitten will have developmental disabilities and require special care throughout his/her life.

- Did the veterinarian you consulted send the fluid he removed from the kitten's head off to a lab to be tested or examine it under a microscope himself?

In situations like this it's important to try and figure out whether the issues you're seeing are caused by trauma or infection because the treatments for each problem are significantly different. In the case of an infection it's a good idea to treat the kitten with an antibiotic appropriate to his/her weight and age while a skull fracture due to trauma may in fact heal itself over time and the only considerations may be swelling within the brain and protecting the kitten's brain from further injury.

- Does your kitten have any major issues with the way that s/he functions? This means basic functions like eating, sleeping, walking, using the litter box, playing and interacting with the world around him/her.

Unfortunately it doesn't seem like your vet has provided you with much in the way of information. I'd be more inclined to try and find out what's causing the problem before rushing to euthanize this kitten. Trauma can heal over time, with an infection doctors can try to treat it with antibiotics. If the kitten isn't having seizures, difficulty with basic things like walking, eating, drinking, eliminating and playing I'm not entirely sure that I agree with the vet's opinion that euthanasia is the only option in this case. If your kitten has head trauma s/he also has youth on his/her side and sometimes that in itself provides the miracle of complete recovery over time. I'd say that a second opinion and further tests are in order before you make any decision, especially if your kitten is functioning otherwise normally for his/her age and developmental stage. It's going to be very important to have a vet willing to give this kitten a chance and watch him/her for any signs of deterioration over the next several weeks. I'd also recommend speaking to the vet about the possibility of fitting this kitten with some sort of device to protect his/her head so that s/he doesn't cause further damage just by running, bouncing, playing and generally being a kitten.

- Does this kitten have any bruising or other indications of a head injury?

Sometimes if a cat or kitten has been abused there are actually signs of bruising or things like a bite wound that's scabbed up and starting to heal. Given the kitten's tender age when you found him/her there's a possibility that s/he survived an attack from an intact tom cat - males that haven't been neutered will kill or seriously hurt young kittens. This is an attempt to send mom back into season more quickly than she'd normally cycle if she raised her kittens so that they can mate with her and produce their own offspring. There's a possibility that your kitten was hurt by a dog since young kittens are quite vulnerable to predators including canines. If your vet hasn't performed x-rays, ultrasounds and other similar tests it's possible that the kitten may have other injuries on his/her body which could indicate that s/he was abused by a human being. If this kitten has been a victim of abuse documenting the injuries could provide valuable evidence if the perpetrator is ever caught. Unfortunately animal cruelty laws are outdated and in my opinion there ought to be far more significant punishments for abusing or neglecting animals since they can't speak for themselves.

- Was any blood work taken to determine how this baby's functioning overall?

A pre-anesthetic blood profile will provide the veterinarian with an overall idea of how the kitten's major organ systems are functioning - this may help you to make a decision about whether or not euthanasia is the right option for you and your kitten. If the kitten is healthy in every other way besides the issues with his/her skull and brain I see no reason why s/he shouldn't be given a chance to heal and experience life in your family.

- Have you sought a second opinion from another vet or requested a referral to a veterinary neurologist?

Sometimes a second opinion will differ greatly from what the first practitioner says. A veterinary neurologist may be able to determine what's going on and what the kitten's chances are to live a happy, healthy life even if s/he requires some special care.

I wish that I could tell you for sure what the diagnosis is and promise you a happy ending, but I'd be lying if I said I could. I hope that your kitten's condition isn't as serious as the first vet thinks it is and I stand by the old saying that where there's life there's hope. I want to share my story with you in the hope that it'll help you and the decisions that you will need to make for your kitten in the next while. My oldest resident cat was a rescue, she came into my life at 1 week of age and I bottle fed her. At 4 weeks old I marveled at the fact that she'd slept through the night for the first time, but my happiness turned to horror when I went into the cat carrier and found a limp, unresponsive kitten. I rushed my tiny kitten to the nearest vet who diagnosed a vitamin deficiency and low blood sugar. I was told that my kitten wouldn't likely survive, but they gave her a dose of dextrose and sent me home with vitamins just in case. Several hours later my kitten regained consciousness against all odds and I finally gave her a name - MC (short for Miracle Cat). When MC was 4 years old she needed emergency surgery and her chances weren't good, but again my little girl beat the odds. During the Menu Foods crisis MC developed a serious case of kidney failure, the emergency vet and the other vet in my vet's practice said that she wouldn't likely survive and there was a good chance I'd have to euthanize her. During MC's first two days in hospital things got worse for her and I really thought that the two vets were right and I'd soon have to make the decision to end my baby girl's suffering. I made the decision to go to the vet clinic and spend some time with her. I wanted one more blood test to see where MC's kidney values were before I made any decisions about her future. The following afternoon my vet's partner in the practice called and asked if I was sitting down - I figured that meant bad news...It didn't, by some miracle MC's kidney values were normal and she was ready to come home. I had to administer supplemental fluids under MC's skin every day and she was supposed to be eating a prescription diet, sadly she didn't want any part of the low protein diet and decided that a hunger strike was the most effective way to make her point. I couldn't bear to watch my much loved MC run from me every time I approached her because she thought I'd force food or fluids on her so I put her back on regular food and continued with the fluids. The last check up our vet gave MC about 6 months ago her blood work was well within the normal range and I was advised to begin the process of weaning her off of the daily fluids. Today I'm happy to report that MC's only getting fluids about once a week on average and she's her healthy, happy and spunky self.

Sometimes cats can be surprisingly resilient so it's worth giving them a shot, provided of course that the vets are able to keep them comfortable and they continue to enjoy their lives. Obviously medical decisions we make for our pets are sometimes governed by our financial position, but I'd suggest trying to give this baby a chance if s/he's living a relatively normal, happy life. If you are in a difficult financial position I'd suggest that you contact me again - I keep an ever growing list of charities and other organizations that may be willing to cover some or all of the costs. All that I ask is that you send the state or province you're writing from so that I can save us both some time by not listing every available resource in North America. You and your special kitten are in my thoughts and prayers, and I'd really be interested in hearing about your kitten's progress every so often when you have a chance. Take good care of yourself and this precious kitten, because it's been my experience that every cat comes into our lives for a reason and each feline friend teaches us another lesson about ourselves or life in general.