Spina Bifida in Manx

[Mylez]

Hey everyone,

First off, I'm not seeking veterinary advice. I've already had enough of that t my veterinary clinic. So I hope no one takes it that way. It's more of ethical/moral advice.

I hand-raised two kittens from a litter of barn kittens that would have been drowned otherwise. One is a manx with deformed legs (not to the point that he cannot run and play, he can). Now they are about five weeks old, and of course over that time period I've gotten very attached. Yet over that time the manx's rectal sphincter has relaxed and opened up--he is completely incontinent--and poops all of the time. His anus is huge, it gapes down to right above his testicles. (It wasn't this way originally, when he was younger, but it has gotten bigger).

It was my hope, originally, that he could be a barn cat or a shop cat. I do not see him being an outdoor cat (I am against them to begin with) and he is probably not fast enough nor big enough to avoid getting eaten. I do not believe it fair to put him in diapers or put him through unnecessary suffering. My vet that I work for believes that I should put him down because he is at high risk for prolapse and megacolon.

But otherwise he is pretty healthy. How do you justify putting down an animal like this? We were thinking that once he could go under anesthesia the vet could put in a purse string suture to "tighten up" his anus and make it a more normal shape so that his incontinence was more manageable (this age he's too little, the iso would hurt his kidneys). She said this was possible to do but that she would have to wait until he was older.

So my question to all of you, what would you do? I know in the end it is my decision but I don't want to prolong his life if it isn't going to be worthwhile, at the same time I want him to be able to live out his life if at all possible. Any suggestions?


Anyone else seen/dealt with a kitten with incontinence/spina bifida? I've heard most only live for 3-4 months...so am I fighting a losing battle? I am attached to him but I don't want his life to be rotten.

Mylez

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[kate_g]

First off, Mylez, I'm so sorry. I've been attached to "hopeless" cats before, it's no fun. So I do feel for you.

And I'm probably going to get flamed for being so callous about it, but... I'd put him down. I think it's the shelter experience prompting me, because my thought about situations like this is always that there are *so many* actually completely healthy cats - especially of the semiferal "barn cat" variety - that get put down every day for lack of a barn to take them. Think of the number of healthy cats that could be cared for with the time and money that would otherwise be invested in this guy. (And what other problems might surface as he continues to age.)

I guess if you said you were going to keep him until he's old enough for surgery, see if the purse string works (in my N=1 experience of a similar situation, it didn't), and then make the decision, that would seem reasonable to me. But I suspect at that point you'd end up adopting him yourself because he'll always need more care than anybody who wants a barn cat is really willing to provide.

I really am sorry, I hope you come up with an answer that's comfortable for both of you. :cry:

 

[Mylez]

kate_g, please don't feel that you are being callous. I work with a roommate who is an animal control officer. She sees it every day. And as the day as gone on I do realize it is more fair to him to put him down. I don't want to (dammit, I'm such a sucker for defective animals!), but it is the best for him. Even if he were a barn kitty, he'd be at risk for maggots because the poop doesn't fall off of him, it sticks. I'd be tempted to keep him but I fear that it wouldn't work and that I would be facing another horrid situation...euthanizing after a few more months of attachment. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[philomycus]

I think I'd put him down too. I think a year from now, you will look back and have agreed with that decision. Think about how life would be for this cat (and you too!) in 6 months from now.

Your resources may be available to help something coming along that you now can't forsee.

I too get attached to "defective" kitties.....and squirrels

 

[Tine]

I also hand raised a manx with the same deformity. I went through the same exact debate in my head, and had lots of people/vets tell me to put him down. Of course I couldnt, and I kept him myself because I really don't mind picking up poop. But now I'm moving into my sister's house and she isnt as ok with poop everywhere as i am. So what I did was contacted one of the fosters from the organization I volunteer for (Saving Animals from Euthanasia). They have so many cats and dogs that they would never notice more poop on the ground. They are also pretty good about keeping their kitties indoors. I would look into the foster organizations in your area and sucker a crazy cat lady into taking your kitty, if you dont want to keep him yourself. Why not let him live til he's not happy anymore.

 

[ri23]

I'm sure he's already put the cat down as this thread was from around a month ago. Just curious Tine, are you against euthanasia?