Welcome our newest kitten babies!! Dory (black and white girl), Crush and Marlin (tabby boys). They’re so sweet and have the most loving personalities. @newbornkittenrescue rescued them from @azhumane for a few reasons. They are suspected to have ringworm and we are waiting on the test results. They are also suspected to have swimmers syndrome, which is why they have Finding Nemo names! We won’t know for sure that they have swimmers until they older than 3 weeks but their legs are currently splayed outward. If they do have swimmers syndrome, early intervention is key, such as splinting or physical therapy. Marlin has the beginnings of a URI (upper respiratory infection) and Crush is recovering from aspiration pneumonia. These babies may have a lot of issues to overcome, but just like in Finding Nemo, they “just keep swimming”. 🐟 @fostermotherofkittens said.
Purrito time with Crush. @fostermotherofkittens said.
Dory is so pretty! I mean, just look at her eyes and those long whiskers! She is a happily chonky girl and LOVES to eat. She screams for her bottle so loud that she sounds like a seagull. 😂 She loves to cuddle with her brother Marlin, while Crush is in his purrito time.
Dory also has swimmer syndrome, but she seems to be making good progress with leg exercises! You go, girl! 💪 @fostermotherofkittens said.
Lunch time with Dory @fostermotherofkittens said.
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Crush’s leg exercises aren’t quite doing the trick with his swimmer syndrome, so we now have to help him by taping his legs together. This is good medical tape and doesn’t hurt him or pull his fur out. Thanks to @kittenxlady and her videos, I was able to get some amazing tips on how to wrap his legs. Crush is now 4 weeks old and I am very hopeful we can form his legs into their correct positioning. You can swipe to see how his legs splay outward, making it hard for him to walk around. Instead, it looks like he “swims” around in his play pen.
Crush also has megaesophagus and I’ll provide an update on that separately.
He is so strong and able. He continues to fight through everything life has thrown his way. You’ve got this baby Crush!! 💪 @fostermotherofkittens said.
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💕CRUSH UPDATE 💕
Crush came to us with aspiration pneumonia, swimmers syndrome, and suspected megaesophagus. I am so happy to say that with right medication and treatments, he’s made great progress! His lungs sound good and his swimmers syndrome has improved so much that he can totally walk and RUN around now!
Crush still has a bit of a journey ahead. We had very thorough imaging and studies done and we confirmed he does not have megaesophagus, but he was officially diagnosed with esophageal dysmotility. This essentially means that his muscles in his esophagus do not allow him to properly swallow his food. After he eats, he makes gurgle sounds, has bullfrog breathing, and could aspirate his food. We are working very closely with our vets to determine the best path forward for him. The one thing I know for sure is that he is a happy and brave baby and we will do everything possible for him. Thank you to everyone who supports Crush! 💕 @fostermotherofkittens said.
