Hey there... I was wondering if anybody could give me some advice... I am really worried about one of my 2 and a half week old kittens... she can't put any weight on her back legs and they seem to spread out to the sides, the other 2 kittens are moving around fine and seem to be able to hold their weight! I am worried that as she can't stand on them she will have to be put down... she can move them and feel them but can't keep them under her or hold herself up on them! Please help thank you x

Sounds like it could be distemper and in that case I don't think there is any help for her. I may sound callous but I have been through this with a few litters over the years and one very sad case a year ago. The little thing died in front of me and it was distemper.

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Originally Posted by tickle

sounds like it could be distemper and in that case I dont think there is any help for her. I may sound callous but I have been through this with a few litters over the years and one very sad case a year ago. The little thing died in front of me and it was distemper.

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Heya, thanks for your reply... but I have just looked up distemper as I didn't know what it was and my kitten is in good health, bright and happy, it is just her legs that are the problem... she can't hold herself up on them and they spread out to the side... so I don't think it could be distemper, it sounds like a terrible virus and would hate to have a pet go through that

Vet. That's the only person who can really tell you what is wrong with the kitten. If I had to hazard a guess, I would think that there is an issue with the hip joint, probably congenital. Which may be treatable, but may need surgery in order to be fixed. So, once again, get the kitten to a vet.

Yes, a vet check is a good idea, but if it is healthy and happy as you say, it just may be a little behind the other one and just need more prompting and attention. It isn't really all that old and just a baby.

I just thought I would let you know what happened with the little kitten... I took her to the vets and there was nothing they could do for her... sadly she was put to sleep at 4pm today... god bless her!

Awww I'm sorry :( Did they tell you what the problem ended up being?

That's too bad really, then she could not have been doing as good as you thought. I would be interested in knowing if it was distemper. From having kittens around a barn for a number of years, I got to know the symptoms. When they couldn't walk or get to their food, after the hind quarters went entirely, there wasn't much could be done.

She was absolutely fine and healthy... the problem was that the hip joints wernt form properly... she was born like that but it obviously doesn't start to show until the kittens are up and walking around... the others were walking but she couldn't... the vet said there was nothing that could be done... I could have kept her alive as she was OK, just like the others but she wouldn't have been able to drag herself around as easily when she got bigger and heavier... then there was the issue of litter training her... she wouldn't have been able to control where she went to the toilet or squat like other cats... very sad... not a nice decision to make...