Thread: Risks of Flat Chest

I'm curious about this whole flat chest thing.

I'm interested in hearing people's experiences, such as whether it's a life long issue, whether it produces other issues, whether they grow out of it, is it wise to purchase a flat chested kitten and do they die from it at some point?

Appreciate all thoughts :-)

Sian

I'm by no means super knowledgable but I have a friend who adopted a kitten with FCK. They told her that most of the time if kittens lived past 3 weeks then they are very very likely to live. Of course this is if the heart and lungs haven't been compromised

Also an adult with FCK as long as the compression hasn't affected the heart and lungs should live a good long life. Some FCKs grow out of the condition and the ribcage goes to a normal shape in time.

If certain measures are taken at a young age such as physio, massage and splinting etc then the kitten has a very good chance. As long as there are no obvious issues at 13 weeks then it should mean that the fck isn't severe enough to be causing problems with heart and lung development etc.

Louise

Hi Sian,
If you go to the thread "How many,if any,have only one MC,go to the bottom of page 2 you will see a bit about my experience with a MC with a flat chest...

Jackie

Hi Jackie,

Thanks for the info :-) I have read that Pectus Excavatum is different to FCKS?

S

My girl has got the inverted sternum so along with her flat chestedness she is a true
Pectus Excavatum, her organs are displaced & as she was growing early on had terrible breathing problems & her chest filled with fluids hence tapping her to get fluid off,as shes matured although everything is displaced, her ribcage has expanded & it allows things to function with more ease & except for being small & a rapid heartbeat she lives just about a normal life but overall she still is an extremely flat chested cat,some are not so bad,some come completely right,with Pansy it was touch & go as to if she would reach adulthood because with some you just can't tell how bad things will be as they mature.I didn't want to take her on but would never be worried about taking on a flat chested kitten again wether as bad as she has turned out or one that fingers crossed could become right.
She has been a very good teaching subject at work,the number of young vets that have wanted to knock her out to xray her because they can feel a growth,even though I always told them she was flat chested & they could feel her ribcage was not round they could still not get their heads round the fact that they were feeling a displaced part of her anatomy. A friend has a boy that had only a slight flat chest that had just about come right by the time he had it at thirteen weeks,now you would be totally unaware & he is a huge cat.
Are you thinking of adding a FCKS to your family....?