Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (Jun 2013)

Swimmer syndrome affecting an entire litter of kittens

  • D.J. Cardilli,
  • C.F. João,
  • F.A. Voorwald,
  • J.L.M. Faria,
  • M. Tinucci-Costa,
  • G.H. Toniollo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-09352013000300014
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 65, no. 3
pp. 705 – 709

Abstract

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Swimmer syndrome is a developmental abnormality characterized by a delay in the ability to walk and move about and is manifested in newborns between 15 and 20 days of age. These animals exhibit constant coxofemoral articulation abduction, and their pelvic limbs move caudally and laterally. This case reports a litter of three crossbreeds kittens (26 days old) with swimmer syndrome. Each animal was treated with physical therapy and shackle bandages that kept their pelvic limbs bent and close to the body. After seven days, all of the animals exhibited normal ambulation, indicating that this treatment had a curative effect on the kittens.

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