Situs Inversus - Any experience of back-to-front cats?

[Kirst]

A nursey friend of mine had a situs inversus patient - apparently although everything is reversed it should all work perfectly. If it is the same in cats then Thomas should be able to lead a completely normal life!

[sam kent (thomas_kitten)]

Hi Gill/Yvvonne - a friend sent me the wiki link for humans, which was most informative. I've google searched for "situs inversus feline" and "situs inversus cat" but the hits are either scientific journals that require a subscription or useless!

My search for information continues ..................... 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I would do a search on the internet

[Yvonne]

Hi Sam     to Purrs

I thought this was an interesting article, even though it refers to humans:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situs_Inversus

look forward to more information on this very unusual condition

 

[sam kent (thomas_kitten)]

Hi milly - I've posted some pics in Our cats stories\Meet Thomas ... http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,15065.0.html

Hello blackcat - Time Lord!  They only realised when they were listening for the heartbeat - he's had lots of visits to the vets before (I must be a hyperchondriac), so I can't believe they never noticed the stronger heartbeat on the RHS? 

[blackcat]

Hi Sam and welcome to Purrs, sounds like your cat is a Time Lord, lol. If all the organs are there, and in their proper relationship to each other then it should not be a problem, but it could be that whatever genetic inversion occurred to create the situation might have other related genetic issues, only your vet can tell you for sure. I would be surprised if there were any complications arising from it though.

[sam kent (thomas_kitten)]

It's looking like I got the 1-in-a-million cat! 

I'll post some photos this evening, after transposing them in Paint Shop Pro, so he's the right way around! 

He's not been sick for 2 days, so fingers crossed the antibiotics did the trick. 

[Millys Mum]

Never met a backtofront inards cat sorry, i do know of a runty siamese whos organs were all squashed up into her rib cage, she went some years never doing well before a locum vet said why the hell havent x rays been done, they got abit of a surprise 

Would love to see pics of your backwards cat 

[Christine (Blip)]

  to Purrs, Sam.  I have no experience of this condition, but I suspect one or other of our rescuers will have and will be able to advise.

[sam kent (thomas_kitten)]

The vomiting and situs inversus are probably unrelated. It was just a shock to go in with one problem and come away with such a condition.

The vet doesn't know if it will or won't be a problem yet - the first job is to let him recover from the infection. A barium meal and xrays may be required, but first things first.

I just wondered what people knew about the condition and these seemed a good place to ask!

[Mark]

We  had a cat once (around 1970) that had spay scars on both sides and apparently, the vet said her insides were back to front. I was only about 8 so didn't question it but surely, it wouldn't make any difference? - anyway, she had 2 scars. She lived a normal life and was never sick that I can remember.

[Dawn F]

there are people with all sorts of experiences here I'm sure someone will be on soon who can help - does the vet think its  a problem?

[sam kent (thomas_kitten)]

Hello all - this is my first post on this forum, so I hope you can offer advice/info/exp of this condition. 

He's vomited a few times in the last week, which I put down to eating too quickly, but as a precaution we went to the vets yesterday for a check up.

It was a different vet/same practice, but to cut a long story short he first told me Thomas' heart was on the right hand side and then a few moments later he said he thought all his organs were the wrong way around! I've since learned the condition is called situs inversus; this is where the major organs (liver, stomach, kidneys, colon etc) are reversed or mirrored from their normal positions.

The cause/treatment of the vomiting is hopefully in hand - he had an antibiotic injection for a possible bacterial infection, so I am not so concerned about that. However, I was alarmed to learn about his reversed innards, and I wondered if anyone else has a back-to-front cat or any information about this condition in cats?