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Golden Hearts Animal Sanctuary |
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A Sanctuary For Elderly & Special Needs Animals |
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He may be little, but boy can he get around! Scooter came from a family in Anderson (near Redding) who raised him since birth. He was a difficult delivery for his mother, and was born with pretty significant birth defects. His family was advised by their vet to euthanize him early on, but his great personality won out! They just couldn’t see ending a young life that had so much spirit; and as he grew, it became clear that his disability would not slow him down. Scooter clearly does not know he has a disability. He scoots using his front legs to maneuver around the house, and is just as fast as any “normal” kitten. He has visited all of our veterinarians, and of course, won over many hearts! According to them, he is actually missing some of his vertebrae in his spine, and some of the associated nerves to his hind legs didn’t develop, hence his inability to use them normally. He also has a ribcage that is flattened, shaped just like a humans. These are all symptoms of a condition called Manx syndrome (yes, he also has no tail!) Scooter takes three different medications and is on a low-residue diet to keep his intestinal tract moving as best it can. He still has the occasional problem with a rectal prolapse. It could be fixed with surgery, but we feel that it would be extremely risky given his other problems; we’ll continue to manage him with meds and a purse string suture to “keep everything in its place” when needed. Scooter travels to several events every year educating the public about handicaps and living with special needs pets! Click here to see Scooter’s First Year in Review! |
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Scooter |
