Duo The Two Faced Cat Surgery Fund
Donation protected
Duo is a special kitten with two faces on one head. Duo has a condition commonly known as “Janus”, also known as diprosopus or craniofacial duplication. The term 'Janus' is a reference to the Roman god usually depicted as having two faces in mythology. The term diprosopus is derived from Greek and roughly translates to two-faced.
Diprosopus can also affect other animals as well as people. The most famous diprosopus cat is Frank and Louie who holds the Guinness world Record for the longest-surviving Janus cat on record.
Diprosopus is different than conjoined twins, which result from the fusion or incomplete separation of two embryos. Duo, and other animals like her have a developmental abnormality due to an overabundance of a protein called Sonic Hedgehog Protein (SHH). SHH plays a crucial role in facial development in the womb. In cases of diprosopus, there is an excess of SHH, leading to a widening and duplication of the facial features. In Duo’s case, she has two noses, two mouths and four eyes. Her two middle eyes have fused into one large structure.
Duo is now big enough to have surgery. Duo will need to have surgery to have her middle eye removed. This eye is non-functional and she is unable to close it, therefore it is prone to being infected and requires constant lubrication to keep it from drying out. Duo will also need to be spayed.
While I am a veterinarian, I never work on my own pets. Also, due to Duo's unique anatomy, she will require advanced imaging which I do not have access to. Therefore, she will have her procedures done at Ethos Veterinary Specialty HOspital in San Diego. A board certified radiologist will review her imaging. A board certified anesthesiologist will care for her anesthetic needs and board certified surgeon and ophthalmologist will be responsible for her surgeries.
Duo will require a two-staged approach. The first procedure will be imagine, CT scan and MR imagine to better understand her anatomy so that she can be properly intubated for surgery. The estimated cost for the first part is $3,200-$4,000.
The second procedure will be removal of the middle eye. The estimate for this is $2,600-$3,300.
Copies of the estimates are attached. Any donated money raised beyond the actual costs of her procedures will be donated to a non-profit animal organization.
Thank you so much for all your support.
Ralph and Duo
Diprosopus can also affect other animals as well as people. The most famous diprosopus cat is Frank and Louie who holds the Guinness world Record for the longest-surviving Janus cat on record.
Diprosopus is different than conjoined twins, which result from the fusion or incomplete separation of two embryos. Duo, and other animals like her have a developmental abnormality due to an overabundance of a protein called Sonic Hedgehog Protein (SHH). SHH plays a crucial role in facial development in the womb. In cases of diprosopus, there is an excess of SHH, leading to a widening and duplication of the facial features. In Duo’s case, she has two noses, two mouths and four eyes. Her two middle eyes have fused into one large structure.
Duo is now big enough to have surgery. Duo will need to have surgery to have her middle eye removed. This eye is non-functional and she is unable to close it, therefore it is prone to being infected and requires constant lubrication to keep it from drying out. Duo will also need to be spayed.
While I am a veterinarian, I never work on my own pets. Also, due to Duo's unique anatomy, she will require advanced imaging which I do not have access to. Therefore, she will have her procedures done at Ethos Veterinary Specialty HOspital in San Diego. A board certified radiologist will review her imaging. A board certified anesthesiologist will care for her anesthetic needs and board certified surgeon and ophthalmologist will be responsible for her surgeries.
Duo will require a two-staged approach. The first procedure will be imagine, CT scan and MR imagine to better understand her anatomy so that she can be properly intubated for surgery. The estimated cost for the first part is $3,200-$4,000.
The second procedure will be removal of the middle eye. The estimate for this is $2,600-$3,300.
Copies of the estimates are attached. Any donated money raised beyond the actual costs of her procedures will be donated to a non-profit animal organization.
Thank you so much for all your support.
Ralph and Duo
Organizer
Ralph Tran
Organizer
Ramona, CA