Surgery for a kitten with congenital PPHD

Terrell and I were on a routine walk to our mailbox and heard the tiniest meow. We looked over and saw a little kitten in-between two cars, and he ended up running under one into the engine area. After a few hours, we managed to get him out and brought him home. He was one of the strays that had made our complex their home this summer.

I took him to the vet the next day to get him checked out because his breathing seemed labored. Since we couldn't decide on a name, we ended up using Peeve, which was a name we had in mind for a future dog, as a placeholder. We found out he had a congenital Perito-neopericardial diaphragmatic hernia. It is a rare condition in which his diaphragm did not fully form, and part of his intestines and liver are in his chest cavity. This is why his breathing was so heavy, even when he was sleeping. Please feel free to learn more here: https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/peritoneal-pericardial-diaphragmatic-hernia-(ppdh) 

In the x-ray below you can see the hole in his diaphram and part of is intestine positioned in his chest cavity.


The vet advised that the only option to correct the issue was a surgical procedure that would cost upwards of $5,000. Unfortunately, we couldn't make that type of investment, and we decided to find his mother to reunite them. We didn't know how much time he had and wanted him to spend it with his family. Thankfully we were able to him back to her.

Afterward, over the next few days, we walked around our complex in the evenings to check on them. When we found them again, we noticed that the mother was hissing at him and actively trying to get away from him. We looked it up and found out that it is something a mother cat will do if there is an ailment with one of her kittens. It hurt to watch her reject him in this, but we thought couldn't do much about it.

We didn't see any of them for a few days, but after getting rained out of a camping trip, we were unexpectedly reunited. Terrell had heard the mother's meows and was petting her and feeding some of the leftover cat food we'd bought for Talko when he popped his little out from under another car. He just walked over and sat right in front of Terrell, and his mom tried to hiss him away, but he didn't move. Terrell was able to pick him up with no resistance and brought him back home with his mom in tow.

We sat with him at our front door on a blanket in my lap, and he ate the food we put out for the two of them, then came back to my lap. After his mom had finished eating, she left, and he just sat there looking up at us, like "So what's next y'all." So we decided to keep him and do our best to keep him comfortable until we could get his procedure done. He meowed for a bit (hence the name Talko) and then curled up to me when I was napping and calmed down right away.

Knowing his condition, we were able to research a bit more and worked to keep him in comfortable positions and not overexert himself. He started to get more relaxed and feel at home, which was just the absolute best!



Fast forward to just before Labor Day weekend, we realized he was having a more difficult time sleeping and was falling asleep standing up rather than laying down because it was uncomfortable after a little bit. Over the weekend, he was struggling with breathing and more lethargic, and we had a scare Labor Day morning and rushed him to the vet. He was able to catch his breath again, but we knew he couldn't wait any longer and began calling around to specialists. Being Labor Day and with limitations, due to COVID, we couldn't get a hold of anyone.

Luckily the next day, I was able to schedule a consultation and surgery for him on 09/16/2020. While they couldn't give us an exact, the total will be between $4,000-$5,000. The surgery will put his organs back where they belong and close up the hole in his diaphragm to allow his lungs and heart the proper space they need to function well.

Even though we knew his situation and the hefty price tag, we couldn't turn away again after he found his way back to us. We're setting up this fund to help cover the cost of his procedure and give him a chance at a full and healthy life. Any little bit helps and is incredibly appreciated. He's brought so much joy into our lives, and we've seen him start to come alive, if only in little bursts. This surgery is his best shot and we want him to have a true fighting chance.

Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts in advance for your help in covering his surgery and/or sharing this page. All proceeds will be donated to ASPCA to help other animals in need.