The little kitten, Zoe, arrived at the clinic with a completely swollen head.
The poor thing looked as puffed up "as a balloon," in the vet's own words.
A rare condition
Her eyes were pushed close together because her head was so swollen. After an X-ray, the vet diagnosed Zoe with subcutaneous emphysema. This is a rare condition where air leaks from the windpipe and gets trapped under the skin.
No one knows exactly how the air became trapped, but it was certainly the result of some trauma. To save the kitten, the vet had to perform a very risky procedure to release the air. Using a needle and syringe, he carefully punctured the kitten's neck, chest, and back to manually extract the trapped air.
On the road to recovery
The procedure went very well, and Zoe is gradually getting back to normal. The kitten has started eating again and has even put on some weight. In fact, according to the vet, she has a very healthy appetite!
The rescue centre that took her in has created T-shirts featuring Zoe. All proceeds from the sales will go towards funding the needs of the animals at the centre. Zoe has now joined her foster family, where she can finally play and relax!
