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Stephanie | 11 months ago
I Have A 10 Year Old Female Cat. I Found Her Outside Two Years Ago. The Past …

I have a 10 year old female cat. I found her outside two years ago. The past few days she has been running and jumping. Today I fed her and now I noticed her colon is inlarged. She has poo trying to come out but cant. How can I help her? What home remedies can I do? Feed wet food? Or give her a laxative?? She won’t let me rub her tummy or back.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    If she isn’t staining to defecate then I would just give her some time. Also you can add water to some canned food over the next few days to try to soften the feces. I think that keeping her on a high quality food also helps. Encourage her to play and move around as this helps keep the gi tract moving.

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Frederick | 11 months ago
Our Cat Was Recently Paralyzed Following A Stupid Preventable Accident At Home Where He Got Spooked, …

Our cat was recently paralyzed following a stupid preventable accident at home where he got spooked, jumped off a couch and landed wrong. Now he’s largely immobile. He can get around in short spurts using his front legs, but his hind legs and tail are limp. This has all occurred within the span of a week. Last Monday, 11/20, he was fine. He developed a slight limp on Tuesday, was clearly worse on Wednesday, and fully paralyzed by Thursday, which was Thanksgiving. Friday was when I returned to the initial vet we saw Wednesday for a follow up who recommended putting him down due to the time and potential cost for care, and we got the second opinion elsewhere within an hour that same day.

So the first vet immediately suggesting putting him down, and the second opinion vet offered more hope and said he might be able to bounce back and recover, but it would take a while. Anywhere from 4-12 weeks before showing any improvement. I’m going to do all I can within our means to save him if it’s possible. But I have concerns surrounding his bathroom needs, and potential pain I may be unaware of. Both offices ruled out “FATE” and neither feel it’s heart disease, heart failure, or a clot. Both feel it’s a slipped disc in his spine.

As a result of all this, he can’t use his litter box himself, and I need to learn how to “express” his urine and other end myself while searching for how we’ll be proceeding with his future care.

He’s been having urine incontinence the last few days, regularly leaking a bit when laying down (he’s always laying down now, but you get the point). I need to know if this is only possible or a thing when his bladder is uncomfortably full, or if it can happen regardless of the contents of his bladder, because I’ve found contrasting opinions. Some sources say it’s only leaking because it’s about to rupture and emergency care is needed, and other sources claim it can leak regardless of how much urine is in his bladder at any given time. It can leak when there’s a little or a lot. I don’t know what to put any stock in. I do know that shortly after expressing urine yesterday, we got a lot out….enough to make us think he must be empty or nearly empty, but shortly after he was still leaking a bit, which makes me think this is just something that we will have to deal with in general even if his bladder isn’t full.

The last thing I want is for it to rupture, and I’m finding removing / expressing his urine to be incredibly difficult. I’ve watched a dozen videos demonstrating it on youtube and read guides with photos featuring hand placement, and it’s just not coming easy or naturally at all. He’s a big boi….a little over 18lbs, so he’s a chonk. That’s making finding his bladder especially difficult.

I was able to successfully get a lot out yesterday, and he hasn’t had any water since. But he has had one of those treats that’s kind of like paste in a push up tube, and a small bowl of wet food. I know cats also develop urine from the liquid from their food.

I’m going to be “expressing” him at least once a day. I’ve been told it should be done up to three times a day, but I’m just not there yet, and he’s so uncomfortable I don’t want to put him through that more than necessary. When he drinks water it’s not all that much, maybe half an inch from a small bowl.

Lastly, I’m curious to know if he’s in more pain than I know or realize. We all know cats are great at hiding and masking pain, but at the same time they still do vocalize when they’re uncomfortable, or in distress. I can pick him up without him yowling or making noise, but he tends to complain the most when picking him up just to move him back onto a towel I’ve been keeping under him due to the incontinence.

I’ve read that when cats are in a fair amount of pain, they lose their appetite and stop drinking. Our guy is still doing both, and seems to enjoy both. He doesn’t randomly vocalize or cry or yowl. He’ll protest a bit when I shift him from spot to spot when changing towels, but that’s all.

Any help / thoughts / guidance / advice would be very much appreciate. And if anyone here can recommend a neurology clinic or hospital or other facility that treats cats without RAPING US FINANCIALLY that would be wonderful, because my God has this been frustrating. These people want upwards of 4k for an MRI. It’s positively unreal.

Thank you.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your kitty. I really feel like this is best managed by trying to find someone locally who can help you monitor the size of your cats bladder and show you how to safely empty it. Also I think it is helpful to provide a place where he can rest to see if the injury improves. Have you asked your vet if they know of someone who has experience with this? Or reach out on social media or through a local rescue.
    I hope he is feeling better soon Good luck.

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Karen | 11 months ago
My 10 Week Beagle Pup Kiwi Was Diagnosed With Strangles. She Was Put On Clavamox And Prednisone. …

My 10 week beagle pup Kiwi was diagnosed with strangles. She was put on Clavamox and prednisone. I saw a lot of improvement fairly quickly with the swelling and now she is drinking again and is playful and no longer lethargic. My question is regarding the length of the prednisone treatment. She is on 5mg twice a day for 3 days and then 2.5 twice a day for 3 days and then 2.5 once a day for 4 days. I had never heard of this before she became sick and so I have been doing a lot of reading. Everything I have seen so far suggests a much longer course of steroid therapy. I am somewhat uncomfortable about beginning the taper so soon as she still has some swelling on the face and lymph nodes. Should the dosage remain the same until symptoms resolve and then begin to taper?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    I’m so glad to hear your pup is doing better. I think this question is best directed to the vet who prescribed it.

    No one can provide a better answer than they can.

    Good luck!!

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Tracy | 12 months ago
Hello! I Just Got Back From The Vet With Maizy, By Baby Ginger Kitten Who Is …

Hello! I just got back from the vet with Maizy, by baby ginger kitten who is three months old. I got her as a stray from a feral colony of cats. The vet is concerned about her left ear. He can’t see down her left ear canal. He said it’s jammed packed with black sludge. He gave her medicine for an ear infection, but he isn’t convinced it’s that. He thinks it may be a polyp that grows off her eardrum and will eventually grow all they way up her canal. He said if she was a year or older he would be sure it was that but he has never seen one in a three month old kitten. If that were the case, the options would be euthanasia or complex surgery that goes into her jaw to get to the ear canal to remove it. It would require a specialist vet who would not be around my home town. He said it would cost roughly $4,000-$5,000 (he had a patient go that route a few years ago). I need more information about this. He didn’t give me a name and I was too shocked to ask. Can you help clarify this for me? I was super shocked and didn’t ask many questions.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello!

    Thank you for rescuing!

    Kittens bring both the joy of watching a life come to life and the conundrum of not really knowing for sure what is simply a problem due to neglect and what might be a longer term issue that needs medical resolution.

    In my experience almost all of these guys resolve their issues on their own with just simple basic tlc and time. So I wouldn’t worry about this until time and patience decides otherwise.

    I would diligently treat the ear for dirt, mites abs possible infection and follow up with the vet as indicated.

    Cross each bridge as you get to them and not before. Kittens will amaze you every time.

    Good luck.

    Keep us posted.

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Mik | 12 months ago
My Cat Developed A Hematoma So We Took Her To The Vet And They Charged Us $400 …

My cat developed a hematoma so we took her to the vet and they charged us $400 to drain it without anesthesia. After about 2 weeks it filled back up again so we took her to a different vet and they want us to spend $1,000 to have it surgically drained but with no guarantee that it won’t come back. Will it heal on its own or is it worth it to spend the $1,000 with the chance that it might come back?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    I’m so sorry for the delay. I cannot imagine any kind of surgical correction of this condition that warrants a $1000 fee.

    Please let me know what happened. I would be really curious about how this fee is justified. Email me at Krista@pawbly.com

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Kenna | 12 months ago
Butterfly, Patterned, Itchy, Rash/scab On The Top Of Cats Head …

This cat has had this butterfly, patterned, itchy, rash/scab on the top of her head for the past several months… Please help identify
I’ve had this poor baby in a cage in isolation treating her with Benadryl and with Neosporin and coconut oil and a bunch of stuff and she seems to get a little bit better when she’s in the cage but it’s just not worth it as far as keeping her trapped in there day after day because it doesn’t get all that much better.

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  1. Kenna Post author

    I’m sitting in the dark with no power, and no water bill paid for two months, so I cannot take this cat to the vet regrettably. But I want to help her so much. I am incapacitated physically myself and abandoned by the system so I need to find a solution myself for this cat.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello

    I would be very worried about allergies. Ear mites. And ectoparasites. Please talk to your vet about any and all of these. Also think about revolution plus and an ecollar.

    1. Kenna Post author

      But would any of those things cause this very specific pattern?

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Lilith Broquard | 1 year ago
Hello! I Have A 2.5 Year Old Indoor Cat. At His Last Check-up The Vet Showed Me …

Hello! I have a 2.5 year old indoor cat. At his last check-up the vet showed me that he has red gums and suggested a mouthwash-type liquid (DentiCan) that I apply every day with my fingers (it’s really a spray but I’ve found that dipping my fingers in the liquid and running them over his gums is the only way to apply the product.) I haven’t really noticed any improvement. Is there anything else I can do prevention wise? What might be causing this issue in the first place? None of our other cats have gum issues and they all eat a high quality Hills diet. Thanks for your input!

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Fati | 1 year ago
Hey I Have A Pet Cat Named Haru Who Is Acting Strange Lately. She Have Given …

Hey I have a pet cat named haru who is acting strange lately. She have given birth two days ago to just one litter but she isn’t taking care of it rather than feeding and nursing her 4months kitten keeping them wram. If I moved the litter else where she immediately run and return it to it’s formal place she also try to grab her 4 months kittens to the place where she have given birth and if they don’t go there she run after them. Thank you. Has my cat gone insane

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I would guess that your cat is trying to tell you something. I would also guess it has something to do with being stressed out about having to take care of so many kittens. Why is she still with her fist litter and having a second? That’s too many mouths to have to worry about.

    Do you have any resources available for spaying and neutering? I feel that these domestic pets are often trying to take care of so many babies they cannot relax and just be happy as a pet to keep you company.

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Rance | 1 year ago
My Rescue Dog Copper He Is Amazing, Protective And Overall A Huge Part Of My Familys …

My rescue dog Copper he is amazing, protective and overall a huge part of my familys life. He looks like he has dachshund in hin the length reminds me. Recently we started seeing a limp in his back left leg. He has not been hurt at all. I thought maybe a sprain from playing he does get wild with the neighbors bigger pup. So we gradually notice it getting worse over the week hes limping and the muscle has all gone. I have been walking him maybe gain some back he wont even put pressure on his back leg. Its been a couple weeks and we come home and there is blood comong from his genital when the part comes out. It seems as if he has no control o er it anymore. My heart is hurting and i dont want to put him down he is only 2 years old but he seems missreable. He does not speak it (cry) but the look in his eyes tells me everything i need to know. I do not have the money now to go to vet and pay 1,000 tell i get a new job. Please anyone if you have been through anything similar or any home remedies to ease him.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello
    I’m sorry to hear about your pup. It really sounds like he needs to be seen by a veterinarian. For cases like these I tell clients to please pay the cost of rhe exam and then we can at least get some idea of what’s going on. In some cases I try an antibiotic and pain medication and then have people save up for an X-ray.
    But a limp is not a reason to put a dog to sleep. The only time I might discuss lameness and euthanasia is if I am worried about cancer. But your dog is very young for this.

    Start with a phone call to a vet for an appointment and go from there.

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Linzi | 1 year ago
We Have Been Given A Tiny Newborn Kitten (and It’s Littermate) To Let Nurse Off …

We have been given a tiny newborn kitten (and it’s littermate) to let nurse off of our existing mama cat that has other kittens about 3 weeks old. Problem is they are pretty sick. One nursing and seems to be doing better. The other has bloody discharge and maggots (worms) coming out of its bottom. My niece has them but I’m going to take the sickest one and see if there’s anything I can do for it. Not looking good. Has anyone experienced something like this? I feel like at this point it will be me just comforting the kitten until he passes. 🙁

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  1. Laura

    What did the vet say? I would consider this critical, and I would have gotten both babies to the vet immediately.

  2. Linzi Post author

    We didn’t get the kittens until late yesterday. No vets open here and the ones that take emergencies only take those from established patients. Otherwise I would have told the original people to take them to a vet. They both passed away since I wrote this. It appeared they were riddle with worms past the point of saving them. Gut wrenching to watch. 🙁

  3. Krista Magnifico

    For cases like this I tube feed. You have to get nutrition into these kittens. I also make sure there are no fleas. Keep warm and some kittens just don’t have the ability to survive no matter how hard we try. Thank you for helping them.

  4. Shiria

    When there were already blood and maggots at the bottom of one of them it’s possible they already damaged a lot inside… depending on temperature thay can hatch in a few hours and start crawling in every body opening they can find…
    Thanks for doing your best!