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?Emergency? Dog had scrotal ablation and attempted removal of inguinal lymph node. Within 1 hr of surgery Vet called said there was a problem with bleeding and massive swelling, he had to go back in to tie off some vessels.
At pick up, the dog’s prepuce looks like an eggplant! He is still oozing blood from 2 tiny puncture sites. There is obviously swelling in the perineum and inguinal regions but the most dramatic is the prepuce.
Vet said one of the pudendal vessels needed ligature when he went back in. Also said he should be able to pee just fine. I only noticed a trickle of pee last night, not a full stream.
Should I take my dog elsewhere for evaluation? Is this hematoma/swelling so dramatic that he will have necrosis to the preputial skin or even the penis? any concern for the urethra ?
I have a 4 year old male cat(Lucifer, after the show) that I’ve had since he was maybe 6-7 weeks old. For the first 2 years, he was living with my Fiancé, whom lived in 3 different households throughout those 2 years. And then Lucifer lived with my aunt while I searched for an apartment. Each household had dogs and other cats (both male and female) he got along well with the male cats, but not so much the females. and he loves the dogs. he’s lived with us in our apartment for 2 years now and hasn’t stayed anywhere else. On July 23rd, we decided to take in a 9 week old male kitten. Had I known then what I know now, I certainly wouldn’t have rushed the introduction as, Lucifer was my very first cat and I never got the chance to slowly introduce him to other animals. but unfortunately I was a bit hesitant to leave the kitten in my daughter’s room as she likes to play in there every morning and I was worried she would get into the litter box or the food and water. (she’s 3 and, she still sleeps with me here and there) it’s now July 31st and Lucifer hadn’t eaten in two days, so in an attempt to get him to eat, I set up a litter box in my daughter’s room, placed food and water in there as well as Salem’s (the kitten) toys and little nap basket. and I go up there often to play with him and make sure he’s eating and using the litter box. Lucifer began to eat after about an hour of not seeing Salem. Now that he seems to be doing better, my question is how long should I keep them apart before reintroducing them? Lucifer was my first pet, at 19. Growing up, we never lived in a home that allowed pets of any sort. So having 2 cats was really exciting for me. But now I’m starting to wonder if because I screwed up and rushed the introduction, they’ll ever actually get along or if I’ll have to permanently keep them apart..? Any advice helps!
Hello,
Is everyone spayed and neutered? That might help settle down of the stress?
After that make sure everyone is healthy. At my clinic this would include an exam on all of the cats and perhaps even blood work.
Then we talk about a more gradual acclimation period. I’ve seen this be between two weeks to years. Cats are their own bosses. So they decide on their own terms
Good luck.
Hi! Lucifer is neutered but Salem is not, they won’t perform the procedure on him until he’s 6 months old! Salem also has a vet appointment today for his first vaccine, deworming, and a stool test as well as anything else he may need. And I will definitely bring up the behavior of my adult cat as well to see if they want me to bring him in too! I have noticed when Lucifer sniffs his food, he begins to drool and makes a chattering type movement with his mouth but no sound comes out and I’m not sure if this is something I should be worrying about as he’s adjusted perfectly fine to other cats!
Hello, I have a few questions regarding a paralyzed kitten.
Background: i work in a shelter in Germany and the kitten was brought to us 2 weeks ago with paralyzed hindlegs & tail. No obvious injuries and no bones are broken. What caused this is unknown. He already had atrophied muscles and slight missing fur where the joints craped on the ground, so we guessed whatever caused it was a while ago.
He doesn’t react if you pinch the hindlegs or tail, and he can’t urinate (he will loose urine whent he bladder is full) on its own and looses it’s faeces unvoluntarely. When at rest the legs will be bent backwards at the knees and a bit rotated, sometimes they spontaneously shiver and he extends/pulls in. I have started to move and massage his legs and place them “correct” position while he sits/eats. There is movement in there – but not conscious. If I touch between the toes they will spread, if I touch the inside ot the thighs he will stretch the legs and if I touch the underside of the foot he will pull them in and curl the toes. But it’s not controlled, more like reflex.
Is it a good sign that the nerves react to soemthing, even if not conscious? I wonder it braces could help him to keep his hindlegs from overbending/bending inwards when he runs/plays, so his joints/tendons don’t take damage from the constant “wrong” placement.
Our vet has not much experience with paralyzed cats, so i thought asking around doesn’t hurt. She is very sceptical that we can help him and is mostly concerned if he can’t urinate on his own. He currently gets medication to help his bladder to better contract – which seems to help somewhat. There is more tension in there and he reacts more when we express his bladder. He has a muscle tonus in his sphincter, too. But also no concious control.
I can add photos tomorrow, currently I only have a video that’s too big.
I’m open for any ideas. Thanks so much!
hello,
I am so sorry to hear about this kitten. I think that there are some answers that I jut cannot give without an in person exam, but, I also think that the recovery is very very unlikely if you have muscle atrophy. I also think that there is no other species on the planet that can adapt and overcome anything better than a kitten.
As long as you can manage the ability to urinate and defecate and keep him safe and happy (he needs toys and attention and to still feel like a fierce predator and playful kitten) then it is perfectly fine to have a pet with a disability.
I would not use a splint or any kind of bandage, they cause more problems than they are worth.
See if you can find this kitten a home and make sure that the the new parents are able to palpate the bladder and colon and make sure they are passing feces easily and emptying the bladder completely (urine retention can lead to urinary tract infections) and make sure they are spayed/neutered before 6 months old.
Also make sure the home is handicapped safe.
I hope this helps.
thank you for caring about the ones other people overlook. You are an amazing human!
krista
Hi! Paralyzed cat mom here????
Your story sounds a lot like mine when Hamilton arrived. He came to us around 5-6 weeks old with no obvious wounds or breaks. We weren’t sure what to do but give him a chance..
He is unable to urinate and defecate on his own so therefore this is something I do every day multiple times.
This friends are hard to care for but easy if you have the patience and willingness to do so.
As my kitty got a little bigger, we looked into a wheel chair for him(he hates it). I learned he was better on his own scooting around. Some days he wears a diaper, but you have to be careful with this as they need cleaned every time they pee.
As far as expressing the bladder, you have to find what you’re most comfortable with and what the cat is comfortable with. My kitty doesn’t really like anyone expressing his bladder but myself because because we have our “routine”.
Hoping this kitty excels in life and gets all the love he deserves! We are here to help and I’m happy to share tips/tricks that I have learned myself along the way!!!
-Autumn
I have a 5 week old kitten I’m fostering that broke it’s leg last night at the elbow. We saw a neighborhood vet that said we could take it to a surgeon, which would be very costly. Or just let it heal on its own. He said if we let it heal then we shouldn’t put it in a splint or anything because of where it’s broken. I feel it should have a splint. Thoughts?
I mean, I’d listen to the vet. I’d also see if the organization you’re fostering through would be willing to pay for the surgery.
Kitties are rebellious to injuries, but most HATE being wrapped in anything…
Surgery may or may not be needed, but with kittens constantly growing, it would not jump straight to it!
Confining them to a smaller space and keeping them “confined” is a good place to start.
If the kitty does not seem to be improving with the break, some vets may talk about amputation as well. Radiographs may be helpful to see where exactly the break is to further choose the best decision for the kitty.
We just added another dog to our household (we previously had one dog who is now three and is well adjusted and behaved). The new dog is a rescue who is 2 years old and was neutered a few weeks ago. On the whole, he is a very sweet dog, but there is some resource aggression and some damage being done to her house in terms of chewing that we want to nip in the bud.
We also realized that, as much as we love our first dog the way he is, he could probably use a bit of training and structure now that there are two dogs in the house. Is there a trainer or training approach you would recommend?
Thanks for reaching out.
I think a few things might help and they include lots of exercise for both dogs. A tired dog has less energy to put into the household stressors and it can help avoid possession issues as outside is neutral territory. It also might help them realize they can play together and develop a stronger relationship.
Next feed separated. And monitored. Food is always a resource that dogs worry about so try to minimize this.
If they are resource guarding toys then I would say to relive them until the dogs are more relaxed and comfortable around each other.
Trainers are available through places like the shelter and humane society and polite pooches. I would avoid any and all trainers who use any kind of negative reinforcement training. No shock collars or drop off care. I always feel the most important part of a pet parent’s responsibility is to hike trust. Having someone else do it or using painful punishment isn’t the way to build trust.
Lastly don’t hesitate to ask about anxiety meds as you embark on all of this. It is a tool that can help the transition and crate adjustment.
I am off this week but I am happy to help anytime.
Also if you wouldn’t mind would you please go to pawbly.Com and register as a user and post this there as a question. It’s a great one that I know many others have.
Take care.
Crate the newcomer when you cannot 100% supervise. When you can supervise his behavior, treat the dog like a puppy and tether train for a while – this means leashing him to an adult. Additionally, as Dr. M said, feed separately – I would STRONGLY suggest feeding dogs in crates. I would also meal feed, if you aren’t already doing this.
Look into the 2 week shutdown. This was beneficial in our situation, and something shelters recommend to help the new dog adjust. This means not letting the dogs interact much, at least until those 2 weeks are up, then all interactions should be fully supervised.
My Doberman was a bit resource guardy around my MIL’s senior mutt, so they were only allowed toys when fully supervised, and my dog was NOT permitted to go anywhere near hers when there were toys about. No high value treats/chews should be available freely, either. Those should only be given in their crates.
Hello,
Our cat Bruce is over grooming his leg until it bleeds. I’ve tried cortisone shot, Valium, (both which I didn’t want to do but was desperate)
I have tried no chicken in his diet, and various hotspot sprays. He is extremely active and healthy in every other way. Loves to go outside and play with all the neighborhood cats. He showed up as a stray on our doorstep. His skin was fine. He got his tests and shots and was neutered in November. Skin issues started in January. He is little over a year old. I have him on a homeopathic drop for skin allergies and itching. Hopefully it will help. Any ideas??
Hello my friend!
As with all skin cases the following is super important.
1. Get a good history of the patient and their clinical signs.
2. Do a thorough examination
3. Treat for parasites.
4. Start your diagnostics based on most likely rule outs.
5. Offer treatment plans that work for the patient the pet parent and your list of most likely diagnosis.
Here’s where I think your cat needs more help; it doesn’t sound like a list of most “likely conditions” work up and diagnose has been formulated to start a treatment plan that is best directed at the source of the itching.
For your cat I would ask your vet (or come see me and I am happy to help). I would use revolution monthly and place an ecollar while starting gabapentin. I might also suggest a shampoo if you think he will let you bathe him.
After that I would talk about the next tests that might need to be done to start to treat and rule out possible causes to the itch.
The most common thing that causes itching in pets is fleas. In some cases one flea with one bite can cause a pet to become extremely itchy . And the more they scratch the more it itches until the skin is so inflamed secondary infections happen. Which just perpetuates more itching.
So for me I start with a plan. And go through the list of control. And treatment until we get it figured out.
The old days of “give a steroid and hope it works” are over. We can do better.
Keep me posted.
My 3 day old kitten’s hind paws are all black, and the part above it looks red with small bleeding wounds. To me it looks like gangrene. I have no idea how it happened, the kitten was with me since birth. I will take him to the vet as soon as possible, but in the meantime…
What can I expect? Does gangrene mean euthanasia for this poor baby? I’m not sure they can operate on kittens this small…
He has this on both hind legs, sadly.
Hello,
I’m sorry to hear about your kitten.
There isn’t enough information here for me to offer much advice. But if you think something this severe is going on you absolutely need a vets help.
If this was truly gangrene your kitten would not be able to walk and I suspect they would be liking the legs like crazy.
Your vet needs to examine this kitten to see if this is a skin infection, skin discoloration or deeper problem. Kittens are also incredibly resilient but there is a much better prognosis for your kitten if it is treated as quickly as possible. Too often people wait until a small problem becomes a huge problem. So please go see the vet as soon as possible.
Very best of luck.
Dr magnifico
Help!
We rescued a 4 week old kitten and immediately noticed his butt area was different than we’ve ever seen but it did not seem to cause him any pain. Initially he was doing well until he began having diarrhea and mucus/blood in his stool. We brought him to the vet and turns out he had a parasite called Coccidia. It was treated with a 10 day oral medication and we believed everything would be fine afterwards.
After the diarrhea subsided he began to be constipated to the point we had to bring him back to vet twice within a week for him to be sedated and his bowels to be manually released. They have no idea what would cause this.
We went to a specialized vet clinic and they said they could dilate the anus/rectum to help him pass his stool (may not help or may have to constantly have redone) or do a exploratory surgery to see if any tissue or something is in the intestines and such that stops him from passing by himself.
Our personal vet clinic says his anus is abnormal which may mean that he lacks the muscles to be able to push out his own stool.
We have researched online and found a couple pictures of kittens after they have had a prolapsed rectum and they look similar and symptoms seem about the same. He just does not have anything coming out of him.
Does anyone have any advice or personal experience that can help us? The specialized vet says if we can’t figure out what is causing this it would be best to euthanize him so he does not suffer. We do not want to do that. He is the sweetest and most playful kitten.
Hello,
I think that this requires a vet who can do a very thorough exam and maybe even try different diets to see if you can manage the colon to a point where this kitten can survive. I have seen a case like this in the past where a kitten had bilateral rectal hernias. This is essentially the colon or intestines slipping between the muscles of the anus. It was one of many issues this kitten had and ultimately we had to euthanize.
I appreciate and applaud your trying to help. Please keep us posted.
Very best of luck.
hello! i would like to ask if home made wet food is good for cats who had FLUTD? skinless chicken breast, chicken liver, carrots, and pumpkin mixed and blended all together. the vet suggested urinary s/o but i cannot afford it for now
also, is it normal for him to drool after him co-amoxiclav antibiotics?
my cat Gabe just got out of vet today, the vet just removed his catheter and IV fluids even though his vet suggested for him to stay for another day or two but i cannot afford it anymore so i took him home and bought some oral medicine. he can pee on his own now
Look into raw feeding. Ask your vet about it.
I assume the abx are administered orally? My one cat would drool if a tablet tasted awful. Are you giving it in a pill pocket or some other delivery device?
I’m from the Philippines, My cat named Gabe wasn’t eating and drinking water for 1 day already and i saw him struggling to pee or poop, but a day before that he was fine and pee and poop so much.
So I took him to the vet and said he needs to have catheter because his bladder was full and blocked, so they did insert a catheter and IV fluid on him and saw some blood coming out too. They said he’s a bit dehydrated as well since he didn’t eat and drink for a day. Unfortunately I can’t afford to admit him to the vet for another day because the admission per day is way too expensive, I only admitted him just for today and I will take him home tomorrow because i have no other choice.
is it okay for me to take him home after cathetherized for 1 day? his vet suggested at least 3 days for him to stay but i cannot afford it, only 1 day but they removed the blockage already.. what can i do after taking him home after catheter? can i take him home with iv fluids just in case he wont eat?
Hello,
I’m sorry to hear about your cat. I don’t know what to say about this as I don’t know the full extent of his issue. If the vet thinks he needs the urinary catheter in place for multiple days is it possible for him to go home with it in? Or be transferred somewhere that is more affordable? I would ask these questions. Also can he be given medication to help with anything? Perhaps a steroid or anti inflammatory?
See if there are any options for you?
Best of luck
Also ask about long term diet options. I recommend a high quality canned food with water added. And stop or reduce feeding dry food.
thank you so much! ???????? another question, is boiled chicken breast, liver, squash and carrots be alternative? its blended as wet food. is it safe for him to eat it every day?
Hello,
I’m so sorry to hear about your dog. I think that anytime your gut tells you to get a second opinion that you should listen. I hope things turn out ok and I apologize for the delay in answering.