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Shamra | 4 years ago
My Cat Is About 14 Years Old. Male. Last Week Really Noticed He Goes To Litter Often …

My cat is about 14 years old. Male. Last week really noticed he goes to litter often but doesnt go. But sometimes he did have a few times of clumped urine litter. So took to emergency clinic Sat 12/13/30. They could not get any urine to test. Sent home with antibiotics antiflamatory- pain meds and told to get in see regular vet.
Took to vet today 12/15/20. They were able to get a good stream of urine out as well as these blood clots tissues. See image. Said that I would need to ck his bladder ongoing to make sure it doesn’t get rock hard baseball sized. Gave me a medication to help dilate. Did blood panel and Im waiting to hear back on any other medications.
I feel like imaging should be done like yesterday.
If this blood clot tissue can happen again should he have been keep at vet to do something ?
Was this blood clot a actual plug and blockage. So since they got it out the blockage is gone at the moment?
I am just worried and dont want to make a mistake and not know if he has a full hard bladder.
Or did this clot coming out as he is good currently. How long would it take for another clot to form?
Any input advice would be much appreciated

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I think that all of the questions you pose are excellent questions to ask yourself vet. I also talk to parents about feeding watered down canned food. I often add a steroid and I give cats Sq fluids daily to help flush the bladder. Just things to talk to your vet about. I get super aggressive with these guys. And I offer lots of options for parents to do at home. Along with showing them how to palpate a bladder to monitor at home. I hope this helps. Good luck.

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Jessica | 4 years ago
My Kitten’s Splint Was Removed Today After A Month Of Immobilization. She Had A Complete …

My kitten’s splint was removed today after a month of immobilization. She had a complete humerus fracture, we assume from her jumping off the couch or playing with our older cat (regrettably too soon which I had not realized). It was an angular break, and the vet did his best to place the bones and splint them, but today we learned the bones healed together improperly, on somewhat of an angle, and her elbow will not bend. She can use the paw and applies some weight to it, but the vet said we will have to keep her confined and wait and see how it progresses, or amputate it worst case. I feel sick about it because I had hopes she would heal, we could not afford the $6k surgery. Her skin is also red with some patches of missing fur. Do you have any recommendations of anything else I can do while we wait and see if she begins to heal more? Can I treat the skin at all? Thanks so much for all you do for these animals.
I attached an image of the original fracture. It is healed with a “knot” around the break, but healed crooked. That doesn’t seem to be what’s causing her leg to stick out crooked, it seems to be the elbow that seems “stuck”.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m so sorry for the delay. I tell clients in this position that there are only three options.
    1. Spend the money on a surgeon to correct it. Often this is >5,000
    2. Leave it as is and this cat must be kept indoors forever.
    3. Consider amputation down the road if needed to keep her comfortable and pain free

    1. Jessica Post author

      Thank you! I appreciate your response! I feel awful that we couldn’t and likely won’t ever be able to afford such an expensive surgery. I had hoped by splinting her it would at least heal a little bit better. Do you ever see kittens that have improperly healed bones improve over time? I was reading that in children bones tend to straighten out over a few years even if malunioned, but I know pets are also not children! I just feel so sad that she is so young and now has a messed up leg. She will definitely be an indoor cat, along with our other 6 month old cat.

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Jennifer Taylor | 4 years ago
In June My Labrador Developed A Lesion On Her Side. She Was Treated With Antibiotics And …

In June my Labrador developed a lesion on her side. She was treated with antibiotics and a medicated shampoo with no success. Her hair started thinning and she developed a lesion on the opposite side. Bloodwork was run to test for Cushings which was negative. As she started to take a Cushings type appearance her docs followed up with an ultrasound. In October she had a punch biopsy. She was treated with Apoquel with no improvement. She has lesions on her chest, both sides near her hips and one near her hind end. I have never seen her itching or chewing. The lesions are crusty and pretty dense. Hair loss is only on her trunk.
A little history: my dog is 10 1/2, has spay induced incontinence, history of frequent UTI’s, frequent urination, and megaesophagus. She is on Dasuquin, Cranmate and Welactin. Despite her plethora of health issues she has never had skin issues. Typically her coat is blue-black, thick and shiny.
She doesn’t seem to be uncomfortable but she seems to have a pretty high pain threshold.
Thank you for your time.

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  1. Laura

    Did they test her thyroid? A FULL thyroid panel, not just T4?

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Lori | 4 years ago
My Small 12 Pound Terrier/chihuahua Mix Has Suddenly (in The Past 24 Horus) Stopped Jumping Up On …

My small 12 pound terrier/chihuahua mix has suddenly (in the past 24 hours) stopped jumping up on things – couch, chair, etc – which is very unusual because she prefers to be on the furniture. She will stand and stare at the couch and seem like she’s going to jump, she even starts to a bit, but then she won’t follow through. If I pick her up and put her on the couch, she will not hesitate at all to jump down when she’s ready. She will let me touch and move all of her legs and has not vocalized in pain. She walks and runs normally and will come up and down the stairs with no problem. I assume she has injured something. Is there an injury to a specific place that would cause her reluctance to jump up but not affect other behavior? (I should note that she is very independent and doesn’t like to be picked up, so it’s not that she’s preferring to be lifted up)

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Well I would start by saying that I wouldn’t encourage jumping on or off of the couch. I would get her a ramp and train her to use this. My concern is that someday she will land wrong and either strain/sprain/fracture a leg or injure her back. Next the best way to try to understand what’s going on now is to have your vet examine her. I can’t tell you what is going on here without an exam.

    1. Lori Post author

      Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I called the vet but she seems to be back to normal now. I will still keep her from jumping for a while just to be sure.

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Eva Hanley | 4 years ago
My Cat (4 Yr Old Domestic) Has Recently Been Snubbing His Dry Food (Hill’s Urinary Health). …

My cat (4 yr old domestic) has recently been snubbing his dry food (Hill’s Urinary Health). He’ll eat a little, but will mostly ignore it and beg for wet food for most of the day. (They both get wet for dinner.) This has been going on for about 2-3 weeks. I worried his mouth or teeth were hurting him, but he doesn’t seem to have issues eating wet food. Both of my cats seem hungrier than usual – is that just because it’s gotten colder? Or because I’m now home all the time? How do I know if he is just being fussy or if there is a larger health issue?

1 Response

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  1. Sarah

    Hi there-
    The only way to really find out if there is an underlying issue is most likely a trip to the vet. You know your pet…. keep track of bathroom habits, eating habits (as you’re already taking notice of) and whether they seem more lethargic than usual or any other changes to share with your vet. Hopefully your cat is just being picky????

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Nicholas P. Woodward | 4 years ago
Our Morkie, Stella, Is Having An Allergic Reaction Since Last Night. She Was Licking And Biting …

Our Morkie, Stella, is having an allergic reaction since last night. She was licking and biting herself all night and when we finally realized she wasn’t just being just neurotic (she has some weird behavior sometimes) we took her to her regular vet.

The vet told us she is having a serious allergic reaction and they gave her a shot (cytopoint 20mg).

We think maybe she got into something that was really no good for her because while the shot seemed to help for a short period of time, it basically has now stopped working.

The vet thought maybe it was the food were giving her, but we’ve been giving her the same food for weeks.

She is now panting, refusing water and treats, and going back to biting and itching her sides and legs. Her ears are bright red inside which is a common allergy sign for humans but I know nothing about what that means for dogs.

She just seems itchy and twitchy all the time. Our vet is currently not open and is not accessible by phone.

We’re wondering if she maybe got into essential oils or massage oil we used for ourselves and licked it up. Nothing seems too scary right now but she does just seem completely uncomfortable and twitchy.

What should we do from here Pawbly? Please give us some guidance.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Well. I am going to answer this as your friend. Some of it is general advice and some is more personalized.
    First. Every allergic reaction should be treated as a possible topical allergen. Bathe! Bathe! Bathe! It doesn’t really matter if you use doggie shampoo or detergent. But get the pet completely wet. Lather in shampoo. Rinse well. Repeat three times. Dry with a towel. Too much hot air from a dryer might worsen the red skin. (If it is red. And lots of allergy dogs get red).
    Next think about oral diphenhydramine. One mg per pound. If the face isn’t swelling. Facial swelling can lead to possible throat closure which is a severe reaction. So nothing oral if having trouble breathing. These cases go straight to the ER! If you’re have intense itching, redness or hives and/or swelling I give injectable diphenhydramine and a steroid. In my experience it is the best way to stop these clinical signs. I also send home both. (Diphenhydramine is otc). If the clinical signs worsen I have the pet return. If they aren’t better in a few hours I have the pet return. It bugs me to pieces that vets don’t provide help after the vet. I call it documenting and sending home instructions for “if this, then that” scenario. Just for things like this. Too often it isn’t a single one stop and you’re cured.
    Also once you have a reaction you are more prone to others so ask to have these meds available to you for your at home pup first aid kit.
    Lastly Cytopoint is not for allergic reactions. It is for itching due to allergies. I don’t think it is the best choice for this case. (Just my opinion).
    Call me if you need anything. You have my number. ????

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Oh. And cytopoint can take four days to take work. Apoquel is faster. But it’s still not my go to for an acute severe allergic reaction.

    1. Nicholas P. Woodward Post author

      So much love to you for commenting on this so quickly. Do you think we can give her a little bit if liquid children’s benadryl if she doesn’t feel better after a bath?

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nicole | 4 years ago
Surgery To Widen The Pelvic Canal In A Cat

back in june i had to take a kitten to the vet for a broken femur. he had been closed in a door at his last home. the vet was able to put it back together and it healed nicely. however the kitten is in pain still and not well. yesterday we figured out it is because of damage to the growth plates in his hips. the pelvic canal is too small and he is having pain with passing stools (primary issue), pain with walking (he waddles, is almost always stationary and has zero kitten-like attitude) and stunted growth in general (he is 1yr old and is the size of a 3 mo old). the vet is an amazing person. he thinks that if he removes a rib he can use it as a spacer to widen the pelvic canal. however, as with all surgery, it is no guarantee. i feel terrible because i dont know what to do. i am inclined to euthanize the poor baby because he is suffering that much, i dont want to put him through more trauma just to end up at the same outcome. what are your thoughts or opinions?

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    This is my personal opinion after working with pets for two decades. I never euthanize without trying. Even if you can’t afford surgery maybe you could manage the difficulty defecating with a canned food only diet? If the hip joint is the issue perhaps an FHO could help? I don’t know we ought about the case to offer more advice. But you can always get a second opinion to help too.

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Sarah | 4 years ago
Good Morning And Happy Thanksgiving Pawbly Friends!!! We Decided To Go To A Local Trail This …

Good morning and happy thanksgiving Pawbly friends!!! We decided to go to a local trail this morning with the kids and the dogs. Rontu, who is usually pretty good on leash, was really a maniac. Lots of panting, whining, pulling…. really a jerk???? My thinking is anxiety because it is not one of our normal walking trails. We walk everyday, but the same usual routes with little variation. I am now going to start bringing him to other places once or twice a week where we can work on this behavior. I will be sure to bring lots of treats and patience. We have not had this issue with any of our other GSDs, so I am just guessing that this will be a good way to start to correct this behavior. If anyone has any other ideas, please share. Thanks!!!????????

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello!
    Happy thanksgiving. I think you are spot on! Try new places and try tho balance the excitement (and yes possibly anxiety too) of a new place with the focused intellectually challenging aspect of exploring. Keep him on a tight watch and enjoy as he learns new boundaries and new explorations. Sending love to you all.

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Roma | 4 years ago
I Saw The Video From Dr. Magnifico Regarding Polyp Removal And Cost. I Was Given From …

I saw the video from Dr. Magnifico regarding polyp removal and cost. I was given from a vet here in the Salt Lake City area the cost of $2,000. How do I find a vet who will do the procedure for a lot less? Also, how do I make sure my feline has a polyp. She has only had a visual inspection and did show discharge on the right side when she sneezed. She has the snoring sound, the high pitched sound, and sneezing.

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    I would call around to local animal shelters and rescues to see if they know of a vet who is familiar with this issue. You could also talk to your vet and see if they have any other recommendations/advice or if they can refer you to a vet who is also familiar with nasal polyps.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello. There are lots of vets who are not as expensive. You have to call and ask and keep calling and keep asking. If you’re do find someone please share your pets story in our storylines section so others can benefit. Don’t give up! Good luck

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Connie | 4 years ago
Harry Usually Chews On Toys And Treats. Yesterday He Tore Two Blankets Up. Some Pieces Are …

Harry usually chews on toys and treats. Yesterday he tore two blankets up. Some pieces are missing. Hope they are not in his belly. He is not hungry. Very well fed. He’s always snatched my other dogs treats and food. When he first got here, June 2020,, he chewed the stuffing out of his bed. Hasn’t done any of that till yesterday.

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  1. Sarah

    Hi there-
    I’m not sure what your question is. If you are wondering if there is an obstruction that your dog might need removed because of the missing pieces of blanket, I would definitely watch for signs and keep track of his bathroom if. As always, you could make an appointment with your vet to see for sure. If you asking about his behavior- that is something, training, time, consistency and patience will help with.