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Shiria | 1 year ago
Hello, I Have A Few Questions Regarding A Paralyzed Kitten. Background: I Work In A Shelter …

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!

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    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

  2. Autumn

    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

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Tiffeny | 1 year ago
I Have A 5 Week Old Kitten I’m Fostering That Broke It’s Leg Last Night …

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?

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  1. Laura

    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.

  2. Autumn

    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.

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Matt | 1 year ago
We Just Added Another Dog To Our Household (we Previously Had One Dog Who Is Now …

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?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    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.

  2. Laura

    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.

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Deborah | 1 year ago
Hello, Our Cat Bruce Is Over Grooming His Leg Until It Bleeds. I’ve Tried Cortisone …

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??

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    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.

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Nora | 1 year ago
My 3 Day Old Kitten’s Hind Paws Are All Black, And The Part Above It Looks …

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.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    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

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Brennan | 1 year ago
Help! We Rescued A 4 Week Old Kitten And Immediately Noticed His Butt Area Was Different Than …

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.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    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.

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Jam | 1 year ago
Hello! I Would Like To Ask If Home Made Wet Food Is Good For Cats Who …

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

1 Response

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  1. Laura

    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?

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Jam | 1 year ago
I’m From The Philippines, My Cat Named Gabe Wasn’t Eating And Drinking Water For 1 …

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?

3 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    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

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Also ask about long term diet options. I recommend a high quality canned food with water added. And stop or reduce feeding dry food.

    1. Jam Post author

      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?

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Noelle | 1 year ago
My Cat Coco (female Three Years Old) Has Blood In Urine. After Bringing Her To The …

My cat Coco (female three years old) has blood in Urine. After bringing her to the vet and having a Urine analysis done, the vet decided to give her antibiotics. He mentioned that they could see a bacterial infection and thought it was coming from the liver. After treating her with a round of antibiotics for 15 days, the quantity of blood in Urine was lower but unfortunately still there. He switches the antibiotics to amoxicillin and treats her for 7 days. It went a lot better but still blood in the urine and Coco was developing a fever at this time. Blood analysis came back alright with no specific sign except an infection showing. So the vet changed the antibiotic and used on for the kidney this time. He mentioned that if nothing gets better then, it might be a pancreas infection and as our cat is obese (very tall cat 16.7 pounds), the kidneys are suffering and gorging or are inflamed from the pancreas and it might be why she is bleeding. We were giving kibble to my cat and for now a full month, she is eating only one can of food a day (a small can of Nulo). He told us to continue the third antibiotic (Baytril)and if at the end of the 10 days, she still bleeds, we should treat the pancreas with some other tablets and do eventually an ultrasound to see where we are staying at. I am getting worried for my cat as she is developing a fever, starting to sleep more, and searching for comfort, pee still blood, and even more as when we brought her the first time! She is not dehydrated, she drinks normally and pees a lot, with no blockage. She is going to her litter multiple times (too often for sure) and does not seem to be in pain. She strangely loves to go into our bath tub now and lays there. My worries and my question is how long can a cat keeps going on like that with rounds of different antibiotic and not getting better? Should I consult another vet for a double opinion?

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    If the first round of antibiotics isn’t helping I would consult about a blood work being done to look at internal organ function. If that isn’t helpful an X-ray to look for a bladder stone or ultrasound is the next step. Before trying multiple antibiotics you. An also ask about a urine culture and sensitivity test.
    Ask about these.
    For cats with persistent blood in the urine I worry about idiopathic cystitis which is best treated with a diet change to a urinary prescription diet and anti inflammatories, or, bladder stone which is either treated by a prescription diet based on what kind of bladder stone I think it might be (this is based on urine ph and appearance of the stone on X-ray) and cancer.

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Andrea | 1 year ago
Last Summer My Healthy, Energetic 6 Year Old Cat Stopped Eating, Became Lethargic. A Trip To The …

Last summer my healthy, energetic 6 year old cat stopped eating, became lethargic. A trip to the vet turned into a trip to emergency where he spent a day and a half. The dx was hepatic lipidosis – or at least that’s what was happening to him due to something else. He got better. Didn’t return to previous weight (which was okay – he was a couple pounds overweight at the time) but he was back to his happy self.

A couple of months ago, he dropped a bunch of weight, but was still eating. Off to the vet for a blood draw. Low RBC. A trip to the emergency, where he got a transfusion, an ultrasound, and a huge variety of in-depth blood tests to find out what was happening. My vet thought cancer, but the results weren’t showing cancer. The results weren’t showing much of anything. I had no diagnosis. He was placed on prenisolone and an antibiotic. He went for weekly bloodwork. No significant change – and then it was going down again (RBC). Off the antibiotic since it wasn’t doing anything.

We were going to start him on B12 (cobalquin) and then he took a turn for the worse. Hiding away, no eating, no moving. I used a syringe to feed him and still gave him his steroid. He hid in his cat condo, peed in there but wouldn’t move. I set up a temp litter box and feeding area by the condo, and slept on the floor with him. I didn’t expect him to live through the night. In the middle of the night he came out and sat on me. The next day he moved more. And then – he got better. Moving, eating, jumping. Except for being too thin, he was acting just like his normal self.

That was about a month ago and I have been working to give him calories to have him gain weight. A week ago – we’re slowing down again. Sleeping a lot, not eating at the food bowl. So, I have begun using syringe feeding with kitten food (for higher calories) and a calorie/vitamin supplement. He gets B12 and the prednisolone daily. I’m assuming he’s going through the lipidosis issue again, but now that I recognize it I can catch it early and get feedings going.

My questions – how often should I be syringe feeding? I know my cat will only tolerate so much before he gets irritated and walks away, but I can get 10-20 ml in him at one time. I understand a feeding tube would probably be easier, but this cat has been through a lot and I’m trying to make him comfortable and happy and relaxed.

What could be causing this? My vet has been great at trying to find solutions, the specialist/internist didn’t really have any other suggestions, and I’ve been trying to find anything online about illnesses that could cause this drop in health so quickly. (This is an indoor cat, and my other cat is fine.)

Thanks for any help!

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