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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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kathy welsh | 4 years ago
My Cat Had A Cancerous Tumor Removed Approx. 1 1/2 Yrs Ago (at JVC) She Has Had This …

My cat had a cancerous tumor removed approx. 1 1/2 yrs ago (at JVC) She has had this black (not sure how to describe it) crusty substance under her chin, on her front paw and I recently spotted more underneath her and on another paw. Could this possibly be caused by her cancer if it has returned? Other than that she is acting normal.

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    It is hard to tell from a picture. The only time we ever had a cat with something that might be similar (and I too was worried about it) it was also on his chin. Turned out to be some sort of kitty acne that I had to cleanse. I do not know if this is the same thing though. When is your next scheduled visit? If it is fairly soon- maybe wait until then. But if it isn’t for a bit, I think I would call to get her seen just to be safe and to also get instruction on what to do. Best of luck!!!

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I have two cats who have very dirty chins almost all the time. I always tell clients that they should use glass, ceramic or stainless steel bowls (no plastic) jic it is an allergic reaction and that some cats just have dirty chins. For the cats like mine I do the following; I use the chlorphenaramine scrub called nolvasan that we have at the clinic, and the ketohex wipes (also at the clinic) and I keep the chin clean every day. If your cat is current on their annual exam with us I am happy to fill these for you.

    If you need any hwlp with this please call me at the clinic.

    Krista

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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?

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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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Candice | 4 years ago
Cat Polyp Removal (looking For Any Affordable Vets Near AZ Or Willing To Travel)

Hey guys,
I have a cat named Butters and he needs a polyp removal. I currently live in Arizona and I’ve called around and been quoted for $3000-7000. I’ve seen some comments on here of people finding clinics that does it for an affordable price. I’m willing to travel as well. Please help me find a clinic cause I really don’t like seeing my little guy not being able to breathe correctly ????

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I am not sure what you have done so far to help understand what is going on with your cat? Can you provide more detail? Who has seen your cat so far and what have they done?
    If you are suspicious of a polyp have your reached out to all of the local rescues and shelters to see if anyone locally can help?
    Have you reached out on social media? I’m sure there are local vets who can help. We just have to find them! Let me know. I’ll help too

    1. Candice Post author

      Hello,
      I’ve been going to Banfield to get my cat checked up and they directed me to a specialist (vca) and they said it would be about 1000-1500 just for the ct scan and then depending where the polyp was it was gonna be another 2000-3000 for the surgery. I’ve joined local Arizona animal pages and asked if anyone knew any clinic that would do it for a reasonable price but I haven’t gotten any answers yet. I saw your YouTube video removing a polyp and looked at the comment section and I’ve noticed there’s was a lot of people from Arizona who needed help as well. I’ve replied to the comments but also no reply.

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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?

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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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Suzette | 4 years ago
I Have A Cat That I Suspect Likely Has A Soft Palate Or Nasal Polyp. So …

I have a cat that I suspect likely has a soft palate or nasal polyp. So far we have seen my usual vet twice. The 1st visit they just looked at the cat and told us it was probably a respiratory infection and sent us home w/ a course of antibiotics (Orbax). That was a $150 visit. The cat completed the antibiotics and showed no improvement in it’s respiratory status, plus it seems like the meds made the car loose his appetite to the point of hardly eating. We just went back for another f/u visit, this time insisting on at least some diagnostic tests and they drew blood for labs, and did a chest x-ray (which the said appeared clear). This time they sent us home with azithromycin and prednisolone (more antibiotics and a steroid). That was a $500 visit. I expressed concern about an obstruction or polyp to the vet, and was told that if this course of meds didn’t work, we might need to see a specialist. I would be very grateful if anyone could put me in touch with a vet like Dr. Krista Maginfico that could help us address the medical issue at a reasonable price in the Austin, Tx area. Please, help if you know of anyone…..thank you in advance.

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning- so sorry about your car. Is it possible to get referred to a specialist by your vet? I know you already spoke to them, but perhaps a quick over the phone conversation could point you in the right direction if your vet isn’t equipped to diagnose? Or maybe call your local humane society and ask if they know of a vet practice that is capable? I hope you can get in touch with someone you’re comfortable with. Best of luck!!

    1. Suzette Post author

      I am sure the next step w/ our vet will be a referral to a specialist, I am just trying to reach out and ask for help finding one that might be a bit more reasonable than $1500-$2000 to diagnose and remove a polyp

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Aparna | 4 years ago
My Cat Has Gone Missing For The Past 4 Days.. We Checked Everywhere.. We Asked The Neighbours …

My cat has gone missing for the past 4 days.. We checked everywhere.. We asked the neighbours about her but only some saw her which was 4 days ago.. She is 1 year old. She also has 3 kittens each 1 month old.. It is normal for cats to run away like this? Are there any chances of her coming back? Could you help me? What are the possibilities of this?

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning. I’m sorry about your cat. There could be many reasons for her to be missing…. unfortunately, there is no way to know for sure. Hopefully she shows up????

  2. Laura

    She could have run off. She could have gotten injured and can’t return. Please, keep her kittens indoors at all times and spay/neuter them when they’re old enough. IF she returns, please spay her and keep her inside.

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Sandy | 4 years ago
Dr.Magnifico: I Hope This Message Finds You And Your Family Well. I Actually Have A …

Dr.Magnifico:
I hope this message finds you and your family well.
I actually have a concern not about one of my pets but one of my daughter’s cat. Frisky (my grandboy cat of 12 years).
2 weeks ago my daughter noticed he had an odor of urine. She had tried a new litter and thought it was due to the muddy consistency. She bathed him with no luck and decided to take him to a vet in her area. Frisky is a very cool easy going gentle cat . Unfortunately, when he went to the vet, my daughter said he turned into the cat from hell. They were unable to treat him but managed to give him his rabies. He was prescribed 100mg gabapentin to be taken that night and then one more an hour before his visit the next day. She described him as acting stoned starting with the first capsule. He was fine at the vets office but sadly has been diagnosed with kidney disease. The following 3 levels are off the chart: IDEXX SDMA 63, CREATININE 8.6, BUN 165. The following levels are slightly elevated: Phosphorus 9.9, Anion Gap 27, Total Protein 9.4, MCH 17.6, Monocytes .646.
Frisky was put on a special renal diet with phosphorus powder added (to bind the phosphorus). He is supposed to go back to the vets on Monday to have his kidneys flushed in hopes of flushing toxins I guess.
My concern is that he has trouble processing the gabapentin due to his kidneys.
You know how much I value your opinion and I truly love Frisky. If one of my cats presented all these issues, would you recommend the same treatment? I am also extremely concerned considering what I have read about the toxicity of gabapentin with kidney disease. I am very surprised by his behavior at the vets but obviously he needs something in order to calm him down. Would you recommend an alternative to gabapentin? I believe they gave her a liquid for Monday’s visit opposed to the pill that was used for the previous visit. Have you seen the use of special food and the flushing of kidneys to help improve some of these numbers and allow him some time with a good quality of life? I hope I have provided as much information that you may need.
As always, I appreciate your insight very much.

Thank you
Sandy Brown

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello!
    I’m sorry to hear about your daughters cat. As crazy as it sounds I have numerous patients like this. Ie perfectly wonderful at home and complete terrors at the clinic. My own cat is one of them.
    I can’t prescribe anything to a cat I haven’t seen. Nor can anyone else. But I do think it’s important this cat be followed up on and if that means gabapentin is used then so be it.
    You can and should ask about at home Sq fluids or even maybe an in clinic iv fluids hospital stay. It’s important to distinguish acute kidney failure from chronic and one of the ways to do this is with an inpatient stay to diurese the kidneys.

    1. Sandy Post author

      As always, I appreciate your input. Frisky is one of two cats that I rescued many years ago that my daughter gave a home. I feel a special bond to them because of that in addition to just loving all animals.
      Thanks again and hope you have a nice day.
      Sandy

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Sandy Whitney | 4 years ago
Is It Safe To Stop Insulin Injections If We Think Our Cat Doesn’t Need It

Is it safe to stop insulin injections if we think our cat doesn’t need it

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Please talk to your vet before stopping. In some cases cats can come off of insulin BUT!!! I only say ok when they are on a low dose. Eating only wet food and the owners can check the blood sugar at home to monitor.

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Nicholas | 4 years ago
Hi! I Have A 10 Year Old Tabby Named Chunk — He Is Overweight Hence His Name. Roughly …

Hi!

I have a 10 year old tabby named chunk — he is overweight hence his name. Roughly a month or two ago we noticed that he started to limp. While he isn’t holding the paw or crying while walking, it is a noticeable limp. He is still jumping up on the bed and off, walking up and down all the stairs in the house, eating, drinking, and grooming himself. We can’t touch the paw, rub on the paw, and Chunk does not react in anyway as if it hurts him. My question is, his one paw is somewhat swollen at the knuckle. Could this be arthritis? I don’t want to take him to the vet because he does not handle that well and I’m worried about giving him a heart attack or other health issue by taking him to the vet for something that might be nothing. You can see in the picture the differences in his paws. Thank you in advance!

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  1. Sarah

    I think that since there is swelling and a noticeable limp, a vet trip is needed. It could be a small fracture, a tear, infection, a symptom of something far worse…..