Hello, firstly thank you for making this site and sharing your message and trying to help both Vets and pet owners do better by and for their sake.
The cold weather in Oregon is setting in, I attached some photos I hope help. I’m trying to figure out the best way to identify and treat this issue.
The following are my observations of the marks located at the base of the tail areas side and underside only, surface level circular with some being slightly more crater like. Hair loss and area effects remain the same after what feels like over a month already. Plasma is typical puss in 2 or so spots, no swelling since first observed till present day, skin near effected area looks okay, over grooming of the area likely but not believing this is a source of pain. We live in a farm setting he is a stray I will watch over like my own and treat as such, I’m not against funding anything from big or small for his care but he’s strictly outdoor hunter and sometimes I wont see him for days. Would be most appreciative to any insight in what this might be or how I can help, likewise if there is a wound spray or dewormer I could purchase he is 100% outdoors and I see no signs of worms but he drinks from bird bath dishes. He will allow me to handle him but only so much I’d be much more worried when his patience runs out. I’d say he weighs about 15 pounds and overall health and appearance / dental is amazing. I always offer him a safe clean area and access to the property I will be buying a breakaway collar with a GPS tracker for him, he’s a farm cat my neighbor and me watch after. Would this be something to just give more time to mend? or should I step in and apply or seek help. Thank you! I will 100% be doing a donation, really wish more Vets were like you or highlighted in the community.

EDIT, the donation link via paypal says this is indelible, you can click 1-2 photos below that say Ads to be redirected to those to donate, if you have a place in mind please add it to the response I’d be happy to donate to your place of choice.

This post is specifically for Dr. Krista Magnifico, however anyone is welcome to chime in if you feel you can contribute.

On the evening of Monday, 11/20, our strictly indoor 8yo cat Louie had an accident at home. We aren’t entirely sure what happened, but we observed him jump down from the couch and race across the room, knocking his water bowl over in the process in a way that suggested he was spooked or startled, possibly by an outside noise.

That night he loafed a bit more than usual, but we didn’t think anything of it.

The next day (Tuesday) we noticed he had a noticeable limp in one of his hind legs. He had a slight sprain about six months prior in one of his front legs, and all he was prescribed was rest, so we figured this required the same since he bounced back from that sprain in under a week.

By Tuesday night it was noticeably worse and now both legs were effected, and he was extremely lethargic and kept hiding. We made sure he was comfortable and made plans to take him to a vet the following morning. The next day he was MUCH worse, now dragging his entire body by his front legs with hardly any rear leg movement, and his tail was partially limp as well. Both still had movement, but something was clearly very wrong.

We found a vet who did a quick half assed exam and wouldn’t take x-rays even though we asked for them. She did labwork and prescribed pain meds and said it was likely just a bad fall and he just needed to rest. She told us to follow up with her when we felt it was necessary.

By the next day, Thursday, his rear legs and tail showed absolutely no movement, and he was completely dragging himself with his front legs. And since it was Thanksgiving, everyone was closed, and we don’t have the means to pay for a 24hr emergency facility.

We called the vet back as soon as they opened Friday morning and scheduled the follow-up the same day. We waited in a small room while they took him into another room for a second exam, and when she came back she said his blood work was fine but she recommended putting him down asap because he had developed some sort of neurological issue, likely a slipped disc with his spine. I inquired about treatment options but apparently I didn’t look rich enough, because she just dismissed it as “probably too expensive” and suggested taking him home for some goodbye time, followed by making arrangements.

On Wednesday it was “probably a sprain, just let him rest” and 48 hours later she’s telling us to kill him. Economic Euthanasia in action. Are there treatments? Yes. Can you afford them? No. So fuck you and fuck your cat.

I immediately reached out to another facility for a second opinion. The prognosis was poor, but I was told that there was a chance he could recover with enough rest, attention, love and patience. As long as his appetite remained and he still wanted water, I could let him rest, do physical therapy, pursue acupuncture, etc….and just give him time. He said it could be 50/50 but gave no guarantees. What mattered was he didn’t take away our hope. We were told he wasn’t necessarily in pain, so it wasn’t inhumane to give him a fighting chance. So that’s what we did. The biggest problem was the paralysis meant he couldn’t use his box, so he had to be manually expressed for all his bathroom needs. I could NOT get the hang of it and was incredibly worried about a rupture or blockage. But he had developed incontinence, so even though I wasn’t able to remove his waste myself, it would come out on its own over time. I had to clean a lot of messes as well as clean his backside often, but at least it was coming out one way or another.

Still, he wasn’t examined to my satisfaction, and I wanted to find a vet who took his case more seriously and could actually provide some sort of treatment. After a little research I found one, and they did a FULL neurological exam, asked for his whole story, listened, didn’t rush, and told me how to proceed and what to expect. The did a complimentary ultrasound, two full x-ray sessions and only charged me for one because they did the second just to rule something out, and all in all were angels on earth. They said red light / laser therapy might help, but again couldn’t offer any guarantees. They unit they had on hand was a “Class IV” which is apparently really powerful and efficient, so we began treatment with that immediately, twice weekly.

That was two weeks ago, and as of today it’s now the start of week four. It’s been three full weeks since this all started. Over the last couple weeks, he started showing signs of movement in his right leg. Then his left. Bit by bit. As of today, HE CAN WALK, but only on his “hocks”. His front paws / legs are still fine, and he’s capable of making his way around the house on his own. However he’s still incontinent, and he still isn’t using his box. I’ve been doing my best to clean up after him with warm water and wet wipes (for cats), but he’s starting to develop sores by his anus due to constant over grooming. Apparently I haven’t been doing a well enough job keeping him clean.

We were prescribed a medication called Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Potassium on 12/11 which we were told to give twice daily, 12 hours apart. So we gave him his first dose that night, and twice the next day. He didn’t take well to it and developed horrible diarrhea and vomited a few times as well. Despite this, he still has his appetite and he’s still drinking water. He’s not hiding or showing signs of pain or distress. He still purrs and wants attention, and even wants to play. He just walks on his hocks and can’t use his box. He was also prescribed another medication for nerve pain which was mixed with (I believe) Almond Oil? But he immediately began drooling profusely and had an incredibly adverse reaction to it, and he hated me for the next two days and even became fearful, which was difficult to deal with. Apparently there’s a similar option available in pill / powder form, but our vet won’t prescribe it because apparently it’s too strong for his size.

What all can we do from here on out to help him regain his independence on the bathroom front? What treatments / medications / additional measures would you recommend?

We were told if he were to make a recovery it would take anywhere from 4, 8, or even 12 weeks or more. It’s been three full weeks and he IS walking again (on his hocks), but the bathroom issue is our biggest concern. We’ve laid towels down everywhere but we can’t live like this forever….but at the same time we don’t consider this issue alone to be sufficient reason to end his life. We love him, and he’s family. We’re in it for the long haul.

We were told an MRI to pinpoint the exact spot of his injury would be upwards of 4k and corrective surgery, if it’s a slipped disc, would be 8k – 11k.

We can’t fucking afford any of that, and its safe to say MOST people can’t. What an absolutely predatory situation to be in.

Any advice on how best to proceed from here would be sincerely appreciated. We’re open to anything which has ever shown proven results. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Being concise isn’t among my strong suites.

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??

Our 13 yo Cairn Terrier went to his usual grooming appt today. The groomer called me and said after his bath, he was crying constantly and seemed panicked. He was pacing and crying.
She thinks it may have been a seizure or something like it. When I picked him up from her, he was very happy to see me. We went home, he ate and is now acting like his normal self. The ER vet had a 10 hour wait! And no other vet can see him.

My cat is 12 years old. We noticed she had lost some weight over a short period of time and booked a visit to see our vet on Monday. Then she stopped eating over the weekend and became lethargic so we took her to the ER vet. They diagnosed her with CKD and it is very advanced. Her values were so high they needed to dilute their sample to get a reading. We were told it would not be inappropriate to euthanize her right then and there or we could hospitalize her but she might not handle the treatment well because of her heart murmur. It was such a shock I had no idea she was so unwell, but I couldn’t put her down without trying anything. She was admitted for 2 days and hydrated and while she did perk up and start eating, her numbers did not go down significantly. She came home and was perky for roughly 45 minutes, then laid down to sleep on our sofa and has been using that spot as home base for the last 2 days. She’ll get up to drink and use the litterbox and greet us but then promptly returns to her spot. She is grooming herself. These are some good signs. What worries me is she has already gone off eating. She didn’t have much the first day but today she licked some gravy off some wet food and has had a few treats. She is less perky already. The vet sent us home with mirtazpine ointment and subQ fluids… but nothing for nausea. My question is: should I force feed her? Should I have a tube put in? Should I let her go? I don’t want her to suffer if it’s her time but I also want to give her a chance if she can still lead a good life. She’s an agreable cat and tolérâtes the sub Q fluids well, though I don’t think she would like to be force fed. I won’t give up on her but I don’t want her to suffer either by putting in a tube or force feeding if it will only keep her with me another week.

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!

Hi,
I need advice on how to calm my cat.SHe is normally nice but ately she acts a little aggressive when she hears other noises like,cars,dogs,and other cats.She is not acting as nice toward her own collar and grooming time with me. Do you have any answers how i can get her to act nice again?

The dog groomer suggests our Norwich Terrier takes medicine prior to grooming appointment. She bites the groomer. She originally went to this groomer and they only had problems cutting her nails. We went elsewhere and our dog bit at the groomer and they called me to come pick her up mid grooming and they couldn’t finish her. We went back to the present one who completed that cut. She went back today and got groomed but they said she needs meds next time. She is 7 yrs old and a rescue. We have had her almost 2 yrs. She sometimes nips at us too. Suggestions about meds please. Thanks.

I rescued a box of kittens that were thrown in a cardboard box wet to die four years ago. My fiancé kept one that we named Stoker (a tuxie that reminded me of Bram Stoker). Three months ago he blocked. We got him in to the emergency vet and transferred him to our regular clinic. Over the last three months he has had nothing but complications from infections of the sutures outside, to irritation and swelling. We finally got the last two outer sutures out at the vet about a month ago and were not charged. However today temperatures soared and he has been panting nonstop. His body temp is 101.9, and I have been wetting him down with a wet wash rag. He then vomited nothing but hair and water (assume from over grooming because of heat). Finally got him in an a/c room and he vomited again. He is twitching in his hind end. I tried to insert a sterile curved syringe into the new opening and cannot get it further than 1/4” so instead of heat stroke I am now worried the hole may have healed over. We have no income as we have both become unemployed. I am desperate for help.

I rescued a box of kittens that were thrown in a cardboard box wet to die four years ago. My fiancé kept one that we named Stoker (a tuxie that reminded me of Bram Stoker). Three months ago he blocked. We got him in to the emergency vet and transferred him to our regular clinic. Over the last three months he has had nothing but complications from infections of the sutures outside, to irritation and swelling. We finally got the last two outer sutures out at the vet about a month ago and were not charged. However today temperatures soared and he has been panting nonstop. His body temp is 101.9, and I have been wetting him down with a wet wash rag. He then vomited nothing but hair and water (assume from over grooming because of heat). Finally got him in an a/c room and he vomited again. He is twitching in his hind end. I tried to insert a sterile curved syringe into the new opening and cannot get it further than 1/4” so instead of heat stroke I am now worried the hole may have healed over. We have no income as we have both become unemployed. I am desperate for help.