Question
Profile Image
jessica | 4 years ago
Recurring Anal/Rectal Prolapse In Kitten

We just began an adoption trial with an adorable 4 month old kitten named Georgia. She’s very playful and happy but we instantly realized a few things seemed off with her health.

She’s got a watery eye, sneezes occasionally, scratches a lot, shakes her head occasionally, has a lot of gas, has diarrhea on and off, and is dealing with some mild bowel incontinence. But, most concerningly, seems to be dealing with a recurring anal or rectal prolapse.

We’ve taken her to two vets where she’s been given full examinations and deemed healthy. She has had two fecal tests, which return good results – no parasites are seen. She has prescription eye drops, a prescription antibiotic, prescription canned food, and a probiotic that we’ve just started. But no one seems to be as concerned about this rectal issue as we are.

Throughout the day, we notice a tiny bit of pink tissue poking out of her rectum. It’s very small and comes and goes. She also passes gas when this happens. And sometimes poop leaks out. She licks her butt a lot too.

Sometimes a cylindrical round bit of red tissue protrudes much further and what looks like a piece of poop can be seen poking out too. This tends to happen most often when she wakes up from a nap. It seems that her muscles relax and her bowel starts to come out. It will be out for seconds to a few minutes after she gets up and is moving around and then it pushes itself back in. It’s very disturbing to see!

We already have one special needs cat and, while we absolutely love this kitten and want to keep her, I’m afraid that this is going to be a recurring issue that will become very stressful. The vets we’ve seen are trying to treat the underlying cause, which they assume is diarrhea. But I’ve read that some parasites don’t show up on fecal exams or under microscopes – is this true? I’ve also read that stitches and surgery can help if this doesn’t improve on its own but that, with some cats, this is just a recurring problem throughout their lives.

Help! 🙂

2 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I think that almost everything you are worried about it fairly normal for a newly adopted kitten. I always tell clients that we put these guys through a tremendously stressful time when we move them away from their family and into a new home. It’s a huge advisement and with that the immune system gets totally stressed out. Upper respiratory infections are a very common sequela. Also most kittens come with parasites. I send out at least three fecals before I deem them to be parasite free. Also stay on a good kitten food. Between the change in homes, families and diets I see loads of issues like this and they almost all resolve completely within a few weeks. All I really care about for the first few weeks is if they are happy, eating and playful and gaining weight. Stay in touch with your vet and I swear love cures almost all of these new kittens. Best of luck.

    1. jessica Post author

      Thanks! I hope you’re right. I was feeling the same way until this prolapse thing started. That has overwhelmed me as it seems to be getting worse, not better. And the vet visits and prescription foods are already getting expensive! Just afraid there won’t be a quick fix and we’ll be dealing with two very expensive special needs cats soon.

Question
Profile Image
tracy | 4 years ago
My 12 Year Old Cairn Terrier Is Coughing/ Gagging.

My 12 year old Cairn Terrier is coughing/ gagging.

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    This clinical sign is always best answered by a trip to the vet. Coughing for longer than 12 hours is a problem. Please see your vet.

Question
Profile Image
Robyn | 4 years ago
Hello! I Will Try To Keep This As Short As Possible But Is Hard Because So …

Hello! I will try to keep this as short as possible but is hard because so much has happened.

I have 3 cats. My male cat is the one I am worried about the most right now. About a month ago all 3 got URIs and went to the vet. They were treated with antibiotics however they weren’t helping much so I had to bring them back a few times! Due to financial issues I ended up bringing them to our local shelter/humane society where they have a free clinic right now due to Covid. Biggest mistake EVER! They were so mean to my cat and overly rough with him completely stressing him out. I wasn’t allowed to go in the room with him however was able to watch some of what was going on through a window. This stressed my cat out so much that a week later he got a urinary blockage (2 weeks ago now)… I have never had issues prior with the other vet. He is 8 yr old. Anyways the vet cathed him and sent him home since it was the weekend and they are closed… where he ended up going to the ER the next day because he was crying all night…. They took the cath out… gave him pain meds and fluids… and kept him for 5 hours… He came home that night and has been on pain meds as needed and prazosin 2x a day. He is also on Hills C/D wet (with minimal dry of the c/d) He has been seen 2x since at the vet and Monday they did a urine sample/culture…. They said he has white blood cells so was put on antibiotics…but once the culture came back it showed everything to be normal…so was taken off of them…. Prior to all of this he was free fed however I have been switching all my cats to meal times 2-3 times a day… and will continue with that because of weight issues . He has been peeing, however, sometimes when I am peeing he will come pee in his litter box at the same time… He shakes his back end and puts it up in the air kind of and the pee shoots or sprays out …. this isn’t every time he pees but it has happened 3 times that I have seen. His pee clumps aren’t as big as they were prior to all this and now vary in size… sometimes a golf ball size give or take a little bit bigger/or smaller. I also will see his back end/tail twitching randomly in the day. The vet said this happening more than likely was due to stress. I have been making sure to keep the stress level low at home, use feliway (idk if it helps) and new toys/cat nip.

My questions are…

1. When switching to a wet food diet…. Will cats pee more than usual? They were on a 90% dry diet before. Sometimes I add a little water to it as I don’t see him drink a lot.

2. He only has a few days left of the prazosin… Should he been weened or go off cold turkey?

3. Is the shaking and spraying like pee normal? He does so in the litter box however because of his angle sometimes it gets on the wall.

I am new to this… and have talked to/seen several vets however they all say different things so I am confused… I just want to know if this is normal….. I think he is probably irritated from being cathed and such… due to licking his private sometimes and whining (both aren’t as bad as they were before however still happen)

Thank You for taking the time to read this.

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry all of this has happened. I will try to answer your questions BUT you really need to stick with a vet you trust and be prepared for this to take a while to resolve. In some cats it is a lifelong issue.
    I prefer wet to dry as it is a much higher water content and usually much less fattening. I even recommend adding water.
    I also advise clients to try to give Sq fluids at home.
    Prazosin is a question for your vet. Some stay on this medication long term as it seems to be very beneficial.
    I am not sure what the shaking is. Maybe try to get it on video and discuss with your vet. Maybe pain?
    You should also ask about anything you can try for stress? Like Feliway? Catnip? Toys? Confinement at night? An anti anxiety medication? This is a discussion for your vet. What really matters is that you have someone advocating for you and your cat and you do everything you can to avoid another blockage and learn how to manage this long term.

    Best of luck.

    If possible can you share your vet experience (with the costs included) in our storyline section. It might help others.

Question
Profile Image
Morgan | 4 years ago
My 11 Year Old Indoor Cat Has Started A Snoring Sound When Breathing Over The Past Year. …

My 11 year old indoor cat has started a snoring sound when breathing over the past year. A local vet said it was not in her lungs and that he saw something while looking in her nose. She is eating and drinking fine with no other problems. Steroids and antibiotics helped pretty well, but the symptoms returned afterward. We think it could be a nasopharyngeal polyp (all of the symptoms are there[the sneezing fits, the head shaking, the constant swallowing like she has something in her throat) but we just got quoted 5 grand for a CT and surgery at the specialist. No other local vet will do an exam under anesthesia to look. Someone please help. We feel like our days are numbered for our sweet Sadie girl. ????

6 Responses

Comments

  1. Sarah

    Good morning- sorry you are going through this. Is your vet able to do this or are you referred to a specialist? I vaguely remember another Pawbly friend having the same issue a while back, and they found a vet that did an exam under general anesthesia for a much more affordable cost. Have you spoken to your local animal shelter to see if they know of a vet that can do this? They may be able to offer some advice on who else to reach out to in your area. I am sorry that I cannot offer more concrete advice.

    1. Morgan Post author

      We’ve asked several local vets, but they all say they don’t do that. They always refer to the specialist clinic and no joke they are quoting 5 grand. Mind blowing! We’ll keep asking around. We’ll start with the animal shelters as well.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I agree with Sarah. Start calling rescues and shelters and ask if they’ve had a case like his and who they used for it. There are lots of vets who will look and remove a polyp if it is there but you have to be persistent. If you find someone please share it with us so we can pass it along. Also I would ask your vet to have the radiographs reviewed by a boarded radiologist. It might help. At my clinic this is about $70.

    1. Morgan Post author

      Dr. Magnifico! Thank you so much for responding! Your YouTube videos have provided us hope that we can potentially fix our cat’s problem at a reasonable cost. You’re the best. ????

        1. Morgan Post author

          Dr. Magnifico, we are having difficulty finding any vet willing to do an exam under anesthesia to diagnose/ perform a potential polypectomy. Do you know of anyone in the southeast that will do this? We’ve made so many calls. We’re seriously considering driving across the country to see you. Please let us know. Thanks!

Question
Profile Image
Michelle | 4 years ago
Yesterday We Got Home From Work And Our Dog Broke Into Our Bathroom And Told Through …

Yesterday we got home from Work and our dog broke into our bathroom and told through at least 5 soiled baby diapers. The brand was hello bello. My dog has not vomited, and is eating and drinking, but his gas is out of control. Is there anything else I should be keeping an eye on?

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    If he is eating and drinking and urinating and defecating normally those are all good signs. I would continue to watch him and call your vet immediately if these change. Also please get a container that is lockable for things like diapers ans tampons or any other product he might get into like trash. An obstruction surgery at an er in the USA can be multiple thousands of dollars and potentially life threatening.

Question
Profile Image
Tim | 4 years ago
I Just Came Across Your Video Of Hank The Beagle From Dec. 2016 And It Gives Me …

I just came across your video of Hank the beagle from Dec. 2016 and it gives me hope.

Our beagle Katy just had surgery for a ruptured disc between the T12-13 and T13-L1 vertebrae that was causing compression on the spinal cord. She had no use of her back legs.
She had a hemilaminectomy on the 13th after waking up with no use of her back legs.

We brought her home today the 18th, still no use of her back legs and we have to express her bladder for her.

Also It’s my first day but I can’t seem to get her bladder to express. She has leaked pretty consistently on the pad overnight.
One last thing. She tends to sit up and not want to lay down. Can she not do this on her own. When I guided her down she went right to sleep but I dont want to force anything that may cause damage.

Dr. said we should give it until the end of the month to see if overall improvement happens.

Any advice. Signs of hope to look for?
We are doing passive range of motion therapy with her.

Thank you so much,
Tim Perry

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    There is a lot of missing information that makes this a little difficult to give advice on. Like how long she was down? What that looked like? How severe it was/ how long she waited for surgery, what her physical condition before was, etc Etc.
    Also who did the surgery. What did that look like? I don’t expect that you will know all of this but your vet should. And they should be a constant part of her recovery. I have a huge amount of information available on my blog and YouTube channel. Here tou will see how much work and effort these patients need in the first few days and weeks. How imperative it is to know how to palpate and empty a bladder. How much effort needs to be placed in pain a management and safe physical therapy. How many obstacles that can come up post op without even knowing that they are looming. See if there is anyone locally who can help. Use Facebook groups. And books to help guide you and insist that your vets help too. A month is too long to not have assistance. Prognosis is incredibly hard to prognosticate but the best cases have early and aggressive intervention and loads of assistance from the vet team.
    I really hope this helps. Best of luck!

Question
Profile Image
Melik | 4 years ago
My Cat Doesn’t Poop For 4 Days And He Is Very Unhappy And Even Don’t …

My cat doesn’t poop for 4 days and he is very unhappy and even don’t even notice me

2 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It is time to see a vet. Unless he’s straining to defecate I assume he is not eating enough, or strong enough to go to the bathroom. I also worry about dehydration, disease, illness and a whole slew of other possible conditions and causes. Please see a vet immediately.

    1. Melik Post author

      I took him to our vet today and yesterday and yesterday they said he has so much parasites and gave him parasite pill. Also they gave me an antibiotic pill, but he doesn’t eats drinks anything since 4 days. By the way they made enema to him today but he still hasn’t poop

Question
Profile Image
Cheryl | 4 years ago
Can You Answer A Question For Me? My Persian Had Surgery At 2yrs Old Due To …

Can you answer a question for me? My Persian had surgery at 2yrs old due to calcium oxilate stones and now at 7yrs old he’s having trouble peeing. He’s been on RX food since his 1st surgery and drinks a ton of water. Is it possible he can have stones again when he’s on UR veterinary food from day 1?

1 Response

Comments

Question
Profile Image
Kristen Duracka | 4 years ago
Hi! I Am Interested In Doing Longer Day Hikes With Our Dog. He’s A 3 Year …

Hi! I am interested in doing longer day hikes with our dog. He’s a 3 year old Hound mix and easily does 4-5 miles. I want to get him up to about 10 miles for trips every once in a while. What supplies should we take for him? What snacks would be best? How should I increase his mileage? Should I get him used to booties (I think that might be tough though)? Thanks for any suggestions and advice you have.

1 Response

Comments

  1. Sarah

    Hi there- I think it’s great to hike with your dog- although I have never done 10 miles. I would first and foremost make sure his obedience is up to snuff. Trails can suddenly have multiple dogs on them when a moment ago there were none around, or wildlife can be very tempting… etc. you might want to get a dog backpack to carry water in, which you’ll probably have to introduce to your dog and get him comfortable with. And a collapsible water dish too. And probably a check in with your vet if you haven’t been recently- just to be sure. Have fun out there!!!

Question
Profile Image
Margaret | 4 years ago
My Dog Is A Shitzu And Has A Cough. I Bought Him Meds For Kennel Cough …

My dog is a shitzu and has a cough. I bought him meds for kennel cough but it goes away and it goes back a day or two. what can I get him?

2 Responses

Comments

  1. Laura

    You can get him a vet visit. Possibly one with a cardiologist in addition to one with your regular vet. This breed is very prone to heart failure, and coughing is often the first outward symptom.

    1. Laura

      And to further impress the need for speed on this one – many dogs who start coughing as the first outward sign of DCM are already in congestive heart failure. You NEED to get this dog to the cardiologist TODAY.

      This might mean an ER visit.

      I am speaking from experience, here.