Ask questions and share about your pet's health to help others.
My 4 1/2-year-old cat Minnie all of a sudden last Saturday was lethargic to the point she slept the entire day, then Sunday a lot of the same where she not interacting, not her normal playful, loving self. It started to look like her eyes where crossed, and she would curl up in a ball. I took her to the vet last Monday – she was there all day and they suspect head cavity polyps, meningitis, or CNS however when the Dr. put her under, she was not able to find anything. Not sure if she checked behind the soft pallet, but will ask in the am. I was referred to a neurologist at that time; they have her a 14 day antibiotic and a steroid injection. She seemed to be doing good, and somewhat back to herself, so I canceled the request for an appt as they did not even have any openings, but the next day Tuesday she was feeling horrible again, sneezing, head tilting, off-balance walk, walking in a circle favoring her left side. Her eyes are watery and run almost like she is crying, and she has this reverse snort/cough. She does still have a good appetite, is eating, peeing and pooping, but is extremely lethargic and I can tell she is still miserable and at time seems like she will not make it. Took her back on Friday, did another exam and they say she still needs some type of imaging to see what is wrong. I am thinking can’t they look to see if there are polyps endoscopically and then just remove them at the same time? Or does she have to go through a complete neurological exam although it may not be necessary? I can’t afford 2-3 k for all the diagnostics then surgery but will do my best to pay if it is necessary. I am terribly worried for her as she is just doing horrible and I hate to see her in so much pain and want to get this resolved for her as quickly as possible.
My 6 year old lab mix had TPLO surgery to repair a torn CCL on September 10. Prior to surgery, his liver enzymes were elevated but after 2 ultrasounds and bloodwork, they were unable to identify why. Because of this he cannot take anti inflammatory drugs to help with pain and took longer to be cleared after surgery. He was finally cleared on 12/11/19 and was doing really well. About a week and a half ago, he started limping again. We can’t pinpoint anything he did that would cause a limp. We haven’t let him fully run and don’t let him off his leash hardly at all. I do have another follow up appointment with the surgeon scheduled but wanted to see if anyone else experienced something like this. Thanks!
Hello,
Lots of things can cause a limp post op. The best advice I can give is to keep him calm and leash walk only and see the surgeon ASAP. If he is acting quiet, depressed, lethargic or not eating call your regular vet and have him seen immediately.
Thank you! He is sleepy, but not lethargic. I think that is because of the gabapentin. He has always been a picky eater but I believe he is eating and drinking normally. We have been keeping him on a leash and shortened walks. His appointment with the surgeon is Wednesday.
Our 9 Year Old Border Collie the vet believes has Colon/Rectal Cancer. He did a rectal exam and can feel several large masses narrowing his colon. Our
dog started limping and favoring a back leg 2 weals ago, then 5 days ago has been unable to poop. Just little pieces of poop would come out, and he would
be trying to go for several minutes. The Vet believes the narrowing of the colon due to the masses inside are also pinching the nerves causing his limp, since
our dog did not injure his hind leg, and is not in pain.
He is referring us to a Vet that can image the area, and possibly due radiation.
Does anyone have and advice for us ??? Does anyone have and history to share with us???
We appreciate any feedback.
Good morning- I’m sorry you have this going on. I think that comfort and quality have to play a role in any decision making. And budget. That is the reality of it. Talk with your vet. Talk with the specialist you are going to. Talk about all possible prognosis and all possible options. Be sure to voice your concerns- you may want to start keeping a written list so that you don’t forget anything at your visit. Very best to you. Please keep us posted-
My 5 year old golden retriever, Paisley, just received ultrasound results that observed masses on her spleen, bladder and rectum, and enlarged lymph nodes. Her blood work came back normal, and stool sample was negative for parasites – she’s been a healthy dog! In the past 3 weeks, Paisley has been very lethargic, sleeps most of the day, can no longer get into the car or onto the bed, and strains trying to pass stool (it’s mostly blood or small stool with blood). Her appetite is unchanged – she’s always gobbled up her food and never misses an opportunity to mooch, so this is good. Her water intake is lower than normal, but she is still periodically drinking throughout the day. We’re currently awaiting the full report on the ultrasound to determine what the next options are (x-ray, biopsies, surgery, chemo – depending). My question goes out to the Pawbly community – pet owners and veterinarians, anyone who may have personal experience or insight related to this. Have you had this sort of unfortunate discovery with your pet? Was it benign or malignant? Is surgery recommended for both benign and malignant masses, and what is the likelihood of it resolving things? The questions go on…We just got this news last night, so admittedly my head is still spinning and not sure how best to proceed. It’s already been $2,000 in vet bills to get to this stage. Without pet insurance, just preparing for whatever costs may lie ahead for anything we choose to do next. Otherwise, Paisley is a very happy girl and still has a great zest for life when she has the energy! Shocked that this is happening to such a young pup.
Thanks in advance for any and all feedback! Very much appreciated.
Hi there- so sorry that this is all happening. I think that before you can really come up with any sort of game plan, you need to find out the rest of the results. I would also start keeping a journal for questions you have as well as your dog’s behavior. You can share these with your vet. I know that when our dog two years ago was ill, I always had a million questions and then when we would get to our appointment, my mind would go blank. Keeping the journal helps to sort your thoughts out so that you don’t forget to mention anything or ask anything. I am quite sure that your vet will set aside time to speak with you. You should talk about ALL possible options. I know that my vet tries to offer every scenario she can think of and then we make a plan from there. Do not be shy about discussing budget either. I wish I could offer more advice to you right away. Hopefully another Pawbly friend will log on and have more insight to share. Very best of luck to you and your pup. Please keep us posted????????
Thank you for your comment! Great idea to document what’s been going on, or any observations that should be noted (especially questions – I always blank out on the millions of things I want to ask when the time comes).
I do feel like our vet will also take the time to present all available options. I’m just hoping that it’s an honest conversation about quality of life, what the prognosis looks like and if it’s even reasonable to do XYZ, budget considerations, etc. I’m at the point where I don’t want to keep going down a rabbit hole of testing and procedures, but I do feel like the biopsies are the next step regardless and those will definitely provide some answers. I just can’t believe how quickly these things happen! All of the physical behavioural changes have been so unexpected.
May I ask, what was your dog ill with when you had to consider options? Hope everything ended up being okay, or at the very least hope you’ve had some peace of mind!
Well- only since you asked. He was our younger mixed breed, and always so healthy- when he started to be tired all the time I brought him in because it was so out of character. When they took xrays my vet could tell right away it wasn’t good. He was riddled with cancer everywhere, so we knew it was a matter of time and pain management. That was in early spring about 2 years ago. We had to get him to the end of the school year (he was my son’s best friend in the whole world) and our vet helped us do that. Your situation may very well be much different. It sounds as if anything your dog may possibly have would be fairly contained. Hopefully the ultrasound and other test results come back with a good prognosis! ????????
My Son’s cat Tom, is a rescue we have had approximately 12 years, putting his age about 13 to 13 1/2. Best cat I have ever had in my house! He thinks he is a member of the pack of 3 Jack Russells that run around here, and will not hesitate to stop one in it’s tracks to bathe them! For approximately the last 6 months he has developed a snoring noise, even when he is wide awake, and his local Vet says he has naso-pharyngeal polyps. Over the last month or so, he has had increasing difficulty swallowing his food. He has been on an Iams dry food for years and never had issues until no. We have switched to pulverizing the dry in a food processor and mixing it into some can foods he likes but he still eats very little at a time and always acts like he is starving. Having seen your videos of removing polyps from a cats throat area has led me to reaching out to you for help/advice. I certainly don’t want this cat to starve to death, and his discomfort is clear. Every local Vet I have contacted here in the Norfolk,Va. area has come back with estimates over $2000.00!!! I love this cat, but at 13 years old, I can’t do that and send my son to is first year of college. I am completely open to suggestions, and if need be, open to a 5 hour ride to see you.
hello,
I have to say that polyps (in my opinion) are less likely as cats age.
Next, I do believe there are still vets out there willing and able to sedate/anesthetize a cat and look for a polyp. Please call all the vets you can and reach out to every shelter and rescue for advice on who they use. If, and when you find someone please (please!!!) add their names via the storylines section above so it can help someone down the road. If we dont start sharing info we will continue to lose options and affordable care.
If all else fails I am happy to see your cat. call the clinic at 410-692-6171 and ask the receptionists to take your name and number. I cannot give advice over the phone, but I can arrange an appointment time for your cat to be seen so we can look for a polyp.
There is someone closer to you, I am sure, its just finding them. I am appalled at how ridiculous vet med has become. No one will even look for these anymore? Why? Honestly I dont know?
Please keep me posted and best of luck.
krista
After literally contacting over 40 Veterinary hospitals in our area, and in Northeast North Carolina and into central Virginia, still the lowest estimate is $2110.00 I have gone so far as contacting Virginia Tech School of Veterinary Medicine and N.C. State, and both require us to live within 35 miles of the school. I guess they are overwhelmed with people seeking help.
His snorting, snoring, sounds are so bad he has cut back eating to maybe a bite or so per day. If I can make an appointment at your clinic, what type of bloodwork tests would I ask my local veterinarian to do and send the results to you ahead of time?
He is a wonderful cat with a great personality and sadly to treat him here will end up being a death sentence, which is clearly not a treatment.
Am I house training properly? We adopted a 6 month old rat terrier/collie mix 2.5 weeks ago. Monday-Friday I come home during lunch for water and a walk. He’s left without water for 4hrs at a time (8:30-12:30 and 1-5:30). I’m being very patient with making sure he has as much pee time as we can give him. Are the options to either continue walking him myself or hire a walker? I’d like to end the midday walks, but can’t leave him without water for 9 hours, right? What are my options for keeping everyone happy, keeping him hydrated and also keeping his crate and my apartment as urine-free as possible? Dog walkers can be expensive. $15/day means ~$300/month. I’ve debated asking the older (seemingly) retired ladies in my apartment complex to walk him for a fee.
Hi Michael???? we have never withheld water, and have never had accidents inside the house (unless we were still working on training or one of the dogs was ill) Having said that, I can say that routine is your best friend. Dogs like to keep their area clean and once they learn where to go, will most likely stay with that routine. At 6 months old, your dog should be able to go quite some time without having to toilet. 9 hours is too long though. I’m not sure of your daily schedule, but if you get a good long walk in before work, it is very possible to get a 6 hour block of time where your new pup will not need to bathroom and for a majority of those 6 hours (depending on how much activity/exercise you’ve given them during the morning walk) will be spent napping and calm. However, a good long walk is necessary after such a large chunk of time alone. There are also a lot of training videos that you might want to look at…. some that give you a set time,one, like 5 or 7 days. Very best of luck to you and your pup????????
Hi, my female torti Dusty has bumps on her tongue… The vet had me give her doxycycline liquid and prednisone for 2 months… the bumps didn’t change, but while I was there, she also told me to stop giving her wet food. About a week or so ago I stopped her wet food (which is Sheba Perfect portions) and just gave her the puro a one sensitive stomach hard food she has been eating for 2 years (I was doing 50/50)… I noticed she is having issues peeing… no pain, but she takes me to see she is only peeing about a teaspoon or so and she does it very often… she isn’t showing any signs of pain or lethargy, and eating fine. I tried to feel around but not sure if I found a bladder or not, nothing feels hard and she only complains as much as usual so I don’t think anything hurts.
I’ve watched videos on expressing a bladder and catheterizing a male, but I can’t seem to find any info on females (still looking)… my mom’s dog had 3 bladder stones for over a month just peeing a few drops every time and then all of a sudden they just popped out so I’m trying to weigh the cost-benefit with the local vet. Today is Sunday and I wasn’t about to go emergency if she wasn’t in pain, but I’m still afraid they’ll want $500+ to do anything since just a physical with no blood tests or shots is over $100 and I’m sure they’ll want xrays, etc. I’m in Florida and I know vets here charge 2x-3x more than other places.
Any info will help
Female
Indoor
Shorthair
About 10 yrs young
No signs of sick/injured/pain
Hello,
When it comes to cats displaying issues with urination we always worry most about urinary blockage, which can be life threatening. This is less common in female cats. A blocked cat will typically frequent the litter box (obsessively and continuously), and produce no, or very little urine. A cat with bladder inflammation will do the same but NOT typically have a full, hard, distended urinary bladder, which is why an exam by a vet is imperative. We cant tell the difference without an exam and usually a urinalysis.
I have to admit that I never recommend dry over wet for cats. I just find that dry has no benefits.. Not teeth, certainly not weight, and for urinary issues wet it better as you can add water and start to diurese the urine.
If your cat is calm and comfortable you can probably wait until morning to be seen.
If all else failed you could ask the ER vet to just assess for blockage and then ask to be seen by your vet (assuming they can and will have time to see you) tomorrow. If her heart, temp, color, respiratory rate and bladder are all normal I bet they would have trouble saying that she isnt stable enough to wait a few hours.
I always think it is important for pet parents to be proactive, but also provide an honest admission of budget and ask for assistance to make care affordable and accessible. We all owe our pet parents and patients that. Please let me know what happens. Good luck
Thank you. Yes, the only thing is her lack of pee. Today I put her back on the wet food and added water and her pee doubled this last time. Also, since everything I read seemed to say blood in urine, and she wants me to watch her pee, I took a paper towel and put it under her and her pee came out colorless… not red, or even yellow , but the paper towel looks like I put water on it…I will not it is a stronger smell than I would expect, smells like pee, but I don’t think I’ve ever noticed her pee have a smell before (maybe because I never had her pee on a paper towel before, I dunno)
Tomorrow I plan to take her in, they were good about seeing her same day when I took her in for a checkup (2nd trip to a vet in her life…1st was her spray trip when she was about a year old) hopefully they won’t rake me over the coals.
Also I found a video that says to add ACV and water to the food and I happened to have some here so I added it…and she still ate half of it it (I was surprised because she can be picky)…
While I’ve got your attention, since one reason they say in the videos is stress, my husband thinks this may have been caused by my recently changing them to a litter kwitter as I have started toilet training them.. Can holding it in cause a problem? And what are your thoughts on toilet training cats?
Hi I just recently became a mommy to a blue nosed pit bull. The person we got her from lied to us about her age. I came to find out she is only 4 weeks old. She was already weaned off of her mom’s milk for the most part when he got her. The “breeder” was feeding her an entire can of wet pedigree dog did with kibble mixed in. I knew right away that was horribly wrong. I went to pet smart and bought the ready made formula to start her back on. I went home and immediately tried to get her to drink it. She refused to drink any formula. She was starting to act lethargic and I wasn’t sure if it was due to the car ride home or her lack of eating so I added a small spoonful of wet puppy food and mixed it in with the formula. She immediately began to devour it. When I brought her home that same day her poop was normal and formed. The next night she began to have dark diarrhea. It was squirting out of her poor little butt. She’s been doing that for 2 days now. I called JV yesterday(Saturday) and spoke to a receptionist. She recommend continuing the formula and adding puppy kibble in and letting it soften for her to eat. I went out yesterday and bought Purina pro plan puppy food. She began that around 4 pm yesterday. She wasn’t drinking water up until yesterday but she is now. So de starting the kibble and formula mix her diarrhea is not so runny anymore but in 2 bathroom breaks back to back I did notice some blood spotting in her poop. It’s not a lot, it’s literally a few spots mixed in. Is that something I need to be concerned with? Do I need to bring her in to the walk in clinic today or should I wait longer to see if her poop begins to become normal again? She is sleeping a lot but I was told that she will do that for her age? When she isn’t sleeping she will run around and play, wag her little tail, she has 2 stuffed animals that she will playfully bite and drag around.
My question after giving you this info is should I bring her in to the vet? I know she can’t have any shots yet but I’m worried she is sick and don’t want her to die on me. ????
Hello,
I hope the receptionist told you to consider the ER. I cannot tell you if she is stable, or healthy enough to wait to come in at 1. I do always have to caution people with illness , any kind of change in behavior or fecal output and the tiny babies like you have are even more fragile. I think that if you are worried you are safest going to the ER.. I also know that in some cases I have to refer the patients I see on Sunday to the ER as we cannot provide the in patient care that we need to provide them,
Please keep me posted. I really hope that everything is ok. I would also hope that you call the appropriate authorities to report the breeder. Most people are not as kind and able as you are to care for a neonate.
krista
Dr Magnifico, My mother in law has been feeding about 6-8 feral cats for about 10 years. Some of them we’ve brought to JVC clinic for vetting and snipping. She now has terminal cancer and dementia. She has for the last year been letting 2 of them into her house. They use the litter box and sleep in her house although she’s never touched them. She is about to be admitted to Gilcrest for end of life care and these cats will no longer be able to come inside. We will still go feed them but eventually the house will be sold. We are wondering if you have any suggestions on what to do with these cats. They are all very healthy, just not young anymore and need to find homes.
Hello,
Im sorry to hear about your mom. I think the best thing to do is to call Jenn, my office manager tomorrow and explain all of these. We have some resources available that might be able to help. I also think that you should start posting on Facebook and Nextdoor.com. Reach out to everyone you know.
Thanks I’ll contact Jenn tomorrow!
We recently got a 5 month old Great Dane. She was in several homes before we got her. She wants nothing to do with us and after 4 days of working with her she refuses to go outside and growls when I come near her, but she continues to lay down. She will not take treats from me either. I want to try to make this work but don’t know how to gain her trust. I’ve tried setting and talking to her.. ignoring her… positive reinforcement.. petting her when she comes up to me but all she wants to do tonight is lay there and growl at me. I would love some help and don’t think I can wait to get a trainer to come.
Hello,
Thank you for giving this girl a chance. I guess I’m a little confused abo to how you manage the bathroom and what, if anything, she has had that has worked. I would start by calling everyone and anyone you can think of. Including the breeder. And start asking for resources to help. I also think this is a long and slow road in some cases so you really have to be prepared for that. And understand that each failure sets her back immensely. So I hope that you can find help. She is afraid. The only way to treat that is with time and patience and absolute dedication. There aren’t any tricks of fast cures here. Use everything you can to gain trust. Treats. Food. Anything. Some dogs will respond to other dogs. Some respond to men or women or no talking and just reassuring rewards. But it all takes time. I don’t know how you started out but I’m worried that it left you little negotiating room. We always start with an assessment. A leash walk. Understanding them. And train from there. It sounds like you need help. So please start calling. But please be vet upfront about only using positive reinforcement. It sounds like all of her previous experience might have been brute force and domination training which is part of the reason she already has trust issues. Also call a Great Dane rescue and see if they can help. I hope the others answer too.
Thanks, I tried a rescue, they weren’t much help. All they said was to get a trainer and they didn’t know any in the area. She was letting my husband carry her outside and once out she would walk with him, if I try to join them she doesn’t want anything to do with me. He’s away for work tonight and she won’t do anything for me despite taking my time and talking to her, trying to give her treats and feeding her. She went to bite when I was going to put the leash on. I try to let her have her space except for going out that’s the only thing I “force “ her to do. And when I take her out we go at her pace and as soon as she’s ready I let her go back in. (She let me take her out this morning)
Good morning-
Thank you so much for helping her. This is going to take a lot of time and patience. I would talk to my vet and find a reputable dog behaviorist that will come to your home. It will be time and money well spent. They will be able to see everything both you guys and your dog are doing and be able to assess the entire situation. This will make it possible for them to give you specific guidelines on how to help you and your dog. Until you can get a behaviorist out there- again I cannot stress that enough- I would start with walks. Walks help enforce a good bond and trust. This dog obviously has trust issues, and until she trusts you, you’re at a bit of a stand still with any other behavior changes. If your husband is the one she seems to trust more, he might have to take the reigns on this to start out and slowly you will have to incorporate yourself. On the flip side, if he is away, you’ve no choice but to try to find a way to bond with this girl on your own- which is quite possible. It will just take time to figure out what will help her let you in. Just know that time is key. Having said all of this, please know that it is a long road but definitely possible. Our household is living proof of that and what was once our most difficult rescue has turned into the best dog we have ever had????
Good morning-
I would write everything down… symptoms, changes in them, appetite, sleep patterns, change in behavior, even things that you’ve previously discussed with the vet…. I would also be upfront and ask exactly what you’ve asked here. Be honest about your budget and your concerns. Ask about all of your suspicions. Hope things work out for you both????????
That is great advice. Thanks very much.
Hello,
this sounds like more of a brain/CNS problem than a polyp. I would make sure that a full blood work panel is done, a fecal, and urine too. I would also inquire about FeLV/FIV status. If you cannot afford the specialists I would ask about which medical therapies might help.. In the symptoms you describe I would make sure this isn’t an ear issue and start looking for possible causes to the clinical signs she is showing. I would also seek the opinion of a feline only specialist. In my practice I have fund them to be as good, or even better than the boarded internal medicine and neurology specialists. I hope this helps, keep us posted. And good luck!
Thanks, Dr. Magnifico…..I had to rush her to the ER due to labored breathing and unresponsiveness and they too were not sure and were really all over the place, but thanks to your video on how to keep pet care affordable, I was able to leave there paying 241.88 instead of 4500 – 5000 to start. I am trying to spend what I have like you said more on the treatment if it comes to that. I was able to get another local vet to at least do some X-rays and go in endoscopically for a start for which my vet would not do. At least from there, I can hopefully get more information on which direction to go. They did give her additional Antibiotics and more meds for the symptoms and she has been better all day. Thank you, Dr. Magnifico, for the advice……and that you are. May God Bless you!