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Josh | 4 months ago
Hello, Firstly Thank You For Making This Site And Sharing Your Message And Trying To Help …

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.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    Thank you for taking care of this kitty. It sounds like he really needs to have a friend in his corner.

    I think that a few things are really important to discuss. One, although the skin wounds are concerning I think that too often pet parents are focused on an exterior (often transient and benign things), and forget about all of the immensely important things going on in the inside. Like, is this cat spayed, neutered or vaccinated? These are the absolute foundations for a healthy pet.

    I also think that your vet can help you understand if this is a parasite issue like fleas?
    I wish I could tell you that this is and give you the answer to help it get better, but, medicine isn’t just looking at a picture. It is about helping the pet from the inside and out.
    I think that you need help from a vet. I think this cat needs to be spayed/neutered and vaccinated. I also think they need an antibiotic and a product to help with fleas.

    Good luck.

    1. Josh Post author

      I will search for a Vet office and bring him in for some treatment or an ER clinic for results. Glad I’m he does not have flees presently, as I comb him and check with flea combs. Those things are terrible as for infestations go and I love Food Grade DiatomaceousEarth for getting rid of that mess. My neighbor is a farmer who lives offsite and does not visit, more or less he picked up this cat some years ago and it only gets put in doors when they spray chemicals on the crops. I was worried with cold weather approaching and any injuries present much less bald spots like this. They either seen this on his tail by now or would have got him help. In his words he is just a friendly stray, pretty sure he is fixed but I will bring him in and get everything covered. He will be okay though I will make sure of it just wanted to get some insight on this. Could be days or sometimes a week or two before I see him day or night, but I will always watch for him and over him. Thanks again for your time and care you give in this field. The donation links did not work for me paypal related / sign up email Have a great day, take care.

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Genesis | 5 months ago
I Took My German Shepherd Diesel To A Small Airport Near My House That Is All …

I took my German Shepherd Diesel to a small airport near my house that is all desert (southern Nevada) on 8/17/2024.
He was running and chasing rabbits and was just fine. He is a very healthy dog, 8 years old, and has never had any health issues, not even hip dysplasia. He doesn’t have the common sloping back/angulation in GSDs, but a straight back, which is probably why he doesn’t have hip dysplasia. Anyway, today and yesterday, he started showing signs of limping on his rear right leg, which was much more visible today. He is hardly putting any pressure on the foot, often lifting it up. I gave him some carprofen for pain and inflammation. I trimmed his nails, because they were a little long and it looked like they were pushing up his toes and could have been the source of discomfort. It didn’t seem to help. Since we were in the desert, I checked for any injuries from the rough terrain and for cactus needles. No sign of any, but I am still very concerned. What should I do?

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Parham | 5 months ago
4 Year Old Male Cat With Urinary Blockage

Hello

My name is Parham Parsa, I found your page on youtube and have read your blog, and for once I saw someone that is actually talking about blocked cats and is raising awareness to this issue and I wanted to thank you for it.

My cat Mercury (4.5 years old, 18lbs) is currently in the hospital for another urinary blockage and I genuinely don’t know what to do, this is his third visit, first time he got blocked was about a year and half ago and he was on the death’s door, his blood work was extremely elevated, he was lethargic and in visible pain. His regular vet unblocked him and transferred him to a vet hospital for further care, this visit cost me about $5K, and after that he was put on a strict urinary diet. Second time was 3 months ago where we noticed him being in pain and struggling once again and we took him to an ER vet and he was unblocked again, despite my persistence of leaving the his urinary catheter in, they took everything out, and send him home that very night, thankfully he remained unblocked until last night. His vet told me that since he is keep getting blocked he should just get the PU surgery and all but refuse to see him, so I took him to the Metropolitan vet hospital and their estimate for getting him unblocked and doing the PU surgery was 7-8 thousand dollars which is wildly out of reach for me at the moment. After reading your blog I have decided that if I find a second job I can afford to have him unblocked and kept in the hospital for observation for a night or two but I don’t know what I can do after that. If you have any suggestion regarding an affordable PU surgery or any other suggestion I am all ears. I’m really sorry for the long email, and looking forward to hearing back from you.

I just got off the phone with his vet at Metropolitan and after they took some X-Rays they saw some large stones in his bladder which they suspect could be the reason for his repeated blockages, and recommended a cystotomy and they said that the balance would stay at 7-8 thousand dollars. As of now my plan still remains to have him unblocked and watched for couple of days but I don’t know what I should do next.

PS.. I have attached a couple of pictures of him to this post. He is genuinely the sweetest and the friendliest cat I have ever met and the idea of me having to say goodbye to him just because I can’t pay for his treatment is is something I cannot imagine.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    I’m so sorry to hear about your cat. So many of these cats have a similar situation and it leaves their families with such a huge dilemma about what to do and how to afford all that might lie ahead.
    My advice at this point would also be to do the PU surgery and to remove the stones. If you are close to us I would be happy to see him and see if there is anyway we can help. Please call the clinic and leave your number. I will call you back.
    Dr Magnifico

    1. Parham Post author

      Thank you, Dr Magnifico, I will definitely call the office first thing in the morning. And again I want to thank you for bringing awareness to this problem. Your articles about the blocked cat were such a huge help for me in dealing with this issue.

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Francesca | 6 months ago
Intermitent Limp Hello, One Of My Dog Has A Limp On Her Hind Right Leg That …

Intermitent Limp

Hello, one of my dog has a limp on her hind right leg that only occurs minutes after she gets up after lying down for a long period of time.
When she gets up her leg won’t touch the ground while standing up or walking.
In just a few minutes, she’ll touch the ground again, run, and jump with no sign of pain, but every time she gets up it’s the same thing, several times a day.
I’ve squeezed her leg all the way, and moved it around and she shows no pain or injuries,

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Any degree of limping that lasts for more than a few days should be seen by a veterinarian. The only exceptions to this is a dislocated hip which should be seen immediately to try to put it “back in the socket”. Infection is the other thing I worry about. There is usually wound and most often pets are quiet and not eating well.

    The most common knee injury we see that causes limping is a cruciate rupture. You will need a vets help to diagnose this.

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Francesca | 6 months ago
I Have A Very Special And Painful Case I Need Help With, I Have Tried Several …

I have a very special and painful case I need help with, I have tried several different veterinarians with no diagnosis or prognosis so far. It may be a long shot, but I was hoping you could help me shine a light on this.

In April I found an extremely skinny stray cat and took him in. I first thought he was malnourished from lack of food for being in the streets, but 4 months in his case keeps unfolding.

He is likely older than 15 years old, but he’s a happy cat with a lot of energy and mobility. He weighs 3kg but he’s a big cat, you can feel every single bone in his spine, although you can’t see them that easily because he has long hair. He’s completely affectionate, loves to be pet, and asks very politely for attention and food all the time.

All we know about his past is he is neutered, he had some teeth surgically removed and he tested negative for FIV and FeLV.

He had a huge appetite when I first took him in, he would eat 100g of food in one meal and ask for more right after. He would sometimes ‘cough’, it sounded like he was choking on some kind of fluid, it doesn’t happen in sequences, but it happens almost every day until today.

He always drank LOTS of water and produced a lot of urine as well. His feces at the beginning were really solid with some mucus.

After a month, he continued to eat plenty and hadn’t gained any weight, that’s when he started to throw up. It started happening a few days a week, usually after spending several hours without eating he would throw up a clear frothy fluid with no content, and then it progressed to twice every day regardless of when he had eaten.

We suspected it could be diabetes or hyperthyroidism, but the labwork didn’t confirm either, it showed regular kidney function with small liver function alterations.

We then introduced prednisolone (2,5mg/day) and changed his diet from a mix of natural home-cooked protein, hypercaloric wet food, protein supplements, and dry food to exclusively Royal Canin Hypoallergenic while waiting for Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Hydrolyzed Protein to arrive in Brazil, keeping Omega 3 (fish oil) 500mg/a day in his diet.

Vomits went away for a while. He kept drinking lots of water and peeing a lot, but his feces got softer (not liquid).

He had periods where he lost his appetite, which we treated with mirtazapine, he reacted after 6 days.

We performed an ultrasound and discovered that basically all his internal organs were compromised. He has severe alterations everywhere. Still, the best specialists I could find couldn’t tell me what was causing it and offer a course of treatment that didn’t involve opening him up to collect tissues for a biopsy.

I personally think it is absurd that a doctor could look at this frail elderly cat who obviously can’t resist anesthesia without serious risks and say that surgery is the only way to go, all to find out for sure if we’re dealing with a lymphoma or an infection. I’m looking for someone to advise me on the most effective course of action. Of course, I aim to reverse his condition, but I understand that given his age and how advanced it is, it might not be an option.

He is currently at 3kg, eating exclusively Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Hydrolyzed Protein with fish oil, and taking prednisolone every day for a month now. His appetite is healthy, he still drinks a lot, pees a lot, and poops regularly but softer. He eats an average of 5 small meals.
Vomits are back down to a few times a week, usually early in the morning before his first meal, and always a clear liquid. He goes and eats right after throwing up so I get the impression he is not nauseous.
He doesn’t seem to be in pain overall.
He’s not gaining any weight regardless of all my efforts.

That is why I’m giving this a shot and trying to get your attention. I hope you have more resources and knowledge that could help me figure out appropriate next steps to give this little guy the best fighting chances I can.

On this link you’ll find a translation of his bloodwork and ultrasound. I had chat GPT translate it for me so forgive me if there are errors.
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yqcen-TYzyvfBYU-J4t1tCHola1E2otDGDa1H7V032Y

I appreciate any support you can lend me, his name is Valentim which means brave and strong, and I want him to win this fight.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It sounds like you have done a pretty thorough work up. The places I think that you should look into are;
    Repeat the blood work. It sounds like hyperthyroidism. I always check a free T4 on top of the thyroid T4. I also check a urine. If you haven’t sent a fecal to the lab too.

    After that the ultrasound and X-rays are where I look.

    You are still at the place where the diagnosis is eluding you. That’s where you need to focus.

    PS. Just for the record I don’t love starting pred until you have a diagnosis. It can obscure your diagnostics.

    Good luck. I hope this helps.

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Ivan | 8 months ago
Please Help, So My Dog Just Had A Fight And I Noticed That His Upper Tooth…

PLEASE HELP, so my dog just had a fight and I noticed that one of his upper tooth is very loose and looks like it’s about to come out of his gum. What should I do? Do I just leave it alone until it falls out? My dog doesn’t seem to be in pain and there is no blood.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    I have had a few dogs throughout the years that this has happened to. They getting a fight and avulse (pull the tooth out of the socket) the tooth in the process. For these cases I always do a dental and remove the tooth (it will not heal) and then close the gums after removing the broken bone around the tooth root. Your dog is essentially going to lose that tooth but with the dental surgery you can close the area so that they don’t have pain or get infections. Please see your vet asap and talk to them about this. Until then I would feed soft food and avoid playing with toys.

    1. Ivan Post author

      Thank you so much for the advice. I’ve attached a picture of my dog’s teeth.

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jewel | 9 months ago
How Can I Best Extract Bowels From My Injured Cat? She Is Not Using The Litter …

how can i best extract bowels from my injured cat? she is not using the litter box, but there is some leakage. she has no tone in her anus and most likely is healing from nerve damage. i have figured out how to extract her bladder. she is still eating and lively. more details of her condition and our process to support her below.

moonstone is about a year old and showed up at our house 4 months ago brave and spirited. she disappeared for a week and came back with a serious injury. we took her to the er because she was leaking urine and had a limp tail and left hind leg. we learned that her bladder needed to be urgently expressed and that her bowels were backed up. we also learned that she had a tail avulsion and a fracture in her left femoral joint. they expressed her bladder and bowels and sent us home with pain meds and anti-inflammatory medication. we went to aspca the next day hoping to get treatment for her fractured bones, but they suggested nursing her at home and learning how to express her bladder and bowels to see if she could regain control and tone in her anus. they said that maybe in a few weeks she could regain feeling and be able to use the bathroom on her own, and then they would consider amputating her tail and treating her leg. we have quickly learned how to express her bladder, but are struggling to get her to poop. please help us keep moonstone alive!

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello

    I’m sorry to hear about your cat.

    I think that you need to find a veterinarian or a veterinary technician who can show you how to do this. I would also recommend you start gentle physical therapy and feed canned food to keep the feces soft and able to pass more easily.

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Teresa | 10 months ago
Torn Ligament In Cat’s Back Leg

My cats are patients of Jarrettsville Vet. I am reaching out please to get information for my friend. They are located in Michigan and Her 7 year old indoor cat hurt its back leg. Her vet told her that she needed to see an orthopedic specialist because the cat tore a ligament. They made an appointment and were told it would run $250 for the visit plus whatever they needed to do to identify the problem and surgery could cost up to $8000. They are a young couple with a small daughter, and are looking for other options. I thought I had seen a video that Dr. magnifico did regarding anti-inflammatories, pain meds, and cage rest. Can you please Point us in the right direction as to what she should do. I recommended that she contact her vet to see if those options were available to her through them and she could try that route first before seeing a surgeon. I am so blessed and grateful that Jarrettsville Vet is close to me and offers options such as those. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated! Her appointment at the surgeon is tomorrow.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello
    I’m sorry to hear about your friends cat. I’m also not sure what advice I can give as I don’t. Know what kind of injury or diagnosis this is.
    I do however think it is important to be honest about your financial abilities and express that to the surgeon. It is perfectly acceptable to ask for affordable treatment options and insist that they be provided.

    1. Teresa Post author

      Thank you Dr. Mag for your advice and I will forward that to her this morning. It is so difficult for us as pet owners to deal with the emotions, concerns and worry in the moment, without being given all possible available options instead of just surgery or amputation. This country most definitely needs more vet practices like yours! We will see you on our next visit and thank you for your time.

      Teresa, Girlfriend & Panda Bear

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Heather | 11 months ago
My Pup Was Fine All Day The. Out Of The Blue Started Yelping When He Had …

My pup was fine all day the. Out of the blue started yelping when he had to jump or tried to run or be active I can’t touch it’s back his legs his hips everything and he is fine can not pick him up with out him yelping screaming he can not jump up or down with out yelping

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    I’m sorry to hear about your puppy. I strongly recommend that you place him in a small carrier or cage and get to a vets office. Do not allow him to walk or jump or over exert himself or he can cause more damage or worsen whatever is going on. The vet need to do an examination and maybe take an Xray.
    Keep him calm and quiet and do not give any medications without speaking to a vet first.

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Haven | 11 months ago
16 Year Old Cat Lethargic With Labored Breathing; Has Not Ate In 24 Hours. We Took Her To …

16 year old cat lethargic with labored breathing; has not ate in 24 hours. We took her to the vet this morning and her lungs were clear and her heart sounded good and did not look enlarged. Her bloodwork showed that she did have elevated white blood count and kidney disease but not end stages. Also her electrolytes looked normal. The vet was thinking that a blood clot may have passed but it was not indicated with anything but the labored breathing. She also thought she may have labored breathing possibly due to being in pain from arthritis. She gave her an injection for this that can be given monthly and sent us home with a low dose of gabapentin in hopes that she can rest and recover. She also added fluid under her skin in case she didn’t eat today. So far there is no change in her, if anything she is more lethargic but this could just be the medication. Just hoping someone may be able to give us other ideas of what may be wrong. We are really hoping our old girl pulls through.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It sounds like your vet did a thorough job in the work up. But. You still don’t ha e an answer that is hoping your cat feel better. For cases like this I would say to do two things. One, call the vet back and notify them of these concerns. And two seek a second opinion. If you can find a feline specialist go to them.
    Keep us posted and good luck.

  2. Shiria

    I agree with Krista here. One of my past cats also had kidney disease, he was not end stage, but every few months he woulds have a really bad week. Bloodwork weren’t that bad either. But he wouldn’t eat or drink, and sometimes even couldn’t walk. He needed daily fluids (the vet showed me how to do that at home) and was fed with a syringe. After 4-7 days he started to get better again.

    I would ask your vet to show you how to gove fluids udner the skin and feeding with a syringe, so that you can do this at home and help her for a few days. If she doesn’t get better it’s maybe nessecary to get a second opinion. But sometimes you just can’t find what is wrong :(.

    I wish you all the best!