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Nicole | 5 years ago
Five Days Ago My 7year Old German Shepherd Was Out Side Playing And Running With My …

Five days ago my 7year old German Shepherd was out side playing and running with my beagle puppy. Next thing I know she is yelping in pain and rolling around on the ground. By the time I get to her she has stopped crying out and is laying still. I realize both hind legs are paralyzed. We immediately take her to the vet and she is examined. She doesn’t appear to be in any pain and she DOES have deep pain sensation! She is immediately started on Steroids, Muscle Relaxers, and Anti Inflammatories. She remains at the vets for five days and receives cold laser therapy and a small amount of PT. She never looses her DPS and really seems to be in good spirits. I took her home yesterday and I am determined to help her regain her mobility. I do not have a true diagnosis and seeing a Neurologist is not going to happen due to finances and living so far from one. My vet told me to take her home and gave me range of motion exercises and told me to buy her a harness. He said it will just take time. She is able to relieve herself without help! She is reacting more each day to us touching her legs and back!!
I am so confused and have read everything I can find on the subject and can’t get any answers. Should I start working with her and letting her walk or should I confine her to her kennel for a while? Should I use a harness or not? I just wish I had some answers!! Please help!!

1 Response

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  1. Sarah

    Hello-
    I am so sorry this has happened. I would monitor her closely as you have been. I would also check in with the vet daily and gives progress report and get advised on each thing you should be doing with your dog as far as therapy and recuperation. I hope she improves and gets better!!

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Diana | 5 years ago
My Vet Strongly Suspects My Cat Has A Nasal Polyp. She Has Be Snoring/snarling Consistently …

My vet strongly suspects my cat has a nasal polyp. She has be snoring/snarling consistently for 2.5 years, but is otherwise fine. When it began, I first had a potential infection treated with two antibiotics, followed by a teeth cleaning, that yielded no issues with the teeth, and ended with a nasal flush. My vet was hoping to be able to see and grab the polyp during the flush, but couldn’t. Because she was otherwise healthy, eating, and playing, I went without treating it. Recently, she was treated for a G.I. flair up that had her not eating. She had begun not eating or moving get bowels for days. Once vomiting was added in, I took her to Metropolitan Emergency Vet. They gave her an ultrasound, saw the inflammation and gas in her abdomen, took a CBC, gave her fluids and nausea medication and sent her home a couple hours later for $800. Her bloodwork was was fine, aside from dehydration. She continued not to eat, so I brought her to my vet a day and a half later. They did an x-ray and saw the lower intestine looked aggravated. They kept her for the weekend and gave her fluids and more nausea medication. She returned to me after two days and began eating again at home. I’m awaiting the additional $600 bill for that. While being discharged, one of the docs urged me to address what she felt strongly was likely a polyp in her nasal cavity, as she believed it may now be large enough that it’s limiting her ability to smell, which may have contributed to the refusal to eat with the G.I. issue coexisting for a few days. She referred me to the specialty docs locally to have the nasal polyp removed. They are quoting me $3,195 plus. They said it would be $195 for a internal med consult, $1,500 for a “necessary” CT, and $1,500 or more for the Rhinoscopy. My vet said Lilah is otherwise a healthy 12 year old cat. I am sick with the cost, as I will need to put it all on a credit card. I have called around to multiple other specialty vets and I’m getting comparable quotes. I have had family members suggest I euthanize my cat over a nasal polyp, which I absolutely will not do. I stumbled across a Utube video of you removing a nasal polyp, so I tracked you down by name, wondering if you could help Lilah? I’m two hours from your practice, which is close enough. I’d really appreciate you getting back to me. As of now, we have a consult scheduled for 3/4, and I’m sick over the cost.

Thank you,
Diana Maginn

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Well! That’s quite a huge long laundry list of issues. Has anyone done a FeLV/ FIV test? What does the blood work look like?
    While no one can rule out a polyp without a scope or ct scan this does sound like a long list of issues and I worry there is an underlying issue causing many of them. I would ask your vet to sedate her and look behind the soft palate to see if there is a visible polyp that might be able to be removed with traction avulsion. Otherwise I think the retro flex endoscopy and ct are the only way to diagnose. Although I would ask some very hard and direct questions about what can actually be done if they’d one it buried dee within the nasal cavity? I hope this helps.

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Jon | 5 years ago
My Dog Has A Seroma Above Right Eye. He Is Very Clumsy And We Think He …

My dog has a seroma above right eye. He is very clumsy and we think he simply hit his head on something, or while playing with another dog.
It has been drained three times, but continues to return. He otherwise is in perfect health and is not concerned with his lump in the slightest. How long do these things take to go away? We have already tried the “wait a month” and see approach.
Cheers and thanks.
Jon

3 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    Hi there- seromas can take a really, really long time to absorb. Each tome you open it to drain it, I’m thinking there is a chance for infection. Maybe try just leaving to this tome to see if it will heal on its own? Have a chat with the vet and see what they advise. Best of luck!!

  2. Krista Magnifico

    I would inquire about surgical excision to be done with it. In my experience it’s the only way to resolve it. And I don’t like draining. It doesn’t solve anything and it leaves them open to possible infection. Let us know what happens. Or ask for a second opinion if your vet isn’t amendable to surgery

  3. Jon Post author

    Yup we are thinking surgery at this point to fix this once and for all. It s very visible and I feel bad for him even though he appears just fine. I am definitely more concerned over this than he is.

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Mai | 5 years ago
Hello, I Have A 2.5 Year Old Desexed Female Cat And A 4-month-old Male Kitten. We Moved …

Hello, I have a 2.5 year old desexed female cat and a 4-month-old male kitten. We moved house 4 months ago, and adopted the new kitten about 3 months ago. In our previous house, we used to let the older cat out during the day to roam the neighborhood, although she never went too far.

Since we’ve moved, we only let her out once or twice a week as there are a lot of cats here and she gets into more fights and has gotten injured once. She seems very stressed out, wanting to go out constantly.

We have tried everything to ease her stress: playing with her a lot, brushing and cuddling her daily, giving her a mix of wet and dry good food (that she likes), putting up Feliway diffuser around the house, and she plays with the kitten daily.

However, she still exhibits signs of stress, ie hiding, minor crouching, hissing or growling from time to time to us or the kitten, sleeps more, meows more, generally less affectionate towards us.

Do we have to let her go outside daily like before, so she can be less stressed, or is there any other way to lessen her stress? It has been 4 months and I am worried it will become chronic stress for her.

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  1. Laura

    Have you taken her to the vet? Those are signs of stress, but they’re also signs of injury and illness.

  2. Laura

    OH, I forgot to mention – you could always build a catio for her to spend time outside, SAFELY, protected from the other cats. There are tons of videos and plans online for this. If she truly wants to be outside, this might be the best option for everyone.

    But get her to the vet, first, to make sure something isn’t actually wrong.

    1. Mai Post author

      Hi Laura, thank you so much for replying.

      We actually brought her to the vet a few months ago because of a fight bite she got from one of her outside trips. While the wound was not anything to worry too much about, we talked to the vet about letting her outside and expressed our worry (she’s gotten scratches before but it was the first time she got a bleeding bite wound), and the vet agreed that she should stay inside from then on.

      Aside from the wound she was overall fine, thus why I believe these are stress symptoms…

      As for the catio option, we are renting, and while we do have a garden, we share it with the landlord, so I don’t think it’s a viable option right now.

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Talia | 5 years ago
Hello! I Just Discovered This App Via A YouTube Video, As I Now Spend My Days …

Hello! I just discovered this app via a YouTube video, as I now spend my days googling things like “Cat breathing loudly” and “normal cat breathing”…!

Since perhaps June I’ve noticed with increasing regularity my cat, Clover, breathing very loudly, sometimes to the point of waking me up with the sound. In September this progressed and my husband noticed her breathing freakishly fast and we rushed to a vet.

However 5 vets, including a specialist, many xrays, and treatment for gum disease later, no one seems to know what it is, and I can’t take the wait and see method they are prescribing. She is playing and eating and otherwise normal, but her breathing does seem to bother and annoy her and at times she looks very despondent.

The history is that almost two years ago I made the most terrible judgement call of my life and she got out the window of a new apartment and fell 4 floors. She was unable to use her back legs for a few days during which they kept her under observation and she needed stitches in her soft palate. She has made an almost complete recovery.

The accident happened exactly a week after our other cat contracted an unknown disease and died suddenly and shockingly at aged 5. I still haven’t recovered from our other cat’s passing and both my husband and I comfortably acknowledge that Clover is the number one love in my life, and I will do everything to keep her alive and happy. However we have reached our pet insurance limit and I am so concerned about what will be next.

I have done all of the internet researching there is to be done, and I just know looking at her and hearing her stressful breathing that something is very wrong. I don’t know if it’s connected to the fall, but it isn’t bronchitis or asthma both of which treatments did less than nothing.

If anyone has any advice or had a cat with similar symptoms please let me know what you think?!

5 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    I am very sorry that even after all of your vet visits and research, you are still at a loss. Other than finding another specialist, my only thought is if there is a teaching veterinary hospital/school that would want to take on your case. Hoping that some other Pawbly friends may be able to share mor advice with you. Very best of luck to you…????????

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    In many of these cases I have found that these cats have chronic rhinitis. A friend scan if about the best way to identify this, but, it isn’t usually able to be cured, only somewhat managed with long term use of anti inflammatories and adjunct treatment options like minimizing allergens and managing weight. I have also tried cerenia drips and steroids to some help. Or even an inhaler to see if it helps. Ideally I keep these cats in a clean ventilated moist environment and minimize allergens to include all household cleaners, litter and even their own pet dander. Finding a diagnosis is a challenge as it isn’t infection and if it isn’t it is harder to cure. Some cats just snore no matter what we do.

    1. Talia Post author

      Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. It it usual for it to come on relatively unprovoked? Or could it be connected to the fall? Also, as it is deteriorating so quickly now, what is the likely time she can live with it?
      The whistling is relatively constant now, with every day becoming more extreme.

      We have an air purifier running constantly, I have never used harsh cleaning chemicals ever and we are in a small apartment, so her exposure to irritants is as low as I can make them.

      She was on cerenia but it did nothing and nor did the steroids.

      Thank you so much again.

      1. Talia Post author

        Also anti inflammatories did nothing I should add!

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Amanda | 5 years ago
I Have The Sweetest Siamese Mix, Goldie, Adopted From Our Local Humane Society. Unfortunately, She Has …

I have the sweetest Siamese mix, Goldie, adopted from our local humane society. Unfortunately, she has been a sick kitty and she’s had 4 URIs in her two years of life. She did take the full course of antibiotics for all of them and healed successfully.

Recently, she’s been making low snoring noises periodically when awake and sleeping and it seems to be only when inhaling. She’s a talkative girl and sometimes her voice changes when meowing. She has no other symptoms and is eating, drinking and playing normally and there has been no mouth breathing while making the noises. Her breathing rate has been normal. Sometimes it seems like she is making the noises and then stretches out real long in the first picture to get comfortable.

Below is a link to her video around 24 seconds you can hear it, you might have to put it at full volume:

If this is difficult to hear it sounds very similar to this:

I have a vet appointment next week and am concerned she has stertor from an oropharyngeal polyp from my online research and her symptoms. Is this something that a vet would be able to see without putting them under sedation? Are there any other suggestions you have as to what I could have them test for if it’s not a polyp? I wasn’t sure if she could have asthma or another breathing related issue.

Finally, do you by chance have any recommendations for vets in Phoenix, Arizona? I am just getting myself prepared if needed for a second opinion or if surgery is necessary.

Appreciate it and all your tips and videos online! You are doing incredible work!

3 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    hello Amanda!
    If you think your kitty has stertor, or what I call upper nasal snoring sounds, I think it is best to start at your vets office. A couple of things are important to discuss early on. One, lots of stertor sounds alike. For the many cases of polyps that I have seen it is important to look at the whole cat, take a very detailed history and do the basics, like ruling out URI (upper respiratory infection) first. Lots of cats get this, as mist have come through rescue/shelter scenarios. So, I always talk to clients about covering the basics first.
    URI should look like infection. Lethargy, fever, ocular and nasal discharge are usually present. Antibiotics are our first stop for these cats. I usually use clavamox, doxycycline, or azithromycin (I’ll even try all three before I move out of the infection suspicion scenario).
    BUT, some cats are instead chronic rhinitis. These are usually a little older, and a little distanced from the rescuing phase of their lives. They are usually the somewhat older cats (like 2-6 years old) and they were probably exposed to a herpes virus early on. They sort of never get over the snoring and sniffles. These guys are life long snifflers. Usually with some degree of nasal and ocular discharge.
    There are also the polyp cats, These are the ones I see often, because, their primary vet doesnt want to go take a look because if they find a polyp they are afraid to remove it. So most of the cats I see are the suspected polyps who cannot afford the $2500 plus estimate the specialists are giving for retroflex endoscopy, and removal with a surgeon.

    I know lots of general practitioners who will sedate (yes this is required to get an adequate look) who will look and will remove but the risks are important to discuss before hand. The risks are; regrowth. I have seen it happen in two cases. Both resolved permanently after the second removal. I have also seen significant bleeding after removal. The cat ultimately did fine, but, I was worried for a few days.

    If you find yourself with a vet who is reluctant to look ask for a referral. If the referral is to a specialisit and this is not affordable call the local cat specialty clinics, rescues and shelters for a referral you can afford.

    I hope this helps. Please let me know what happens.. If you cannot find help let me know and I can reach out to some of the rescue people I know in AZ.

    good luck!

    krista

  2. Amanda Post author

    If it is in fact a polyp and it goes without removal, does this lead to any suffering for the cat throughout their life? Do these polyps continue to grow to the point of full obstruction?

    I really appreciate all your advice and time! Thank you so much and I’ll report out after the appointment either way.

  3. Amanda Post author

    Hello, I just wanted to follow-up on my vet visit. The vet gave Goldie a Kenalog shot and to be honest, the noises she was making went away, but it’s strange as it seems now I’m not hearing her purr as often. Is a steroid shot ok to use on a limited basis? I know that it’s short term use and would not want to continue giving her shots every few months as I know it can suppress her immunity and for a cat that has had several URI’s I’m now second guessing the vet giving it to her.

    Thanks!

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Erin | 5 years ago
I Recently Adopted My Cat, Critter, As He Was On My Grandma’s Farm And Had …

I recently adopted my cat, Critter, as he was on my grandma’s farm and had a paw infection. We brought him inside and started him on antibiotics. Unfortunately, the infection did not respond as hoped and he had to have his leg amputated.

After this, he was back to a perky young cat – playing and eating well. A week after surgery I noticed a bump just below the incision. I asked my vet if I should be concerned, and she said not unless it’s hot and that it’s probably a seroma. This made sense to me as he was more active than he probably should have been post surgery.

The next day, that bump burst and started leaking fluid. It was pink and not super cloudy, not smelly or hot. I kept and eye on it all day, and found that it never stopped leaking, so today I took him to the vet. There appears to be a small hole and it’s infected. It’s not at the site of the incision and the incision looks perfect.

He’s on a higher dose of antibiotics now, and some more pain meds as it is tender. He had the wound flushed this morning, and goes again in two days for another flushing.

I guess my question is – is it possible this is the same infection as before? The vets who performed the amputation said they were positive they got any infection (even taking the lymph node), I’m hoping that this is secondary and that maybe the bump was caught on something, or he scratched it open?

ETA: 1st photo is Saturday night, 2nd photo is Sunday afternoon, 3rd photo is today after flushing and rest.

3 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Well this is a lot of info to go through. First it is always hard for an outside person to assess a situation and the response to that situation. That being said I have never amputated due to infection. Cancer yes. Infection no. Damage to a limb yes. So perhaps that was the issue? If the limb wasn’t functional and it was infected then amputation was prob the best way to go. After that I would talk about culturing the infection to make sure the correct antibiotic is being used. Talk to your vet about this. See what they say. It’s not cheap but it helps to direct the treatment plan.

    1. Erin Post author

      Thank you for the insight!

      They did take a swab of the infection today so hopefully this provides us with some direction.

      The limb wasn’t broken, but the initial x-ray did show that there was an abnormality with the wrist. They weren’t sure what caused it, but they indicated it would probably not heal property on its own. He stopped walking on it on September 21st, and had it amputated October 18th.

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Julie | 5 years ago
Is It Normal For A Cat In Heat To Have Abdominal Swelling? My Cat Is 3 Yrs …

Is it normal for a cat in heat to have abdominal swelling? My cat is 3 yrs old and we have been meaning to spay her, but she goes into heat so often it’s hard to find time to do it. She is currently in heat and has been for over a week, and last week she had shown asymmetrical swelling on the left and right of her belly. The next day it went down so I figured it was nothing serious and probably swelling from being in heat. Now it has been a week she is still in heat and her abdomen seems just ever so slightly fuller on the right and left and firm. She is crazy in heat and doesn’t show any signs of being sick, acting normal, eating drinking, playing and jumping.

Is it possible for a cat in extreme heat to cause extreme swelling of the ovaries to where they would be palpable? I’m worried it could be early signs of pyometra, or if this is normal with heat. Her cycles have gotten more intense and extreme, as well as longer and more often, which makes me think it could be possible her reproductive system is simply engorged with blood causing it to be palpable.

If that (the swelling) is not normal with heat then I’ll take her to the vet ASAP, but again she is not grossly distended, she just appears “full”. Also there is no chance of pregnancy. Thanks.

3 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    Hello-
    I would get into the vet for an exam and probably an X-ray or ultrasound ASAP. I just would not want to chance it- and I would definitely spay her for her benefit and everyone’s peace of mind. Best of luck.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I wouldn’t ever say that something is impossible, but, I get very concerned if anyone mentions abdominal swelling. Please see your vet ASAP for an examination. Certainly I would be worried about pregnancy but I am also worried about fluids and Organ enlargement which are both indicative of a problem and need to be addressed by your vet. I would recommend an exam ASAP. Your vet might also want todo an X-ray or ultrasound. If everything is Normal. I would spay her as soon as possible to avoid all of this from hopefully happening again. Please let us know what happens. If you are tight on funds ask for her to be spayed and while they are doing that take an internal exam of her to make sure everything looks grossly normal.

  3. Julie Post author

    Wanted to post an update. She had a lot of discharge suddenly so I took her to the vet. It indeed was pyometra and she had an emergency spay. Hoping for a smooth recovery.

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Alexandra | 5 years ago
Question About Cat With Intermittent Puffy/swollen “behind” Area

Hi! I have a question about my cat who will be 4 at the end of this month. Sometimes when he stretches, I notice that his rear end (particularly his anus) looks like it is protruding. I thought he had a hemorrhoid but then he stood up and walked like normal and it went “away”. I have another cat and I never noticed this on him. It’s not red, it just looks puffy sometimes. He is eating, drinking and playing like normal. I just want to make sure he is okay and he is not in pain or anything or if this warrants a vet visit. I tend to worry about my boys a lot because I love them so much but I don’t want to be “missing” something. Thank you so much!

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    The colon is the very last part of the gi tract. It is held inside the abdomen by two sphincter muscles. When you stretch these circular muscles can relax and the colon can protrude a little outside of the anus. This would be my best guess at what is going on. But to be sure you can take a video of it to your bet and have them do a rectal exam to make sure it isn’t anything else. Some cats can get a rectal prolapse and this should be ruled out before dismissing this as “normal”. I hope this helps. Let us know what happens.

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Madison | 5 years ago
My Dog Had A Grape In His Mouth And I Managed To Take It Out I …

My dog had a grape in his mouth and I managed to take it out I don’t know if he ate more but what else can I do he is playing right eating right will he be okay

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I do t know what size your dog is or if there are any underlying medical issues but one grape isn’t enough to hurt the average dog. My dogs steal them from the wild grapevines and I have never had an issue. We don’t want to feed them but an accidental ingestion of a few isn’t enough to cause damage. Raisins are a bigger concern. I hope this helps. Talk to your vet when you can about this. They know your dog best.