What's wrong with my cat?

June 23, 2004 12:57 AM

SickKittyFilter: more inside...

We noticed our cat Bunky didn't show up for breakfast, which is unusual though not unheard of (she can let herself in and out), but when she didn't show up for dinner either we knew something was wrong and began to search. After about 10 minutes of calling her, she appeared at the top of the stairs and slowly began to limp down, in obvious pain from her right front paw and looking very lethargic. (Well, even more lethargic than a cat is normally.)

We carried her the rest of the way downstairs (I noticed the fur on one paw seemed ever so slightly tinged pink around her paw pads), gave her some food, and whisked her away to to the vet.

Naturally, she walked perfectly and displayed absolutely no sign of illness the entire time she was at the vet. He found no sign of broken bones, the test for feline leukemia and FIV was negative, and he gave her a round of antibiotics.

(A neighbor thought he saw her last night, fighting with an abandoned Siamese cat who lives around here. If she has any resulting puncture wounds, we haven't managed to find them.)

Anyway, once home we discovered two tack-size pink spots on the towel inside the carrier. She still wouldn't walk anywhere voluntarily, so we carried her around for a bit. She wouldn't use the litterbox (I don't know how long it's been), she wouldn't drink any water, but she wolfed down plenty of food. She settled down for a long nap after we got the antibiotic down her throat, barely stirring. When she did, we saw an almost dime-size pink spot on the sheet.

Wouldn't it be brighter red if it was blood? Maybe it's bloody urine? Saliva? Should I freak out that she probably hasn't visited the litterbox for at least around 18 hours? (Nope, no surprises upstairs.) That she isn't drinking water? Should I haul her back to vet right away or let her sleep it off some more?

posted by Soliloquy to health & fitness (12 comments total)

Observe closely for a day. If she's wounded, it's unlikely that she's in immediate danger. If the vet has seen her once, you can't do much but give it time, at least a day. Call the vet with symptoms in 24 hours if there's no improvement. I'm sure they'll be happy to either brush you off or take more of your money on a 2nd visit.

For now, if you discover spots on anything, put them in ziploc bags in the fridge, and take those in to the vet later for examination.

Are all her paws tolerant of being manipulated? She may have a splinter or needle somewhere not obvious. This will only be detectable by squeezing each part of her legs methodically to test for pain.
posted by scarabic at 1:06 AM on June 23, 2004

Actually, cats don't drink a lot of water straight (play yes, but drink no), so as long as she's eating moist food she's fine as far as that goes. She probably got scratched up in the fight, and may have a small open wound somewhere. If the vet couldn't find anything, it's probably minor, albeit painful as all cat scratches are. I found a claw stuck in one of my cats once, like a piercing hanging out of her eyebrow... Anyway, they're pretty good at keeping minor wounds clean if they can reach them, so there's not much for a human to do but just keep an eye on them. I've also noticed my cats act very subdued for a couple days after getting in a tussle. It's a pride thing I think. As long as they don't change their eating habits I don't worry. Sick cats don't eat - healing cats do.
posted by dness2 at 1:40 AM on June 23, 2004

Watch closely for Bunky displaying an interest in cool porcelain sinks or tubs, perhaps to urinate. My dearly departed Toots once got a burr caught in her bits.

She let me know something was very not-right by peeing in the bathroom sink while I was there to see. My eye caught the problem. 2 'hairs' sticking out, and I knew it was a burr of a type I'd only seen in California. Had to get the vet to pull it out, I was too worried about hurting her.

It was unusual for her to use the sink, although she did frequently use the tub, right over the drain. Nothing I taught her, she figured that out on her own. She was a very clever cat in some ways.
posted by Goofyy at 5:21 AM on June 23, 2004

I second the notion that if a cat's appetite is fine, it's in no immediate danger.
posted by Mayor Curley at 5:31 AM on June 23, 2004

I'm sorry to hear that, Soliloquay. I would watch her water consumption closely. Cats may not need much water, but if she goes 48 hours without, get her into the vet quick. By then she will be at least a little dehydrated, and dehydration is a bad sign and bad for her health.

I don't know what to say about the little pink spots. She MUST have been scratched up in that fight, and kitty claws and fangs deposit bacteria in the wounds they make, causing infection. It's a part of their defense mechanism. Komodo dragons are similar, they have mouths so foul with bacteria that they'll scratch and bite up a water buffalo then watch patiently as it dies from the infection.

ANYWAY, the point is, she probably has some infection, which the antibiotics should handle efficiently. But if she doesn't show improvement or if she shows signs of other problems, I would hie thee back to vet post haste.
posted by Shane at 6:29 AM on June 23, 2004

Also - maybe she should stay inside from now on.
posted by agregoli at 7:25 AM on June 23, 2004

I'd get a second opinion from a vet if the antibiotics don't perk her up in a couple of days - sounds like she could have an infected toe or something like that, or perhaps an abcess brewing (the longer you leave it, the harder it will be to treat). I agree about keeping a close eye on her appetite and about keeping her inside.
posted by biscotti at 7:31 AM on June 23, 2004

Monitor her closely. Keep her inside, watch her cat box and her food intake and keep an eye out for any other blood on her bedding area, see how she's responding to the antibiotics, and also keep the vet abreast of her activity or lack thereof. Even if that means calling at least once a day, especially if you have concerns.

About her acting normal at the vet: It's an animal defense mechanism. She's in a strange place with strange animals, and she's not showing she's hurt because she's not letting the other animals know she's weak. My dog did that last summer; he was nearly paralyzed, snapping at our hands and very much in pain when he was home. But the several times he was at the vet, he was walking around, responsive and seemingly fine.

Oh, also, a little cream cheese may help get that antibiotic pill down, if it's small enough.

hope it all works out for you and kitty.
posted by jerseygirl at 8:07 AM on June 23, 2004

Mystery solved: while she was sleeping with her paws out, I found a small but deep-looking gash on the side of one pad. We hadn't seen it during yesterday's inspection, so I suspect she's managed to lick open the wound and make it worse. She's still acting pretty sluggish, but she's walking around a bit and has used the facilities. This is actually the first time she's ever injured herself or been visibly sick in her thirteen years of life, so I guess she's not used to being under the weather. Either that, or she's milking it for all it's worth.
posted by Soliloquy at 9:32 AM on June 23, 2004

Great, Soliloquay! A little cleaning and antiseptic and she should improve quickly.
posted by Shane at 9:38 AM on June 23, 2004

I first misread this as "SockKittyFilter."
posted by Shane at 9:40 AM on June 23, 2004

Ouch - 13 years old is far too old to be getting into scrapes.
posted by agregoli at 11:54 AM on June 23, 2004