Am I just being an overly-anxious cat parent?
January 25, 2019 9:42 PM Subscribe
Kitty has had a rough month. Saw the vet on Wednesday morning, got appropriate care (details inside) and - not related to the reasons for his vet visit but relevant to my current worry - his heart and breathing all seemed in good shape then. But he seems to be having a little bit of labored breathing tonight (Friday night). Possibly just kitty stress from lots of recent poking and proding, but maybe something urgent?
My cat (photo in my profile) is a 13-y.o. male Maine Coon Cat. Last year, the vet started referring to him as a "senior cat" (the eventual consequences of which I am, of course, unhappy about in general). So at his annual checkup this fall, he got the senior cat bloodwork, which found slight hyperthyroid. He started on thyroid medicine two months ago. Second bloodwork showed it was too low, so they lowered the dose. As of Wednesday, his thyroid levels are good. Though a thing related to kidney function (mdsa?) was in "precursor to kidney disease" range.
In the mean time, this pampered indoor cat somehow injured one of his hind paws. I discovered this about two weeks ago, when he was licking at it and then leaving little faint bloody paw prints on the floor. Cleaned it, bandaged it (didn't have a cone, so went with the sock method of keeping him from gnawing at it), and it was getting better... until last weekend, when it took a turn for the worse. So I bumped his scheduled vet visit for the thyroid bloodwork up to this past Wednesday. In addition to getting his blood drawn, he got an antibiotic injection and an anti-inflammatory injection. He was not a happy cat. But overall the vet said he looked healthy, his heart and lungs sounded good, teeth in good shape (really good, apparently - she thought that maybe I brushed them regularly!), coat looked good. Weight was down slightly from his last weigh-in, but not unreasonably so.
Got the unhappy cat home, then put a new bandage on (this time with anti-fungal creme recommended by the vet, along with triple antibiotic ointment - following vet recommendation on that, too). The swelling was already down slightly from the injection, and his paw is looking much better now. But, where my cat is usually unhappy with me doing medical care stuff to him but trusting, he has become quite fearful. Shaking and scared-purr yesterday; that plus panting today (Friday). He's never been quite so stressed out and terrified about anything else before.
Additionally: he was coughing without producing a hairball two or three times Wednesday night/Thursday morning (not since then that I've observed), and his purr is raspier than usual today. I thought it might have been the scared-purr just sounding different, and it is worse, but his happy-purr during our calmer brushing sessions today is also a little raspy. He's been lethargic and not eating or drinking his usual amount today (which I guess can be a side effect of the antibiotic, plus if he's getting slightly dehydrated, would that maybe affect the raspiness?). Tonight it seems like his torso movements (in-and-out belly and chest movements - or, up-and-down given that he's laying on his side) for breathing are exaggerated or larger than usual, with occasionally a little bit of wheezing. He's not hiding from me or masking - in fact, I'm noticing all of this and getting myself hopefully needlessly worked up with worry because he's snuggled on the bed by my feet. The times I've picked him up today (one hand under his chest and another under his lower torso for the lift), it seems like maybe that had made it a little harder for him to breath? But on the other hand, he's also just seemed scared when I've picked him up today, and maybe is still just experiencing super high stress?
I'll definitely bring him in to the vet tomorrow morning if there is no change in his breathing or the raspiness in his purr. Is it potentially a more urgent emergency that can't wait seven hours? Is it more likely that I am over-worrying? (It is the middle of the night, so over-worrying is a distinct possibility.)
My cat (photo in my profile) is a 13-y.o. male Maine Coon Cat. Last year, the vet started referring to him as a "senior cat" (the eventual consequences of which I am, of course, unhappy about in general). So at his annual checkup this fall, he got the senior cat bloodwork, which found slight hyperthyroid. He started on thyroid medicine two months ago. Second bloodwork showed it was too low, so they lowered the dose. As of Wednesday, his thyroid levels are good. Though a thing related to kidney function (mdsa?) was in "precursor to kidney disease" range.
In the mean time, this pampered indoor cat somehow injured one of his hind paws. I discovered this about two weeks ago, when he was licking at it and then leaving little faint bloody paw prints on the floor. Cleaned it, bandaged it (didn't have a cone, so went with the sock method of keeping him from gnawing at it), and it was getting better... until last weekend, when it took a turn for the worse. So I bumped his scheduled vet visit for the thyroid bloodwork up to this past Wednesday. In addition to getting his blood drawn, he got an antibiotic injection and an anti-inflammatory injection. He was not a happy cat. But overall the vet said he looked healthy, his heart and lungs sounded good, teeth in good shape (really good, apparently - she thought that maybe I brushed them regularly!), coat looked good. Weight was down slightly from his last weigh-in, but not unreasonably so.
Got the unhappy cat home, then put a new bandage on (this time with anti-fungal creme recommended by the vet, along with triple antibiotic ointment - following vet recommendation on that, too). The swelling was already down slightly from the injection, and his paw is looking much better now. But, where my cat is usually unhappy with me doing medical care stuff to him but trusting, he has become quite fearful. Shaking and scared-purr yesterday; that plus panting today (Friday). He's never been quite so stressed out and terrified about anything else before.
Additionally: he was coughing without producing a hairball two or three times Wednesday night/Thursday morning (not since then that I've observed), and his purr is raspier than usual today. I thought it might have been the scared-purr just sounding different, and it is worse, but his happy-purr during our calmer brushing sessions today is also a little raspy. He's been lethargic and not eating or drinking his usual amount today (which I guess can be a side effect of the antibiotic, plus if he's getting slightly dehydrated, would that maybe affect the raspiness?). Tonight it seems like his torso movements (in-and-out belly and chest movements - or, up-and-down given that he's laying on his side) for breathing are exaggerated or larger than usual, with occasionally a little bit of wheezing. He's not hiding from me or masking - in fact, I'm noticing all of this and getting myself hopefully needlessly worked up with worry because he's snuggled on the bed by my feet. The times I've picked him up today (one hand under his chest and another under his lower torso for the lift), it seems like maybe that had made it a little harder for him to breath? But on the other hand, he's also just seemed scared when I've picked him up today, and maybe is still just experiencing super high stress?
I'll definitely bring him in to the vet tomorrow morning if there is no change in his breathing or the raspiness in his purr. Is it potentially a more urgent emergency that can't wait seven hours? Is it more likely that I am over-worrying? (It is the middle of the night, so over-worrying is a distinct possibility.)
Best answer: Awww, I hope your guy will be ok. I just took my cat in for raspy breathing this week and the vet gave him a clean bill of health. She said that perhaps a mild allergy--or a change in scent--could have irritated him a bit. Any chance maybe your cat is reacting to something with a strong /unsual smell, like maybe disinfectant at the vet's office?
Also if it makes you feel better I got all stressed out about my cat's breathing and realized it's basically impossible to tell whether it's really labored if he's not actually panting or coughing. Staring at your cat's body to watch him breathe is definitely going to make you see things that probably aren't there. So far my guy is ok, and I've got my fingers crossed for you as well.
posted by TwoStride at 10:32 PM on January 25, 2019 [3 favorites]
Also if it makes you feel better I got all stressed out about my cat's breathing and realized it's basically impossible to tell whether it's really labored if he's not actually panting or coughing. Staring at your cat's body to watch him breathe is definitely going to make you see things that probably aren't there. So far my guy is ok, and I've got my fingers crossed for you as well.
posted by TwoStride at 10:32 PM on January 25, 2019 [3 favorites]
Poor cat! If you do still decide to see a vet and haven't yet, consider one who does home visits (if that's possible in your area/affordable). It seems like stress might be part of the problem, and being examined at home would be a lot less stressful.
posted by pinochiette at 7:42 AM on January 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by pinochiette at 7:42 AM on January 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
Vets are where sick cats go. It's possible that the combination of the antibiotic and the revisit to the vet means he caught a kitty cold of some kind. Feline herpes is viral (meaning it wouldn't be fought off by an antibiotic) and really common in cats. Call and say you think your cat might have caught a cold. This happened to my cat once and they did the math (he had been there a week before) and comped my visit and medication because he clearly caught it at the vet.
posted by Bistyfrass at 7:55 AM on January 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Bistyfrass at 7:55 AM on January 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I called the cat's regular vet first thing this morning, and brought him in. They took some x-rays. He has some fluid in his lungs, likely a combo of infection and stress. He has more antibiotics, and I have a follow-up plan and instruction about what an emergency would look like, so I can be more informed in my middle-of-the-night worrying. :P
He is already doing a little bit better this morning than he was in the middle of the night. And the new antibiotics should produce a noticeable improvement in his breathing and congestion within 12 hours. (And if not, I'm to call the weekend/after hours vet for more follow-up.)
On the plus side, his paw is healing well, and he can go bandage-free (which will also significantly help with limiting his stress levels).
posted by eviemath at 8:24 AM on January 26, 2019 [13 favorites]
He is already doing a little bit better this morning than he was in the middle of the night. And the new antibiotics should produce a noticeable improvement in his breathing and congestion within 12 hours. (And if not, I'm to call the weekend/after hours vet for more follow-up.)
On the plus side, his paw is healing well, and he can go bandage-free (which will also significantly help with limiting his stress levels).
posted by eviemath at 8:24 AM on January 26, 2019 [13 favorites]
Response by poster: In further updates, if anyone is following this: Today's follow-up x-rays showed much improved lungs, but still a little bit of gunk in them. So the vet sent me home with seven more days of antibiotics (baytril), plus an emergency stash of the furosemide in case he regresses and starts having breathing difficulty again (which apparently might happen, since the steroid anti-inflammatory shot that he got for his foot infection stays in his system for 4-6 weeks, and anti-inflammatory steroids of course work by suppressing the immune system a little bit). He has developed a little lump at the injection site from the other week, and his weight continues a slight decline (which the vet was not worried about yet, given all that he's been through). Summary: looks like things are improving, but I'm to continue to monitor the situation for a while.
But everyone at the vet's office agrees that he is gorgeous, and such a good boy/diva.
posted by eviemath at 7:22 AM on February 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
But everyone at the vet's office agrees that he is gorgeous, and such a good boy/diva.
posted by eviemath at 7:22 AM on February 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
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posted by eviemath at 10:01 PM on January 25, 2019