Dillon - Paralysis After Vaccination

We got our little tabby boy, Dillon, from a farm near in Yorkshire, UK on 12th January 2019. He had lived in the barn with access to farmyard. Only other resident cat was his mum.He was around 5 months old but looked more like 3.
I just thought he was a small cat as he seemed perfectly healthy - Nice nature. Bright eyes. Glossy, thick coat. Lively. No obvious snot or other discharges.
We have 2 other cats, Pookie (m 17) & Bella (f 13). Both are relaxed & made no objection to the new arrival.

For the first week he was quiet, weighing us all up, but otherwise fine.
By the 2nd week he had blossomed into a friendly & playful cat who seemed happy in his new enviroment.
The only clue that something might be amiss was a lack of appetite. He never ate more than a teaspoon full at a meal.

After 2 weeks on 28th Jan I took him for his first vaccination. He was pretty stressed & lively on the way to the vet (a short walk) but calm in the consulting room. He was seen by a lady vet, & I was present the whole time. She was gentle with him. She checked him over & the only thing amiss was a very slightly raised temperature (I think was just .1 over what it should've been).We went ahead with the vaccination (I've been told he had a 'dead' vaccine of Nobivac, Tricat & FelV)

Within 20 mins of getting home he was sitting oddly with his tail tucked tight under his body & he would shift position several times to get it right. I actually laughed because he had had his temp taken anally for the first time & it was as if he was thinking 'How dare she!'
The next day (Tues 29th) he was VERY quiet. He didn't eat, drink, didn't want to be touched & wouldn't purr. He stayed hunched up all day. By evening I was concerned & contacted the vet via email.
Wed 30th I woke to find him not using his right back leg & doing a shuffling hop around the lounge, but 'in himself' he was brighter.
By the end of that day he wasn't using either back leg & had both legs & his tail tucked under his body whilst he dragged himself around.
It was really alarming how quickly it all went downhill.


'In himself' he seemed quite bright from Wed onwards, purring & wanting to play, but his rear body was not responding.
Thurs 31st - back to vet: It happened that I was able to see the same vet who had vaccinted him on Monday & she was both alarmed & very puzzled. She felt his anal glands, one was ok but the other shot something out past her ear.

She said she'd never seen this sort of rapid paralysis in a young cat. After checking various things she put him on the floor & he proceeded to go back & forth like some sort of auto dust mop!
At this point she took him to get the opinion of an older vet (2nd vet)..... she was also stumped.
They said I had to leave him & they would do X-rays & bloods. (I think they thought he'd been fighting & had injured his back but the other cats have been very calm & accepting of him & he hadn't yet been out to fight with anything else)

When I picked him up later that night they'd called a 3rd vet (even more experienced) to take a look - but still no diagnosis.
Anyhow - the bloods showed a low count on both red & white cells. Liver, kidneys & heart all seem fine. The X-rays look fine too, no breaks & all the vertebrae of the back & tail are nicely shaped & spaced. So their best guess is some underlying infection with swelling that is pressing on the spinal cord. They mentioned toxoplasmosis as a 'possible'.

I was given broad spectrum antibiotic liquid for 7 days, Metacam & internal parasite killing liquid. I delayed giving the latter but diligently gave the course of AB & painkiller.
After about 5 days he was showing signs of using the left leg again & after 7 days he was using both & running around normally.

GREAT!

BUT - he still wouldn't eat much, & towards the end of the week he had succumbed to some sort of cat flu virus. (I blame myself for this as I had completely forgotten that our old male has a low-level cold all the time now that he is on steroids for asthma, so Dillon probably got it from him.)
He was choked with snot, his nose bled intermittently & his eyes watered all the time. Also sneezing. No coughing.
After another week the snot was abating a little but he had an infected right eye. Due to the difficulty he had breathing during this 'flu' week we weren't able to continue with any more of the liquid antibiotic as he couldn't swallow it & breathe at the same time.

He was due to have his 2nd vaccination the week beginning 18th Feb, & I saw the 2nd vet on the 22nd Feb. He had lost a little weight as he still wouldn't eat. He wasn't well enough for his 2nd vac.
She gave him AB drops for his eye. Also a 2-week antibiotic injection to help combat the flu. She had a look at him walking & pretty much signed that off as being fine again.

THEN - 5 days later on Wed 27th I noticed a slight 'wiggle' in his walk. Next day it was a real sway - the paralysis was coming back again.
I hoped that by taking him in to the vet quickly the paralysis could be averted - he was wobbling very badly when the 3rd vet saw him on Friday 1st Mar. She thought the difficulty was in his lower back & gave him an antiimflamatory injection. She said she'd think about it & to talk to her the next day (Sat 2 Feb) but by then he was off both back legs again.

I did talk to her again & she said there were expensive tests that could 'possibly' rule various things in or out, but she said there was nothing much that could be done even if we got an ID. She gave him a 5 day course of broad spectrum AB tablets (with no enthusiasm). She gave me euthanasia as an option..... I felt she had given up on him very quickly & really didn't want to treat him. (The 'put him down & get another' attitude).


Last week he finished his antibiotics, (both injection & tablets) & there was still no improvement in his legs.

The 3rd vet thought the problem was his lower back, but I am not convinced of that. He will let you touch his back, but is very sore around his hips/pelvis/anus/testicles & when I try for a better look/gentle feel, he bites me. He is NOT a 'bitey' cat, so it must hurt him.

Interestingly, the first time he was paralysed his tail wasn't working either (or he wasn't allowing it to move) - This time his tail is moving normally, & he uses it in all the natural cat movements.
The first time his legs were both tucked up underneath him, this time they're flopping out at the side.
He is peeing ok & he can poo if I support his rear gently. His stools are very small & hard.

His appetite has improved. 3 weeks ago he was barely eating anything. Now he eats several small meals a day. I am doing as the vet recommended & trying to give him 'whole' foods with skin & even soft gristle to get more varied nutrients as he won't take cat food - altho he will eat a few (half a dozen) 'munchies'. (He wouldn't touch the £3 tin I bought from the vet!)
He has suddenly (in the last 2 days) begun eating cat litter whenever he is in the tray. NO idea why. It's 'Bentonite' clay type.

He still has the cold/flu virus but is nowhere near as watery/snotty as he was. Altho his upper respitory area still sounds wheezy sometimes.Nose still partly blocked & bleeds if I try to unblock it. I feel he is slowly coming thru the cold.

His right eye is improving, altho not fully well yet. The infection spread to the other eye & I'm using AB drops on both.
He has small ulcers on his eyes & around his mouth. Not on his palette. He eats with difficulty both picking the food from the plate, & chewing it with many dropped bits as if he can't chew/swallow

'In himself' he is fairly happy. He drags himself about when he needs to get to the litter tray (altho he struggles to get in) & comes to the kitchen for food when he smells something good.
He is happy to cuddle & will readily purr - esp after the Metacam pain meds have kicked in. He seeks us out for affection & will even try to play with his 'front half'. He likes warm places, not cool ones.

The best guess seems to be - reading between what I've been told by all 3 vets - is that
1. he was carrying some virus when we got him from the farm.
2. Then he picked up a cat flu virus from our old male, Pookie, (who since he's been on steroids for asthma has a low-level cold all the time).
3. Then something happened when he got his first vaccination. I know I'm not supposed to say that, but within 20 minutes of getting home he was sitting oddly, & that's when the first paralysis started.

I don't want to keep bringing him in unless something can be done for him, (& I can't afford to), but neither do I want to give up on him. He's a nice natured little cat. In between the 2 paralysis' he was behaving normally - walking, jumping, playing & went outside, supervised on a lead, once.

A friend who knows a lot about natural remedies has persuaded me to try colloidal silver liquid & MSM granules. I started these when his antibiotics finished on Thurs 7th.

I have also given the homeopathic remedies Hypericum & Hepar Sulph.
On the same day (Thurs 7th) he somehow (I didn't see it) fell/jumped off the sofa & onto a hard footstool. He cried out in pain afterwards & has been crying out in pain ever since.
By Sat 9th I took him back to the vet (1st vet) because I was worried about the increase in pain & that he could've broken something. He is no longer easy to handle & will lash out & bite because of the pain. She could not find any obvious breaks or dislocations, but could not X-ray due to the flu compromising his breathing. She also re-checked his anal glands & testicles & found nothing wrong. She gave me 3 doses of opioid painkiller.
I have been giving Arnica 3 times daily since Sat.
On the plus points - His appetite has improved a lot in the past 2 weeks & he seems to be 'getting through' the flu. His eyes are slowly clearing up.
Bad points - he still can't use his back legs & I AM concerned about the amount of pain he's in since he fell off the sofa 3 days ago.


If any of you have any idea what is going on or what more can be done for him, please let me know. I don't want to give up on him. He's only 6 1/2 months old & hasn't even had a life yet. I have been advised to report a possible adverse reaction to a vaccine.

Sorry this is so long but I wanted to put all the info down.
Many thanks.

Hi. I am so sorry for Dillon - and you. I don't know what all is available to you in the UK, but if you have a vet university I would ask that they get involved. If this vet group is not cat-only, that might be another direction to take. You can get all of his records to take them to another vet if need be.

What was/were the vaccination(s) for? Was there any discussion on his issues being associated with the vaccinations? Was he even tested for FeLV and FIV before the vaccinations were given? What virus do they now think he might be carrying?

There are other members on this site that are in the UK and I hope they have some ideas for you about where you could take him. Any vet that suggests putting down a cat and has not thoroughly explained to you why, on top of not even knowing what is wrong, is not a vet for me. Report a possible adverse reaction to the vaccination - are they not doing that themselves and looking into whether that is even a possibility?

Are you able to control the pain for him? Is he eating better still? Do you really believe the 'cat cold' he has is improving? How about the paralysis - do you think it is lessening as time passes, or no?

I think the vets seem like they are guessing all over the place, and have no idea. It is possible that he has multiple issues, sure. But, they need to narrow things down, and you need to make sure you understand everything they have done and what they are telling you.

I wish I could help more, and am praying that some of your UK friends on this could advice you better than I can - about whether this type care is typical and if not, where else you might seek out some help.

This is driving me crazy - is there anything in this article that might help you to come up with questions for the vet about Dillon?

Limping syndrome and feline calicivirus | International Cat Care

Hi Skip, glad to see you joined. Hope others can give you more advice shortly.

While I don't have much to offer, one thing about Dillon's appetite jumped out at me. He may be eating the litter because he isn't getting enough nutrients from his regular diet. This is not all that uncommon. Being as he isn't eating tinned cat food which contains all the needed nutrients most especially taurine which is extremely necessary for cat health.

Also, his stool may be small and hard due to be constipated. Constipated, because a) not eating enough and b) potentially dehydrated; because not eating enough. Has the vet mentioned subQ fluid therapy for him? Or other methods of feeding and hydration at this point? Keeping him eating and hydrated is seriously important, as I'm sure you're aware.

Last c) opiates will also cause constipation. So there's that too.

Since he's having trouble eating, can you find something soft and mushy? Or temporarily try some plain meat baby food and see if he'll be able to handle that? Here in the states, Gerber makes what is known as Stage 2 jarred baby food that comes in chicken, turkey, beef and ham flavors that is soley just those proteins with no added ingredients (although the beef has some lemon juice in it for some reason). Nearly all cats, love them and when all else fails they are good stand ins for high protein, good calories.

Hi FeebysOwner - Many thanks for taking the time to read Dillon's story.
I live in a small town (Kendal) & don't have transport of my own, so it is difficult (altho not impossible) to get to another vet practice. This vet practice is primarily 'small animals', not cat exclusive.
In the UK vaccinations are routinely offerred to young cats to keep them safe from the most likely communicable diseases. As far as I can tell he was vaccinated for:

• Feline infectious enteritis (FIE, feline panleukopenia, feline parvovirus)
• Feline herpesvirus (FHV-1) and feline calicivirus (FCV) – cat flu
• Feline chlamydophilosis (Chlamydophila felis, feline chlamydophila infection)
• Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV)

I sincerely thought I was giving him the best start by getting the vacs (which are not cheap!) I've had kittens vaccinated in the past with no problems & they've gone on to have long & healthy lives.
The head vet (3rd vet who saw him) was adamant that the vaccine could NOT POSSIBLY be to blame. But she had no better ideas.
I plan to go back & get the (2nd) vet to report all this as a bad reaction. I have an appt for Tues.
No, he wasn't tested for FeLV and FIV before the vaccinations. Because the vaccine given is 'dead', it is widely believed to be 100% safe.
I'm sure thousands of cats receive these vacs with no ill effect, but there is always an exception, isn't there?
When you say: 'Any vet that suggests putting down a cat and has not thoroughly explained to you why, on top of not even knowing what is wrong, is not a vet for me.' - I absolutely agree. I felt angry that she (a cat owner herself!) should give up without any idea what's wrong with him & with no interest in trying to find out!

I have written to a highly recommended vet in another town. He made 3 recommendations:
Get better pain meds. (I was given 4 opiate doses at around £3 ($3.90) each, which won't last long. Also Metacam, for milder pain. Until he fell off the sofa Metacam was working well for him.)
Officially report the adverse reaction. Doing this on Tuesday.
Have further, more definitive tests (expensive & according to my original vet, often not conclusive). I asked if the tests did come back with an ID on the virus, could she treat it? - She shrugged & shook her head.

As for your later questions.
Flu - He's not sneezing now. Eyes no longer watering. Nose is drier but scabby (I have given up trying to clear his nose as the scabs bleed & then block the nostrils). His eyes stick together because of the 'gloop' in the AB drops. Until the extra pain began on Thursday I was bathing his eyes. He won't let me now. He has a couple of small scabs or ulcers on his eyelids - these seem to be drying up. His breathing is still a bit 'raspy' (off & on) but the 2nd vet (nice one!) told me after listening to his lungs that the roughness was 'upper respitory' rather than in his chest.
Appetite - even with the pain it is better than it was. 2 weeks ago I was struggling to get even one teaspoon of food into him a couple of times a day. He had me in tears several times. He is a very messy & inefficient eater - the food has to be tiny, it often drops from his mouth & he seems to mush it down onto his plate in the way that very small kittens do. (I did read in one of my researches that toxoplasmosis can make cats messy eaters).
Paralysis - the first time he gradually reagined the use of both back legs after a week of antibiotics. This time there is no improvement at all so far.
Here's a photo of him a few days ago.

I have just seen your last link - I will go read it. Thankyou.

skipscales said:

We got our little tabby boy, Dillon, from a farm near in Yorkshire, UK on 12th January 2019. He had lived in the barn with access to farmyard. Only other resident cat was his mum.He was around 5 months old but looked more like 3.
I just thought he was a small cat as he seemed perfectly healthy - Nice nature. Bright eyes. Glossy, thick coat. Lively. No obvious snot or other discharges.
We have 2 other cats, Pookie (m 17) & Bella (f 13). Both are relaxed & made no objection to the new arrival.

For the first week he was quiet, weighing us all up, but otherwise fine.
By the 2nd week he had blossomed into a friendly & playful cat who seemed happy in his new enviroment.
The only clue that something might be amiss was a lack of appetite. He never ate more than a teaspoon full at a meal.

After 2 weeks on 28th Jan I took him for his first vaccination. He was pretty stressed & lively on the way to the vet (a short walk) but calm in the consulting room. He was seen by a lady vet, & I was present the whole time. She was gentle with him. She checked him over & the only thing amiss was a very slightly raised temperature (I think was just .1 over what it should've been).We went ahead with the vaccination (I've been told he had a 'dead' vaccine of Nobivac, Tricat & FelV)

Within 20 mins of getting home he was sitting oddly with his tail tucked tight under his body & he would shift position several times to get it right. I actually laughed because he had had his temp taken anally for the first time & it was as if he was thinking 'How dare she!'
The next day (Tues 29th) he was VERY quiet. He didn't eat, drink, didn't want to be touched & wouldn't purr. He stayed hunched up all day. By evening I was concerned & contacted the vet via email.
Wed 30th I woke to find him not using his right back leg & doing a shuffling hop around the lounge, but 'in himself' he was brighter.
By the end of that day he wasn't using either back leg & had both legs & his tail tucked under his body whilst he dragged himself around.
It was really alarming how quickly it all went downhill.


'In himself' he seemed quite bright from Wed onwards, purring & wanting to play, but his rear body was not responding.
Thurs 31st - back to vet: It happened that I was able to see the same vet who had vaccinted him on Monday & she was both alarmed & very puzzled. She felt his anal glands, one was ok but the other shot something out past her ear.

She said she'd never seen this sort of rapid paralysis in a young cat. After checking various things she put him on the floor & he proceeded to go back & forth like some sort of auto dust mop!
At this point she took him to get the opinion of an older vet (2nd vet)..... she was also stumped.
They said I had to leave him & they would do X-rays & bloods. (I think they thought he'd been fighting & had injured his back but the other cats have been very calm & accepting of him & he hadn't yet been out to fight with anything else)

When I picked him up later that night they'd called a 3rd vet (even more experienced) to take a look - but still no diagnosis.
Anyhow - the bloods showed a low count on both red & white cells. Liver, kidneys & heart all seem fine. The X-rays look fine too, no breaks & all the vertebrae of the back & tail are nicely shaped & spaced. So their best guess is some underlying infection with swelling that is pressing on the spinal cord. They mentioned toxoplasmosis as a 'possible'.

I was given broad spectrum antibiotic liquid for 7 days, Metacam & internal parasite killing liquid. I delayed giving the latter but diligently gave the course of AB & painkiller.
After about 5 days he was showing signs of using the left leg again & after 7 days he was using both & running around normally.

GREAT!

BUT - he still wouldn't eat much, & towards the end of the week he had succumbed to some sort of cat flu virus. (I blame myself for this as I had completely forgotten that our old male has a low-level cold all the time now that he is on steroids for asthma, so Dillon probably got it from him.)
He was choked with snot, his nose bled intermittently & his eyes watered all the time. Also sneezing. No coughing.
After another week the snot was abating a little but he had an infected right eye. Due to the difficulty he had breathing during this 'flu' week we weren't able to continue with any more of the liquid antibiotic as he couldn't swallow it & breathe at the same time.

He was due to have his 2nd vaccination the week beginning 18th Feb, & I saw the 2nd vet on the 22nd Feb. He had lost a little weight as he still wouldn't eat. He wasn't well enough for his 2nd vac.
She gave him AB drops for his eye. Also a 2-week antibiotic injection to help combat the flu. She had a look at him walking & pretty much signed that off as being fine again.

THEN - 5 days later on Wed 27th I noticed a slight 'wiggle' in his walk. Next day it was a real sway - the paralysis was coming back again.
I hoped that by taking him in to the vet quickly the paralysis could be averted - he was wobbling very badly when the 3rd vet saw him on Friday 1st Mar. She thought the difficulty was in his lower back & gave him an antiimflamatory injection. She said she'd think about it & to talk to her the next day (Sat 2 Feb) but by then he was off both back legs again.

I did talk to her again & she said there were expensive tests that could 'possibly' rule various things in or out, but she said there was nothing much that could be done even if we got an ID. She gave him a 5 day course of broad spectrum AB tablets (with no enthusiasm). She gave me euthanasia as an option..... I felt she had given up on him very quickly & really didn't want to treat him. (The 'put him down & get another' attitude).


Last week he finished his antibiotics, (both injection & tablets) & there was still no improvement in his legs.

The 3rd vet thought the problem was his lower back, but I am not convinced of that. He will let you touch his back, but is very sore around his hips/pelvis/anus/testicles & when I try for a better look/gentle feel, he bites me. He is NOT a 'bitey' cat, so it must hurt him.

Interestingly, the first time he was paralysed his tail wasn't working either (or he wasn't allowing it to move) - This time his tail is moving normally, & he uses it in all the natural cat movements.
The first time his legs were both tucked up underneath him, this time they're flopping out at the side.
He is peeing ok & he can poo if I support his rear gently. His stools are very small & hard.

His appetite has improved. 3 weeks ago he was barely eating anything. Now he eats several small meals a day. I am doing as the vet recommended & trying to give him 'whole' foods with skin & even soft gristle to get more varied nutrients as he won't take cat food - altho he will eat a few (half a dozen) 'munchies'. (He wouldn't touch the £3 tin I bought from the vet!)
He has suddenly (in the last 2 days) begun eating cat litter whenever he is in the tray. NO idea why. It's 'Bentonite' clay type.

He still has the cold/flu virus but is nowhere near as watery/snotty as he was. Altho his upper respitory area still sounds wheezy sometimes.Nose still partly blocked & bleeds if I try to unblock it. I feel he is slowly coming thru the cold.

His right eye is improving, altho not fully well yet. The infection spread to the other eye & I'm using AB drops on both.
He has small ulcers on his eyes & around his mouth. Not on his palette. He eats with difficulty both picking the food from the plate, & chewing it with many dropped bits as if he can't chew/swallow

'In himself' he is fairly happy. He drags himself about when he needs to get to the litter tray (altho he struggles to get in) & comes to the kitchen for food when he smells something good.
He is happy to cuddle & will readily purr - esp after the Metacam pain meds have kicked in. He seeks us out for affection & will even try to play with his 'front half'. He likes warm places, not cool ones.

The best guess seems to be - reading between what I've been told by all 3 vets - is that
1. he was carrying some virus when we got him from the farm.
2. Then he picked up a cat flu virus from our old male, Pookie, (who since he's been on steroids for asthma has a low-level cold all the time).
3. Then something happened when he got his first vaccination. I know I'm not supposed to say that, but within 20 minutes of getting home he was sitting oddly, & that's when the first paralysis started.

I don't want to keep bringing him in unless something can be done for him, (& I can't afford to), but neither do I want to give up on him. He's a nice natured little cat. In between the 2 paralysis' he was behaving normally - walking, jumping, playing & went outside, supervised on a lead, once.

A friend who knows a lot about natural remedies has persuaded me to try colloidal silver liquid & MSM granules. I started these when his antibiotics finished on Thurs 7th.

I have also given the homeopathic remedies Hypericum & Hepar Sulph.
On the same day (Thurs 7th) he somehow (I didn't see it) fell/jumped off the sofa & onto a hard footstool. He cried out in pain afterwards & has been crying out in pain ever since.
By Sat 9th I took him back to the vet (1st vet) because I was worried about the increase in pain & that he could've broken something. He is no longer easy to handle & will lash out & bite because of the pain. She could not find any obvious breaks or dislocations, but could not X-ray due to the flu compromising his breathing. She also re-checked his anal glands & testicles & found nothing wrong. She gave me 3 doses of opioid painkiller.
I have been giving Arnica 3 times daily since Sat.
On the plus points - His appetite has improved a lot in the past 2 weeks & he seems to be 'getting through' the flu. His eyes are slowly clearing up.
Bad points - he still can't use his back legs & I AM concerned about the amount of pain he's in since he fell off the sofa 3 days ago.


If any of you have any idea what is going on or what more can be done for him, please let me know. I don't want to give up on him. He's only 6 1/2 months old & hasn't even had a life yet. I have been advised to report a possible adverse reaction to a vaccine.

Sorry this is so long but I wanted to put all the info down.
Many thanks.

Click to expand...

Hello S skipscales and sweet Dillon, and welcome to TCS! I am so sorry to read of Dillon's health issues and especially him having pain -- no cat or kitten should ever have these! -- and I am afraid I don't have any expert help or advice to offer, but I just wanted to say hello, add my *PRAYERS* and best thoughts of wellbeing for Dillon to others', and say that other posters have given some good advice. It is truly a mystery and there are just so many things that are not known to us. Thank you for not giving up on him! Please keep trying to keep him hydrated and well fed as possible. Vets have different supplements to help cats who are not eating well -- they will have different names in the UK, probably, from what they do here (Nutrical and Clinicare are two I can think of offhand). You can also make a slurry by putting a high quality, balanced kitten food in a blender/food processor with water, and offer that to him in a shallow dish/saucer or even try syringing it into his mouth.
All the BEST to Dillon and to you. Keep us informed, please.

skipscales said:

Here's a photo of him a few days ago.

Click to expand...

He is so precious!!! Thanks for the pic!

Can you try petroleum jelly on cotton swabs in his nose - yeah, probably not, just a thought (sorry, for a dumb suggestion). I just hope you can continue to help his comfort with pain meds while they continue to research what is wrong. He needs his strength, as you already know, so feeling less pain means eating more.

Have you managed to get the meds for the toxoplasmosis into poor Dillon? Just to overload you (just kidding, not meant to really), I have also included an article about it (see link below), but I found nothing to suggest paralysis is a symptom - but it does reference many of his other issues, not to mention lack of coordination (maybe he has an extreme case of that?).

Toxoplasmosis in Cats - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Management, Cost

I so wish I could help more. Please keep us updated a lot!! And, even if we can't answer your questions, at least you can vent to us.

I'm really sorry about poor Dillon.
I know you've done some testing and x-rays, but if there is damage to muscle tissue or ligaments, it will not show on an x-ray, you need an ultrasound to see soft tissue injuries.
Could he have gotten an infection from a tick? (tick poisoning)
I know your kitty is young but could he have a heart defect and be suffering from feline aortic thromboembolism (FATE)? It's one of the only things I can think of that really explains the agonizing pain AND paralysis, and the fact that it happened twice. Maybe the infection affected his heart (he may have already been getting sick at the time of your first vet visit and the vaccine did a number on his immune system to really kick start it) The first clot may not have been very big and the fluids helped manage it.
IKD, I'm just grasping at straws.

Jem said:

I'm really sorry about poor Dillon.
I know you've done some testing and x-rays, but if there is damage to muscle tissue or ligaments, it will not show on an x-ray, you need an ultrasound to see soft tissue injuries.
Could he have gotten an infection from a tick? (tick poisoning)
I know your kitty is young but could he have a heart defect and be suffering from feline aortic thromboembolism (FATE)? It's one of the only things I can think of that really explains the agonizing pain AND paralysis, and the fact that it happened twice. Maybe the infection affected his heart (he may have already been getting sick at the time of your first vet visit and the vaccine did a number on his immune system to really kick start it) The first clot may not have been very big and the fluids helped manage it.
IKD, I'm just grasping at straws.

Click to expand...

OMG, I didn't think of that. My Corrie angel got that. One day she was okay and the next, her back end gave out on her. *PRAYERS* it is not that in this dear little Dillon.

S skipscales - great info and help here. FYI, when you go back to the vet and bring up some of the info here don't be surprised if the doctor is hesitant to consider anything you have read here. Hopefully, they will have an open ear to consider all possibilities but there are vets who think they know everything.

Our previous vet was the type who we just couldn't work with - he dismissed everything we brought to the table that we researched on our own. Our current vet, and all the people that work there, have always took the time to listen to any information we bring to them knowing sometimes they don't have all the answers. Case in point was before our older boy passed, we noticed he was having what appeared to be small seizures triggered by particular types of noises; one of which was the sound of a metal spoon hitting the side of the ceramic bowls his food went in. I did some research, and found out that indeed it IS a thing! They are called "audiogenic" seizures. Other noises that do it are tinfoil and crinkling paper, and it's more prevalent in older cats that have certain diseases (which, our cat had). I brought it to the vets attention and she'd never known about it even though she had specialized in neurological feline issues. Crazy huh?

Anyway, sorry to go off on a tangent. My point is it's important to feel comfortable and trust your vet and if you don't and are able to go elsewhere, at minimum for a 2nd opinion, do try.

Hi Sivyaleah
Thankyou for your advice. Yes, I am trying to get water into him. As he's lost interest in drinking - only since the fall & increased pain - I am syringing water into him at regular intervals. He eats white fish & chicken (with the skin) so he should be getting some taurine. I have tried more than 2 dozen other things, all different brands & types of cat food, both wet & dry, plus some other human foods such as red meat, sardines, dairy. He shows no interest in any of them except the fish & chicken.I always moisten the food, so it has a good water content, but if I make is sloppy he can't pick it up from the plate. As it is I have to sit by him & keep 're-forming' the food into a little pile so he can eat it. His teeth have been checked as fine.
Re: opiates - I have only given him one dose. I'm trying to keep him comfortable & hope his own body defenses will get him over the damage from the fall & the flu. The paralysis is another matter.
The theory seems to be that he has some kind of infection=swelling=pressure on spine. That would explain why the paralysis went away for a while (the swelling went down) but the infection wasn't cured, then he got flu & the original 'whatever-it-is' has come back. And then he fell, hence the more severe pain. I'm think if I fell down the stairs I might want to lie down for a few days (the equivilent of him falling off the sofa & onto the hard footstoll & then to the floor).

I am rather worried about doing TOO MUCH - there is a case for keeping him fed & hydrated & letting his body sort itself out.
It's hard to be sure as I don't know what I'm dealing with.....

Jem said:

I'm really sorry about poor Dillon.
I know you've done some testing and x-rays, but if there is damage to muscle tissue or ligaments, it will not show on an x-ray, you need an ultrasound to see soft tissue injuries.
Could he have gotten an infection from a tick? (tick poisoning)
I know your kitty is young but could he have a heart defect and be suffering from feline aortic thromboembolism (FATE)? It's one of the only things I can think of that really explains the agonizing pain AND paralysis, and the fact that it happened twice. Maybe the infection affected his heart (he may have already been getting sick at the time of your first vet visit and the vaccine did a number on his immune system to really kick start it) The first clot may not have been very big and the fluids helped manage it.
IKD, I'm just grasping at straws.

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Since he was born at the end of summer & wasn't outside until the end of Sep, tick paralysis has largely been discounted. We had him inside for 2 1/2 weeks before the paralysis began. The paralysis started 30 minutes after getting the triple vaccine - I'm sure there's a link.

Remember the paralysis & the severe pain are 2 different problems. Until he took his kamikaze leap off the sofa & hit the hard footstool, then fell to the floor, (Thurs 7th) he had only mild discomfort & could be handled easily, purring & even playing despite his back legs not working.

sivyaleah said:

S skipscales - great info and help here. FYI, when you go back to the vet and bring up some of the info here don't be surprised if the doctor is hesitant to consider anything you have read here. Hopefully, they will have an open ear to consider all possibilities but there are vets who think they know everything.

Our previous vet was the type who we just couldn't work with - he dismissed everything we brought to the table that we researched on our own. Our current vet, and all the people that work there, have always took the time to listen to any information we bring to them knowing sometimes they don't have all the answers. Case in point was before our older boy passed, we noticed he was having what appeared to be small seizures triggered by particular types of noises; one of which was the sound of a metal spoon hitting the side of the ceramic bowls his food went in. I did some research, and found out that indeed it IS a thing! They are called "audiogenic" seizures. Other noises that do it are tinfoil and crinkling paper, and it's more prevalent in older cats that have certain diseases (which, our cat had). I brought it to the vets attention and she'd never known about it even though she had specialized in neurological feline issues. Crazy huh?

Anyway, sorry to go off on a tangent. My point is it's important to feel comfortable and trust your vet and if you don't and are able to go elsewhere, at minimum for a 2nd opinion, do try.

Click to expand...

Hi Sivyaleah
Thankyou for your advice. Yes, I am trying to get water into him. As he's lost interest in drinking - only since the fall & increased pain - I am syringing water into him at regular intervals. He eats white fish & chicken (with the skin) so he should be getting some taurine. I have tried more than 2 dozen other things, all different brands & types of cat food, both wet & dry, plus some other human foods such as red meat, sardines, dairy. He shows no interest in any of them except the fish & chicken.I always moisten the food, so it has a good water content, but if I make is sloppy he can't pick it up from the plate. As it is I have to sit by him & keep 're-forming' the food into a little pile so he can eat it. His teeth have been checked as fine.
Re: opiates - I have only given him one dose. I'm trying to keep him comfortable & hope his own body defenses will get him over the damage from the fall & the flu. The paralysis is another matter.
The theory seems to be that he has some kind of infection=swelling=pressure on spine. That would explain why the paralysis went away for a while (the swelling went down) but the infection wasn't cured, then he got flu & the original 'whatever-it-is' has come back. And then he fell, hence the more severe pain. I'm think if I fell down the stairs I might want to lie down for a few days (the equivilent of him falling off the sofa & onto the hard footstoll & then to the floor).

I am rather worried about doing TOO MUCH - there is a case for keeping him fed & hydrated & letting his body sort itself out.
It's hard to be sure as I don't know what I'm dealing with.....
(sorry for double post - I didn't do it right the first time!)

Vaccines can do a number on people and animals. My ancient horse had a bad reaction to a flu vaccine. The barn owner told me, I mentioned it to her vet, who's awesome and she said never to give that vaccine to her again
I've never found a great vet like that for my small animals. I definitely would see a different vet for Dillon. They should have tested for the diseases before vaccinating him. And on a small young cat with fever and question of any illness they either shouldn't vaccinate or split up the vaccines.

My two cats aren't up to date on their vaccines anymore. My older cat was due last November but he was diagnosed with cancer in October and didn't have a great prognosis. The oncologist advised me not to stress him out with vaccines when chemo and cancer and his other health issues are putting him through enough stress.
My other cat is allergic to everything and I'm giving him allergy shots every two weeks and allergy meds for his itching a few times a week. His immune system is so messed up I'm afraid to further stress it with vaccines. Both are indoor only and go nowhere except vet visits.
My dog goes everywhere and is very so I vaccinate him for everything possible.
I had an allergic reaction to a vaccine once and went to the ER for hives all over my chest, neck and throat. The ER doctor believed it was an allergic reaction but said it was to something else and said it was impossible that it was to the vaccine. Even though it started shortly after getting the vaccine and got worse and nothing else had changed and I hadn't been around anything else new. He just didn't want to report it. And this was at a well known top ten hospital in the US.
My friend asked me to go with her to her appointment with the behaviorist for her dog who I've helped her with. The dog has tons of anxiety and was put on Prozac. It started getting very aggressive with other dogs. I had to hold him back once he was insane. This got worse as the medicine dose increased. I looked online and sure enough prozac can cause aggression in dogs and he had other side effects. Behaviorist flat out denied it. Same idiot who runs the shelter I adopted my dog from three years ago and tried to not let me adopt him because he "failed" their cat test and she said he'd kill a cat. I watched the test and he was fine. More importantly he'd lived with one or two cats his whole life on both his previous homes and his last owner wrote that he was fine with no incidents. That proved it to me. Apparently she couldn't read his file.
I have vestibular migraines. It took me two years of going to many doctors and getting dozens of tests before I found a specialist who knew what they are and gave me medication that helped so I could function again.
My dog had Lyme disease. I took him to the vet who refused to test him because he didn't have typical symptoms. I insisted on the test which was positive. He then said he didn't need treatment. I insisted on the antibiotics. Dog got better in a few weeks.

Unfortunately I've had many firsthand experiences that showed that doctors and vets don't always listen to patients and don't always want to do research or go the extra mile to figure out atypical symptoms. You have to be the one to advocate for your cat since he can't do it himself.
Vets and doctors unfortunately don't like to be questioned or look incompetent. I've been banned by a few vet practices for advocating too strongly for my pets. Which is fine since I don't want to return to those places anyway.

I don't know if all the symptoms fit, but I wonder if it's AIHA (Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in Cats). It can be triggered by a vaccine or any other immune challenge; basically the immune system just goes crazy in response to the trigger. Maybe you could look some stuff up and see if the vets agree.

I would have him tested for FeLV and FIV---the test doesn't cost very much, and, unfortunately, if he has FeLV he's unlikely to be able to recover once he's this sick, but at least you'd know what's going on.

Poor guy---sending good thoughts!

Dear Skipsales..I have absolutely nothing to offer that would help you and little Dillon..but I was so moved by your posts, they nearly brought me to tears. Your diligence and kindness, in not giving up, but continuing your mission to help Dillon is nothing short of AMAZING. It touched my heart in a way that nothing has done in along time...the world needs kind people like yourself, and I can only hope that somehow a cure is found for Dillon. Thank you for sharing. Please keep us updated.

I really have nothing to add to the wonderful advice you've already gotten, but I'm wondering if he would drink KMR, kitten milk replacement. He's so young and malnourished, it might help a lot if he will take it. It contains both the proteins and fluids he needs.

Welcome to TCS, Skipscales & Dillon! I am sorry that you two are facing such perplexing and painful challenges. Kudos on an exceptionally excellent presentation of Dillion's case - it reads as easily as the finest legal brief, concisely presenting the symptoms on an all- time important timeline, with bolded lettering adding clarity & interest.
FeebysOwner provided that awesome link to Limping Syndrome and FCV vaccine that really seems to fit this situation. One of my ferals, Troy, has Cerebral Hypoplasia and I recognized your descriptions. The article explains that Limping Syndrome can cause severe polyarthritis that may or may not resolve on its own.
Since you seem open to alternative medicine (I have recently started adding colloidal silver to treat FCV and FIV+ cats), considering using herbs such as slippery elm bark and marshmallow root could be beneficial to Dillon for his mouth sores. As a rule of thumb, those herbs should be given at least 2-4 hours away from modern meds because the herbs can coat the alimentary tract and interfere with absorption, allowing meds to get flushed out of the system unused. Also, cold pressed coconut oil has soothing and healing properties both internally and externally.
Lastly, the hydration angle is very important. I agree wholeheartedly with trying kitten formula on him, especially a goat milk based one (our member Hissy has a great recipe on her website Kitten-rescue .com) - fresh, raw goat milk is a great alternative if you can find a reliable source. You can also add raw egg yolk but be sure to rinse off all traces of the raw egg white (I hold the yolk in my loosely separated fingers and hold under a slow trickle of cold water). I have had great success using goat milk in severe cases ranging from neonates to severely malnourished senior cats, most suffering from FCV and/or panleukopenia (cat parvo/feline distemper).
Lastly, I have had great results with using Homeopet's Feline Nose Relief at 10 drops per pint of fresh clean water ( filtered, bottled or good quality well water).
As far as eating his clay litter, you could try switching out to chicken feed - I like to use laying hen crumbles/crackettes with clumping litter blended in. Since he is eating the litter, I would avoid the clumping and just toss the wet feed instead. Here in the States, the hen feed is less expensive anyway and the corn and wheat and alfalfa offer much safer odor control. The fragrances and perfumes are highly irritating not only to sensitive feline nasal passages but to their anal tissues as well. I have seen constipation (from avoiding the box), bloody stools and diarrhea resolve or dramatically improve just by switching to unscented/fragrance free litter.
Thank you for Dillon's photo -he is so blessed to have you! I am sending prayers and vibes for his speedy recovery

You are doing your best for him, probably, if he had been left where he was born, he would be gone by now. You have given him months of love that he would not have known. Whatever is in store for him, a short life or a long one, remember, he is/was loved enough to try to spoon feed.