Bear with me, this is long, but I'm a detail oriented person and very concerned about my boy. If you don't want to read it all, the 2 vet visits are marked ** to help.
Background - My Dood is around 6 years old (we rescued him around 9 months), an only child, he is an indoor ONLY cat and has been very healthy (albeit a couple pounds overweight), active and very very outgoing until a few weeks ago. During a cuddle session I noticed that his gums were very red and swollen on one side, he wasn't off his food, his personality didn't change a bit. Other than really bad breathe, the swelling and redness was the only sign of an issue. We took him to a vet the next day. Prior to this visit, he hadn't been to a vet since he was around 1 1-2 and I wanted a vet with better hours, location and rep.
** Vet - 6/26/13 - During the visit the vet took his temp which was 102.4, she said his canines needed to come out and likely a few other teeth. He was given an antibiotic injection and she also suggested he have his rabies vaccine and FDV-RCP booster. She gave him the three injections, gave me pain meds to take home and we were to schedule surgery. He was a few pounds overweight at 20.4lbs - he is a large mixed breed cat though! Oh! He also had a growth on his front paw by the nail, she said it was like a cat corn and removed it (he had it for years, last vet also likened it to a corn).
For the next week and a half he was just fine! Surly and a bit grumpy the day after the visit, licking his paw all of which is expected!
Sunday 7/7/13 things abruptly changed. I noticed a slight limp the night before, but my husband didn't agree. By Sunday it was very obvious in his back right leg, he was a little out of sorts, not lethargic and did eat his dinner.
Monday was getting worse, he didn't wake me up for breakfast at 5:30 as he's done every day for years. He loves his food, food and fetch are pretty much the best things in the world to him. He was also wobbly and favoring his back leg more. We played a LOT that weekend, lots of running, so I assumed it was either that or his teeth were hurting.
Tuesday we were worrying enough to give him his last dose of pain meds. Very lethargic, sleeping in his hidey-hole corner (unusual as he's usually at the door watching the birds or on me). He slept a lot on Tuesday, but the pain medication can do that... I became very aware that he hadn't poo'd since Sunday (though he did pee).
Wednesday - he couldn't stand without his legs quivering and he would go right back down, but now it was his back left and sometimes his front left, they also were shaking when he laid down, small quivers. I wanted him to go to the vet, my husband refused. I couldn't find ANYONE including neighbours to take me there (no cabs or busses)
** Thursday - 7/11/13 we went to the vet. Dood weighed 19.2lbs (1 pound down) had a fever of 104.6 (cries) She said he was badly constipated and kept him for the day. She did full blood work and everything was fine, I made sure to look at it and he really was perfectly in range on everything. X-rays showed multiple intestinal blockages. She did 1 enema and it did relieve him slightly, she had to do a second several hours later and a follow up X-ray to make sure the poo wasn't blocking something she could have missed the first time around. He had antibiotics again and a pain injection. She said to add pumpkin to his food, miralax if needed down the line (he's never been irregular before this) and to keep an eye on his potty and eating schedule, lethargy etc. we asked about the limping and she said it was likely because of the pain and pressure. She still wanted us to move ahead with dental surgery (7/24 despite trying to get it earlier).
Now at home and why I'm freaking out, he's shaking again. He doesn't want to walk or stand. When he does walk, he isn't limping but he's awkward. Family and friends keep telling me that it is because he's been so inactive and stressed for the past week, of course he'll be off. He DID poo 7/13. He isn't drinking (he's a picky drinker), he will nibble at food but only a couple of tablespoons. I DO over react, I am also a worrywart and researcher (not a good combo).
Could this simply be stress and from tooth pain? Or maybe haunch pain from injection site? I know this is information overload, but it helps me to type it out and I know a lot of you have the experience to appreciate the details. I would love some opinions (and happy thoughts or hugs!)
Thanks,
Katie and Dood the Cat
Background - My Dood is around 6 years old (we rescued him around 9 months), an only child, he is an indoor ONLY cat and has been very healthy (albeit a couple pounds overweight), active and very very outgoing until a few weeks ago. During a cuddle session I noticed that his gums were very red and swollen on one side, he wasn't off his food, his personality didn't change a bit. Other than really bad breathe, the swelling and redness was the only sign of an issue. We took him to a vet the next day. Prior to this visit, he hadn't been to a vet since he was around 1 1-2 and I wanted a vet with better hours, location and rep.
** Vet - 6/26/13 - During the visit the vet took his temp which was 102.4, she said his canines needed to come out and likely a few other teeth. He was given an antibiotic injection and she also suggested he have his rabies vaccine and FDV-RCP booster. She gave him the three injections, gave me pain meds to take home and we were to schedule surgery. He was a few pounds overweight at 20.4lbs - he is a large mixed breed cat though! Oh! He also had a growth on his front paw by the nail, she said it was like a cat corn and removed it (he had it for years, last vet also likened it to a corn).
For the next week and a half he was just fine! Surly and a bit grumpy the day after the visit, licking his paw all of which is expected!
Sunday 7/7/13 things abruptly changed. I noticed a slight limp the night before, but my husband didn't agree. By Sunday it was very obvious in his back right leg, he was a little out of sorts, not lethargic and did eat his dinner.
Monday was getting worse, he didn't wake me up for breakfast at 5:30 as he's done every day for years. He loves his food, food and fetch are pretty much the best things in the world to him. He was also wobbly and favoring his back leg more. We played a LOT that weekend, lots of running, so I assumed it was either that or his teeth were hurting.
Tuesday we were worrying enough to give him his last dose of pain meds. Very lethargic, sleeping in his hidey-hole corner (unusual as he's usually at the door watching the birds or on me). He slept a lot on Tuesday, but the pain medication can do that... I became very aware that he hadn't poo'd since Sunday (though he did pee).
Wednesday - he couldn't stand without his legs quivering and he would go right back down, but now it was his back left and sometimes his front left, they also were shaking when he laid down, small quivers. I wanted him to go to the vet, my husband refused. I couldn't find ANYONE including neighbours to take me there (no cabs or busses)
** Thursday - 7/11/13 we went to the vet. Dood weighed 19.2lbs (1 pound down) had a fever of 104.6 (cries) She said he was badly constipated and kept him for the day. She did full blood work and everything was fine, I made sure to look at it and he really was perfectly in range on everything. X-rays showed multiple intestinal blockages. She did 1 enema and it did relieve him slightly, she had to do a second several hours later and a follow up X-ray to make sure the poo wasn't blocking something she could have missed the first time around. He had antibiotics again and a pain injection. She said to add pumpkin to his food, miralax if needed down the line (he's never been irregular before this) and to keep an eye on his potty and eating schedule, lethargy etc. we asked about the limping and she said it was likely because of the pain and pressure. She still wanted us to move ahead with dental surgery (7/24 despite trying to get it earlier).
Now at home and why I'm freaking out, he's shaking again. He doesn't want to walk or stand. When he does walk, he isn't limping but he's awkward. Family and friends keep telling me that it is because he's been so inactive and stressed for the past week, of course he'll be off. He DID poo 7/13. He isn't drinking (he's a picky drinker), he will nibble at food but only a couple of tablespoons. I DO over react, I am also a worrywart and researcher (not a good combo).
Could this simply be stress and from tooth pain? Or maybe haunch pain from injection site? I know this is information overload, but it helps me to type it out and I know a lot of you have the experience to appreciate the details. I would love some opinions (and happy thoughts or hugs!)
Thanks,
Katie and Dood the Cat