A little worried about my kitty..

[ChiaJ]

Okay this is to give you guys some background knowledge for proper understanding of the situation:

Nala is my new kitty, I’ve never had a cat or dog before but I have at least a dozen close friends with them and I just figured it was my time to get one. Keep in mind she is an indoor cat and has never been outside. She received 2 vaccines last week. She met my girlfriends dog in a controlled environment for the SECOND time a few days prior to this situation

Meet Nala, the sweetest, most loving and affectionate yet playful kitty. She plays with her toys everyday and has never had a hard time with eating, drinking, using the bathroom.

On Sunday, August 11 2024, I trimmed her nails for the first time and she was great, she was perfectly fine and playful afterwards.

The following morning I woke up and went to use the restroom when I noticed that my kitty didn’t follow me (she sleeps in my room and the bathroom is down the hall she always follows me)

I went back into my room and saw her walking on my bed with a slight limp so I put her on the floor to investigate and what do you know? She has a limp. She has troubles putting weight on her front right paw.

I didn’t think MUCH at first, thought maybe it might’ve just been me cuttting one of the nails too short or something. But then I noticed that she was warmer than usual and that she was being SUPER lazy. Keep in mind she’s 3 months old. She has never acted like this. She looked tired and weak and seeing her in pain as she walked hurt me. I also noticed that she hadn’t been eating her food. She didn’t eat anything for about 20-24 hours straight before.

I knew she had to go to the vet but because it was a Sunday they were closed. I went to the vet the following morning and they pretty much said this:
“She’s lost .1 kg since her vaccines a week ago, she does have a mild-high fever (rectal thermometer), and the doc noticed that she would vocalize in pain whenever her shoulders were moved, this could just be a physical injury that is causing some discomfort in her shoulders and maybe even causing her fever, this could also be the other way around where it’s a viral, bacterial infection that may cause all of this.

They slapped a big ol’ estimate sheet in front of me and it was everything from bloodwork, to X-rays, etc. totaled just under $1400

but they gave me the option to also just put her on some medication for the pain and the fever so she’s on antibiotics and anti inflammatorys now and she’s been doing better for the last 24 hours but I still feel worried about her leg.

She still tries her best not to walk around, and I carry her as much as I can, but I’m still worried. What do you guys think? If you have any other unanswered questions or concerns that might help you give me an answer, please let me know.

I love this cat but I can’t afford a $1400 vet visit right now, and I’m scared that the meds aren’t enough. Please help. Tell me your thoughts.

ALSO

I just noticed (as of 4 am Wednesday morning) that she has something IN her left nostril that looks almost like a pimple, it even gets larger and “whiter” when I lightly press onto her nose. What is that? Could that just be a part of what I’m dealing with currently because that JUST happened.
I know it’s a lot, but please help, I love this cat and she makes me so happy, losing her would destroy me and I’m scared and I don’t know what to do.

 

[vampiric_conure]

I have nothing to say. Hoping others have words of wisdom. I'm Sending **HUGE HUGS**

 

[di and bob]

It is not uncommon at all for cats to act lethargic, develop a slight temp and quit eating for a couple of days after vaccines. It takes a while for the antibodies to develop too, so a delay would not be uncommon. The shoulder pain and limp could be from the injection site or she may have injured herself jumping down from somewhere. The vet gave one of my cats Benadryl 30 minutes before vaccinations and it DID help. though some people don't think it helps. As long as she seems to be even slightly better she should keep improving. You are doing all you can right now, I, myself, would just monitor her and offer lickable treats to stimulate her appetite, or any food she likes. As for the 'pimple' keep monitoring that too. if it gets bigger bring her in, if it doesn't have the vet check it out the next time you are in. write it down so you don't forget.
As long as you didn't get any blood while you were trimming her nails she should be fine. Just take the tips off, the blood vessels run further up the nail than you think. Get her a corrugated cardboard big scratcher at Walmart. I don't trim until I hear them catching in blankets.
Please keep us updated, I will keep her in my thoughts and prayers!

 

[Alldara]

Send a photo to your vet of what you see in her nose. She could of inhaled something.

The quote was for everything they want to do. Can you start with say just the bloodwork or just the xray?

 

[fionasmom]

I hope that there is some improvement with your little kitty. I agree that you can continue to monitor her at home and to ask the vet if they will accept a photo, especially since you were just in and they just saw the kitten.

As for vet estimates, depending on where you live, it is quite popular to give the comprehensive quote which may or may not be necessary. I am not saying that in some cases there does need to be investigation and that some conditions may not be clear at first. Be open with the vet about what you can afford and ask why certain tests or procedures might need to be done, what you will gain from doing them, if some of them are long shots or if some are for information only, not for medical treatment. If the vet you saw is part of a corporation, they do try to sell services. This is not to say that vets are dishonest or that vet care is cheap. Even if you reduce the bill to xrays and bloodwork, which is probably a good idea, it still may be more than you think. Don't be intimidated about talking to the vet.

Given your kitty is only 12 weeks old, you might want to look into pet insurance.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. It is important that your cat eats. Is your cat eating regularly now?
what kind of dog? What was the interaction? Don’t leave anything out. Nobody will judge here. I am trying to establish if the dog and cat actually touched each other. It the dog and cat were left alone at all. If the cat tried to run or hide from the dog.
Do you have any plants or flowers in your house?
Do you use any essential oils around the house or any plug In fragrance?
What do you normally feed your cat?
Where did you get your cat?
What vaccines were recently given?
Why did you decide to trim the nails?
Can you post a picture of your cat?
Sorry about all the questions, but the only way I can try to offer any advice is with more information.