cat rescue turns into possible pregnant cat rescue

cosmotortelloni

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June 18, 2022 - We rescued a stray near our cottage who was skin on bones! Poor baby was starving to death. We went to neighbors, walked down the street asking people about her, posted and nobody claimed her. One person told us they saw her with a black cat for a few days and then the black cat was gone.We knew if we left her there, she would die. We put her in a box and drove her home for the 3 hour commute the next day. She was so weak, she didn't try to get out, too weak to meow. :(.

Anyhow, we took her to the vet on June 20 and she was thoroughly checked out, had tests, got Rabies shot and distemper. She was only 6 lbs and vet estimated her to be between 6 and 12months old. Within a day or two, she had diarrhea, which I presume a side effect of the shots. ? Fast forward a week, I took her back because she was making breathing sounds with mouth closed. The vet checked her out and said her heart was fine, but they could do x-rays. The next day they called stating we think your cat is pregnant. X-rays show an enlarged uterus. IF she's pregnant, it's very early. Also, she was 7lbs - gained 1 pound in a week from being fed.

Since we've had her a little over a month, we still don't know for sure if she's pregnant. It doesn't help that she was super malnourished previously. Any guesses? Only the 3rd pic can you see a pink teat. She is a spicy girl - moody, mean to our resident cat, sometimes swiping at us. The girl is so different from all the boy cats I've had LOL. I can't touch her belly or she will whack me. We are hoping she's not pregnant as we want to get her spayed asap. If she's pregnant, I do have a couple of close family members that want one, so that's good.
 

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Sarthur2

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Thank you for saving her! She is likely pregnant. My only concern at this point is the vaccines she was given in early pregnancy which CAN cause birth defects. I suggest you consult the vet as to whether she received live vaccines or not, and whether they will affect her pregnancy. If so, you may want to do a spay/terminate. If not, a scan or x-ray will show how many kittens and how far along she is.

Thank you for saving her and do keep us posted!
 

StefanZ

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Tx for saving her life. I guess she was dumped / beccome astray. A true semiferal surviving childhood would manage better, would never become this emaciated unless becoming sick...
And yeah, she surely mated, and almost surely is preg.

A comment: If I were the vet, I wouldnt not give her these vaccines before she was decently recovered. But I suppose he wanted spare you an extra vet visit just for vaccinations.

I agree with my collegues above. Talk with the vet; you ARE his paying patient so he may even accept a free telephone consultation... And if you wish, consider spaying. Such a relatively l late spaying isnt not pleasant, but here you have a good reason for this; the risk for birth defect; both because of malnutrition in the early stages, AND these vaccines...

A relatively late abortion in cats, isnt as bad as with humans: A human child can survive a delivery halfways through the pregnency, if the hospital is any good. Kittens may survive at very most a week before the normal delivery time...
 
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cosmotortelloni

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Thanks, everyone. I talked to our vet the day he told me the "news" and he stated right then he will not spay until afterward. We've had her for 34 days and if she is pregnant, at minimum, she would be 6 weeks. ?? That seems pretty far along to terminate. She was far too weak when we got her and now, I'm so nervous due to her age, trauma, and the Rabies and Distemper shots. When I asked the vet about the dangers of vaccine injury, he simply said she will be okay. We of course cancelled her other vaccine appts from that point.

When I was a child, we had a rescue cat that delivered 6 kittens in my sock drawer! Then, we ended up with two of those kittens mating and one of the kittens got pregnant (I don't remember her age, but under a year old), and we woke up to three beheaded kittens. :(

She was definitely someone's pet, because she came right up to me, rubbed my leg, desperate for help. She will lay down with me sometimes and especially with my daughter.

I'd love to know 100% if she's pregnant and how many kittens, but we've already paid over $700 in vet bills and trying to recoup! The original x-rays cost $450 alone.

Who would have thought that a trip to our cottage for Father's Day weekend would literally change our lives.
 
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cosmotortelloni

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$450 in x-rays sounds excessive. What were they for?
ITA about it being excessive. They did a total of 3 x-rays to check out what may be causing her breathing issues because I was pretty scared that she had a heart issue or something. My neighbor's cat died at age 5 due to cardiomyopathy and his main symptom was breathing hard. She still has some hard breathing sounds sometimes with her mouth closed, but the vet said everything checked out fine. :dunno:
 
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cosmotortelloni

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I made an appt for this Saturday for an x-ray to determine if she's pregnant. I HATE having to spend so much, but honestly, I'm so stressed wondering if she is or not. I will need to get organized and prepared if she is and i have to know. In the pics I shared, does she look pregnant to you guys?

I read where the u/s can detect after 42-45 days after mating. I have no idea if/when it happened. We've had her 34 days now. It will be 36 days with us by Saturday I'm just worried about spending $$ and they tell me they cant tell yet I wish I knew! UGH
 
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cosmotortelloni

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I read an old post on here where someone took their cat to the vet for an x-ray to determine pregnancy. The vet did a 'frontal' view rather than a side view , and apparently, missed the kittens!

Do you think I should ask them to do a side view x-ray then? Also, anything else I should ask them to do as another way to determine whether or not she's pregnant that could be by a physical exam? I just want the correct wording to say! My husband said there was an article stating it's best to wait around 50 days gestation in order to see the kittens. We just want a definitive dx.
 

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You would need each side x-rayed to see all the kittens, as cats have 2 horns to their uterus - one on each side.

I took in a pregnant stray a few years ago and the x-rays showed 4 kittens. Vet said based on their bone development they were due in about 7-10 days. They came big and healthy exactly 12 days later. Both sides of her belly were already rather big, but I had no clue when she had conceived.

You might want to re-book for a couple of weeks later. I also suggest you call around and ask prices at other vet offices and see who works frequently with cats (maybe ask friends also), and perhaps seek a second opinion from a different vet on both her pregnancy and breathing issues. Vet records can be transferred if need be.
 
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cosmotortelloni

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You would need each side x-rayed to see all the kittens, as cats have 2 horns to their uterus - one on each side.

I took in a pregnant stray a few years ago and the x-rays showed 4 kittens. Vet said based on their bone development they were due in about 7-10 days. They came big and healthy exactly 12 days later. Both sides of her belly were already rather big, but I had no clue when she had conceived.

You might want to re-book for a couple of weeks later. I also suggest you call around and ask prices at other vet offices and see who works frequently with cats (maybe ask friends also), and perhaps seek a second opinion from a different vet on both her pregnancy and breathing issues. Vet records can be transferred if need be.
TYSM!!! :)
 
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cosmotortelloni

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I should have waited.... :( The vet said not pregnant THEN said, wait, this right here (pointing to the x-ray on the screen) could possibly be a spine of a kitten and this may be a kitten head, but now that I have the x-rays emailed to me, I can't see where he's talking about. I did at the time. duh.. BUT, he said she has fluid around her heart and lungs which could be why she's breathing hard sometimes and may be respiratory or even HCM. He doesn't want to do anything right now - but said he wants me to return in 2 weeks.

My heart hurts thinking of her having HCM. One of my friend's lost her sweet kitty to that horrible condition. So awful.

She's super moody, too. Wow. Out of the blue, my husband was scratching her chin which she loves and out of the blue, she mews and lashes at his hand and arm. She got him good. She's super calm, loving, and without warning, she meows and comes at us sometimes. Not sure if she is like this because she may be pregnant OR because she's ill and hurting.

Is there anyone here that can read x-rays? I hated how the vet said "she's not pregnant" I told him we have had her 36 days now and on day 9, the original vet said she had an enlarged uterus which points to pyometra or pregnancy, but they rediology report kinda ruled out pyometra something to do with bulbous uterus.

It's my son's birthday and i'm over here in tears wondering what is wrong with her. He wants me to come back in 2 wks to do more x-rays. I am not going to do that. I asked about her having 2-3 pink nipples that I see sometimes depending how she's laying under all that long fur, and he said that's not a sign he pays much attn to...
 

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I was really hoping you would see a different vet for a second opinion, especially for the breathing issues.

I’m wondering if you should get her spayed so that she can begin treatment for the fluid in her lungs. That needs treating as soon as possible.
 

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I would talk with a different vet. Fluid around the heart and lungs isn't good. Did the vet not say anything about draining the fluid?
Her having babies if she's sick isnt good either, they may not make it. If shes not feeling well (which she wouldnt be with fluid around her heart and lungs) then that is why she is moody. I would see if you could get the fluid drained and her spayed.
 
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cosmotortelloni

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I did see a different vet yesterday. I even went to the original vet and got copies of her labs and x-rays emailed to me and gave to the 2nd vet yesterday after her appt.

Neither one want to spay her at this time. They both said "after" kittens are weaned. My husband made the comment yesterday that we are over a thousand dollars into this and still no real answers...

Wish I knew someone who could read x-rays
 

Sarthur2

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I did not realize that was a second vet. Do you have a local SPCA or other shelter that spays? Where are you located?

An early spay if she’s pregnant is not much different than a regular spay. I’m afraid a pregnancy will put a burden on her heart, which needs treating. She needs steroids and possibly antibiotics for infection.
 

cataholic07

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I did see a different vet yesterday. I even went to the original vet and got copies of her labs and x-rays emailed to me and gave to the 2nd vet yesterday after her appt.

Neither one want to spay her at this time. They both said "after" kittens are weaned. My husband made the comment yesterday that we are over a thousand dollars into this and still no real answers...

Wish I knew someone who could read x-rays
You can send the xrays to a specialist. They would be able to tell you more, and I would see about getting the fluid removed and her spayed to make it easier. Did you do fiv/felv test? What tests have you done?
 
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cosmotortelloni

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My daughter took these pictures. I still can’t tell by looking at her stomach and she doesn’t want you to touch her.on her belly, but I figured she would be noticeable by now if she’s pregnant. We rescued her 40 days ago. I don’t know what to think. Neither that will do anything to spay her right now. Plus, she would be too far if she is pregnant. I mean, if she’s pregnant, it was before we found her. What are your thoughts ?
 

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I’m still concerned about her health regarding her breathing and fluid in her lungs. Do you plan to get her treated for this?

Have you checked around your area for low cost spay clinics?
 
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cosmotortelloni

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Of course I will have her treated and spayed. The low-cost spay in clinic near me has a five week backlog. I really hate the unknown in all of this.

She’s acting normal and wants affection which is nice
 
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