My cat hurt his shoulder I think?

[Fayesaurous]

Hello, my cat's name is Zoe. He is 11 years old. About a week ago I found him having trouble getting up something that was higher than 6 inches. He can't jump on the couch or bed and when I pick him up, I have to readjust or it pains him. He has no problem getting down, only when he has to stretch up.
I do feel a swollen lump around his shoulder rib area. I felt it previously but he has benign tumors on his back hip (tested non cancerous just growing) that doesn't seem to hurt him and he purrs when that is touched and gets the weird happy face. The swollen lump feels different from the benign lump.
He loves food but hasn't been treat responsive.
I am taking him to the vet on Wednesday, all other vets in my area had a 3 week wait.

What can I do in the meantime to make him comfortable and what questions should I be asking the vet to make sure he has the best care?

 

[stephanietx]

It could be arthritis. I'm glad you're getting him to the vet for a check. Let us know what you find out.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Give him interim steps to use in the meantime. That can even be some heavier boxes that won't collapse when he tries to use them. Anything you have on hand. I use footstools (about 12 inches high), as well as some inexpensive boxes I got at Lowe's (about 6 inches high) for Feeby so that she has steps between the floor and the bed, as well as other areas like the couch. She uses them religiously.

All you can really do is tell the vet what you have observed. I would imagine that at least an x-ray should be done to see if that might shed any light on what could be behind the swelling. The x-ray would also show if there is any arthritis.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

The steps that FeebysOwner mentioned will certainly help. And at his age, stephanietx mentioned is certainly possible, even if the lump has nothing to do with arthritis. He might enjoy a heated bed (goodness knows my senior girl does). If that won't fit the budget, try a heating pad that does not have an auto-off feature, and wrap it in several layers of terrycloth towels or one of those fuzzy throws that you can purchase very reasonably most anywhere.

And do come back and let us know what the vet says!

 

[Fayesaurous]

I'm thinking it may be arthritis. Appointment is scheduled for tomorrow. Zoe is walking around now and his back leg is very stiff when he walks and seems unsure. He walks off of a step with his rear leg still on the step and it takes a good moment if concentration for him to step forward.

I did a heating pad on a blanket but he didn't seem interested in resting.

I'm trying to make him as comfortable as possible. I did get some omega 3 treats, hip and joint treats, and a salmon loin strip from the pet store. He's normally not a picky eater but he didn't like the treats, just the salmon loin strip(I was so happy he wanted a treat).

I hope he's going to be okay. I can't really have kids, so this cat is like my child.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

We are with you...and human children or no, MOST of us see our cats as our kids. They are integral parts of our families, and we know how having one hurting or ill just breaks us down. You aren't alone anymore.

 

[Fayesaurous]

At the vet now, waiting. X-rays showed normal, no arthritis. He suspects saddle thrombosis, a blood clot in his rear legs or a stroke. Still waiting on possible specialist which he said would be maybe in the 3-5k range I'm staying calm for Zoe. Does anyone have any advice on that?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. If it will help at all while you wait, you can read this article on saddle thrombosis. I am not sharing it with you to freak you out, but rather to give you some information that might help you target in on the right questions for the vet. A couple of the tests done to help identify this are a doppler ultrasound and perhaps one of the heart as well.

I don't know how this ties to Zoe's issues specifically - I hope it really turns out that it doesn't. Please keep us posted.
Saddle Thrombosis (Aortic Thromboembolism) in Cats | Cat-World (cat-world.com)

 

[stephanietx]

F Fayesaurous any update on your baby?

 

[Fayesaurous]

F Fayesaurous any update on your baby?

so I took him in today because he hadn't used the bathroom at all the past few days, they had to help him pee in case of a bladder blow out then we were looking at his legs, and he is walking much worse, they are sliding out from under him with his paw pads faced up.
I was going to see about getting sponsors to help with the 5-10k treatment, but there are none I can find and they don't know any. but it is still 50/50 of it not being any of that and I'm out the money which I cannot afford at all and because I don't have insurance, this is now a pre-existing condition. After, we felt along and found a painful spot along his spine, it could be a slipped disk after reviewing the x-rays again. I agreed to a steroid shot to help him. However, if it is heart issues and he begins to pant and have trouble that means he's going into cardiac arrest the vet told me. So far so good (fingers crossed), but I still have to monitor him over the next 24 hours.

he also cannot walk around at all with his back legs, so unless he's sitting with me, he's caged in his 30-inch dog kennel I got him to rest his back. I was told that if none of this works then we have to discuss an end-of-life plan.

He was fine a week ago, running around, walking, playing, cuddling, now he can't do any of that and he doesn't understand why. I'm just heartbroken at this point.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I am so very, very sorry that the two of you are going through this. Remember, you are not alone. We are here.

For Zoe

 

[stephanietx]

I'm so sorry you're going through this with your boy. It's so hard when they get older and their health starts failing. I hope the cage rest and steroids help him. Please keep us posted.

 

[Fayesaurous]

Hello everyone, I was going through my emails and saw my thread I posted here and never updated it.
Zoe had a slipped disk, it slipped in place officially two days after my last comment on here. He kept howling bad so I took him to the ER vet because it was 11 pm on a Sunday.

He apparently could no longer urinate and his bowels stopped moving and due to urination issues, they found his kidneys were shutting down. If they were to save him which was a low chance at that point, the bill they presented was 10k and I had no pet insurance. I was presented with choices that I am still very heartbroken over because he was fine two weeks prior.

On March 15th at 2 am I rode home 35 miles back home without Zoe and it's been two months and even writing this I'm crying all over again. I picked Zoe up at my local vet on March 19th from a private cremation.

I will say that night, I was showing photos and videos of Zoe and how he sat funny through the years like a human, etc, and she studied it, she found that the way he moved told her that he had been in pain for some time as if that could comfort me.

It's been a long two months and I'm heartbroken and lonely and just overall lost and although I'm thankful for care credit at the time, I'm still paying off his vet bills and cremation.

It's been hard for me to eat at home, not seeing him in my kitchen or climb up in my lap or call me for bedtime, or sleep next to me.

Thank you though for being there and comforting me when I needed it. I appreciate it very much.