Emergency no longer...Trink coming home Thurs evening

My cats got into a horribe, screaming disgusting fight a little while ago. It happened because I put a Dracula cape on him for a Halloween picture. He ran off and Trinket saw him and FLIPPED out. She hissed at him which caused Merlin to react. I was in the other room and ran in to see them absolutely killing eat other in a snarling drooling SCREAMING (Trinket) MESS. It was TERRIFYING. Trinket was beside herself for about 15 minutes after I separated them. I've got Trinket in my bedroom with a litterbox and now she's limping. Her left leg is hurt! Not bleeding, but she's not walking on it. Merlin's got the run of the house but is hiding. Dave's on his way over to help me figure out what to do. Do I need to take her to the emergency vet? Are they ruined for life now??? They LOVED each other until this. She must have thought he was another cat or something. He wanted to kill her - I could tell and she was screaming loud like a human. I could barely get them apart. It was the most horrifying terrible thing that's ever ever happened with any cats I've ever had.

How can I intergrate them again? She's afraid for her life literally.

Please...I know you guys have advice for me. Please help me!!!!

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!

Breathe!!!!!

They are not ruined for life, and probably once the cape is off Merlin all will be well between the two of them again..Masks and costumes are scary things for animals.

Keep an eye on Ms. Trinket she may just be really scared right now and only thinks she is hurt, is she putting any weight at all on the injuried leg? If there is no blood and I kind of doubt Merlin broke it ( a dog maybe but usually not another cat). Its more than likely she just twisted it funny.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!

Breath, and calm down, too. Do you have any Rescue Remedy or Feliway? Hopefully your kitty's limping is just temporary. Can you maybe play some soft music? Calming vines being sent directly to your house.

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!

I would suggest keeping them separated for at least the rest of the evening. As soon as the scents of fear and fur-flying free-for-all have dissipated, things *should* get back to normal. Cats secrete a lot of hormones when they are in a state of high fear, just like humans do. Merlin was probably in a tizzy about the cape, and hormones starting pouring forth! Those scents can trigger very bizarre behaviors in even the bestest best buddy kittehs. Tomorrow morning, take a blanket or something with one of their scents on it, and try to pick the other up with that blanket. If there's resistance, keep them separated a bit longer and try again. You might have to try that several times. Eventually, they should get back to being buds.

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!

Hi Mel-

I ripped that cape off but nothing changed. They were too worked up. At first I thought I could just separate them in the same room but he charged her and seemed like he wanted to kill her. It was HORRENDOUS. I was able to calm her by giving her Reiki for about 15 minutes. Now they are both hiding. Trink is holding her leg up. I was giving her Reiki alone in the bedroom for a while until she jumped down one-legged and went under the bed. I'm thinking he must have bitten her.

This is SO stupid!!! All because I put that dumb costume on him. They were getting along beautifully until this. Best buds.

This makes me sick!

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!

can you get hold of her check her leg or is she too freaked out? if you can examine it, maybe apply a little pressure from top to bottom and see if she reacts. also, feel the uninjured leg and compare it to the injured leg. be gentle though just in case.

i'm not sure you need an er just yet. she may just have hyperextended something or twisted something. years ago Spazzie snapped a toy against a door, startling sleeping Kitty badly and once she realized she wasn't dying, she stopped walking on one hind leg. rushed her around the corner to the vet where they xrayed her and found basically nothing. she babied it for a bit and was walking normally within a couple days.

and if she seems otherwise ok, spend some quiet alone time with each one of them just reassuring them everything is ok. and burn the cape

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!

You should have seen me. I was a mess from total fear. They knocked my computer and monitor over. There was so much strength and craziness. They were literally going nuts.

My Feliway is empty. No Rescue Rememdy either. Thanks for the vines. Maybe her limp will be temporary. Dave is coming and he will help. Thank GOD!

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!

My God, I hope you are right. They smelled funny after too. All kind of stuff was probably released!

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!

Traci,

Honey they will again be the best of buds. They are worked up right now, and so are you which is also not helping..When mom is upset the babies are upset. Like Cindy said check her out the best you can, if there is no blood and no swelling, she may have just tweaked something and will baby it for a day or too.

You should have seen the pity party Mr. Maxwell threw the other night when Daddy stepped on his tail...You would have thought he was dying, he drug his tail, he wouldn't look at Jon etc. Until Jon got out the deli turkey...lol Then all past slights were quickly forgiven and by the time we went to bed Maxwell was daddy's best friend again.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

Trinket was under the bed and I fed her a little deli turkey and she ate that. I got her out from under the bed and placed her on the bed She was eating plenty of deli turkey, her favorite treat. However, she doesn't want me to touch her leg; it seems tender to the touch and she is not bearing weight on it. She cried some when touched in various places. She's still scared. I placed her on the ground so that she would not jump down and she went under the bed, again, no weight on the leg. It is difficult to tell if there is a difference between the two legs ie swelling, b/c she cries to the touch of the leg.

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

poor baby! at the very least i'd keep her confined tonight so she can't hurt herself any further and if she's still that tender in the morning, probably consider a vet visit? if you notice it swelling or getting warmer to the touch tonight, er because of possible puncture wound. i doubt it's broken but better to be safe

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

Traci,
It sounds like you have Trinket under control and can keep an eye on her. Not to sound insensitive, but is Merlin okay too? All he knows is that he was in disguise, and all of a sudden there was this huge fight, and now Trinket's hiding under the bed. I didn't read where you said he's hurt or anything, but have you been able to calm him down and tell him he's a good boy and it's okay?

Carl

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

Update-

She's a little more relaxed now laying in her cat bed looking so teeny. Poor little girl was freaked out and attacked by her best friend tonight. UGH. It's terrible.

We noticed that she is able to lay on her sore/hurt leg. Dave was able to feel it and he says there's no bump or swelling and it doesn't feel hotter or different than the other leg. She's also able to move her position. She's still got a good appetite which is great. She looks exhausted.

Also - I noticed during the insanity earlier there was no panting and she was hyped up to the max. That was a good sign. I do have a echocardiogram with a cardiologist scheduled for her at Angel Memoral Hospital in a couple weeks.

Merlin seems fine. Earlier he was hiding in a closet I've never even seen him in freaked out. He seems better now and not hurt.

How will she ever trust him again? He's hurt her! God, I'm so upset about this!

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

Hi Carl-
Good point. I'm mostly concerned with her I guess because she's a kitten and was hurt. I gave him some turkey and extra food for a treat. He doesn't seem hurt. We gave him pets and attention too...but more to Trink. He was crying at the door and scratching it while we were in there with her. He seems relaxed in his bed now and we are going about our business acting normally other than the fact that I am up at 11:45 on a work night and Trinket's locked in my bedroom. Thanks for reminding me to check on him too.

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

Traci,
While I haven't had an experience quite as bad as this one, over the years we've had cats that fight. Usually when we introduce a new one to the herd, but not usually involving the "new kid" necessarily. I think it was a pecking order thing. Once the dust had settled, what we would do is one of us would pick up and hold one cat, and the other would do the same with the other. Love, pet, scratch, and talk to them to make sure they were calm. Then we'd walk into the same room holding them, and sort of "reintroduce" them to each other. If one got all feisty and hissed and spit, then we'd retreat and try again later. If they were calm, we'd set them down and see what happened. We never had a "failed" reunion. Sometimes it took 3 or 4 tries, but eventually they'd tolerate the other's presence, even ignoring one another. After a few hours or a day, they were back to peaceful coexistence again.

Carl

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

forgot one thing..... wait to try a reunion until you are sure Trinket is feeling okay. You don't want her to get self-defensive because she still feels "hurt" and at a disadvantage.
Carl

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

Awww, Tracy.....I have seen these kinds of fights and I so know what you mean. Tom was a viscious fight to the death type of fighter. The pure energy and intense killing instinct is extremely overwhelming to see.
They do get over it.
And animals live in the moment...I think with time (and not too much of it) they will forget this fight even happened.
Tom lost the very last fight he ever had with a stray.
He limped for days. I kept him in bed and babied him. finger feeding, soft music...the works.
Still when he tried to walk he limped. It passed in a few days.
I know he strained his leg....the kicking aspect of the fight is very strong. As in kicking the other cat off of them...with hind legs.
Cats are wonderous and powerful animals. We forget that with thier domestic life.
Seeing it can be terrifying.
I'm so sorry you had to see it.
Lori

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

Hi Lori-

Thanks for that. I can't imagine seeing my beloved cats fight again. It's horrifying. It must have been terrible seeing Tom fighting too. I hope Trinket has an injury that can heal quickly. She's allowing us to touch it but she's not putting weight on it when she walks. It's so sad for me to see this. And you're right that they do live in the moment. I hope she won't freak out again when she sees him next time.

Hope you're doing well Lori.

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

Hi Traci,
Years ago when I lived in a small apartment, we had a raccoon get on our deck. After that, Tigget began fighting with Gandalf ferociously. In fact, you did a very good job describing that kind of fighting. It was so insane I considered putting Tigget down. She would go after him, one time even climbing up my leg to get to him! He would cower under the bed and he weighed a good 5 lbs more than her.

I hope it does not get that bad for you. It was not until I found a book about cat behavior that I learned this was misdirected anger. Some cats will attack what they don't understand and it seems that's what happened in your case too.

If it does happen again, and I'm afraid it might, you have to redirect the attacker's attention. Try to play with Trinket and get her to forget about being angry. Feliway was also a big help. I would spray it in the air around her. They didn't have the air diffusers of it then. Getting a toy you can wave around for her to pounce on will help, you use it as if it's prey, let them have it, then wiggle it away. Let them have it again, then make them go after it again. This really worked with Tigget.

I find it interesting that in both these cases it is a female who got scared and becomes aggressive. We usually think of males as more aggressive. I hope her leg is better today. She probably just strained something. Fighting is hard work!!

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

hmmmm, that is very interesting Vicky....I wonder if that is why the less Tom fought in the streets the more throw rug fights he would have. Redirecting his own aggressions. He really beat the crap out of that throw rug! Yet he was gentle as a kitten with me.
And that is where I saw the enourmous energy put into 'the hindleg kick' if you will....it is their primary weapon after the nails and teeth.

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

I feel like hungover and like I was hit by a bus. I had nightmares all night.

She's still camped under my bed. She ate this morning. Merlin is wondering what's going on.

Vicky-she doesn't want to play. I've not been able to look her over because she's under there. She's not used the litterbox either. I know she can move though.

These cats loved each other before this stupid costume.

I don't know if I have a serious injury with her or not. I don't know if I should try to haul her out and look. She's not been herself. She's normally a very playful confident kitten.

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

I know it's hard Traci.
You know how confident an proud Tom was..
I had him in bed sulking for a few days and he got all beat up.
Give her time...and give yourself some patience.
It was a horrible family domestic cat violence thing...give it time. A few days even.

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

awww Traci, I am sorry this all happened to you .. I can only imagine the stress and fear you were feeling, but you CAN'T beat yourself up over this .. how were you to know the kitties would go crazy? You would never intentionally hurt or scare your kitties or cause them to fight on purpose .. it is just one of those things that happened and now you've learned from it .. They will be best buds again but right now their confused and trinket is hurting a little but that will heal and all will be right again ..

I remember once years ago when I was getting ready for work and mocha walked behind me .. without knowing it, I turned and ended up stepping on her .. she screamed and took off running .. I called for peter and he was able to get her out from under the couch but she was holding up her paw and wouldn't bear weight on it .. when I walked towards her, she hissed at me :sad: I had to get to work so I made peter take her to the vet .. At the time we didn't have an actual pet carrier that fit her so he ended up getting a rubbermaid tote and cut a hole in the lid .. when he got to the vet mocha was beyond mad and as soon as the vet came in he lifted up the lid and saw her nearly attack him .. He said, she's good! :lol: He said if she could bear weight on her paw then it wasn't broken .. and sure enough, later that day she was fine and had totally forgiven me ..

The funny thing is now if I catch her doing something she shouldn't be doing and I scold her, she immediately lifts that paw right back up as if to say "remember when you stepped on me? Well that gives me permission to be on the counters" :lol:

Just hang in there Traci, everything will get back to normal soon .. just takes time ...

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

Traci, at least you know why Trinket did this. Sometimes it can be something that noone saw, fights that didnt have an obvious trigger because it was something that happened when noone was around.

As Carl said, do NOT try to reintroduce until you know Trinket is ok.. Also I would add.. do NOT try to reintroduce them until YOU are calm, and can do it without panic/freak out. The more fear, upset and worry you have about putting them together will transmit to them and it can affect the reintroduction.

It is likely that Trinket didnt even know it was Merlin in the cape, so if you stay calm and just do the intro like they dont know each other, it should be ok.

Likely the smell you described was one or both releasing their anal glands... not a pretty smell.

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

Devon-

Thank you for your post. The Mocha story with her still lifting up her paw to remind you was so funny. Dave and I both read it. Today I've been a nervous wreck not knowing what to do....bring her to vet and traumatize her...not bring her to the vet and worry non-stop until she's checked. I decided to bring her to the vet today while Dave is here to help calm me and be my source of reason and because I already took today off. The appointment is at 4:30 eastern. I'll report back.

 

Re: Emergency! Please help me!!!!!-update

Lisa-
I always appreciate your advice. You know a lot about this stuff! You're right - I am lucky to have been here when this happened. The lady answering the phone at the vet (nice but not a vet) thinks it's weird that she's not walking on her leg. :?: She also is wondering why I'm not putting them together. :?: So thanks for reaffirming that I should put them together yet. After I got off the phone with her I was questioning myself a little. Dave thought putting them together was nuts!

We are going to the vet. Our appoinment is in a half hour. Please wish us luck.

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

No problem with the mocha story .. and the lifting of her paw story is true! Sometimes when I'm telling her no, not only does she raise her paw, but she looks at peter who also states, remember when you stepped on her paw ... ? I give up! :lol:

Im sending easy vet thoughts your way :YMHUG:

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

Every now and again, my 4 will act up. I always threaten to separate them (it worked for my Mom). I have never seen them go at it tooth and nail tho. Perhaps it's because they have been together for well over 15 years. I have however, witnessed cat fights outdoors and they are just dreadful. I can imagine you were beside yourself. I know I would of been. I hope that everything sorts out with the kitties.

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

Hi Tracy...just saw your post.

Good luck at the Vet today.

Had a similar issue w/my two kitties. It was horrible to witness and I felt somewhat helpless in knowing what would help and what would make the situation worse. So I actually hired a vet behavorist here in Houston to come to my home to help me in re-integrating my two kitties. It worked. Send me a PM if you interested in the steps she had me go through to slowly bring my two together. One of the first things she did was had me put the attacking kitty in a separate room. Let the other cat out to roam. It takes some of the power from the attacker and allows the skittish one to feel more comfortable.

It took my two 4 months to get back togehter, but I had tried to reintegrate a couple of times on my own before hiring the behaviorist.

hugs,
tena

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

UPDATE: Broken left rear tibia. Requires surgery, going to the ER Vet now for overnight care. Will advise. :-| Can someone please remind me why Covenia is no good? Thanks (they wanted to give it to her but I said no, Clavamox instead).

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

oh sh&t! oops! chit! poor baby!

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

dr. lisa's write up on convenia
http://catinfo.org/?link=convenia

basically....it's approved for treatment of skin infections. there can be side effects or allergic reactions and if there are, you can't stop the drug or get it back out of their system. you just have to pray they live thru the side effects

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

Traci

I am so sorry to hear that. My prayers are with you and your kitty. How stressful.

Terri

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

So sorry to hear that.

One of my kitties, Yoda, had that happen to her last year....my kitties were in/out kitties until Yoda was "got" by something and her poor leg was like that. They are confined to the back yard now, after much revision of fence, etc, to keep them in and other things out. Yoda had surgery, a pin put in that leg, and it took a few weeks in a cast, which was difficult, but we got through it and she is fine. She's a little stiff when she first stands up, and limps for the first couple of steps, then she is just like a flash.

I hope your kitties can be okay with each other....they had a good relationship beforehand, and that was just a terrible, unforseen occurrence, so hopefully they'll be back to being good buds again soon.

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

OH NO!! Thats so freaky!! I wouldnt have thought she could have broken something but you said they were slamming against things.. wow. I am sorry you are dealing with all this. Shes a kitten and will handle it ok I am sure.

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

Oh Traci......damn.
That is just such a damn bummer and I am so very sorry.
Things happen....and we just never know when or where or even why.
Is there anything I can do....would a soft fluffy catnip pillow cheer anyone up?
Or maybe so extra special treats?
I just feel so bad about this and want to help.
Lori

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

Oh wow .. I feel awful for trinket .. and I feel awful for merlin .. and I feel awful for you Traci! Good thing you made that vet appointment .. I will be sending get well thoughts to all of you!

Hugs and kisses to trinket and merlin ..

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

Oh my. (((((Traci))))

I'm sorry to hear this. How terribly stressful for you all. You had good instincts to take Trinket to the Vet. Please give us an update when you can. Sending lots of healing vines for both your two kitties.

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

I've been crying my eyes out.

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

Poor little girl!! Good thing you took her to the vet.....I'm sure she will be fine!

Things happen sometimes no matter how hard we try to keep them from harm. It could have happend to anyone.

A friend grabbed her toddlers arm to keep her from falling and broke it ....she was horrified!
It's been 30 years and she still feels bad.....

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

(((((Traci, Trinket & Merlin)))))

I'm so sorry to read this, glad you got her to the vet's. Get well quickly Miss Trinket we are all sending you nice healing vibes.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang.

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

I just read this to Dave and we both got a good chuckle. Mocha is such a character!!!

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

Awww....Lori! You are so kind. We'll take whatever you want to send...but only if it's not being taken away from another needy kitty.

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

Wow! Awful. I totally get that.

 

Re: Emergency! Back from vet & ER too

Traci,
My male civvie, Phoenix broke his left foot in 3 places, by knocking a motorcycle battery on to it. He was only 5-6 months old and they talked of putting a pin in it, but didn't. I just wanted to let you know that he is 6 yrs. old now and you would never know anything had happened to him. He zooms all over the yard, climbs tress, climbs the fence (dang him) .......does everything a kitty should do.
It wasn't always fun with the cast, but it wasn't all that big of a problem. The worst issue we ever had was when he would walk out of one. When that happened, we just put him in his carrier, so he wouldn't walk on it and took him to the vet ASAP for a new one. He probably had 5 or 6 casts before it was all over.
I know you will worry about her, but in our case, you would never know Phoenix had broken anything. Hopefully, your Trinket will heal like he did. Being young is in her favor....and being out of the house and away from Merlin for a while, might make reintroductions easier.
I hope Trinket does well and heals quickly....and her and Merlin make up!
I am attaching a photo of our boy in his cast.......

 

Re: Emergency! Back from vet & ER too

Our Freya was in a cast for a while too, and afterward you'd never know anything had happened to her. She fell down the stairs when playing one night and was limping the next morning. The vet acted like my DH was a weirdo for even bringing her in... until the X-ray showed a fracture. I am so glad you took Trinket in so she can get on the road to recovery, but so sorry you are going through this nightmare.

The only issue we ran into with the cast was that it seemed to rub a raw spot on her skin, which we only discovered when they finally removed it. I felt really bad about that. In that respect I wonder if changing the cast several times was maybe not such a bad thing for Phoenix?

 

Re: Emergency! Back from vet & ER too

my late Spazzie broke her right rear leg at the knee when she was 11 months old. never did figure out how she did it as they were outside kitties at that time (which, put an end to my cats roaming free also). she hobbled in from the back yard one day on 3 legs. i freaked, yelled for fiance, and grabbed her. we looked, he held her while his friend petted her and i examined her to see what in the world was wrong. i bent and straightened her leg several times, pulled her toes apart looking for splinters or cuts.....never did see anything wrong and she never flinched. took her around the corner where the vet felt it and thought it was just dislocated. did an x-ray wherein we found the break. the vet explained something about an area of softer tissue that turns to harder bone as they age and is more vulnerable when they are younger and that is where it came apart.

off to an er place since it was on the weekend. they did surgery, put a pin in her leg, said she'd be there for a couple days and then would go home where she would be confined for 2 months while it healed. healthy little bugger healed in a month and had another little surgery to remove the pin.

accidents happen traci ok. the same thing could have happened if a helicopter had flown over real low or someone banged at the front door and spooked them. she'll be ok. and think of all the glorious cuddle time you get to spend with her. Spazzie and I spent alot of alone time together.....me teaching her how to eat with a cone on her head and how to use a litterbox all over again since she couldn't squat with that pin in her leg. every couple days i'd take her cone off and lay with her on the couch and watch her clean herself, making sure she didn't take her stitches out. she'd bathe so long you'd thought i dunked her in a tub of water. (((((Traci))))) it will be ok

 

Re: Emergency! Back from vet & ER too

Sending a prayer request to St Francis to help Trinket heal fast and be friends with Merlin again. cat_pet_icon

 

Re: Emergency! Back from vet & ER too

omg! good luck w/ your baby.... the foot/leg issues are hard to handle...seeing them limp around and really try to keep a baby from jumping around...
wishing you luck today & sending paw hugs
keep us posted

 

Re: Emergency! Back from vet & ER too

Sounds like several of us have been through this. So, if, when you have your hurt kitty home after surgery, if you have any question about "what is normal", I know any of us be willing to help you. When Yoda was going through this, I could not find any anecdotal information on the internet for this sort of situation, and it would have helped me if I could have known from other people who had been through similar situation what to expect.

I'll be thinking about you today....cause I know you're worried. :YMHUG:

 

Re: Emergency! Back from vet & ER too

Traci, I'm sorry to read this.

Please don't feel guilty about what happened. It was a life lesson and one that you and the rest of us have learned from. You didn't do anything maliciously, you had good intentions and unfortunately it didn't go the way you thought it would.

So, if you must feel bad and guilty - then give yourself one more day to feel this way and move on. Your kitties need you at your best, not your worst and they can sense when you're not right. So, let it go move on and let's get your girlie well.

 

Re: Emergency! Echo and surgery for broken leg today!

Thank you all for your stories....you don' know how much they mean to me. This board helped me get through my loss of Boomer and the hell we went through together and I'll never forget that. Now you are all there for me with my latest fiasco. I tend to be more the negative/worried type so all your support helps so much.

On a different note...I wrote to Trinket's former foster mother yesterday to tell her what happened and get her wisdom. She told me that her "mother cat" Faith who helps take care of all her kitten fosters died suddenly yesterday of a heart disease - hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Terrible news. No symptoms. Just suddenly went down hill...crying...extremely low temp. The vet told her there was no way of knowing because the cat didn't have any symptoms. This reinforced my getting Trinket a heart ultrasound.

Lots of bad happened over the last 24 hours. I really need good news on this heart ultrasound!!!!

 

Re: Emergency! Echo and surgery for broken leg today!

Oh gosh .. how sad for the foster mom ... That is what took my little boy cheddar .. suddenly and without warning .. one minute he was sleeping on my chest the next he was gone ..

If I had known then what I know now, I'd be doing the ultrasound as well .. sending positive thoughts for a good ultrasound result!

Give trinket love and hugs from us!

 

Re: Emergency! Vet apt @ 4:30!

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

I just found out that the echo was "purrrrrfectly normal" and she's good to go with surgery! YAY!!!!!! No heart issues. Thank GOD.
Next they will fix her leg and call me to tell me how she went. Doc expects it to be fine.
I can visit her tonight and she'll come home tomorrow most likely.
Thanks for your prayers!

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

Wonderful news!! I am so glad to hear it! I hope she comes through the surgery with flying colors. Yay Trinket!

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

My little Milo broke his leg (snapped the bone off at the hip!) about 4 months ago, when he was just 3 months old. We still don't know what happened. No surgery is possible for this - the head of the fibula is still in the hip socket. He was in terrible pain - it was heartbreaking. A Fentanyl patch worked really well for him for a couple of weeks, and he has "healed" on his own. (He actually formed a false joint of muscle and ligament to connect the leg to the hip!!) He runs and jumps and only occasionally we see him limp.

They are resilient, tough, marvelous creatures-- they hold no grudges, and they heal quickly. I just know she will do fine, and-- with any luck-- she and her best pal will have completely forgotten today's fight.

Sending you ALL good thoughts!

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

:RAHCAT :RAHCAT :RAHCAT :thumbup :thumbup :thumbup

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

Hi Traci

I'm glad to hear she has an all-clear on her echo Fingers crossed for a quick recovery from surgery.

I read the whole thread, and the debates on whether or not to go to the vet ... You did, of course, and major kudos for that because even if it was a soft tissue injury and did not require surgery, she was in pain. Not bearing weight, or limping badly, is always because of significant pain and pain deserves treatment (and therefore requires a vet visit) too. So it's not a waste of time or money or cat-stress to go to the vet even if x-rays don't show a broken bone -- pain should be treated as well. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of old-school vets out there who aren't good at treating pain but many are, and that should be one of our guidelines in choosing a veterinarian for our companion animals.

Please keep us posted and of course pics of her are always welcome

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

In lieu of a screen door, get 4 baby gates (check Craigslist for second hand - its less expensive) and stack them in a doorway, slightly offset so you can overlap them (because if you don't, someone will learn how to climb over them!)

Voila! Exposure with safety.

This isn't as flexible as a screen door, but it is easily removed when you need to get in and out or are done with it.

BTW: Baby gates may be bungied to the back of car headrests to make a barrier preventing dogs from joining you in the front seat to help you drive.

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

[I think you mean femur, not fibula, right?]

Hi Karen

I'm replying to this post and doing a minor hijack because these weird fractures can occur in cats and it's important that people know about them. (I'm assuming you meant femur, not fibula, since it's in the hip.)

I worry about that femoral head staying in there and causing arthritis -- has he been neutered yet? You can get x-rays at that time to see what kind of arthritis is already building up around there. The surgery usually done for these fractures in cats is a femoral head ostectomy (FHO); the head is completely removed and the femoral neck is 'cleaned up'; a false joint forms from scar tissue and the vast majority of cats are no worse for it.

Fractures of the femoral head (the 'ball' in the ball & socket hip joint) and neck can occur in young cats, esp. males, around the growth plates in the femur. (The rounded part of the bone is the epiphysis, and this is where the growth plates are.) The phenomenon can occur in any cat but has been associated with young adults, males, and being overweight and neutered. (Early neutering may delay closure of growth plates.) There are about half a dozen published reports of this: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11199169 Cats who have one, often have another. Treatment of choice is an FHO.

This doesn't sound exactly like what happened w/ your kitten (your kitten's break sounds much more dramatic) but I'm putting the info out there for reference. I'd keep an eye out for discomfort Milo and consider having an FHO done. In the meantime, arthritis in that joint is practically guaranteed so you might want to discuss starting cartrophen (the Canadian Adequan ;-)) and Cosequin/Dasuquin with your vet.

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

Hi Karen-
That's an incredible story!!! Holy crap! The body is pretty miraculous. Did you have to confine him at all so he wouldn't jump? I'm so glad Milo is okay. Thanks for such a positive, happy post!

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

Hey! That's a great idea? See???? That's why I come here. I don't need to go anywhere else for all cat-related things. All the answers are ususlly here!

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

Hey Jess-
Yup, you are right about the pain thing. I wish you patrolled this board 24/7 ;-)
I could tell things weren't improving at all; perhaps getting worse, and I'm not the type to watch and wait. I get obsessed and need to take care of things. Thank GOD it worked out the way it did.

Another question-it seems that my vet is trying to sell me pet insurance. She's for signs all over her office and even called me to suggest it. She says she insures both her dogs and she recommends it getting the major medical. Do you think she's trying to sell me something that she'll get a commission on or does she really care. No other vet had ever done this. And part two - do you think it's a good idea?

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

Well, of course I do... I was just trying to get you to post! ;-)

It looked like we were heading for an FHO, and I was quite prepared (had researched all about it and was prepared to sell a kidney to pay for it), but the ortho guy eventually ruled it out - the hip socket closed over, completely encapsulating the broken femur head. But yes- we know arthritis is an almost certainty.

Poor Milo was rescued from a drug house when he was about 5-6 weeks old. His mama had already been given away (possibly when he was 3 or 4 weeks old) and he was eating boiled cabbage and dry cookies. I suspect poor bone health because of that. He's done well since, and is one happy and spoiled kitten (altho' he still nurses on his arm when he is snuggling). He did also have a heart murmur- gone now- and seems to be meeting all his milestones. (And yes, is also neutered.) Gorgeous Maine Coon mix - a real heart stealer!

Thanks for the info!

Traci - he confined himself. The pain was pretty bad. His brother, Dexter, stayed with him 24/7 -- even went to all Milo's vet appointments. They are very close, and Dexter didn't try to get Milo to play until Milo was well again. We did back off the pain meds a bit -- no pain means they think they can do anything. So it's a fine line between relieving pain, but leaving just enough discomfort to keep them grounded.

Oh- and pet insurance AFTER an injury is probably not a good plan. I bet she gets denied for most things based on a "pre-existing condition", and the premiums may be sky high. Mind you, if I had bought insurance for Milo BEFORE he broke his leg, I would have saved $$$$$.... :roll:

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

Hi Jess-

Here's some pics and videos of Trink and Merlin. I sound NUTS talking in them...especially the Merlin video. The last photo is of Dave and Merlin. Dave is purposely making a face....he's not a mental patient I promise. :roll:

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

Traci, they are SOOO cute! I'm a sucker for meezers. Trink is going to be fine. Kittens bounce back. And Merlin and Trink will be best buds again soon, though probably not until the vet smell is gone.

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

tooo cute pix! love these kids!

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

I looked into it and I can't find any insurance programs that offer vets commissions for getting clients to sign up. I think it's probably just that she strongly believes in it. She may also have had some bad recent experiences with clients who have been forced to euthanize rather than treat treatable problems, and that is often almost as heartbreaking for the vet (and staff) as it is for the family. Have you spoken to her about monetary concerns before? You have two young cats and now would be the time to start up the insurance.

As far as whether or not it's worth it, if you don't have a reliable income (from a trust fund, etc.), it's certainly worth considering. I get a great discount but still ended up spending a LOT on my dog's illness. I did curse myself earlier this year after I x-rayed the puppy I'd adopted and found severe hip dysplasia -- cursed myself for not signing him up for insurance before I did x-rays. I think WCF & Meowzi had health insurance which paid for a lot of her cancer treatment and surgeries; we have a dog on the cardio service with multiple congenital problems and his insurance (Trupanion) has paid through the nose for him to have multiple procedures and treatments. So it sure can be worth it if you end up with an animal who needs something major down the line. In your kitten's case, you might have paid two months total insurance and then have had most of her tibia fracture paid for by insurance -- that would be pretty awesome.

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

To be honest I didn't even notice you'd written fibula instead of femur till I went back to reply .. it's an easy slip of the tongue.

I'd ask about cartrophen because it is one of the rare drugs that can claim to actually slow the progression of arthritis, rather than just treat symptoms. NSAIDs, EFAs, etc. treat symptoms but cartrophen/Adequan may actually affect the development of arthritis. I've started it in Calvin (the dog) for this reason -- he actually has no symptoms of hip dysplasia.

I think this has come up before and I wanted to address it again. Pain medication does not remove all pain, especially orthopedic pain. After I had wrist surgery I laid there in the hospital room pressing the morphine button every 10 minutes and was still so painful that they had to give me an additional medication. The use of an appropriate pain medication is to make the pain bearable -- for some types of pain there's no hope to relieve it completely except by using general anesthesia (that's why some burn victims are put into a coma on purpose). Anyway, the goal is always maximum pain relief for the condition; if we need to confine, so be it.

 

Re: Trink coming home Thurs PM & pic of $3000 cape

I called for a second post-surgical update and her nurse told me she is doing fine. Couldn't get much out of that robot nurse. They are offering her food now.

The vet tells me she must be confined for 4 weeks...not allowed to jump or play or she could stress the plate since that's the only thing holding the leg together because there is no cast. ohmygod_smile
She's the most playful and active cat I've ever had. She's the alpha of her and Merlin too. He's a couch potato without her. He's not been eating much in her absence. I know he's missing her, the big lug. Anyway, my landlords have a MASSIVE cage/crate that they let me borrow. It's set up in my room so I can keep her separate from Mer for however long she needs to be. I'll set it up cozy for her. She has to be in there when I'm not home for her own protection. Has anyone ever gone through a confinement like this? I'm tellin' ya...it's unbelievable the situations I seem to get myself into with my cats. This story is the topper.

Here's the picture I got of Merlin in his cape.

 

Traci my first impression of that pic is that merlin had something (another animal) on him...maybe attacking him.
Could be Trinket was attacking the thing on merlin and not merlin.
And then got all confused.
Merlin only knew that Trinket was attacking HIM.
This seems to make sense to me anyway.

 

Re: Trink coming home Thurs PM & pic of $3000 cape

 

Spazzie had to be confined too like that and we also borrowed a big cage thing to keep her in. i've got pictures around here somewhere

she didn't seem to have a problem so much as Kitty did. it was Kitty's first experience with sharing her house with another kitty and she didn't like it. she would sit across the room and hiss at Spazzie. Spazzie seemed to have no problem with being confined really but i think because of Kitty's reaction to her being there, she developed this habit of hiding her food. i think she thought that Kitty was going to take her food so she would flip her food dishes over in the cage when she was done eating. took years to break that habit of hers

i did keep a blanket over the cage thing because it did seem to calm her sometimes when nothing else would. it took willpower on my part sometimes to leave her in that thing. she'd sit there and talk to me and talk and talk and talk and i admit, it was hard sometimes to leave her in there but i knew that if i let her out to roam she would most likely just make her situation worse so when she was talking too much or too worked up, i'd just unfold the blanket down over the front of the cage, kinda like covering a carrier in the car to calm them

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

I used to give my Dev Cartrophen Vet shots for his arthritis - he was about 19 at the time. That was quite a while ago, and it was still a pretty new drug. He responded really well, and was given quite a bit of relief from his arthritis. My sister's Golden Retriever is only 7, but is arthritic, and I got her to talk to her vet about it, and Kayda is responding very well, too. So I would have no hesitation in trying it with Milo. Is there any research about the best age to start? He's still a baby (7 mons).

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

The original studies on Adequan (Adequan and cartrophen are very similar) were done on puppies, to see if it helped with hip dysplasia, so its use in juvenile dogs is well established. There's no data on its use in cats of any age, and neither drug is labeled for cats. There's no contraindication for kitten use, however, and I know some surgeons do recommend it for kittens after a major orthopedic event, and Adequan is also used for FLUTD in young cats. So ... I'd personally not have a problem with it, but you can ask Milo's orthopedist. (Did you have a new hospital open up in your area? I remember there were no specialists around when Astrophe had her troubles.)

Since in Milo it would be used to try to delay or slow progression of arthritis, I would start it as soon as you can. I started it for Dillon a few weeks ago and I'm using short 30g 3/10 insulin syringes IM and it's going great. He gets a spoonful of 'junk food' cat food and I give him his shot. This morning he pounced on me while I was in bed sleeping, and he hasnt' done that in ages. (I hope he doesn't start doing that all the time, it's annoying!) So I'm pleased with how it's going so far. In the dog, I haven't noticed a darn thing but he had no symptoms to begin with. I'm giving it in the hope that somewhere, on a cellular level, it's working to delay arthritis.

Traci, looking forward to your update and the woebegone cat-with-bandage picture ;-)

 

Re: Emergency! Echo results!

Nope, we just happen to have a vet in town who loves orthopedic work. I don't know his qualifications, but he's been doing it a long time, and has a super track record. But I suspect it's purely surgical. I'll ask about the Cartrophen, but I suspect my vet will do the research on that one.

Thanks!

Traci - how's the little one today?

 

awww poor merlin .. doesnt know where his best friend went .. but she'll be back and in a few weeks they'll be back to playing and sleeping together as if nothing had happened!

 

About the pet health insurance: I have PetPlan US on all 3 of my kitties and have received back far more than I've paid in premiums. No really major illnesses, either. One accident (cat reached her "arm" fast and hard under the refrigerator to get a toy and sliced her leg open) and two cases of chronically coughing cats, so x-rays and asthma diagnoses. But in neither case has the asthma needed much treatment yet, as both, weirdly, turned out to be due to food allergies, and if I control the food, little or no coughing.

When I got the insurance, one of the cats had recently had diarrhea, and the policy had a 6-month hold on diarrhea (no coverage for that particular disorder if it recurred within 6 months), but it didn't recur and now that cat has absolutely total coverage.

The youngest of the three had a rough time with her spaying (even required an ER visit, plus another regular vet visit, plus antibiotics), but the insurance company wasn't bothered in the least. By the time I needed to claim something, it had been months since that happened and the spaying-related problem had shown no sign at all of recurrence, so again, I have full coverage on her.

In other words, you don't have to wait to apply for coverage - at least, that's what my experience would indicate. When you make a claim, you submit all the animal's vet records, and as long as the current problem has resolved, it will have no effect on coverage. Every policy has a waiting period of some sort, so the sooner you apply, the sooner you are out of the waiting period.

Oh, PetPlan does not cover wellness (checkups, vaccinations, etc.). Those plans that do tend to have much higher premiums, because every animal will need wellness visits at times. PetPlan's philosophy is that wellness expenses are something you can budget for, since they are relatively predictable. The unexpected vet expenses, such as after an accident or when an illness shows itself, are what you really need insurance for, because they are totally unpredictable (and expensive!).

 

Hi Jean-

Thank you SO much for your post. I'm seriously considering getting pet insurance because I *know* that will keep my pets from getting sick....that's how it seems to work for me. :lol: ;-)

Do you mind me asking how much/how often you pay? I have no clue how much we're talking about.

Thanks again!!!

 

Traci,

I love the picture of Merlin in his cape. I would play hell getting anything on any of my cats. I also enjoyed the other pictures and video`s. Your kitties are really beautiful.
I can almost never capture the pretty blue eyes of my Siamese mix with my camera no matter how much I mess with the settings, I get red eyes or something else.
I take picture after picture but they rarely turn out the way I want them to. I just want to get those pretty blue eyes in the picture but rarely do.

Terri

 

Hi Terri-

I know what you mean about the eyes - nearly impossible to get them looking blue in photos. Thanks so much for the compliments. I really love my cats.

 

For the youngest cat (not yet 2 years old), it is something like $115 per year. For the older two (both about 7 1/2 years old), it is I think $145 or something close to that per year. They used to be $125 each per year, but then the company changed underwriters (and increased the coverage). I guess the older cats got rewritten policies based on their age at the time the underwriter changed(??). My questions about this were answered but not with real answers, if you know what I mean. The youngest has been on the new underwriter from the beginning. I insured her when she was about 5 or 6 months old.

Prices vary depending on vet prices in various areas. You can get a quote for your particular area and age of pet from the PetPlan website (http://www.gopetplan.com). I don't remember for sure what the website says, but my claims have always been based on actual cost, not some schedule of what the company thinks treatments ought to cost.

You can choose various levels of deductible, co-pay, and coverage ceiling. The various types of policy all have the same essential coverage; the difference is chiefly in the annual maximum (it *is* annual, not by condition, and chronic conditions are covered). The maximums are high enough that an animal would have to be extremely ill to exceed them. The higher-cost policies include some extras that really don't bear on health care specifically. I have the middle of each range where you can choose.

 

Wow-thanks for all this information. I'm going to look into it. The prices you pay definitely seem reasonable. It thought it was going to be much more! :smile: