Another sick cat
Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2004 5:10 am
First, the good news: Thanks to all for input on my coughing kitty. Phos
did not seem to act, and he started to sneeze, and cough started sounding a
bit goopy, so (speaking of thin indications) I gave puls 30, which worked
very quickly and very well. A few doses over a day and a half had him back
to normal.
Now, the bad news. Another cat appeared night before last with trouble
walking; his back legs appeared *very* weak, would sort of slide this way
and that on the linoleum, and he sometimes fell. Next morning we took him
to the vet (kids frantic, me feeling utterly clueless and beyond my depth).
Vet offered several hypotheses, including brain infection, brain tumor, rat
poison, or heatstroke (he was dehydrated). So he gave him IV fluids (which
did help), antibiotic (me too worried, baffled and clueless to resist),
Vitamin K (in case of bleeding from rat poison; his gums are very pale). At
this point he seems a little better in some ways, but maybe a little worse
in others.
I would love to hear others' ideas about how I might prescribe on the
information available (not much, but here it comes) and/or how I might use
any lab tests on things such as kidney function and ?? that we *might*
follow up with if he doesn't improve more, soon.
History:
Sunny is a 3-year-old, neutered, orange tabby. Had one round of rabies
prior to neutering as a little guy, no shots since then. Has always been
healthy, and just a real, super sweetheart. Extremely mellow, affectionate
in a dignified, independent and laid-back sort of way. He prefers being
outside (unlike our other three, who would definitely prefer to be in!), and
often goes a couple of days between "visits". When he comes in (all of this
describes him *before* this illness) he eats and drinks eagerly but briefly,
then may simply ask to go back out again, but if he's approached for a
cuddle, or if the mood strikes him, he loves to be picked up briefly, and
has an awesomely loud and comfortable-sounding purr.
He has an unusually looooong body (even for a cat!), and one of his
distinguishing characteristics is that he sleeps in the *weirdest*
positions!!! We all notify each other to come view any particularly
delightful contortions, because he really does get into some screamers!
E.g. head going one way and feet going the other (and him souuuund asleep);
or sort of dripping over a pillow; or laid out on his back with arms
stretched waaaay above his head and hind legs at odd angles... And even for
a cat, he has always slept a phenomenal amount. It's always seemed to me
that when he's gone for a couple of days, he's probably not out "prowling",
he's probably just sleeping that much, and doesn't want to bother coming in!
Which made the vet's idea of heatstroke seem plausible -- we had a few days
of very hot, very muggy weather, and he hadn't been to the house for at
least two days during that time, and I can't think where he would have
drunk.
But here's a strange thing: It had been only a couple of days since he was
in last (a typical interval for him), and we didn't see anything
out-of-the-ordinary at that time; but now he seems so pale, so thin and so
weak, I wonder how this could have happened in only a few days!!!
Monday night he appeared at the door, barely able to walk but seeming in
good spirits. No sign of any wound, no sign of pain or any fearfulness;
maybe a slight rightward tilt to his head when he walked. He ate and drank
eagerly (and more urgently than his is custom) then tried to walk more, fell
over, gave up and just rested. Purred appreciatively when patted, rubbed
his head on us, etc. No sign of pain when he was picked up. Seemed very
calm about his inability to walk. Didn't strike me as lethargic. Altho
he's sleeping even more than usual, part of the time he simply rests, looks
around, purrs if he's given attention. His gums and eye rims are very pale,
but no fever.
Today (about 28 hours after the vet's attentions) his legs have more
strength (not falling over as much), but the tilt of his head seems I think
a bit more pronounced than it was, and he doesn't seem as much improved as I
was hoping. He eats very hungrily a few times during the day, but I don't
see him drinking much. (He may have a place to drink outside, tho; he is
spending more time in, but still asks to go out for much of the day, and it
seemed unkind to argue with him, so we didn't... Altho he can't walk well,
he is able to make his way about, slowly.)
My thoughts so far (I haven't given him any remedy yet):
China, for aftereffects of the dehydration? And in case dehydration was
part of the initial cause?
Plumbum, because of his habit of "striking strange poses", and in case
this is neurological rather than electrolyte or infection?
Conium for "asccending paralysis" and in case there is a brain tumor it
could help?
Can anyone suggest rubrics re the right-leaning head? (And anything else!)
I would love to hear both Jill's thoughts from the veterinary perspective,
and also what our homeopathy-only cat folks would suggest. (And as always,
ideas from anyone!)
Thanks so much!
Shannon
did not seem to act, and he started to sneeze, and cough started sounding a
bit goopy, so (speaking of thin indications) I gave puls 30, which worked
very quickly and very well. A few doses over a day and a half had him back
to normal.
Now, the bad news. Another cat appeared night before last with trouble
walking; his back legs appeared *very* weak, would sort of slide this way
and that on the linoleum, and he sometimes fell. Next morning we took him
to the vet (kids frantic, me feeling utterly clueless and beyond my depth).
Vet offered several hypotheses, including brain infection, brain tumor, rat
poison, or heatstroke (he was dehydrated). So he gave him IV fluids (which
did help), antibiotic (me too worried, baffled and clueless to resist),
Vitamin K (in case of bleeding from rat poison; his gums are very pale). At
this point he seems a little better in some ways, but maybe a little worse
in others.
I would love to hear others' ideas about how I might prescribe on the
information available (not much, but here it comes) and/or how I might use
any lab tests on things such as kidney function and ?? that we *might*
follow up with if he doesn't improve more, soon.
History:
Sunny is a 3-year-old, neutered, orange tabby. Had one round of rabies
prior to neutering as a little guy, no shots since then. Has always been
healthy, and just a real, super sweetheart. Extremely mellow, affectionate
in a dignified, independent and laid-back sort of way. He prefers being
outside (unlike our other three, who would definitely prefer to be in!), and
often goes a couple of days between "visits". When he comes in (all of this
describes him *before* this illness) he eats and drinks eagerly but briefly,
then may simply ask to go back out again, but if he's approached for a
cuddle, or if the mood strikes him, he loves to be picked up briefly, and
has an awesomely loud and comfortable-sounding purr.
He has an unusually looooong body (even for a cat!), and one of his
distinguishing characteristics is that he sleeps in the *weirdest*
positions!!! We all notify each other to come view any particularly
delightful contortions, because he really does get into some screamers!
E.g. head going one way and feet going the other (and him souuuund asleep);
or sort of dripping over a pillow; or laid out on his back with arms
stretched waaaay above his head and hind legs at odd angles... And even for
a cat, he has always slept a phenomenal amount. It's always seemed to me
that when he's gone for a couple of days, he's probably not out "prowling",
he's probably just sleeping that much, and doesn't want to bother coming in!
Which made the vet's idea of heatstroke seem plausible -- we had a few days
of very hot, very muggy weather, and he hadn't been to the house for at
least two days during that time, and I can't think where he would have
drunk.
But here's a strange thing: It had been only a couple of days since he was
in last (a typical interval for him), and we didn't see anything
out-of-the-ordinary at that time; but now he seems so pale, so thin and so
weak, I wonder how this could have happened in only a few days!!!
Monday night he appeared at the door, barely able to walk but seeming in
good spirits. No sign of any wound, no sign of pain or any fearfulness;
maybe a slight rightward tilt to his head when he walked. He ate and drank
eagerly (and more urgently than his is custom) then tried to walk more, fell
over, gave up and just rested. Purred appreciatively when patted, rubbed
his head on us, etc. No sign of pain when he was picked up. Seemed very
calm about his inability to walk. Didn't strike me as lethargic. Altho
he's sleeping even more than usual, part of the time he simply rests, looks
around, purrs if he's given attention. His gums and eye rims are very pale,
but no fever.
Today (about 28 hours after the vet's attentions) his legs have more
strength (not falling over as much), but the tilt of his head seems I think
a bit more pronounced than it was, and he doesn't seem as much improved as I
was hoping. He eats very hungrily a few times during the day, but I don't
see him drinking much. (He may have a place to drink outside, tho; he is
spending more time in, but still asks to go out for much of the day, and it
seemed unkind to argue with him, so we didn't... Altho he can't walk well,
he is able to make his way about, slowly.)
My thoughts so far (I haven't given him any remedy yet):
China, for aftereffects of the dehydration? And in case dehydration was
part of the initial cause?
Plumbum, because of his habit of "striking strange poses", and in case
this is neurological rather than electrolyte or infection?
Conium for "asccending paralysis" and in case there is a brain tumor it
could help?
Can anyone suggest rubrics re the right-leaning head? (And anything else!)
I would love to hear both Jill's thoughts from the veterinary perspective,
and also what our homeopathy-only cat folks would suggest. (And as always,
ideas from anyone!)
Thanks so much!
Shannon