Topic: Kitten with a limp...how soon should i go back to vets? (Read 6387 times)

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #25 on:** October 10, 2007, 23:12:25 PM »

Great news, so pleased it's nothing to worry about

Sam (Fussy_Furball) · « **Reply #24 on:** October 10, 2007, 18:52:40 PM »

Great news so pleased Cody is OK.

clarenmax · « **Reply #23 on:** October 10, 2007, 18:26:04 PM »

Great news

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #22 on:** October 10, 2007, 17:31:58 PM »

So pleased the xray is clear

I am sure he will slowly improve despite the running around, pain is there for a reason which is to try to stop ourselves hurting the area again...............hasnt worked with my shoulder cos probably like Cody it doesnt hurt till I do something with it..........sigh

suzi · « **Reply #21 on:** October 10, 2007, 17:15:14 PM »

Hi all

...Thats Cody home from the vets. His x-rays were all clear!!!! Yipee

Vet reckons it is just soft tissue damage, which hasn't repaired due to his kitten madness and energy!!!! I'm trying to restict his movement...but he is hyper!!! I'm keeping him in one room...but the two of them just chase each other around...and if i seperate them...then they pine for each other!!! Aww!!!

He's on metacam for the next week..then see how he goes...and if the limps still there after he comes off then back to the vets we go!!!

So this limping episode has cost £180 ish in the last week

...although thats including his castration and chiping which would have to have been done anyway!

Between him and Bailey We have spend over £1000 in vet fees over the last year! But they're worth every penny

Sam (Fussy_Furball) · « **Reply #20 on:** October 09, 2007, 20:24:28 PM »

Cats can suffered with Hip Dysplasia l http://www.animalhelp.com/pets/articledetail.cfm?artid=162

blackcat · « **Reply #19 on:** October 09, 2007, 19:59:56 PM »

hip displasia? that would cause a limp but have not heard of it in cats. It is where the ball of the hip does not always fit comfortably in the socket and causes problems ...

Sam (Fussy_Furball) · « **Reply #18 on:** October 09, 2007, 19:57:02 PM »

Hi,

Glad the video was useful and glad you were persistent and took him back. Fingers crossed it nothing too serious and Cody will make a speedy recovery

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #17 on:** October 09, 2007, 18:46:10 PM »

So plreased that he can all three things done at once and that it proves to be something easy to put right

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #16 on:** October 09, 2007, 17:43:36 PM »

Poor little Cody

Fingers crossed it's nothing serious, it's good timing that he needs neutering etc so at least he doesn't have to go through the X-rays on a separate vet visit.

clarenmax · « **Reply #15 on:** October 09, 2007, 15:59:08 PM »

Best of luck for tomorrow, hope the xrays show something simple to sort, and his <whispers...> 'other' one goes fine tomorrow too

suzi · « **Reply #14 on:** October 09, 2007, 15:55:09 PM »

Just back from the vets....

....I took a video of him as advised by you guys and it was realy helpful to the vet. As predicted he didn't limp too much once we got there again so it was helpful for her too see how bad his limp can get at home! And how he moved with it. Really good tip!

The vet suspects its his right hind leg...not his left as I thought. It is hard to tell sometimes, but he was holding up his left one earlier today. Vet said it might be both it may be changing from one to the other...due to a disease (can't remember the word she called it but does sound a bit like luxating patella by the description you have given me)...she described it as a joint which rubs and would need surgery to remove the top of joint and he would make a full recovery. Anyhow, it could also be a number of other things..thats just the worse case senario so she gonna x-ray him.

So poor little Cody is off for a day at the vets tomorrow...he's gonna get two x-rays, castrated, and micro-chipped all at the same time. I hate leaving them in there for operations...but its a must do...and hopefully will get to the bottom of his limping problem.

suzi · « **Reply #13 on:** October 09, 2007, 12:47:15 PM »

Got an appointment booked at 3.15pm...and as predicted his limp doesn't seem as bad when I got home from uni! If it does before we go to the vets I will video it!

Will let you know.....

blackcat · « **Reply #12 on:** October 08, 2007, 21:27:49 PM »

luxating patella is generally diagnosed by flexing the joint while holding it. They are trained to feel when it does not feel right. Once they suspect it is there it is usually confirmed by xray. In dogs it can usually be fixed surgically, as long as you are able to keep them fairly sedate during the healing process. I suspect that could be very tricky with a lively kitten ...

suzi · « **Reply #11 on:** October 08, 2007, 21:13:23 PM »

I will defo mention it to the vet just incase...

I hope not...fingers crossed he has just strained it! But knowing my luck with injured cats it wouldn't surprise me!

Sam (Fussy_Furball) · « **Reply #10 on:** October 08, 2007, 21:06:18 PM »

Not sure how they diagnose it I'm afraid.

Luxating Patella or Knee Cap:
In over ninety percent of these cases the kneecap pops out of its track toward the inside (medial side) of the knee. This is an inherited problem that causes intermittent lameness locking the knee when the kneecap or patella jumps out of its tract (the trochlear groove). This occurs when the tract in which the kneecap glides is too shallow and when the femur, the largest bone of the rear leg, is abnormally bowed. In this condition the ligaments on the lateral side of the knee, which stabilize the kneecap, are also abnormally stretched. Pain associated with this problem is minimal. It is primarily a disease of toy breeds and Persian cats. We treat this condition by surgically deepening the tract (patellar groove) in which the patella glides and reinforcing the lateral ligaments that keep the patella in tract. Sometimes it is necessary to move the attachment of knee ligaments to a more lateral position as well as to remove tension on the medial side of the joint capsule.

http://www.2ndchance.info/limping.htm

suzi · « **Reply #9 on:** October 08, 2007, 21:00:49 PM »

Yeah...its his left hind leg.

Will mention that to the vet though... thanks Sam.

How serious is that and how would the vet know if this was the prob...would she need to xray?

Sam (Fussy_Furball) · « **Reply #8 on:** October 08, 2007, 20:56:11 PM »

is it his back leg that he is limping on?

If it is I would get the vet to check his "knee" .. if the knee cap is slipping this could cause intermittent limping.

suzi · « **Reply #7 on:** October 08, 2007, 20:41:59 PM »

Thanks everyone....

...im gonna go with your advice. Will video him on my phone and take him back to the vets tomorrow!

It's great to check things out on here coz i feel like i sometimes take them to the vet for the slightest wee thing...but i would rather have piece of mind that they're not in any pain!

He's been running around again tonight, and standing on his two hind legs trying to catch a fly so he can defo put weight on it ok....but has again started limping!

Will keep you all posted!

Sam (Fussy_Furball) · « **Reply #6 on:** October 08, 2007, 19:51:00 PM »

I agree with BC if you can video it it would be a good idea .... by the time you get to the vet he will be pumped up with adrenalin and therefore less likely to display signs of pain.

Hopefully it is a just a pulled muscle but it is always best to check ... don't let the vet make you feel like a neurotic mummy (you are paying for the service after all

)

Big hugs to Cody and fingers crossed he will be better soon xxx

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #5 on:** October 08, 2007, 17:13:02 PM »

Yes it could be a strained muscle but they usually get better quite quickly in cat..................I would at least speak to the vet again tomorrow if he is still limping

blackcat · « **Reply #4 on:** October 08, 2007, 15:48:22 PM »

do you have a video or a digital camera that records moving images? If so you could take some shots of him when he is limping so you can show the vet when he once again makes a fool of you and refuses to limp for the vet... They do that to us all the time. I suspect it is the sheer terror of being at the vet that causes them to do the 'i'm all right Jack' routine so they are not seen as vulnerable...

suzi · « **Reply #3 on:** October 08, 2007, 15:41:15 PM »

Thanks for your advice...but just to clarify...its not just when the anti-inflamitory wore off that his symtoms returned. They have been coming and going all weekend.

For example he was fine last night and this morning, pretty much back to normal. Then he ran across the room, which obviously hurt it again so his limp came back badly...but after a rest he is now improving again and just climbed up onto the table to see me. It makes me wonder if it more like a 'pulled muscle' because he has't been constantly displaying symtoms..or else I would have ad him back before now.

blackcat · « **Reply #2 on:** October 08, 2007, 15:17:19 PM »

back to the vets. The anti-inflamatory injection would just have masked the pain so she was using the leg happily enough. Once it wore off the symptoms returned. Defo needs to see the vet again - you don't want an injury self-healing if it will cause the kitten to limp for the rest of its life.

suzi · « **Reply #1 on:** October 08, 2007, 14:52:15 PM »

Hi All...

...looking for some advice...AGAIN!!!!

Last Tuesday I heard a almighty bang in my kitchen...and found that my 5 month old kitten, Cody, had a limp and became a little lethargic....so probably had attempted to 'fly' across the room.

I'm like a paranoid mum...so off to the vets we went.

The vet felt his sore paw and checked him over and couldn't find any breaks or problems and his limp had almost dissappeared (In fact she was unable to see which leg i was concerned about...i had to point it out! I think she thought I was over exaggerating...and I thought Cody had just been a drama queen!!!). She suggested he may have damaged some soft tissue and gave him an anti-inflamitary injection.
Once we got home, Cody seemed back to normal for that night, and most of the next day. Jumping up and running around as his usual self! Then by Friday his limp had come back...and it's coming and going over the whole weekend and today. Otherwise he is completely fine, lots of energy, eating and drink with no problems. He is still able to jump up to some areas but not the higher bits he normally can. It seems he recovers, then weakens it again after running around.

Should I give him more time to heal...coz it may just need time...or should i go back to the vets???

Author Topic: Kitten with a limp...how soon should i go back to vets? (Read 6387 times)