Harri is lame....

[pookyandjo]

Hi all... i have to say that I am horrified that i have to post a health query with regards to Harri seeing i have only had her for a few days but i am beside myself at the moment...
David and I went to a 50th birthday party last night and Cait stayed at home to do homework and babysit Harri..
When she went to bed at 10pm Harri was aseep on my bed.. when we got home at 1230 am.. I couldn't find her... I had to give her some antibiotics for her cat flu..( I took her to the vet yesterday because she was sneezing and had a little bit of gunk in her eyes.. the vet gave her the first dose.. and said to give her a second one late in the evening and from then on once a day until the course was finished...she also gave us some powder that i have to sprinkle on her food)

We couldn't find her at first... but eventually did hiding in the bottom of our wardrobe.. i gave her the meds.. and then popped her on the floor to see if she wanted a drink or something to nibble on and she was holding her left paw up..when i stood up to walk away she cried.. so i got down on the ground and gave her a little nudge to see if she would bear weight on it and she wouldn't..

I dont know what happened... cait said she was fine when she went to bed so she has obviously got up to mischief and fallen/landed the wrong way... or got her paw caught in something.. (we have some plastic coated wire shelving units in our wardrobe... and i know George and TW always climbed on them... maybe she did tat and slipped whilst her left paw was in one of the holes... i really dont know im only guessing..)

Anyway.. by this stage it was close to 130 am... so we went to bed... she slept on me all night... NO PURRING AT ALL... but she did sleep right under my chin...

I got up at 5 to see if she wanted to use the tray... and she wouldn't.... wouldn't eat or drink either so i took her back to bed and decided that first thing we were going to the vets.. so 9 am we were at the vets and we were home by 945.. they saw us right away

The examined her paw...The vet said there was nothing major broken..but the problem was in the "wrist" area of her paw... she said that there are lots of tiny bones.. and that even if something was broken it might not show up on an xray.. because they grow so quickly at this stage... all she recommended in the first instance was rest...
She gave Harri a metacalm injection and said rest for the 24 - 48 hours... to see how it goes... if there is no improvment then they will xray and go from there...

She said that also as i dont know what caused her to be in pain that it could be a sprain and nothing broken at all.. they did give it a very good examination though

Harry has spent all day since then in the carry basket sleeping... she has been up this afternoon and used the tray, has eaten and taken some water... 20 mins ago she even was sharpening her claws on the kitchen mat.....
she appears to be bearing weight ok on it... but then she'll hold it up again as if it's sore...

I know the metacalm will last for for a minimum of 24 hours... but does anyone have any experience with this sort of injury.. we have let her out of the basket for short periods.. as she cant sit in there all the time... and we are making sure she does no climbing... or jumping... not even from the couch to the floor...

Any ideas or suggestions?

Im just so worried that she has done some permanent damage...:cry:

Sorry this is so long.. but i wanted to ive you the full details

Thank you all

Jo and Harri

[smudgley]

The problem is that the metacam wil mask the pain. So she will probably weight bear & appear happy, but until the pain-relief wears off you won't know if she is still in pain.

Hopefully it won't be anything serious, but all you can do is keep her quiet & monitor her.

[dinahsmum]

Aaaargh!
Hopefully she is just a wimp (being a baby) and the injury isn't that serious. Their bones are nice and bendy when they're tiny, so hopefully it's a 'sprain' rather than a break.
Poor baby - get well soon vibes from across the globe

[Elaine]

Poor baby, I think all you can do at this stage is to rest her and see how she progresses. Hopefully after a few days of rest she will be fine again xxx

[dandysmom]

Agree with all the above advice. Poor baby, hope it's a simple sprain and she'll be fine soon...do let us know. Healing vibes from the States also, and a cuddle!

[Leesy]

Yes I agree with all the rest of the advice just try and keep her as quite as possible so that she can rest it properly and not damage it any further, think it is more than likley a sprain and will get better soon, sending Harri lots of healing vibes to get better soon Xxx.

[angieh]

Poor little poppet - I agree with what the others have said. Try to get her to rest as much as possible. It is a good sign that she's eaten, drunk and used her tray. I'd just keep doing what you're doing. (((HUGS))) for your and a gentle chin tickle for Harri.

[pookyandjo]

Hi all,
What a day i've had...good news... horrifying news and then better news...im feeling drained and exhausted...
the good news is that Harri is weight bearing still on the left leg.. but today she decided that she wasn't going to eat or drink.. and this morning she seemed more congested so i rang the vet at the RSPCA and organised to take her down to be checked.. (she is still on the antibiotics and Lyciene (sp) powder..)for the cat flu...

I took her in.. the vet felt her glands and siad they were very swollen.. he started to take her temperature and when it got to 39 deg he pulled out the thermometer and said.. "she has a temp" and then proceded to tell me that there was nothing that could be done.. he said that sometime with high temps they will give metacam but because she had some the day before for her foot she couldn't have anymore... i asked him how i should treat her at home and he said syringe feed and if she is no better in 48 hours we would have to maybe have her PTS!!!

I was horrified...and in tears... i left there came home blubbering...David was wondering what was going on...i told him and he said."get on the phone to our vet and see what they say.. which i did...
I should point out at this juncture that because she was adopted from the RSPCA... and that she was in a pen with lots of other kittens some of whom had the cat flu... i had to sign a document that i would take her to them for treatment until they decreed that she was well enough not to attend there anymore..

Anyway... i rang my normal vet and he said bring her in right away... he took her temp.. (properly this time) 40.1 deg.. and yes her glands were up and she has a small ulcuer on her tongue which would be causing her pain.. i filled him in on what had been going on... and he said that there are a few different strains of cat flu and one of them causes inflamation in the extremities... her lame leg might have been due to the flu and not an injury that we hadn't witnessed... he said that the other vet was wrong to say that she might have to be PTS because she wasn't anywhere near as bad as what he had thought she would be based on my intital call to him. He gave her a temgesic injection.. and gave me 6 syringes of temgesic to be given orally over the next 3 days, one each morning and night... she has brigtened up A LOT since her injection at 5 pm and even had something to eat... not much ... but a little is better than nothing and she has had a little to drink as well she is running around like a kitten should and was helping (annoying ) Cait whilst she was doing some study after dinner by batting her pencils across the timber floor..

We still have to get her over the flu.. and it will take many days but at least she is getting some pain relief now.. and at least there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with her leg...

Well that's about it from this side of the pond... i'll keep you up to date with how she's getting on

Jo, George and Harri

[yola]

Wow Jo - ever thought about buying shares in your vet practice?? Only kidding; but this must all be costing you a fortune. Having said that, I'm delighted that Harri seems to be perking up and that your own (trusted) vet's prognosis is a much happier and more positive one.

Hopefully she'll settle down in the next few days without any further health setbacks.

[Leesy]

Oh Jo what a day you have had with little Harri, they don`t half know how to worry us don`t they:roll: :roll: , but we love them all the same.
So glad she has perked up from the visit to your own vet, and the prognosis certainly sounds alot more positive.
Sending Harri lots of get well vibes to a speedy recovery:D ,
give her lots of lovely cuddles and chin rubs please from Me, Maxi & Maisy Xxx.

[dinahsmum]

:shock:
Hooray for decent vets and black marks for animal rescue organisations who keep kittens in mixed groups, risking the spread of all sorts of infection

[dandysmom]

Thank God you took her to your own vet! Much better prognosis, good that she's eaten, even though only a small amount. I agree 100% with what DM(UK) said!!!
What an emotional rollercoaster the last few days have been! (((hugs)))

[angieh]

Rollercoaster was the word I had in mind too. What a horrible time you, your family and poor Harri are having. Healing vibes heading your way from me. Do hope she continues to improve.

[pookyandjo]

Hi all
its just after 3.30 in the morning.. harri was awake and she and i found myself the same so i popped up to see if she would like to use the tray... (we have her closed in her basket at the moment so she doesn't get into mischief)

she didn't want to use the tray but poceeded to play with the strap of the carry bag once i had her out so her pain relief is still holding some...

LOL Yola.. you dont know how many time ive thought about that in the last few months...not so much about my personal vet... but just vets in general... maybe i went into the wrong profession many years ago... police work never paid us that much!... We spent a small fortune with Tinky in the last 8 weeks of his life... just a smidge over $10,000! his final surgery was $3400 and the hospitalization was $2700... and then add on top of that the previous surgeries, procedures and meds with our own vet...which worked our to be just over $3900.. its money for jam if you are a vet... i know they do a lot of training... and my vet is wonderful... but with vets like the one i encountered at the RSPCA yesterday.. it does make me wonder..
one of the vet nurses at the practise i go to told me a story about the RSPCA yesterday about her sisters cat... it had a bladder infection... and she took it to the RSPCA vet near to where she lives... cause her usual vet was closed... they told her that it was really bad and that she should have her cat PTS.. she was distraught rang her sister who told her to bring it to see her at work.. so she drove the hour from where she lived... and had her cat seen to... proper investigations, pain relief and a few days later.. her cat was fine and still is to this day...
I have to say that the 3 visits i have made the RSPCA vet i have seen a different vet each time and the first 2 seemed very thorough.. the one yesterday whilst he was a very gentle person.. and seemed very caring..i have to wonder why he didn't offer pain relief as an option.. or even why he didn't examine Harri properly.. i wonder if its because the vet visits and meds for kitten follow up are included in the cost of the kitten adoption ($130)

In any case thank goodness for my vet.. who i have a very good relationship with..

well time to go back to bed...and take my little bundle of ginger fluff with me

Jo and Harri and George upstairs snoring zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[calismum]

So pleased to hear that Harri is on the mend - you have had a time of it. I'm fortunate to have a great vet but I do agree there is a wide variety out there.

Look forward to hearing more good news from you about her.

[Elaine]

OMG, what an emotional roller coaster for you, so glad to hear that your vet gave her some pain releif and a better prognosis. xxx

[pookyandjo]

Time for an update on my little poppet...
Since she went to my vet late on Monday afternoon she has been doing well....yesterday she seemed to be a little more congested... so i rang my vet and made an appointment for her to go this morning... her temp is back down to normal... her glands are still very swollen but she is playing and doing normal kitten stuff...despite sneezing her head off and the ulcer on her tongue is healing...
she is eating a little more...in the 24 hours to 10 am this morning she ate an 80 gram tub of dine fish in seafood sauce... nice and smelly... not ideal for her as it's not kitten food... but food is food at this stage.. so anything is a bonus..she is drinking and using the tray.. and has a lot more energy..so all things being equal she's doing ok!

[Leesy]

Hi Jo,
That is fantastic news to hear:D :D ,that has brightened up my morning, great news that her temp is down, eating abit more, ulcer getting better, and using the litter tray, and the most important factor of all playing and having fun like a little kitten should do.
She is a little doll and I can`t wait to see some more pics of the little darling Xxx.

[dinahsmum]

Sounds like she'll be bouncing fit very soon.

[dandysmom]

That's wonderful news! More pics would be nice .......

[Elaine]

Very pleased to hear that she is on the mend now xxx

[PoshPuss]

Just catching on this thread Jo, what a worry for you! :( Glad things are looking up now tho.
Cats, eh! who'd have them ;)

[angieh]

More healing vibes to Princess Harri. Come on poppet - you keep eating and you'll be much better soon.

[calismum]

Glad to hear she's perked up a bit. Hope she continues to improve.

[pookyandjo]

an update on Harri,
I had pretty much decided that i wasn't going to take her back to the vets at the RSPCA despite the fact that when i adopted her i had agreed to do so until they decreed that she was fit enough to go to my own vet..
Well my phone rang this morning and it was the RSPCA vet ringing to check on her seeing she was so unwell when they last saw her on Monday... and its now friday and they haven't seen her .... plus she was due to have her stitches out... so i had to run her down to them so they could see she was ok..(no thanks to the last vet of theirs i saw) they removed her stiches and gave me more vibravet and lyciene powder and also some mucodene to break up the mucous..... the vet was very nice and yes.. it was yet another different one... (we are running at four visits/four different vets)
but she continues to get better and had even put on a tiny bit of weight... she had gone from 1.02 kgs to 1.08 kgs
I trialed her yesterday and today without pain relief during the day and she ate well... so the ulcer on her tongue whilst still visible isn't giving her any grief...
so... she continues to be a bit better each day despite sounding like a musical instument when she breathes..lol and she certainly getting back to being a cheeky full of energy kitten!....
Her and George are going great guns together... i have been keeping them mostly apart the last few days because she is sleeping a lot... but he is very curious... and when ever i have her out of her basket for a play he is sniffing... and he hasn't hissed at her for a couple of days now...
She even pounced on his tail this evening.. he was sitting on the bottom stair... she climbed two up.. and then pounced on his tail... not impressed... but he just swished it away and moved himself up two stairs higher than her and glared... she ran to where i was watching....but was back stalking him a couple of minutes later.. so i dont think there will be any problems between them..
I do however have the camera loaded and ready in case i see them snuggled up!

Jo, George and Harri

[angieh]

All good wishes to Harri for a complete recovery. Let's hope it won't be long now. Glad to hear that she and George are building bridges and look forward to the snuggly photo!

[dandysmom]

Lovely news! Bet she'll have George wrapped around her little paw in no time.