# strange limping ** UPDATE - Photos added **



## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

Hi all - just wondering if anyone can help me out....
My cat Oran, who is about 1.5 years, started limping about 5 days ago. It's definitely his back right leg, sometimes seems like both. When he has to get up out of a laying-down position, he has trouble pulling himself up, and he lets out a little "meow" that it hurts. We had him to the vet the night before last, and she felt all around, and even took x-rays. Nothing showed up as being out of joint or that there were any fractures. She suggested maybe it's soft tissue damage or muscle sprains from wrestling with our other cat (9 months old) and that it should heal itself. She gave him a painkiller that night, and gave us 3 more doses to administer to him the next three nights. I gave him one last night, and one tonight, but I still don't see any improvement. He's still eating fine, using the litterbox fine, and is his usual loving self (he's my big sookie-baby). Actually, normally he snuggles into my side when we sit on the couch, but now he just wants to be on top of me ! The vet said that if he was still limping in a few days to give them a call back. 

What I'm wondering is if anyone else has gone through something like this before, and what it turned out to be ? I don't know what the vet will do next if this doesn't get better in the next few days.... bloodwork ? I'm hoping he WAS just wrestling with our other kitty, and somehow managed to sprain something jumping off furniture.... I'm so worried.... I just love my kitty so much, and it's breaking my heart to hear him cry.


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## KittyGal (Sep 23, 2004)

Well....I don't have a cat with this problem, but I do have a dog with the same symptoms. She's about the same age. I have been asking people about her limping and doing research. We haven't done any xrays on her yet, but I'm beginning to think that it might be arthritis. With her, she always limps for a little bit after laying down. It doesn't matter if she's been laying on a hard floor or a soft bed, she still limps. We're hoping that maybe it just is a muscle tear, but it's been going on for about a week now. 
I know your cat is only 1.5 years, but did the vet mention anything about arthritis?


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

Were his hips & pelvis xrayed as well as his leg? This would have shown whether he had arthritis or hip dysplasia. Does he go outside?


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

Oran is only 1.5 years old.... that seems so young to me for arthiritis or hip displaysia.... the vet didn't mention either of those scenarios, but I guess if it keeps up, and we have to take him back, then maybe those discussions will come up. I keep thinking how long it takes a human to mend when we have muscle tears, so I guess a week really isn't that big of a deal.... I'm sure everyone here understands the worrying ! It's so hard that he can't talk to me and tell me all about it ! His personality is still the same... comes to meet me at the door (and we live in the upper flat, so he has to come all the way down the stairs, and if he still wants to do that, he must either love me a whole lot or he's just not letting it get to him too much). 

He doesn't go outside... he's always been an indoor kitty. And the vet did a side x-ray of his whole body, and one of him laying on his back with his legs extended. They were pretty neat actually ! I saw all his bones, and his stomach and liver and intestines !


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

Could he have ruptured his cruciate ligament? Can be fairly common in active large cats...though I would assume the vet might have probably checked for this...

Ems


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

*UPDATE*

So, we had Oran back to the vet this morning. His limping hasn't improved, and he only seems more stiff. And we were out of painkillers. The vet began doing the customary physical again, and when she got to his bladder, he howled like I've never heard him howl before. So, we had blood work done. Both his white and red blood cell counts came back normal. His kidney and liver enzymes came back normal. They tried to get a urine sample, but his bladder wasn't very full, and they couldn't extract it themselves (by needle though the abdomen) because it wasn't full, and he wouldn't pee in a litter box there.

So saying, the vet still isn't sure what is wrong with him. She says it could be a UTI, but without the urine sample, she can't be sure. She's given us some antibiotics to give to him, and some more painkillers. If he stops eating or using the litter box, we are to take him to the emergency clinic. Otherwise, we have to try and collect a urine sample Sunday night and take it in to the clinic on Monday.

My poor kitty. He's so uncomfortable.


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## BoscosMum (Apr 29, 2004)

*Re: UPDATE*



oransmom said:


> They tried to get a urine sample, but his bladder wasn't very full, and they couldn't extract it themselves (by needle though the abdomen) because it wasn't full, and he wouldn't pee in a litter box there.
> 
> 
> My poor kitty. He's so uncomfortable.


OUCH!!!


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## Hana (May 29, 2004)

Awwww...poor guy.
Hopefully it's just a UTI, and the antibiotics will help.


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

So... we were back to the vet again today. Oran saw a new Dr. this time, as his usual wasn't in. She looked at his x-rays from earlier this week, and thinks she sees arthritis setting in his right back knee. But in no way should this be the cause of his pain. He seems most sore at his hip. Today when she felt his bladder there didn't seem to be a problem like there was on Saturday. She felt his back end quite extensively, and says she feels a lump on his muscle. She says it doesn't feel quite like a muscle knot, and it doesn't feel quite like a "lump" (i.e. cancer). So. He's had a cortisone shot, and been switched to a painkiller with more of an anti-inflammatory that the previous painkiller we've been giving him. She says if he's STILL not showing improvement on Wednesday to bring him back and she's going to try some acupuncture. 

I don't know what to think. I am SO worried. My husband and I are supposed to fly out to Newfoundland tomorrow evening, and return Sunday morning. I'm hating the thought of leaving my poor kitty all week. My sister-in-law is coming to kitty-sit and house-sit while we're gone, but Oran is my baby ! I feel terrible ! We have another appointment booked for Monday. I hope things improve this week.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

By your description, I'm fairly impressed with this vet. I think your kitty is in good hands.


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

Yes - I've been very happy with the clinic. They are all very friendly, and obvious animal lovers. The clinic actually runs an SOS program for kittens, and it's where I got both of my kitties. Both Dr's that have looked at Oran have been very gentle, and have talked and stroked him as they are examining him, and even call him sweetheart and tell him what a good boy he is. The techs are just as nice, and the receptionist too. They all call him by name and give him lots of pets. 

When you're feeling as sad and nervous as I am, it's really comforting to see that they care too, and you're not just another patient.


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## OsnobunnieO (Jun 28, 2004)

Is it possible that he may have gotten bit from your other cat and it has abcessed?

We had a small kitten come in because the owner thought she was limping from her back leg, but it turned out to be the front (she screamed when we touched it)... found a tiny bite wound on the leg.

Another kitten had fallen from a tree and had an itty bitty wound on its leg, I went to shave around it and it burst 8O little abcess wound that popped.

Just a thought - cats are always getting into all sorts of trouble with each other. If there isn't a definate wound, anitbiotics may still help. Have they checked his legs completely for any sort of wounds?


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

Hello again, 
I've returned from my trip, and Oran seems to be worse. My sister-in-law looked after him while we were gone, and she said he seemed to improve Wednesday and Thursday. So, she thought the new painkiller and the Prednisone were helping. Friday and Saturday she said he seemed to go down-hill a bit, and this morning before we got home he's very uncomfortable. He's just laying on the bathroom floor. He purrs when I go in to pet him, but he's not following me around like he usually would. 

I keep thinking about the lump the vet said she felt on his right back leg. 

I'm distraught at this point. Oran has another vet's appointmrnt tomorrow afternoon. What's going to happen now ? Three trips in one week and they didn't know what's wrong with him, what will they do tomorrow ? 

I can't stop crying.


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

Oh, I really hope you find out whats wrong with him soon


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## lolakitty23 (Aug 17, 2004)

oransmom, I can't imagine how frustrating this is for you. Please know that we are all keeping you and your little one in our thoughts. I agree with Tim, the vet at your clinic sounds very impressive. It may just take another visit or two to get down to the bottom of this. Be patient and love on your furbaby as much as you can! I hope you find out a prognosis soon. Then, the recover can begin. Please keep us updated. <hugs>


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

Oran was so cranky at me yesterday afternoon when we got home. I think he was put out because I was away for 5 days. We've never been separated from each other for that long. After a couple of hours, he finally started to talk to me again (literally! he chirps and purrs and purrts and trills) but he was so sore, he couldn't even jump onto the couch. He tapped my legs, and leaned on my knees, asking to be lifted. He still can't crouch at the food dish, just leans his head over the dish.

I'll update again this evening after we've been to the vet.
Thanks for the words of encouragment everyone. They're greatly appreciated.


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

We are back from the vet... our kitties plight is indeed puzzling ! 

The vet felt him all over, and says that she can't feel that "lump" that she felt last week. *WHEW* It must have been a knot in the muscle. She was perplexed that the Prednisone really didn't seem to help at all. She said it tends to be a great "cure-all" for a wide variety of ails. Even my manager at work is on Prednisone ! He said after one dose he felt a huge difference ! And another co-worker told me her mother stayed alive on it for years. I had hoped it would work so well for Oran, but it hasn't. 

So... the vet said that since it seemed to work for a day or so, they would give him another shot, as well as a shot of another kind of anti-inflammatory and painkiller. Tomorrow we are taking him back to the clinic and he is going to spend the day there. The vet is going to take more x-rays, as it definitely is his right leg and hip that is hurting him. Then she is going to give him acupuncture ! They'll monitor his progress through the afternoon after the acupuncture. 

So, it's been 4 visits in nearly 2 weeks, and we still don't know what is wrong. The clinic is not even going to charge us for the acupuncture. It's experimental as we don't have a diagnosis. 

My other kitty is going to be so lonely tomorrow without his big brother ! He's never been all alone all day. When we brought Oran home this evening, Laochan licked Oran on top of his head like he was giving him little kisses !

By the way - in my picture Oran is on the left: the big fluffy grey tabby and Laochan is the little black and white guy. Respectively, they're nicknames are Boogie (as in Sugar Boogar) and Boo Boo (as in Boo Boo Bear) :heart


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## jaxmom (Mar 14, 2005)

*strange limping*

My cat has the exact same thing since March 4. The vet gave him an anti-inflammatory (it did nothing) then pain killers (they did not help either). He is going in for XRays tomorrow morning. When I read about Oran, it sounded like you were describing my Jax. I too cry constantly seeing him hurting so bad. I don't have any idea how this happened to him. He does not go outside & we have no other animals.


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## lolakitty23 (Aug 17, 2004)

jaxmom, I'm sorry to read that you are going through this as well. Hopefully yours and oransmom's cases may atleast help each other. Please do keep us updated after you've been to the vet. <hugs to you and your kitty>


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## jaxmom (Mar 14, 2005)

*strange limping*

Jax & I just got back from the Vet. He has a torn cruciale ligament in his right back leg. His Xray shows his left hip has a slightly abnormal coxofemoral joint & his limping is not helping this. I have to make a appointment with an orthopod surgeon so he can be evaluated. Surgery may be needed if the ligament is very bad. He has a lot of pain after what he went thru today. He blood work was very good & his heart is excellent. So I feel a little better knowing what it is. I hope he does not need surgery but if it will eleviate the pain, we will do it.


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

Well, it was a big day for my Boogie. 

We dropped him off at the clinic this morning before work, and picked him up after work. A set of x-rays were taken this morning, concentrating on the right side (the side that hurts), they've discovered that it looks like the bone is dying off at the head of the femur. Meaning: he may have a dengenerative bone disease.  

Still not positive, that this is what they were seeing, as they had trouble extending his back legs because he was in pain, they gave him another shot of the painkiller he had last night (which seemed to be the best thing so far - although his pupils were so dilated I know he was really high!) and did a second set of x-rays. The vet is now sending off his x-rays to a specialist at the Atlantic Vet. College in Prince Edward Island to have them examine them, and confirm (or not) his condition. Our vet says she has never seen this disease in cats, only in small dogs. She says we should hear back by late Thursday or Friday from the specialist. If this is what Oran has, then the vet says there is an orthopaedic surgeon that travels around vet clinics in our area, and he can perform the surgery in which they basically cut off the end of the bone. The vet says this works very well in cats, and that the muscles grow in around the bone and componsate for the loss. 

I am so sad. I hate the thoughts of my kitty having surgery, but if it will help him, I will do anything. It scares me so bad though. 

Has anyone heard of anything like this ? I wish I could remember the name of the degenerative process, but I can't.

jaxmom - I'm glad to hear that you've finally figured out what is wrong with your kitty. Were they able to tell you how Jax tore the ligament ? Hopefully the damage is not great, and you won't need surgery.


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## jaxmom (Mar 14, 2005)

*strange limnping*

The vet said it is like a sports injury. Jax must have moved the wrong way very suddenly. I have been looking up the cruciate ligament & it looks pretty awful. I just hope this surgeon is very knowledgable.
Best wishes, I know what you are going thru.


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

We're still waiting to hear back from the Vet College in PEI. Hopefully today. In the meantime, Oran is on torbutrol (sp?) as a painkiller, and is still taking the Prednisone. He's still himself in personality, and eats great and uses the litterbox. It gives me hope that he's not depressed or frustrated. He just can't walk properly at the moment. He chats to me, and purrs constantly when we're together, he's my boy ! :love2 

I'd like to add how impressed I still am with my vet's clinic. They called me yesterday to confirm that we picked up Oran's painkiller (they didn't have in an oral dose, and since it seemed to help him the most when they administered by needle, they called all around Halifax and Dartmouth looking for another clinic with some). They wanted to make sure that the other clinic had put the proper instructions on the bottle, and the correct dose (1mg). Excellent follow-up ! And the Dr. wanted to know how Oan was feeling. This clinic is actually about a 20-25 minute drive from where I live, and there are um-teen clinics in between our house and their clinic, but it's worth it ! They are superb !


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## jaxmom (Mar 14, 2005)

*strange limping*

Jax has an appointment on Wed to see about surgery. They tell me it is extremely rare for a cruciate ligament to heal on its own. This is all so new to me. I think I will post a question to see if anyone else has experience with this.


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

Whew ! We know what it is !
The head of the femur is actually broken - the radiologist said it's a clean fracture, and there is no underlying sickness that would cause it to break easier ! It's not great news, but it's better than the disease they thought it was (aseptic necrosis). So, we are booking him for surgery next week to have the piece of broken bone removed. Poor kitty, he still has a rough go if it ahead of him, but at least we know what's wrong now.


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## BoscosMum (Apr 29, 2004)

WOW! 
I am sorry  
I am glad you have a solution now!


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## Feral Fan (Feb 9, 2005)

Your poor boy, he's been through so much! Cats really can hang in there can't they, very stoic. If my femur was broken everyone and their dog would know it I'm sure... what a brave boy you have! I hope everything goes well for him. At least you know what you are up against now.


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## lolakitty23 (Aug 17, 2004)

That's so good that you have a diagnosis, now! And it's even better because it's not a disease, but something that can hopefully be fixed and will heal and he'll get better! This is such good news. The next few weeks are going to be tough, but I know you all will get through it! What a brave little guy!


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

8O How come this wasn't diagnosed on the initial xrays?

I am glad you eventually got to the bottom of his problems, though I'm just sorry this wasn't sorted much earlier....

Keep us updated on his progress.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

emma_pen said:


> How come this wasn't diagnosed on the initial xrays?


I've just been lurking here watching this thread, and frankly that's what's got me puzzled, too, after hearing the diagnosis.


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

The first set of x-rays, Oran was in so much pain they had a hard time positioning him properly. Also, his bladder and intestines were full, almost blocking the view of that part of his hip. I actually saw those x-rays. 

The second set of x-rays I did not see, but both vets at the clinic looked at them, and were not convinced that that's what was wrong. They were suspicious that it was fracture, but the fact that's it's a clean break made them doubt it, as he's an indoor cat, so young, and that he didn't all of sudden seem in pain. He was stiff for a few days, then had a little limp, and then got progressively worse. They thought if it was a fracture, then it would have been painful right away. It all seemed to make sense to me too. I still don't remember him falling from anywhere, but it's possible I was at work when it happened... maybe he fell down the flight of stairs, maybe he jumped straight from the top of the fridge to the floor... we'll never know. 

The surgeon says that cats recover remarkabley well from such a procedure. The muscles grow in around where the little piece of bone is removed, and he says we'll never know Oran had a limp! He says it takes up to 2 weeks or sometimes a little more for to be comfortable again after the surgery. Poor little guy, he's big and fluffy, he'll look so sad with a big bald patch shaved on his back end ! The thoughts of surgery scare me, but if it's going to make him better, then I'll have to get over that. 

Our quote from the surgeon was $600-700.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

It's good to hear the prognosis is so good!!


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## Lynda J (Sep 8, 2004)

Have a question. How much does Oran weigh? My brothers cat had almost the same thing. He weighed about 24 lbs. When my brother had to go into a nursing home and I took over care of Tiggie, I put him on weight control food and he is now down to 17lbs. He walks so much better. He had gotten to the point he couldn't jump up or down on things and could hardly walk. He can now jump anywhere he wants and does. 
It's just that comparing the two cats Oran looks really big.


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

Little history on Oran:
He was one of 4 kittens brought in to our clinic's SOS program in September/October of 2003. The lady adopted the mother from another clinic in the area, and thinking they saw a scar on her belly, they thought she was fixed, and adopted her out. The lady returned several weeks later, and informed them that her cat had kittens ! She told them the litter was born on July 29th. So, that clinic called around, and found that our clinic would take the litter. When the kittens arrived, the resident vet was not in. When she did come in, she said the kittens were so big, she thought the lady had lied about their age and that really they were much older. Upon examination (teeth etc.) she realized they were just big kittens ! 

Along we came along October 15...just days before my birthday on the 18th. I picked out Oran (just he and his sister were left of the litter) and we merrily went on our way. I did notice that those kittens were bigger then the others in the kennels, but just thought he was older.

Taking him back to the vet several weeks later for his scheduled boosters, Oran weighed in just shy of 6 pounds - big boy for only 4 months old ! He was weighed in this October for his annual shots, and was just over 13 pounds. I would guess maybe he weighs a little more than that now. He seems to still be maturing. 

He has a little hangey-belly, but he's certainly not fat. And the vet has never told us he is overweight. Our other cat is now about 10 months old, and I would say he isn't over 7 pounds. I would guess he's about finished growing, but he will never be as big as Oran. When I come home, Oran likes to stretch up and hug my leg (although he can't do that now) and the tips of his claws sink into the top of my hipbones ! I am 5'8" and I wear a 34" inseam in my pants. He's long and tall ! His characteristics are just like those of a Maine ****. On his body, the longest part of his hair (armpits and britches) is 3.5" long, maybe closer to 4"

So, in saying, I don't think his problems are weight related....


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

Ah, I didn't realise that Oran didn't have a full anaesthetic for his original xrays...in which case - yes, it would have been impossible to position him in any other way than lateral, where you would see the femoral heads clearly. 

Well, good luck Oran for surgery! All will improve once he has the femoral head excision. I cannot think what kind of trauma could snap off a young cats femoral head though, without there being some sort of problem with the bone itself...


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

This is like a bad-dream.

Oran was scheduled for surgery yesterday for a femural head excision.
We left him at the clinic on our way to work, and the surgeon was coming early afternoon. I was worried all weekend because he wasn't eating very much, and not drinking at all. Around 2:30, the vet called and said Oran was already anaesthetized, and the surgeon had felt something odd on Oran's left side now, and they did another x-ray. There is now bone missing on the left side that was NOT missing in the x-rays 2 weeks ago. The vet needed to know if we wanted to go on with the surgery. I said yes. She said they were going to do bloodwork, and if anything abnormal showed up, the surgery would be stopped. The surgeon said the femoral head, when it came out, looked just like Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease, which he (and the radiologist at the Vet College) had only seen in small dogs. So, if that's what it is, that's kind of OK, because it only affects the femoral heads, no other bones, and they can safely and successfully remove the other femoral head. However, if in 2 weeks time, more bone shows up missing somewhere else, the vet said we are going to have tougher decisions to make. 

I don't know what to do with myself. We've left Laochan at my mother's so Oran would have a few days of quiet after the surgery. They kept him at the clinic last night, and we are hoepfully going to pick him up later this morning. My house is disturbingly quiet without my boys, and I'm just distraught thinking about poor Oran. His new x-rays have gone back to the AVC (Atlantic Vet College) to be looked at again. 

HAS ANYONE EVER HEARD OF LEGG-CALVE-PERTHES DISEASES IN CATS ??????


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## Lynda J (Sep 8, 2004)

Sending big HUGS for all of you. And lots of prayers


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

I am really sorry things are getting more complicated. It would be a good idea to invest in a crate and vetbed for Oran coming home, as with both femurs being affected he is going to need a lot of rest and will probably have difficulties getting around for a while. Your vet will probably recommend that he gets at least a month of strict cage rest.

I have seen LCV disease in small dogs, but theres no reason why it can't affect cats as well, though it certainly seems rare. Every dog I have seen with the disease has recovered really well with the correct post-op care, and go on to live a pain free life.

Good luck, Oran, I really hope that this will solve his problems and the it is just LCV and not another bone degenerative disease.


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

So, it's been quite a week.

Oran spent the first night after the operation at the clinic, so he could rest a bit. We picked him up the next morning just before noon. All the women in the clinic have fallen in love with him since this saga has begun.... all 3 techs, both vets, and the receptionist all came in the back with us to see how he's doing and talk about his recovery. They were petting him, and cooing to him and generally think he's a very handsome man... everything I already knew ! 

I was pretty shocked when I first saw him. His leg and side are all shaved back to his tail. There is a 3.5 or 4" incision, and big stitches. He had a big red band-aid around his front leg where the IV was. Very sad looking. But the girls all said he had used the litterbox twice, and eaten after his surgery. 

We brought him home, and I had already spent the evening before making a little blanket bed in the living room, with food and water beside it, and the kitten-sized litterbox. We open his kennel next to all of this, and he very promptly stood up and followed me to the kitchen !!! Every day he amazes me more ! He's walking SO well !! He doesn't have much of an appetite, but I know when I take antibiotics they make me queasy. So, he's been eating mostly Fancy Feast (as a treat for the patient!) and whatever I can convince him to eat. I've been worried about his fluid intake, so I've drained all the water off a can of tuna, and let him drink that. Finally today(Sunday) he seems to have a bit more of an appetite, eating 3/4 of a can of Fancy Feast for breakfast, when all week he only licked up the gravy, if anything. 

He's even used the litterbox at least once each day... going right to his usual box, not the little kitten one ! He's happy too, purring and leg-rubbing as long as he has the energy. He spends the rest of the day sleeping. I'm amazed at his recovery ! 

Our other cat came home Friday night (had been staying at my Mum's), and they seem to be doing fine together. I know the little guy missed Oran. 

I was pretty emotional the first few days. Really nervous. In fact, I hardly ate anything all week either. Just too anxious and worried. I'm still worried about having to go through this all a second time with an operation on the other side, but this time I will know what to expect, and seeing how it's improved his mobility, I'll feel maybe a little less scared about it. However, I still have that nagging worry that this is not Legge-Calve-Perthes disease, but something more serious (and fatal). I'm really hoping that our vet will have heard back from the vet college early this week. I know there was a conference this weekend for our provincial vet's association, so I imagine my boy was talked about ! 

On a side note, the surgeon had quoted to our vet that the cost of the surgery would be $600-700. When we picked Oran up, our vet explained that they realized that we hadn't anticipated the extra x-rays and bloodwork before Oran's surgery, so they would only charge us the lower quote. She arranged for us to pay for half at that time, and then the rest could be payed off as we were able to, so long as we made a payment every thirty days. And she said if we need to have the second operation, they would just add it to our tab. Again, through all this, our vet has been so compassionate, and caring, and everyone at the clinic has been SO nice ! What a difference these small comforts make. 

If I can figure out how to post photos, I will.


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

the day he came home  











** EDIT ** I think I've figured how to properly post pics now.... it was only a thumbnail image before....


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

It's so good to hear he's doing better, and you have got a great vet!!  

I couldn't find the pic you posted in your gallery, so it must not have posted yet, but when it does, when you click on the pic to the get full-size image, scroll down to the bottom of the page and copy the text in the "UBBCode" box. Paste that in your post. (I tried just deleting the "-thumb" from the URL in the properties, but got a "page not found" error)


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## clarissa (Aug 18, 2004)

edit - oops i couldn't get it to work either


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

:?: Maybe a mod can tell us why there's no -med file for that image. :?:


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

Glad to hear Oran is doing so well, cats do have amzing recovery times, don't they? I would still keep him very quiet, despite how well he seems to be coping - don't let him jump up on anything and confine him when you aren't at home, just to prevent him doing any harm to himself in the healing process.

Good luck!


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

Wow - Oran is so amazing ! He's so happy and loveable, just a little bald !

Finally, yesterday, he started eating his dry food again. Things are getting back to normal. He walks so much better, he's eating, he uses the litterbox fine, and "knock on wood" he hasn't touched his stitches. He's *so* much braver than I am ! 

Our vet called me this morning to chat. She had sent away a piece of the bone that they removed to a pathologist (and the clinic is covering the cost ! they rock !). The pathologist said that it looks to him like it is a fracture along the growth plate, which is not consistent with Legge-Calve-Perthes disease. AND....there was no infection or cancer in it ! Yippee !!

We still don't know what that means for his left leg/hip, but our vet wants to monitor it, and do another set of x-rays in a month, and see what's going on then. In the meantime, Oran is scheduled to have his stitches removed on Monday. 

It's sad how many people suggested "putting him down" to me when this all started. I didn't even consider it, and now I think "ha" - when I see how great he's doing ! Sometimes people jump to that "solution" too quickly. My cats are part of my family, and get treated as such. 

I'm feeling very good today after hearing this good news from the vet !


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

Big day yesterday - Oran had his stitches out ! It's been 2 weeks since the operation, and he has full mobility back, just not all of the strength (he can't jump up onto the couch yet, but he walk up and down the stairs fine).

We saw a different vet yesterday - the owner of the clinic, Dr. Steele. We learned that she's been following Oran's case very closley (even visited with him the night he had his surgery). She was a really nice lady. Turns out, she is on maternity leave, and is only working part time, and the vet we have been seeing (Dr. Fisher) is actually a vet friend of hers filling in for her while she's on leave. Dr. Fisher is away this week, and Dr. Steele said that no doubt we would hear from her next week when she came back because she's anxious to hear how her little buddy is doing ! 

As we were near to the end of our visit, I casually mentioned that it would be interesting to see if any of Oran's siblings appeared at the clinic with similar symptoms. Dr. Steele then told me that she had already gone through their records, searched out the other litter-mates and called them! She had managed to get ahold of 2 out of 3 (the third has moved). Amazing follow-up on behalf of our clinic ! 

So, in the end, it's been a fracture along the growth-plate. Why, we still aren't sure, as his bones should have been hardened by this stage, but possibly, he is just finishing developing, and fell on his back legs and suffered this trauma. We're going to have another set of x-rays done in a month, just to monitor the left hip/leg, and hopefully we are in the clear. 

On our way out, we passed by the technician, who opened up Oran's carrier and gave him hugs and pets! The girls gushed over him ! 

I would like to extend to the clinic my *enormous* thanks for their compassion and care. They have been absolutely AMAZING through it all. But I don't know how ! A card doesn't seem like enough, but what else could I do ? Any suggestions ?


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Why don't you give them a link to this thread? (along with, say, a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates) 8)


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

It's great to hear Oran is doing so well, I'm really glad!

The best thing I've ever recieved at work was something different; an enormous basket of gorgeous fresh fruit! It was displayed beautifully and there was loads there, and it was just nice to get something a little different! 

Ems


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## oransmom (Sep 24, 2004)

Thanks to all for their advice and kind words over the last few weeks. It's really been appreciated. 

I've finally learned how to upload photos properly ! I've updated the photo I posted a few replies ago, but which had only come up as a thumbnail. It's now "normal" sized. It shows Oran the morning after his surgery when we brought him home. The red thing on his forearm is a bandage they put on after his IV came out. 

This is a picture of Oran about a week after...notice the tabby pattern on his skin !? I had always known that a cats skin matched the hair colour (like a leopards skin is spotted, and a tigers is stiped), but I didn't really how stunning it actually is... and **soft** too.


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## lydelia (Mar 29, 2005)

I just finished reading this post from beginning to end and I have to say what a beautiful boys you have and what wonderful vets you have. I am so glad that he is doing better.


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## Lynda J (Sep 8, 2004)

Such a handsome young man. Glad things are working out.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

That's interesting about the skin. I didn't know that before.


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