Any Veterinarians Out There? I Need Help.
NOT FOR U IF YOU GET SQUEEMISH!
Ok I need some advice....
Yesterday I found a kitten. I stopped my car thinking she was dead, gonna move her out of the road. She kicked her legs and popped her head up. She hadn't been hit! But I knew there was something severely wrong with her. I picked her up and brought her home with me. First, she had a collar that was way too tight so I removed it, it had been clawed at and frayed to peices anyway. I noticed a hole in her neck, looked closely and realized there were maggots in it. I shaved it and removed the maggots and there was also a HUGE one in there (think it was a "warble") and my husband and I removed it as well. We rinsed the hole with peroxide and have been keeping a check every 2 hrs for anymore maggots to surface - there have been none. I've also put neosporin on it twice. I gave her a flea bath and then later last night, I noticed another 2 holes. One in her leg and one in the fold between her leg and abdomen area. I had to manually remove maggots from them as well, rinsed with peroxide, then put neosporin. Those two holes are closed today. The one is her neck was pretty big, but it is healing quite well evenhough it isn't closed yet. I've tried looking her over for more holes, but haven't found any. She doesn't want me to lift her tail though. She growls and twitches when I do it. It stays very wet around her vaginal/anal area. There were 2 maggots under her tail I can't find any wounds. I did pour peroxide and it bubbles like crazy all over under there.
She maybe weighs a pound soaking wet. She has no muscles and her head is fixed in a sideways position, probably due to the warble/maggots. Her balance is off and she is very weak. She has fallen in her food bowl trying to eat. She looks terrible. I have no doubt in my mind that when she laid down before I found her, she would've never gotten back up.
Since she hasn't wanted to drink anything at all, I got a kitten bottle and some kitten formula and have been bottle feeding her. This should keep her hydrated along with giving her some much needed nutrients.
I know all of this sounds really REALLY bad, but I don't want to give up on her. If there is a vet or a vet tech that can give me some advice, I would more than appreciate it. I've recently spent a ton of money on vet bills with another cat. I absolutely cannot afford anymore vet bills. My local shelter will just put her down. I don't have the heart to do that.
Bright side:
She has been eating like crazy today. Yesterday she wouldn't do it. She has also walked around (just a little bitty bit). And, she PURRRED today! I was holding her and bottle feeding her and she kept purring in between swallows. It made me feel great. At least if she dies, she won't die alone. She knows she has someone there that cares and wants to help her make it :) Though it makes me cry to think about her not making it. I'm already attached. Sounds kinda pathetic, but I am such a weenie. I fall in love with animals, and it would break my heart if she didn't pull through.
What I need help with:
1) will the holes heal or close if there are maggots in there? I can't imagine the holes closing on top of them, so hopefully they are gone. I am almost certain that I got them all out, but I can't ever know for sure. I don't want to re-open the holes to check. And if there are some still in there, what harm could they do? They are supposed to vacate the body when they are finished feeding. Some websites say it takes up to 72 hrs.
2) Her paws and ears are cold. I am keeping her wrapped up with "HotHands". Not directly on her skin, of course, but i have them placed around her blanket. Does this mean her temp is below normal or is this a big issue for her to be so cold? She does shiver, but she may be nervous. I have 3 cats. They aren't bothering her but I can tell she is uneasy around them. This may be why she shivers. Or because she doesn't know me very well.
3) Is there anything else that I can be doing for her (that I can afford)? Please don't ridicule me about not being able to take her to a vet. I'm still on my payment plan from my cat with asthma.
4) I have an antibiotic (amoxicillan) that the vet perscribed me for one of my cats when he had a sinus infection. It is not expired. Will this help her fight off any infection? The dropper for my full grown cat was 1.0 so what dosage, if any, should I give the warble kitty? Keep in mind she is weak, small, and young.
If you all can help me, I will forever be in debt to u! I really want to save this kitty.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by M on -
This is just a random peroxide fact: due to the fact that it "bubbles" (O2), it actually sustains most aerobic bacteria instead of killing it. I always use Betadine (contraindicated if there is an allergy to iodine, shellfish, etc.) To use Betadine appropriately, you must apply it, then let it dry. It does its work as it dries. Just some advice.
Your kitty looks better already!
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Permalink Reply by Aimee Eisiminger on -
Wow Great Job!! I am a volunteer for the local shelters here in Columbia, SC and if you need any help please let me know. I will do what ever is in my power, you are truly a very good person to help this poor kitten. I know that our shelters here are also willing to help out in situations where money is an issue. Also most vets are pretty compassionate folks and would be hard pressed to make it hard on you if you are rescuing.
Keep up the good work!!
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Permalink Reply by scLovely on -
Aimee, please message me and let me know some info. My first step that I want to do is testing her for FeLV, etc. Not sure of the costs of things like that. If you know of any place that does that free or cheap, I'd love the info.
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Permalink Reply by Arcus on -
1. Perhaps, but maggots are usually a sign of necrotic tissue, which is a bad sign.
2. Shivering may be a fright or sickness response. In this case, probably the latter.
3. No.
4. It's a fairly common antibiotic. If no improvement after a week, take the animal to a vet.
I am not a vet, but i did grow up on a farm and have quite a bit of experience in veterinarian medicine, especially in small animals. Animal medicine is quite effective, and you really need to take the animal to one (there are a number which will take a look pro-bono animalia.). Most likely the vet will propose putting the animal down, which highly likely to be the most informed suggestion. Remember, in nature, the kitty would be torn to shreds and eaten - you are providing a humane alternative.
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Permalink Reply by scLovely on
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Maggie seems to be gaining strength day by day. I want to thank all of you for your kind words, they mean so much to me.
Her progress so far: She is walking around more and more each day but she still stumbles and tires easily. Her head is still tilted and her eyes are continuously dialated. She seems to enjoy human interaction -I caught her snuggling on the couch with her daddy- , all but one of her wounds have healed, and she has started eating dry cat food :) She still has diarrhea each time she uses the bathroom and she isn't even attempting to find the litterbox (it isn't fun scrubbing that out of my carpet ALL DAY LONG and cleaning it off of her because she falls in it every time) but at least it means she is eating enough to be able to poop! My 3 other cats are getting along with her well and she has purred some more since the last time. She doesn't do it much, but she can't even make noises or meow right now. I am sure that is because of the big hole in her neck and the parasites that ate away a ton of tissue.
All-in-all, I'd say I think she is going to make it! I am so glad!
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Permalink Reply by Merlin Mercer on -
Hahahaha, this has to be THE cutest picture ever! Maggie is awesome!
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Permalink Reply by athnam on -
Hi, Becky,
Another non-vet, here, but we have a zoo or farm of sorts (25+ animals plus 3 tanks), including 4 cats, so here's my 2 cents worth. I've had cats for over 25 years and recognize some of the symptoms you've mentioned, though most have multiple causes:
dilated eyes-(the eyes are dilated because the cat is blind-rarely reversable)
-taurine deficiency (poor diet)
-thiaminase deficiency (eating raw fish)
diarrhea
-changes in diet
-dairy products
-toxic plants
-kidney disease
-too many other reasons to mention
As far as the maggots go, I would have left them alone. I've heard of people leaving them in wounded horses, because they only eat dead flesh, and dead flesh is where bacteria grow. The maggots actually keep the wound clean and eat the bacteria that cause infection. Also, it would prevent the wound from closing up before healing, something cats' bodies tend to do--healing quickly on the outside before the inside has a chance, sealing in infection. That's why they get abcesses so easily.
The combination of wobbly walking, tiredness, dilated eyes, and diarrhea are also symptoms of antifreeze poisoning. But that usually kills animals within a week or less.
Like I said, I'm not a vet, and the cat is still alive! You must be doing a great job and I wish you the best of luck.
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Permalink Reply by scLovely on
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Wow thank you for the advice! I never knew that about antifreeze. If someone has done that to her and I find them, it will be a bad day for them. She is so sweet... even with all of these complications. I wish I could have found her before she ever got sick so she could be happy and healthy, but hopefully she is on her way to that now - she just needs a lot more TLC.
I've tried testing out her blindness. she sees other animals and sometimes hisses at them. She also can spot me and walk over. Maybe she isn't fully blind, but I don't think she can see near as well as she should.
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Permalink Reply by basement kitteh on -
Becky, I'd recommend feline FortiFlora for the diarrhea. When I got adopted by my kittens (one of which is blind), they had a runny stomach for a while, but FortiFlora fixed it really fast.It's some good bacteria for kitties stomachs, in powder form, and you just sprinkle it on top of the (wet) food they'd eat anyway. Our vet recommended that, especially as one of the kitties had a runny stomach because of the antibiotics he was on.
You can get some from Amazon, or I could send you a few packets (like a week's worth) in mail if you want to give it a try first. They should fit comfortably in an envelope... (PM me your address, and I'll get some in the mail today or tomorrow)
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Permalink Reply by Ron V on -
If you haven't already done so, give the cat some over the counter deworming medicine (PetSmart, local CoOp, etc.) and possibly some heartworm medicine (possibly local CoOp- I get my Ivermectin for my dogs at the local CoOp (the same vial as cattle Ivermectin) and give them 0.1cc/10# every month- I just don't know if this will work for kittens).
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