Cat with back injury?

Question

I have a cat that has according to a vet... nerve damage around the bladder due to either being kicked or hit. The first few days the cat couldnt walk at all but now it runs upstairs like a kitten, She is 14 years old and because of the damage to her back, the nerves around her bladder stop her from peeing properly, instead she just dribbles and there is no sign of it getting better. She has had two jabs from the vet, the vet said if it was his cat he would have it put to sleep as there is too much work to do looking after and cleaning up. The vet also said that he has seen a lot of cats with the same problem who have fully recovered in 2-4 months.

If there is anyone out there with good soild advice on what to do, whether to put her to sleep or keep her going, please give any advice you can. The work is getting harder and harder to cope with.

Answer 1

The story you give here is very suspicious because the veterinarian's "diagnosis" doesn't appear to be made from good professional examination, testing, and thorough workups. The nerves that control walking and use of the tail are lower on the spine than the nerves that control bowels and bladder. The fact that the cat can walk shows that the nerves lower on the spine are functional. There are other things that can cause the symptoms that you describe and again, the "kicked or hit" theory doesn't fit the actual symptoms very well at all!

It is possible that the cat has more than one problem at the same time. One thing could have caused the cat's problem in walking (cats can have such things as strokes for instance, just as people do) and another (such as cystitis, infection, diabetes, tumors, or kidney failure, just to name a few possibilities) could be causing the urinary problem. Kidney problems are very common in old cats. If for some reason, a cat has retained urine and not peed for a long time, the bladder can also become temporarily unable to work normally for a few days. I once had that happen with the first truly feral cat I ever rescued, who didn't urinate for two days. Vet exam and bladder catheterization proved she didn't have any kind of urinary problem. Because of the long time of holding urine, the cat's bladder had been overdistended and the cat was incontinent for the next few days. It turned out that the cat's problem was that she didn't know what litter was and was trying to be clean. Giving the cat a box of potting soil and mixing litter with it and gradually converting her to litter and waiting for her bladder to regain control solved the problem within a few days time.

Cats I've seen who were incontinent because of nerve damage from injuries, were totally paralyzed in the rear end and the incontinence was because the bladder became too full and overflowed. When those cats had their bladders manually emptied regularly, there was no dribbling.

Is your cat a house cat? (a cat of that age most likely would be a house cat, few cats living outside ever survive so long).
If your cat is in the house, you should have an idea of what (if anything) possibly could have injured the cat.

By two "jabs" do you mean injections? If so, the vet should have told you what drugs were being injected or what for. (Most likely they were steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, but its wise to always ask and the vet should be willing to tell you what he is doing and why, whether its running tests or giving medications, etc.)

One big thing that will help you maintain the cat is to confine her to a large varikennel crate (the large 500 size makes a good cage for a sick or debilitated cat. Its large enough to easily hold a small litterpan, food, water, and has space for the cat to move around, and is very easy to clean.) Clipping the cat's coat short on her rear will help, and applying desitin or vaseline or other protective skin coating will help minimize skin irritation from urine burns. A crate can be lined with newspaper or other absorbent material and changed as needed. There are also large cages made specifically for cats.

A huge list of veterinary articles on urinary problems in cats
http://www.vetinfo4cats.com/caturinary.html

This is an article about urinary incontinence in cats, treatments and ways to manage a variety of urinary problems.
http://www.celiahaddon.co.uk/pet%20problems/disabled/catincontinence.html
Excerpts from this article...
Sometimes this incontinence is the overflowing of a bladder that is full. Then it is possible to learn how to express the urine which will stop the incontinence Get your vet to demonstrate.
"Hold the cat on its litter tray, facing away from you, place the palms of your hands either side of its bladder, which you can feel like a soft distended balloon. Press your palms gently but firmly towards each other in a forward direction". Or you can do it from the other way round. "We have him facing us and squeeze from the back as demonstrated."
I was prepared to express Tiger's bladder for as long as it took and to fight to keep him alive. Within about two and a half weeks of his accident, he was able to urinate on his own."


This newsletter has a good article on managing senior citizen cats.
http://www.burlingtonvet.com/newsletter.php

Information on urinary problems and treatments
http://maxshouse.com/diseases_of_the_lower_urinary_tr.htm
http://courses.vetmed.wsu.edu/vm552/urogenital/micturit.htm

Site of animals with disabilities, including stories of incontinent cats successfully kept.
http://www.petswithdisabilities.org/archive03.html


It seems to me it was kind of wrong for the vet to say if it was his cat, he would euthanize it. Most vets give treatment options, state facts about each, and don't advocate euthanasia unless specifically asked. or unless the case is one where there's no other compassionate option available.

Answer 2

I've seen quite a few cats with urination/defecation problems due to tail injuries. They often never recover, and I've only met one owner who was willing to keep her cat alive knowing that it would dribble urine for the rest of its life.

I don't know WHAT I would do if in your position. I don't think it was that great of the vet to say what he would do - irrelevant to your decision really. He should have just given you the straight facts of what to expect and allowed you to make your decision based on that. It is true that this condition doesn't really clear up - if nerves are damaged they can't be fixed and they don't usually fix themselves. I think the vet was saying that when these sorts of problems don't clear up within 2-4 months then they're never going to.

Now it's up to you whether you feel you want to carry on coping with this or not. You could find a second opinion, maybe try to find a vet who may have had some success with managing this problem who can at least give you more support. Maybe you could even try looking into homeopathic or holistic remedies.

Feel free to email me for further support, you're facing a very difficult decision. You need to decide a) whether the cat still has a good quality of life and b) if you can cope with the demands of looking after her. If the answer is no to both, put to sleep would certainly be the option. If the answer is yes to a) but no to b), perhaps you could look in to rehoming her. Ring around shelters and charities, there are fosterers that exist that are used to coping with infirm animals.

Chalice

Answer 3

She really does need to go to a vet ASAP. You are right that if she isn't bleeding and has been walking around for three days that her biggest problem is infection. If the wound is that deep, ifection is a BIG problem, and if she gets alittle one it could kill her very quickly, and she probably has already been exposed to a lot. Don't let her outside until you get to a vet. Call around and see if there are any vets that will do house calls or if you have anyone willing to transport her or loan you the money if thats the problem. Yes,, the trip to the vet is going to be stessful, but without a trip to the vet I really don't see a cat with a gaping wound like that lasting too long. ADDITION: THere must be another way to get a ride. A cab is an option, but make sure you ask your mom before taking moeny. Call the vet and see if anyone there can give you a ride. I don't advocate getting a ride from complete strangers, but if there is anyone you trust call and beg a ride. If it doesn't work out, just get her to the vet when you can. I understand that this may not work, but you really can't do much other than try and keep her from hetting it too dirty and keep her comfortable until you can get her to the vet. ADDITION: Don't put ANYTHING on it without calling the vet first. You should find the number and just call and see what they say if you can't get there. Don't cover it or use neosporin unless they tell you.

Answer 4

that is so sad

the main reason you would keep your cat going,
is if her quality of life was good .

if she was laying around in pain and sor, from being soiled,
i would gather her up and take her to the vet,
to give her your last kindness and put her out of her misery .

HOWEVER !

If she is eating and drinking and enjoying getting around
i would do, whatever i could,
to keep her comfortable and alive .

I know how much work , is involved,
but it is possible that if you can persevere for a month or two she may regain some bladder control.

I has an elderly dog who spent his last year, in nappies
( small pampers).

I really don't know, if your cat would tolerate you using them on her . ( cats value thier dignity !)

Dilute white vinegar 50% water rubbed into soiled carpets and furniture will help to disperse the smell .And will not harm your cat .

Which ever option you decide is best for your lovely cat ,
i kinow she will understand and be forever grateful .

she is very lucky,
to own, such an understanding and loving person
all best

>^,,^<

Answer 5

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RE:
Cat with back injury?
I have a cat that has according to a vet... nerve damage around the bladder due to either being kicked or hit. The first few days the cat couldnt walk at all but now it runs upstairs like a kitten, She is 14 years old and because of the damage to her back, the nerves around her bladder stop her...

Answer 6

well, it depends, if you cat seems fit and healthy other wise and she isn't in any pain give her a few months to see if she does recover.
is it possible to buy cat diapers or something.
is it possible to put her in an area that isn't carpeted or maybe buy some picnic blankets with rubber backing on them and put them around the house so you can take them out and clean them then bring them back in.

I hope she does get better if not you may have to think about having her put to sleep, it will be a hard thing to do but sometimes the hardest things are the best and kindest things to do

Answer 7

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Answer 8

give her some more time to recover from it, just like us they take time to fully heel. And the vert said it takes 2-4months to fully recover.

Never ever put a cat to sleep just because its to much work for YOU looking after her, putting her to sleep because of that is just horrible, getting a cat is the same as having a child your in it for the long run, just because things get hard and messy at times doesnt mean you should get rid of it. If you cant deal with things getting hard then you shouldnt get a cat or any other animals to start with.

She isnt in any pain so she isnt suffering because of it and she is still enjoying herself from what you said, then why take that all away from her and basically kill her (which is what it is) just because its to much work for you!!!!

Answer 9

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Answer 10

If it were my cat, and I'd had it for 14 years, I would feel bound to give her a fighting chance. If you can, give her another few months. This may involve confining her to one room with an easy clean floor, but at least if there's no improvement you can be happy you've done all you can.
Good luck, I hope she starts improving.