thread: URGENT - Cat with giant paw

  1. #1

    Nov 2007
    Earth
    4,434

    URGENT - Cat with giant paw

    One of our kittens has a giant paw, we only noticed a couple of hours ago. He was quite happy to walk on it, let us touch it, it didn't seem to cause him pain. But now the leg appears swollen, and he limps when he's walking and raises the leg off the ground when he's standing.

    I don't want to sound callous, but its going to cost us a LOT of money to take him to the emergency vet, as there's only 1 in Perth that I know of. We can take him to a vet tomorrow at 9:30, but I guess I'm looking for some kind of assurance that he won't die overnight.

    Has anyone else been through this, has anyone got any idea??

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Oct 2006
    home sweet home.
    1,995

    If it is getting worse by the hour then I think it is really risky to leave it over night. It sounds like an infection and the last thing you want is for it to turn nasty. Can you give the 24 hr vet a call and explain your situation? They may be able to help you over the phone or at least tell you how much it will cost.

    Spring xx

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Jul 2009
    Ormeau
    1,028

    Give the vet a call. Explain to them that you can't afford the fees to bring him in overnight unless its a huge emergency. Don't worry about shame I've done this before, most people think twice about going to the vet, its stupidly expensive! Tell them what's happening and ask them to tell you what you need to look for to say that kitten is getting bad. They should tell you, if they don't call the RSPCA, they might be able to tell you.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Jul 2007
    melb
    8,498

    I would call vet and have a chat.

    Could he have been bitten by snake or spider?

    Hope all is ok.

    xoxo

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Jul 2007
    melb
    8,498

    I would call vet and have a chat.

    Could he have been bitten by snake or spider?

    Hope all is ok.

    xoxo

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Jan 2009
    pakenham, victoria
    3,660

    my dogs face swelled up like a balloon when she was stung by a bee, could it have been playing with one?? FWIW it only cost me about $30 for a quarterzone shot.
    U wouldnt think twice about taking ur child to the doctors, i understand its expensive but thats the responsibilty of having animals unfortunately

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Jul 2004
    5,756

    At the very least give the vet a call. I don't want to sound harsh or scare you but my dog had a massive lump in her throat. I waited until the next day to take her to the vet but she died through the night.

  8. #8
    Platinum Member. Love a friend xxx

    Mar 2008
    Perth, WA
    1,225

    Murdoch University Vet Clinic works late but I don't have their number. It'll be online.

    The Perth 24 Hour Vet Clinic (Balcatta??? Not 100% where) is 9345 4644.

    Def go to a vet...if it gets too swollen it may cut off the circulation to the rest of the leg.

  9. #9

    Nov 2007
    Earth
    4,434

    Thanks for all your responses ladies

    So we went to take him to the vet. We don't have a cat transporter, so with our other two we've always just been able to wrap them in a towel and one of us holds them and pats them. Not Jubal, because he's the psycho cat! So DH picks him up, patting him which Jubal's loving, until he realises there's an ulterior motive. He's scratched DH badly all down one side, and then disappeared down the back of the block. Long story short, we just can't get him in the car, no matter what we use to try to contain him, and even if we managed it, it's a 30 min drive to the vet hospital, minimum.

    So we're gonna keep a really close eye on him tonight, take it in turns to sleep, and take him to a vet first thing tomorrow. If he gets worse tonight, hopefully it'll make him dopey enough that we can actually transport him. In the meantime though, he's still chasing things and being as flambunctious as normal, he's just slowed slightly by his paw. Hopefully that means it's just a small cut with some minor swelling that will be gone by morning, I would think that if it were a bite his mood would be affected wouldn't it?

    I hope I didn't upset anyone with my callousness - I'm not a cat person, they're DH's pets, I don't compare them to children. Having said that, I think I would be pretty upset if anything happened overnight, I was just saying to DH today that Jubal's pretty cool

  10. #10
    Platinum Member. Love a friend xxx

    Mar 2008
    Perth, WA
    1,225

    PM me with your suburb...we might be able to lend you are carrier if you're not too far away from us. It would probably make the undertaking a lot easier!

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Sep 2008
    Perth
    593

    Morning!

    Hope Jubal got some rest and the swelling has calmed down. How is he going?

  12. #12

    Nov 2007
    Earth
    4,434

    Oh sorry Amanda, I didn't check the thread again till now We're in Kelmscott.

    Well, Jubal seems all better this morning! The swellings gone down almost completely, he's not favoring it anymore - I even just watched him run up to his favorite platform on the giant cat tower. We may buy a transporter today, we need one anyway, and take him to the local vet to get checked out just in case. But alls looking pretty good!

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Apr 2010
    1,118

    for a quarterzone shot.
    Just popping in to nitpick - cortisone!

  14. #14
    BellyBelly Member

    Oct 2004
    Cairns QLD
    5,471

    Sounds like he probably was stung by a bee or something. Personally if it was fine today I wouldn't had bothered taking him for a check over.
    If it had been an infection from a wound then it would have been painful & he wouldn't have let you poke & prod at it.