I am in a bit of a dilema here and am looking to you guys for some advice/help.
A little background - my foster cat Mindy came to me 7 wks ago, hit by a car after giving birth. (see this post for a little more history http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=134003 )
She's been walking around my daughters 12x12 room for about a week now after being released from her cage confinement. She's been walking fine other than the slight bowleggedness up until tonite. Suddenly now she is having trouble standing up. She stands for a few seconds, then lays right back down. Now, here is where I get confused.
1) I thought it might be her hip dislocated again, but she should be completely healed by now, there is really nothing high to jump on in my daughters room (bureau is way to high and my daughter's likes her mattress on the floor). Only thing is her computer chair and a low computer desk which Mindy has used. She seems to be in NO pain at all and when she lays back down, lays on top of the hip that had been previously repaired. I've touched the hip, moved her leg, no growling, or signs of pain.
2) Her stomach has been getting progressively bigger in the past week or so and she was going to the vet tomorrow to be spayed, vaccinated, and tested so I figured it might be worms and she'll be taken care of at that time if that's the case, but.....her stomach is hard to the touch and her nipples are huge. We "thought" she had just given birth when found, but I don't know why they thought that because we never did find the kittens. I don't know what the "symptoms" were to make them think that. So now I don't know if it's worms or kittens.
I've fostered a lot of litters, but I have yet to have an expectant mom (I always seem to get them like a few hours or days after they've given birth), so I'm a bit confused as to what this could be. She's been in my care for 53 days so pregnancy is possible. She is eating a lot, increasing slightly over the past week or so, but that could be worms or pregnancy - again - confusion
So, questions are - anyone with experience of dislocating hips or similar? Would she be exhibiting signs of pain? What would the symptons be?
Also, if she's been in my care for 53 days wouldn't her nipples be getting smaller if she had given birth that long ago? I thought that I had noticed in other moms them subsiding quite quickly.
Do stomachs on cats get "hard" with worms too?
She doesn't seem to be nesting, but she also isn't standing at all. I'm just frustrated and confused right now. Her spay appointment will not take place tomorrow and I will be making a vet trip instead, but can't call the vet till the morning. Spays for the rescue take place at one vet and she was vetted for her accident 7 weeks ago at another vet so I have to call. They are excellent and I can guarentee you she will be seen during the morning hours, but until then I'm just a little concerned.
I was wondering if it was a combination of both - pregnancy/worms and dislocating her hip again. Maybe due to the extra weight, she threw it out again. I just don't know what to do with her. It's very frustrating to see after 7 weeks of solid progress.
Any help or suggestions appreciated,
Thanks
A little background - my foster cat Mindy came to me 7 wks ago, hit by a car after giving birth. (see this post for a little more history http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=134003 )
She's been walking around my daughters 12x12 room for about a week now after being released from her cage confinement. She's been walking fine other than the slight bowleggedness up until tonite. Suddenly now she is having trouble standing up. She stands for a few seconds, then lays right back down. Now, here is where I get confused.
1) I thought it might be her hip dislocated again, but she should be completely healed by now, there is really nothing high to jump on in my daughters room (bureau is way to high and my daughter's likes her mattress on the floor). Only thing is her computer chair and a low computer desk which Mindy has used. She seems to be in NO pain at all and when she lays back down, lays on top of the hip that had been previously repaired. I've touched the hip, moved her leg, no growling, or signs of pain.
2) Her stomach has been getting progressively bigger in the past week or so and she was going to the vet tomorrow to be spayed, vaccinated, and tested so I figured it might be worms and she'll be taken care of at that time if that's the case, but.....her stomach is hard to the touch and her nipples are huge. We "thought" she had just given birth when found, but I don't know why they thought that because we never did find the kittens. I don't know what the "symptoms" were to make them think that. So now I don't know if it's worms or kittens.
I've fostered a lot of litters, but I have yet to have an expectant mom (I always seem to get them like a few hours or days after they've given birth), so I'm a bit confused as to what this could be. She's been in my care for 53 days so pregnancy is possible. She is eating a lot, increasing slightly over the past week or so, but that could be worms or pregnancy - again - confusion
So, questions are - anyone with experience of dislocating hips or similar? Would she be exhibiting signs of pain? What would the symptons be?
Also, if she's been in my care for 53 days wouldn't her nipples be getting smaller if she had given birth that long ago? I thought that I had noticed in other moms them subsiding quite quickly.
Do stomachs on cats get "hard" with worms too?
She doesn't seem to be nesting, but she also isn't standing at all. I'm just frustrated and confused right now. Her spay appointment will not take place tomorrow and I will be making a vet trip instead, but can't call the vet till the morning. Spays for the rescue take place at one vet and she was vetted for her accident 7 weeks ago at another vet so I have to call. They are excellent and I can guarentee you she will be seen during the morning hours, but until then I'm just a little concerned.
I was wondering if it was a combination of both - pregnancy/worms and dislocating her hip again. Maybe due to the extra weight, she threw it out again. I just don't know what to do with her. It's very frustrating to see after 7 weeks of solid progress.
Any help or suggestions appreciated,
Thanks