How strange - we think my new-ish kitten has limping kitten syndrome :o

scarlett 001

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My poor new rescue kitty, Gryffin!! I wrote a thread about his *left* leg limping issue yesterday. But when I woke up today his *right* leg was sore. I thought that I was losing my mind. Then I took him into vet clinic in a rush before they shut today for xmas - and we suspect limping kitten syndrome, although there is one other joint thing that it could be (so will treat for that too just to be careful).

I never even heard of limping kitten syndrome. Related to a calici virus. He was quarantined when first home for 2 weeks (he has been out with my other cats now for just over a week), I've known Gryffin at the place where I got him for many months and nothing like this was evident with the other cats - they are a healthy bunch. So either it was incubating and took time to appear (??), or it came from his vaccines or I suppose it could come from a latent carrier in my resident cats. No clue. Let's just hope my mature cats don't get affected by this or if they do that it is very mild. And I hope that Gryffin gets better quickly as I want him to have a happy first xmas.

Other than some limping and joint pain on front legs, Gryffin has a mild fever (he is eating and drinking) but no other URI symptoms and he is two days into this. I've read that the sore joints should pass within a week or so.  

How common is limping kitten syndrome? How come I never heard of it before? Can anyone enlighten me about this?

I'm just perplexed bit
 and a bit
 as I've never even heard of this before. I never would have guessed in a million years that my kitty who was running around so merrily a few days ago would have sore joints and be limping a few days later.
 

cprcheetah

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I have been working in the Veterinary field for 20+ years and have never heard of it, just had to google it, so it's not all that common.  I found this page that has a lot of good information on it.  Your kitty is adorable.  I have seen cats get sore joints just like humans do when they have strep throat.
 
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catwoman707

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I have dealt with it, it's simply a strange but not uncommon form of calici.

Mine had no other symptoms except limping, acting sleepy and a higher temp.

The alternating leg is what got me.

3 days and it is history! It passes through them like a mild virus, with no remains of anything else.

Crazy, I know, just as long as they are getting fluids they get right through it.

I put mine on clavamox just-in-case....not even sure it was needed but I had no idea if it could possibly turn bacterial.
 

mservant

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I haven't known any cats that have had it and only seen it written about on the International Cat Care (Formerly FAB cats) site.  It does suggest symptoms should subside in about 72 hours so hopefully your little kitten will start to improve over the next couple of days.  Fingers crossed for him.. The other thing their information indicates is that cats with this presentation often have oral ulcers as well and likely to go off food a bit - quite possibly because of having a sore mouth.  Seems to last for the same amount of time from what I read.  It's worth keeping an eye on Gryffin's mouth and not panic if this does happen.  Hopefully it won't!   

Hope you are able to get through the festive period without more worries and he shows improvement quickly.  Reckon once he's on the mend it will be worth looking in to boosting his immune system as helps most kitties who have viral infections to keep things at bay.  And to look at keeping stress levels down as much as you can for the same reasons.  Certainly seem to make a big difference for Mouse and his herpes virus.

 

raintyger

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Wow, I have never heard of it. When I read the thread title I thought it was some made-up name because you didn't know how else to describe it.

I only want to add that maybe you should keep some tuna or other bribe food on hand just in case the oral ulcers MServant mentioned show up.

Good luck with her, she's a cutie!
 

catwoman707

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I just read over my thread from last year when mine all got this, I had forgotten that a couple of them did infact have a small mouth ulcer I saw. It wasn't bad, looked like a small blister really.

You can read through that thread for more info if you like.

It was a tough time for me that's for sure.

It's called "anyone familiar with limping kitten syndrme? A form of calici?"
 
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scarlett 001

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Glad that someone on here has heard of it. It had me baffled this morning. Yesterday he was holding his left paw in the air, then I woke up and he was holding his right paw in the air. Good grief.

My vet has never seen this in 12 years of practice. BTW I had a cat go into anaphylactic shock in October during routine dental surgery with routine drugs. My cats sure have a way of beating the statistical odds and having strange things happen to them!!
 
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scarlett 001

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I have been working in the Veterinary field for 20+ years and have never heard of it, just had to google it, so it's not all that common.  I found this page that has a lot of good information on it.  Your kitty is adorable.  I have seen cats get sore joints just like humans do when they have strep throat.
That page does have good information. Gryffin just wanted to draw attention on this forum by having a weird disease to ensure that you all saw his photo and say how CUTE he is. :)
 
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catwoman707

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I noticed the same thing, it seems as if maybe it is a newer form of calici? Many vets have no idea what it's about, but it's not looking like something all that rare either.

Makes ya think hmm?

Mutated viruses.....
 
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scarlett 001

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My vet did not overly know about it as she has not seen it before in a client, but she is very open minded and researched it immediately when I brought it up after arriving at the clinic. I am very fortunate to have a vet that is not close-minded as I bet some vets would have not only not heard of this syndrome, but dismissed mention of it and then would have started to xray every joint in wee kitty's legs unnecessarily (stressing him out further, and wasting dollars needed to treat the real problem).

It is kind of sad, as his legs seem sore just when touched. Poor Baby Gryffers!! :(
 
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scarlett 001

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Interesting that the vaccine seems to be implicated as one cause for kitten limping syndrome. Something in the vaccine may make the joints get this strange reaction. There is actually quite a lot of online information. I wonder if sometimes it is misdiagnosed as sprains or muscle pulls so gets under-reported.
 

catwoman707

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Yes you are lucky to have such a great vet!

I notice alot of the old vets tend to be alot less up to date with newer/improved treatments as well as newer type viruses/new strains even.

Not all, but alot.

So, if this is day 3, I suspect some improvement at some point today, tonight, or by tmrw am.

Once you see the improvement, they recover fast, like in a day! At least their behavior looks like they are done with it, and another couple days of extra tending to, etc and their tiny bodies will be all better as well :)

Let us know!
 
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scarlett 001

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Thank you for asking after Gryffin. Well, he is on the mend today. He is moving about the house more (not just sleeping). I am guess his mild fever may have broken and his legs hurt a lot less. :)
 

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Good news that he seems to be on the mend.  Looks like it is time for a bit of pampering now!  I hope he keeps healthy after this and stays on top of things. 
 
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scarlett 001

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Kitten has been doing superb since this episode. It does appear that it was a reaction to the vaccine that gave him limping kitten syndrome.

Gryffin is now 9 pounds!! He is only just about 6 months at most!! He is not fat, is lean when you look at him from overhead, but he is just very "dense" and well-muscled. I cannot believe how HUGE he is.
 

mservant

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...........

Gryffin is now 9 pounds!! He is only just about 6 months at most!! He is not fat, is lean when you look at him from overhead, but he is just very "dense" and well-muscled. I cannot believe how HUGE he is.
  Oh boy, looks like you could have a full size tiger in your home!  I hope he doesn't end up Hypogryff sized.  


Of my previous 2 cats one looked big but was feather weight, delicate and fluffy, and her sister was little, long and lean. She was the well muscled one and when you lifted her up boy didn't you know it - she was about 2 lb heavier than her sister! Muscle weighs more than fat or bone and relative to size lean, muscular cats will be heavier.

Very pleased that Gryffin is feeling better and now doing well.  What a shock it must have been seeing his mobility change like that.  Do they think there will be other symptoms of the Calcivirus at any stage or should be now keep well?
 
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scarlett 001

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  Oh boy, looks like you could have a full size tiger in your home!  I hope he doesn't end up Hypogryff sized.  


Of my previous 2 cats one looked big but was feather weight, delicate and fluffy, and her sister was little, long and lean. She was the well muscled one and when you lifted her up boy didn't you know it - she was about 2 lb heavier than her sister! Muscle weighs more than fat or bone and relative to size lean, muscular cats will be heavier.

Very pleased that Gryffin is feeling better and now doing well.  What a shock it must have been seeing his mobility change like that.  Do they think there will be other symptoms of the Calcivirus at any stage or should be now keep well?
I just find it funny as Gryffin *acts* like a 6 month old cat but looks like a 9-10 month old cat. So he climbs Christmas trees and does all those tricks but is really too huge to do so!!

They never show regular symptoms of the calicivirus with the limping kitten thing - they just limp and then it goes away quickly. Since it probably came from the vaccine, I am not even sure if this means that he will be a carrier or if it just was a reaction to the vaccine without actually having the virus. I should look into that.
 
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