Kitten who can't move

He is so lucky he has you looking after him. I agree with some of the other posters that getting good food in him can only help. Keep fighting little guy!!!

I'm not planning on giving up unless is quality of life will be bad and he will have to live with three paralysed legs and unable to move for the rest of his life. I have switched him over to the fancy feast shredded meat food that comes in little containers and he will eat that. So that's a plus. I also am unemployed and a student so I have raised some money for his care but I can't afford a lot out of pocket so going to a neurologist would require a long drive as we're in a small remote town and a lot of money I don't have. If i had it i would spend it but i was laid off from cutbacks exactly a week ago. Heseems fine mentally he's alert and interested but his legs just aren't working and he can't use the bathroom alone. I'm going to build him a sling with pvc pipe and fabric to hold him up in the standing position to try and strengthen his legs without hurting or putting too much pressure on his body.

Thank you for taking care of him. I hope he keeps getting better. You are doing an amazing job!

jennyrosalie said:

I'm not planning on giving up unless is quality of life will be bad and he will have to live with three paralysed legs and unable to move for the rest of his life. I have switched him over to the fancy feast shredded meat food that comes in little containers and he will eat that. So that's a plus. I also am unemployed and a student so I have raised some money for his care but I can't afford a lot out of pocket so going to a neurologist would require a long drive as we're in a small remote town and a lot of money I don't have. If i had it i would spend it but i was laid off from cutbacks exactly a week ago. Heseems fine mentally he's alert and interested but his legs just aren't working and he can't use the bathroom alone. I'm going to build him a sling with pvc pipe and fabric to hold him up in the standing position to try and strengthen his legs without hurting or putting too much pressure on his body.

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I wish I had seen this thread sooner!

I tend to call things as I see them, and often times it's not what people want to hear, but in your case, you will probably like what I have to say.

The kitten is not moving due to severe emotional trauma.

What he went through is far beyond his mental and emotional capacity, the enormous fear and pain he felt, it simply overwhelmed his senses, etc, so there he lies, dependent on you completely, but you watch and see, with time, each day that passes he will move a little bit more, and the traumatized state will slowly fade.

Honestly, it may take him months to get over this trauma, this doesn't mean it will be months of rehab, not at all.

Kittens do bounce back fairly well, and as long as there are no spinal injuries or organ damage, he is going to recover, I'm sure of this.

Talk about a close call......doesn't get closer then this............poor little punkin.

Oh and the purring? He is comforting himself.

Jeez I keep re-reading and adding more.

The growling when you move him? He is completely preoccupied with healing/recovering and doesn't want any distractions.

Another one! Fancy Feast is fine, but go with the pate if possible, they say classics on the label.

I can't see any back injuries like his neck injury, what and where are they?

Are his gums pink?

Poor little guy, I sure do hope he can pull though this. Sending prayers your way.

When his neck has healed enough that it can get wet, you might think about water for therapy. 

Floating him in water so that instinct to swim will kick in.

He's not ready for that yet though.

The picture of him on Wednesday? The look in his eyes looks like shock.

This is sort of what I described in my other post, even if it's not technically shock, it may as well be, shock from trauma. Hoping his gums are pink and not white.

Although that can be dealt with too.

catwoman707 said:

 
When his neck has healed enough that it can get wet, you might think about water for therapy. 

Floating him in water so that instinct to swim will kick in.

He's not ready for that yet though.

The picture of him on Wednesday? The look in his eyes looks like shock.

This is sort of what I described in my other post, even if it's not technically shock, it may as well be, shock from trauma. Hoping his gums are pink and not white.

Although that can be dealt with too.

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I am so glad that you found this thread your knowledge and experience is going to really be helpful 

He's very lucky to have you caring for him, kittens love cooked turkey drumsticks or chicken

needs to start eating!      

Good thoughts prayers for the little guy     

Poor kitty. I do hope he gets better. Catwoman707 has a good explanation - that he's been traumatized. For some reason, in looking at the pictures he didn't look paralyzed to me, but in a state of shock. Please give him time to heal. Next Friday is a few days off, and I hope he gets much better by then. Keeping him warm and comfortable as you are doing will help the healing go faster. Lightly stroking his head lightly with a finger as his mother would lick him will let him know you care about him. Poor guy, we all care.

DreamerRose said:

 
Poor kitty. I do hope he gets better. Catwoman707 has a good explanation - that he's been traumatized. For some reason, in looking at the pictures he didn't look paralyzed to me, but in a state of shock. Please give him time to heal. Next Friday is a few days off, and I hope he gets much better by then. Keeping him warm and comfortable as you are doing will help the healing go faster. Lightly stroking his head lightly with a finger as his mother would lick him will let him know you care about him. Poor guy, we all care.

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I think there will be some marked improvement by Friday, but I also believe that until he gets to the point mentally that he can handle living again (basically!) that it will be slow, until he suddenly seems to recover quickly, not sure if I can explain any better.

In other words, when his brain and body and spirit recover to the point that he is recovering this trauma, it will happen fast. It could be tmrw, or in another week, nobody knows, but when he does, it will be fast, within a couple days even.

This is because he isn't actually injured all over his body, he has his muscles and all intact still, he's simply shut down now.

I have a good deal of faith on this little one.

It's important during his healing process that he be touched as @DreamerRose  mentions, and also talked to, tell him his life matters very much to you, and how you need him to be okay, he has many many years of life ahead, pouncing bugs, snuggling while you watch tv, he needs this, it's therapy

I also want to know, you call him not moving his legs paralysis, are they completely limp like a rag would be? I mean zero muscle tension, nothing.

You said he can be stood up and will support his body, but even though he is not voluntarily moving his limbs, it sounds like he is capable once he is ready to, you did say no spinal injury correct? Actual paralysis would be dead weight and limp noodles basically.

You also said he responds to being pinched, how does he respond? Have you or the vet poked his back paw or leg with a pointed object?

Although depending on the severity of his state, his brain may not respond just yet to that either, but might. It's a reflex, more of an involuntary movement.

His back legs and front are dead weight unfortunately. When I prop him up I'm talking about just his front so he can eat he will hold his own head up and use his one good leg but the others don't move. I got excited when I saw his back legs move when I was expressing his bladder but I think it was reflexes. He responds so being pinched really hard on his back legs his legs will jerk away but he has no movement of them or his tail. When he tries to move he drags everything behind him and only uses his one front leg. I do hold him almost all day, and he is on a memory foam pillow and a soft plush heating pad and blanket. I got him to poop earlier and pee more but now he won't eat anything. He is just growling at me when I try so I force fed him some gravy from fancy feast Gravy lovers wet food and water. He has developed a lump on his side that is extended out near his kidneys or colon area that I'm concerned about but the vet thought it was just from a full bladder. I'm getting really worried now that he won't eat. I might try to take him back tomorrow if he is still refusing to eat anything. When I say he's sweet he does purr but he was a wild kitten which is how he got attacked after being outside so he's still getting used to us. I hold him and pet him and talk to him as much as possible though. I'm hoping that he is just exhausted from the vet and us today and he feels better tomorrow after he gets some rest. Thank you so much everyone for the advice and comments we appreciate the support so much. It's really difficult for me because I don't know what the best options are. I'm hoping tomorrow he eats and is more alert again. From what we gathered the x-rays look okay, he has wounds in his neck, back, and side. None of them are deep except the neck wound. His spine is intact and has no damage. I'm worried he's giving up tonight since he's not eating. He seems to have regressed so much in just a day. I'm praying tomorrow is better, I'll give him all the time, attention and care he needs to heal and all the vet care I can afford I just hope it's enough!

I'm so glad you are up still! I was about to go to bed.

I can't tell what I am seeing in the latest pic.

There is no sign of spinal or nerve damage at all correct?

The growling has some to do with his being feral too, well this is one sure way to tame his butt huh?! Little booger.

I'm having a hard time imagining limpness as a paralyzed cat with no injury...........

Was the x-ray localized or overall?

What and where exactly are the wounds on his back?

I am looking for reasons why he won't move his back end aside from trauma.

It also makes no sense that he won't use one front limb either, the 2 aren't related like that.

One and not the other..........

No head trauma just the neck right?

You know that when a cat has a tail injury it will hang limp despite no damage done until it no longer hurts him, which is very tricky to vets too, it's their way of healing in some sense.

This is why I keep thinking his body is still so traumatized that he is not moving it.

The one front leg he does move, how much does he move it, not much?

catwoman707 said:

I'm so glad you are up still! I was about to go to bed.
I can't tell what I am seeing in the latest pic.

There is no sign of spinal or nerve damage at all correct?
The growling has some to do with his being feral too, well this is one sure way to tame his butt huh?! Little booger.

I'm having a hard time imagining limpness as a paralyzed cat with no injury...........
Was the x-ray localized or overall?

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Overall, there might be nerve damage? I'm not sure and the vet didn't seem sure so he's on steroids incase it's just swelling. I'm watching him sleep and he is dreaming and keeping jerking his legs but I'm again not sure if it's reflexes or improvement. I just don't want him to suffer or be miserable and in pain. I really really want him to pull through and every set back breaks my heart. When I pick him up his legs just dangle he doesn't move them and besides reflexes he hasn't moved them since Wednesday. I just would think as a feral if he could get away he would try but he hasn't and I don't want to push him too hard as far as trying to make him stand up or anything yet incase he is just still healing

jennyrosalie said:

Overall, there might be nerve damage? I'm not sure and the vet didn't seem sure so he's on steroids incase it's just swelling. I'm watching him sleep and he is dreaming and keeping jerking his legs but I'm again not sure if it's reflexes or improvement. I just don't want him to suffer or be miserable and in pain. I really really want him to pull through and every set back breaks my heart. When I pick him up his legs just dangle he doesn't move them and besides reflexes he hasn't moved them since Wednesday. I just would think as a feral if he could get away he would try but he hasn't and I don't want to push him too hard as far as trying to make him stand up or anything yet incase he is just still healing

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Ahah! This shows you he DOES have leg use! Involuntary or not, if he were in fact actually paralyzed there would not be reflexes like this, meaning his brain is able to move those limbs, he chooses not to due to trauma.

I don't think he is in pain per se, I think the majority is trauma, extreme trauma to his little body.

That is really really good news! I'm really praying that it is just shock and trauma! He has a good soul and he's so small. I wish he would eat more tonight but I'll update on his progress and with more photos tomorrow. The picture above was of his neck wound!

I was just reading something else about a kitten who was hit by a car and had brain damage, but despite dragging his hind legs around for a bit, did fully recover.

I wish I were a doctor and knew more about what effects what, besides the obvious, spine, etc.

Day to day now is all you can do really, but honestly I am sure those reflex movements are telltale signs that his central nervous system is intact, but is not ready to move on his own yet.

Also did you know that most wild animals will kill with a bite to the neck? He is SOO lucky to be here..........

Yeah I have heard and I consulted a rehabber for wild animals. The people who asked for help owned several large pit Bulls. While I have 5 dogs and have nothing against any breed they were so aggressive they were even going after me when I went to pick up the baby. The story was that they saw a bobcat attack the kitten and shot at it and it ran away....however the wild life person I consulted stated that bobcats hunt at night and typically hunt rabbits. So I'm not sure what happened and unfortunately no one knows except them and they are sticking with the bobcat story so we have to assume that is what happened. I have thought a lot about the possibility that it was one of their dogs though. They live in a trailer in the middle of open country land with no other houses for miles and they have their animals outside just running around with no leads or anything. I wish I knew 100% what happened but I just have to go by what they said

Yeah, I understand that one......

I was just reading some other things about this, and hit on one thing that said if there is pain in the neck, spine or legs they may appear paralyzed.

I also read that unless the spinal cord is damaged or the leg nerves are actually severed, the outlook is pretty good for recovery.

One case it talked about it taking a couple months..........yikes.

I don't see how 3 legs could have nerve damage or severed nerves, I am still hopeful it is trauma/painful to move so his body chooses not to.

His little paws are warm right? Blood is flowing good if so.

Just wanted to add my prayers for this little guy; bless your heart!