Help???

I noticed Sam was walking funny last night and saw him chewing at his claws several times. I checked his pawpads out and between his toes and found nothing. This morning I picked him up for a hug and his front leg is swollen. I called the vet and the only way he can be seen today is if I drop him off which I cant do because he gets way too upset to be left there all day by himself. I called the other 3 vets in town and got the same story, booked solid until Monday. He isnt limping on it but walking like hes stiff-legged. I cant think of anything he could have done out of the normal that would hurt his leg. I dont know what to do for him and waiting until Monday is terribly upsetting to me.

Abby, I moved the thread into the health forum because this is a medical issue.

First of all, poor Sam!

I don't know what you mean when you say that he gets "way too upset" being there all day. If he rips out his furr or something, that's one thing. But if he just gets scared and agitated and mad at you for leaving him in "such a horrible place," then I say get him to a vet. If he's not depressed or psychotic, I think the physical concern far outweighs the mental one. If you didn't see any reason for his distress last night, and now his leg is swollen, there's no way I'd wait until Monday.

Maybe you can call a few local pet shops to see if anyone carries Bach's rescue rememdy - it'll help calm him down while waiting at the vet. Or you could purchase Feliway spray (a pheremone that mimics cats "friendly" scent markers in their cheeks) and spray his crate with that and ask the vet to spray the cage they transfer him to while he waits. Not perfect solutions, but it may help.

Please keep us posted! And I hope he gets to a vet and is feeling better soon!!!

I don't know what you mean when you say that he gets "way too upset" being there all day

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When I had him neutered, he head butted the door of his cage continuously until they put him under, and I brought him home with his face swollen and a broken claw where he had tried to get out. He always gets a bit unnerved going to see the vet and he absolutely HATES being in his box. But when I left him is when he got really upset. I dont know if he thought I would never come back or he was just being a baby about being somewhere he didnt like.

I called the vet back again (squeaky wheel gets the oil you know) and they said they would call me if there were any openings this afternoon. I even offered to pay double for the visit. In the meantime they said to try to keep him calm, which isnt too hard since he spends most of his life sleeping and watch it for more swelling.

Poor baby! That is bad. I'm shooting up a little prayer for you right now that they get an opening this afternoon.

Wow - I feel so fortunate that our vet has emergency service, and one of the vets would stay late to have him in! I guess that's an advantage of living in a rural area where doing that for people doesn't mean staying late at work until 4:00 in the morning or something!

BTW - for any emergencies like this in the future, perhaps you could purchase both the Feliway and the Bach's Rescue Remedy. Then you'd be in a position (if you could pick him back up after half an hour or hour at the vet if they weren't working) to at least give it a chance to see if they worked well enough to prevent him from hurting himself. Just a thought. Poor baby!

Anychance he might have come in contact with a bee?? Or spider?

Well the vet was unable to work us in today, but I do have an appointment at 730am Monday. That is the earliest they have available. My son told me that Sam has been jumping off his bed (top bunk) again. I have showed him how to jump to the dresser and then to the floor, but he still likes to jump from high spots. I wonder if hes sprained his leg. 13 pounds of cat from that height is alot for two front legs to take.

I also checked his leg out for bites, which is something I never even thought of and I cant see anything or feel any bumps. Sam is a dark tabby and his skin is dark too so it makes it hard to see anything at all. He did let me mess with and pet his leg which is a good thing. The swollen part doesnt feel feverish to the touch like its infected. After I read about a possible bite I thought maybe Sally had bitten him but like I said I dont see or feel anything. In the meantime I will be impatiently waiting for Monday.

How'd it go at the vet? How's Sam? I've been worried about him, but unable to check in until now.....

is there another vet you can take him to? Or at least line one up before Monday? About his cage behavior, if you take a sweaty shirt or shoe with you and put it in his cage, that will help to calm him Also ask the vet to cover his cage if they will that will help as well.

I would also take his temp just to be sure that he isn't running a fever. If he is, then call them back and let them know. Confine him in small room, burn a night light, but make it a room where he has no way to get up on anything and further injure himself.

I got Sam to the vet (for free since I had to wait so long) first thing Monday morning. He had a splinter in his foot between his paw pads that was starting to work its way out which is why I didnt see anything when I checked on Thursday night. Our floors need refinishing (my summer project while boyfriend is off racing) and I assume he got it from doing his midnight hot laps/sliding. Anyways, they gave him a shot of antibiotics and wrapped his foot up for the day and said to call if there are anymore problems. I made a follow up appointment for next week just in case.

Trip to the vet went as usual. Sam hollered and complained outrage all the way there, hissed and spit at the receptionist, gave the vet the usual runaround and complained all the way home--just like my kids do when they have to go to the doctor--but he seems happy again now, since as I type this he is busy taking the slipcover off the couch

He must be greatly relieved to be rid of that splinter! Glad he's back to his playful ol' self.