HELP!! 1 DAY OLD SWOLLEN FOOT!! (Pictures!)

[mommymsbza]

So my cat had her kittens yesterday... 1 was dead when I found them. The other 4 were entangled in the placenta....so tight that I couldn't free them easily. It took 2 hours to get them all free. Well one, I call it Token, had all the umbilical cords wrapped around his foot... so I don't think he has feeling in his foot. It's actually swelling... I cannot go to a vet right now since my hubby doesn't get paid until Friday and that means I have no money, and it's an emergency clinic since it's weekend.. but I just worry about these babies! I fought so hard to save the 4 babies, and I would do anything to protect them! Has anyone had a similar story with a good outcome?

I don't think he has feeling, but the foot is warm just swollen (like 3x the size of his other), he's very fat and eating well! 
He's actually the black one climbing over the rest, and the swollen foot is the left one. 

Just 5 minutes ago I checked on him again, I have been massaging it all day - But the foot is bigger and seems to be missing hair? around his ankle where the cords were wrapped!! I am crying! He's such a sweety!!

My mom is telling me not to get attached it will probably die! But I will fight for them! My mom says to just get the kitten put down... if he has a chance at a happy life I will provide the happiest life! I will keep this kitten. My little Token!

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• mommymsbza
• Apr 21, 2013

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• mommymsbza
• Apr 21, 2013

 

[mommymsbza]

Here's a picture of his foot... I'm freaking out!! I wish my husband got paid sooner!!! 

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• mommymsbza
• Apr 21, 2013

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• mommymsbza
• Apr 21, 2013

 

[mrblanche]

Poor baby.  Monday morning, call  your regular vet and see if he can see him and arrange payments.  Ah, the joys of pet ownership.

Keep in mind, in the wild, probably all of them would have died, so you are saving lives, no matter what.
 

 

[maewkaew]

 Yes I have heard of a similar story with a good outcome ,  that the foot was tangled up in the umbilical cord and got very swollen  but it then gradually went down to normal and the kitten was OK.

I think it is normal that it swelled a bit more after the cord was unwrapped.  It is a very good sign that the foot is warm.   that means there is blood flow to it so there is a chance for it to be OK.  You could try gently massaging it a bit each day.

(  Even if it does not turn out OK and he has to have it amputated,  cats can get along fine with 3 legs, at least if they are kept indoors or with a cat-proof enclosure in the yard.  Actually that is safer for 4 legged cats too! ) 

But hopefully the swelling will gradually reduce and in several weeks he will be running around on 4 healthy feet. 

  I would  call your regular vet in the morning.   He will probably just tell you to keep an eye on it,  but I would still ask. 

 

[eb24]

I agree that there is a good chance of a positive outcome, but I do think a lot of that depends on you getting him to a vet sooner than Friday. Please do call the vet in the morning and ask about payment arrangements. Many are willing to work with their clients when it's an emergency like this. A good vet has the animal's best interest at heart and isn't going to turn away an emergent patient due to a delay of funds.  If they won't try calling your local shelters and see if they have any contacts with a low fee/no fee clinic or if they would be willing to make a payment arrangement. If nothing else this is also a perfectly good reason to ask friends or family for a loan. You can find other suggestions here: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/155462/cant-afford-a-vet-please-read . 

Just try and be creative and I'm sure you can find a way to get him in! 

 

[mommymsbza]

I will call the humane society! Sometimes it's hard though as my husband does work and I have 4 kids and a small car... so I wouldn't have room for the cats... =/ The only family I have to ask for a loan is my mom but she wanted me to just let the kitten die by itself. Said better for it to die tiny then older... so I don't want to ask her. I asked her yesterday for help and I got the lecture of "It's not worth it, wasting that money!" sooo yeah no help there! I can't just poof money and most vets here want money upfront. Hell when they were entangled and ones leg was caught in it, they said "Sorry you have to pay the emergency and exam fee upfront" 

 

[catsallaround]

Since there is not much to be done on kitten this early(no surgery) I would ask vet if you are better off waiting till husband gets paid or till kitten is a certain age before doing more then an office visit. 

Call regular vets in the am and ask.  As long as he is eating and staying warm.  

There is a chance mom may try to....um solve the issue.  So keep eye that she does not bother it.

 

[eb24]

Since there is not much to be done on kitten this early(no surgery) I would ask vet if you are better off waiting till husband gets paid or till kitten is a certain age before doing more then an office visit. 

Call regular vets in the am and ask.  As long as he is eating and staying warm.  

There is a chance mom may try to....um solve the issue.  So keep eye that she does not bother it.

It's true they wouldn't do surgery on him when he is this young. My bigger concern would be making sure that no infection has set in. It looks like in the picture (though they can be deceiving) that he may have cuts on the leg and I would be worried about that getting infected. And, while it sounds like there is blood flow to the foot I would want to be sure as gangrene is for sure fatal in a kitten this young. 

I just think it's better to err on the side of caution and take him as soon as you can. Calling the Humane Society is a great place to start! 

 

[mommymsbza]

gangrene?? 

 

[mommymsbza]

Well I will call around some vets, this mama was just a stray that wondered up to my home and I fed her. Saw another cat get attacked by some other cats out here, so I saved her so she wouldn't be attacked. She had babies so... I have to find a good vet! But I will start with humane society. I hate to lose any cats or kittens! Ever!

 

[StefanZ]

gangrene?? 

not now! not here! "just" a threat!   In a foot like here, with limited blood circulation AND IF a bacteria infection comes, it could happen.   It seems not be so here at this moment, you dont see any pus or bad smells, no?

Anyway, it is one of the reasons it is good a vet should see the leg... Even if we hope it will resolve itself in a few days with a little luck.

In the meantime, if you need to wash off the leg, so use saline water. 1 tea spoon (3 grammes) kitchen salt per litre water. Boil, cool down to body temp, use profusely. They use saline water in hospitals.

Good luck!

 

[eb24]

Sorry. Gangrene is a term used to define a large amount of tissue that has "died". If his blood flow was cut off for too long then the tissue won't heal and amputation would be the only option. The biggest problem with gangrene is that it can quickly lead to blood poisoning (sepsis) which is fatal. 

I'm so not trying to freak you out more than I know you already are. I was just trying to elaborate that you want to make sure to have the foot checked sooner rather than later because if the tissue is dead then it needs to be dealt with soon before sepsis occurs. That can take a few days to a week or so to happen, but you do want to try and catch it as early as possible. Maybe the vet could put the kitten on preventative antibiotics to ward it off until he is a little older and more able to handle surgery. 

Because the leg feels warm I am super optimistic that he is getting blood flow and that his leg will hopefully heal. But, only a vet can make that determination, which is why it's so important to try and get in before Friday. Please don't feel like I am berating you as that is not at all my goal. I was just trying to explain myself more fully which unfortunately led to me being repetitive. I totally understand that you are doing everything you can to make that a reality and I know that if there is a way you will find it! 

I'm sending all my vibes that you have some luck on the phone tomorrow with the humane society or can find a vet who will accept a late payment. And, that he continues to thrive in the meantime. Just try to stay calm and go one minute at a time. You are doing everything that you can and no one can ask you to do any more than that. 

 

[eb24]

Since there is not much to be done on kitten this early(no surgery) I would ask vet if you are better off waiting till husband gets paid or till kitten is a certain age before doing more then an office visit. 

Call regular vets in the am and ask.  As long as he is eating and staying warm.  

There is a chance mom may try to....um solve the issue.  So keep eye that she does not bother it.

UGH I feel so bad. I basically just misunderstood this entire post. 

I thought catsallaround was saying that since not much can be done at this age you shouldn't worry about taking him to the vet, hence my comments about the worst case scenario and why you should still try to get him in as soon as you can. I am re-interpeting it now that she meant other than doing a basic office visit you probably have some time to get the money together if he needs any extensive treatment. 

Then I misread the last sentence. I thought she meant YOUR Mom may try and, er, make sure the kitten wasn't suffering which was a terrible thought! I see now she meant the Mom CAT. It's true that sometimes Queens will abandon or injure a kitten if they sense it is sick or otherwise doesn't have a high likelihood of survival. So, make sure you keep a close eye on her and her interactions with him. 

I'm so sorry if I have scared you. What I said is true but it's not a likely scenario so please stop having a panic attack! It's good to know what the worst case scenario is so that you can watch for it and be prepared for it but all indications are that it isn't the case. You did such a good thing by bringing this girl in, and as mrblanche said outdoors they all would have certainly died. You are at least giving them all a chance which is more than they would have had.

Just do your best and that will be enough! 

 

[maewkaew]

 Re infection.  That 's what I meant about the vet would probably just tell you to keep an eye on it...  since they're not going to do surgery on a newborn and I doubt they would even determine now that he would need surgery.   they would tell you signs of infection to watch for.     if he does have lacerations,  you can use triple antibiotic ointment in a thin layer. 

I would change the bedding  daily and keep the nest as clean as  is possible with a postpartum queen with a new litter.  

 

[mommymsbza]

Oh no you aren't scaring me, I appreciate your concern, as I am concerned and unsure what to do. I hate to see this baby die because I didn't do EVERYTHING possible. My only wish is I could have freed his leg sooner! It took 2 hours to even get the others off the placenta (they were skin to skin basically). His foot was the last thing I could get off I have been massaging the foot every couple hours, he seems to enjoy it as he will lay in my hand when I massage it. I will call around to save this baby!

I haven't noticed any cuts. He tries using it, but it's just... "there" to say. Been massing like I said. So hopefully a vet can get him something

 

[catsallaround]

I was also saying like there may be nothing vet would do or they may be willing to just give something over phone just for infection.  Considering vets have so many germs it is better to call and discuss before making appointment and bringing them in to a vet who just looks at kitten and offers nothing/no plan of action.

If it comes down to it is doing nothing and not getting better if you can keep it healthy that can come off around 8 weeks(or sooner) if there is no hope.

You did the best you could.  Look in your phone book.  There are sometimes coupons for free exams to certain hospitals/chains.  At least you can get a look over on that one.  If mom was a stray tell them that on phone. 

 

[mommymsbza]

Well his foot has gone down in swelling... just an update... I will be calling in about an hour... and then see where it goes from there.

 

[maewkaew]

I'm glad to hear the swelling has gone down some.

  i agree with catsallaround.  I am not crazy about taking newborn kittens to a vet clinic because of the germs.  Now sometimes there is no choice and you have to do it.  but  you have to weigh the risks on either side.. .  I am hoping it will suffice to just have a talk with the vet on the phone,   and then really keep an eye on the baby's foot and just be vigilant about cleaning  to help reduce the amount of bacteria and risk of infection.   and hopefully if all goes well it willl get better and you can just bring the kittens in when it is time for their shots.     btw ,  in a lot of places there are low cost spay/ neuter clinics that also often do low cost vaccination.    The ASPCA website has a database on it to search within the U.S.   

 

[catsallaround]

And also Petco does shots.  No office visit charge.  They get a fast look over to make sure they are not visibly ill.  I took my puppy there for her first 2 rounds and do rabies shots there for healthy cats
 

 

[eb24]

I think I am more okay with taking young kittens to the vet than my wise counterparts just because I've had to do it and have never had a cross contamination issue. But, it is always a concern. 

Hopefully you have been able to at least speak to someone and have come up with a plan that you are comfortable with. It's a fantastic sign that the swelling is coming down!