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Author Topic: Tobys poorly arm  (Read 3526 times)

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Tobys poorly arm
« on: October 05, 2011, 07:47:17 pm »
Hi guys,

   I came home today to find Toby the kitten mewing at me and holding up his paw. I encouaged him to limp into the kitchen and he managed his tea without putting his weight through it. Its clearly quite sore as he kept showing it to me and his mum Polly and mewing at us.

  Being new at cats I hoped Polly might know what to do but she was genuinely disinterested and suddenly remembered she had a mouse to catch.

 I sat him on his favorite chair and checked it over. Its not cut, hot or inflamed as far as I can see and his pads are fine. I have moved it about and massaged it a little but he showed no obvious signs of distress. Since then his mum has poped back in a couple of times and tried to encourage him out hunting but although he can get on and off the chair he is clearly struggling to put any weight through it when walking.

I think he may have jarred or strained it in someway so I think resting it is probably the best thing. He is certainly happy sleeping on the chair and being stroked and cooed over which is a sign that he is not feeling too perky. Although he does enjoy a cuddle, by this time on an evening he would have normally entered hunting mode and usually have had at least a dozen games of Ready, Steady, Go in the kitchen, lost several wressling matches against his mother and played tig with the chickens.

Any thoughs cat experts?

Buffy


SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Tobys poorly arm
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2011, 12:57:26 am »
He's probably sprained it.  The only thing I could think to check you didn't mention was to check he hasn't split a claw; sometimes they get a split where a rough splinter digs into the sheath and makes them sore.  Normally they sort this out themselves by having a jolly good scratch on a wooden post or tree, though.

Let us know how he is tomorrow, please.  (And great to hear you can now cuddle him!)
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: Tobys poorly arm
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2011, 08:46:47 am »
Hi Sally,

  I have played this little piggy went to market and all his little piggies are fine. The way he carries it makes me think its his shoulder rather than hi paw. So I think yo might beright with a sprain. I'm not supprised really as his recent preoccupation with joining the circus has meant that he traverses around the place by ballencing on the curbing or any available wall or fence.

At least thats better than his last idea of forming a boy band with the three young black cockerels as backing vocals.  After all, what were the chances of them learning an elaborate song and dancer routine when those 3 cant even remember the words to cock a doodle do! :-\

Anyway a night spent on his favorite chair and lots of cuddles seems to have taken his mind off the pain. And hopefully from joining the circus. ::).

On a possitive note he did do the nose to nose greeting with me a couple of times which was something I had been hoping to achive with him. It was him licking my nose that I hadnt quite expected :o

Let me know if you think I should be doing anything else with him.

Buffy

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Tobys poorly arm
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2011, 09:02:22 am »
Oh Buffy, I almost live there with you all - I love the way you write about them.

Have you checked his membrane colour (inside eyelids, gums)?  Should be a healthy pink.  If they are pink and he is comfortable (except putting weight on it) and drinking and eating ok, and he's clearly purring and enjoying the attention from his slave, then it sounds as though rest is what is needed.  It sounds as though he's being sensible with it; with some cats you have to constrain them to keep them from jumping up onto and down off things while sprains heal.

One of the things with cats is they can get knocked by a car (or a tup or a goat...) and suffer damage they don't show.  But normally there'd be some other symptoms - pale gums, not eating, noisy breathing, etc. 

I hope he shows some improvement today or tomorrow - although that may of course mean you have to constrain him if he starts leaping about before it's properly healed...  ::)
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Tobys poorly arm
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2011, 09:46:54 am »
For a previously non-cat keeper, you've sure got into pure cat-lover mode. What a lucky pair of cats Toby and his mum are  :) :cat: :cat:

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: Tobys poorly arm
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2011, 11:43:31 am »
Thanks you two,

                     I havent checked his gums but will do. What am I looking for? He has had his breakfast today and I have just offered him a spoonfull of cheesy mash potato to see if he is able to eat. He is ;)

                 Its wild, wet and windy day today here in the Yorkshire Wolds and his mum is sleeping the day away in the greenhouse. So perhaps he would be sleeping at this time of day anyway. And as OH is away there is nothing to disturb him in the house. I am attaching some pics ( double click to enlarge) so you can see just how difficult it is to walk past him without giving him a stroke or two.

Once he is up and about I will try him with a game of Ready, Steady, Go and see if he is up to scratch.

I realise that as a novice I am probably breaking all the rules in terms of the propper way to treat farm cats. And that letting him into the house is a mistake let alone allowing him to spend the night sleeping on the chair. ;D But who could fail to become smitten by a kitten :love:

Buffy

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Tobys poorly arm
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2011, 01:54:01 pm »
I realise that as a novice I am probably breaking all the rules in terms of the propper way to treat farm cats.

Don't worry, he won't hunt any less because he gets to sleep on the chair  ;D Our two sleep under the duvet on occasion but are still prolific hunters.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Tobys poorly arm
« Reply #7 on: October 06, 2011, 04:19:37 pm »
                     I havent checked his gums but will do. What am I looking for?

Healthy gums are pink, warm and moist.  Not red, not hot, not dry, not pale especially not grey and not pasty.  Not tinned salmon pink neither - old-fashioned 'pink' (the border flower, like a little carnation) pink.  You'll know if they're healthy when you look at them. 

You can look at the membranes in the eye if the gums are difficult (or black!)  Kind of squeeze up the upper lid and look at the pink (hopefully) in the corner of the eye or on the underside of the lid.

And as Rosemary says, they don't hunt less because they have a comfortable loving home, quite the reverse.  If they are warm, well-fed and happy they will hunt for pleasure.  If they are cold, uncomfortable, hungry they may not have the energy to hunt, and if they do hunt it will be for food.  Rats are not their favourite food.   Go figure...  and keep on loving Toby and Polly, they - and you - deserve it!   :D
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

little blue

  • Joined Jun 2009
  • Derbyshire
Re: Tobys poorly arm
« Reply #8 on: October 06, 2011, 08:41:48 pm »
Toby's such a lovely looking boy!
reminds me of our old dog - if you said "ah, has you got a poorly foot?" in a soppy voice, he'd hold up a paw, limp & be generally sorry for himself!!

and... yes, you're breaking the rules, but no it makes no difference - our killers are the soppiest cats in the world!

best wishes for a speedy recovery, hope he's soon out there, murdering small creatures & tormenting the neighbourhood dogs!
Little Blue

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: Tobys poorly arm
« Reply #9 on: October 07, 2011, 05:37:00 am »
Thanks everyone,

 well his gums looked ok when he did a big yawn. He is still limping but putting some weight through it.

The howling winds and lashing rain continued into the evening so Polly decided to join him on the chair ( which she never does) and let him have a little suckle. This cheered him up a bit, even though she has no milk.
 It's just that when she'd had enough she stood on his neck and laid on his head.  :-\No wonder hes sprained something with her "tough love" approach to parenting!. Its a good job he's bendy :D

They both spent the night on the chair so the local rodent population had a night off.

I think its getting better graually but he's still quite subdued. Still, its proving to be a great help with his domestication ;D

Buffy

Cinderhills

  • Joined Jul 2010
  • North Yorkshire
Re: Tobys poorly arm
« Reply #10 on: October 07, 2011, 08:33:22 am »
Oh he is so cute.  Lucky you.  Glad to hear he might be on the mend.  :wave:

 

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