r/AskVetAnimals • u/ameliejack • 3h ago
🧬 Diagnosis Help Spinal compression but unsure of why, very worried
* Species: Feline
* Age: 8 yrs 8 months
* Sex/Neuter status: Female/Neutered
* Breed: Domestic shorthair
* Body weight: 3.78kg
* Your general location: UK
* Links to any test results, X-rays, vet reports etc. that you have:Â https://we.tl/t-diJ7Lwi5XetXG1Ay
Incident 1:
October 6th I was playing with my cat, she ran out from under a piece of furniture and I think she might have banged her foot because she went to hide under a table on the opposite side of the room. I tried to coax her out and then she bolted out and leapt over a footstool and landed a bit awkwardly, it was a big jump and she landed hard. I didn't think much of it but went to check on her and she was hiding under my bed and hissed at me (abnormal). I checked on her again a few moments later and she hissed again so I let her be. I was sure she would wake me up in the middle of the night because we didn't play much before bed but she didn't.
October 7th The next morning she stayed under my bed until gone midday (abnormal), so I knew something was wrong. I moved her from under the bed, she hissed at me, she looked to be in pain, her expression wasn't right, I put her on the floor and she couldn't walk properly, her tail was completely limp and she couldn't sit down. Every time she did sit down, she would immediately get back up. She couldn't jump onto the bathroom counter, tried a few times but couldn't manage it, did manage to jump on my bed (carpeted room, much lower than bathroom counter).
VET EXAMINATION 1
- Weight 3.78 kg
- Gums good
- Neck comfortable with manipulation bilaterally
- Abdomen uncomfortable on palpation
- Back very sensitive and painful, particularly high up in spinal cord
- Back legs: patient does not like them being touched (pre-existing preference)
- No evidence of fracture on palpation; patient moving relatively comfortably
DIAGNOSIS/ASSESSMENT
- Likely muscle strain or soft tissue injury to back from trauma during play
- Fracture unlikely given pain response to palpation and comfort of movement
TREAMENT
- Metacam (to carry on at home until Oct 15)
- Buprenorphine (subcutaneous administration)
Following this appointment, she was okay, but tail would only go half up and would sit limp. It was the only notable thing "wrong".
Incident 2:
October 13th she was laying underneath a small footstool and when she was almost out I picked her up from my seated position behind her, a huge regret, I think I jarred her back in the exact place she had injured. She hissed at me immediately. I let her be. About an hour later I was leaving the house so said goodbye to her and she tried to jump on my bed and couldn't, I picked her up and put her on the bed and she hissed at me, I put her back on the floor and she made a strange meow. I had to leave, I came back about 90 minutes later and she was hiding under a side table (abnormal), I gave her treats to coax her out, she took some but wouldn't come out very far and would shuffle herself back. I managed to lure her out, I touched her back gently, she hissed at me and she looked to be in some pain.
VET EXAMINATION 2
- Sensitive on lower back; hisses when touched
- Bladder not palpably full and comfortabkle on abdominal palpation
- Stomach palpation unremarkable
- Musculoskeletal system suspected as source of discomfort
- Mucous mebranes: Pink and glistening
- Ears and eyes NAD
DIAGNOSIS OR ASSESSMENT
- Likely soft tissue trauma rather than fracture; response to anti-inflammatories
followed by deterioration more consistent with soft tissue injury than bone fracture
- Fracture less likely given initial response to anti-inflammatories
- Musculoskeletal origin suspected
Carried on with athrocam as instructed, booked CT.
Again, she was okay following this appointment, initially when we got home she did hide under my bed but she took treats and kibble from my hand and eventually came out. Continued athrocam until it ran out on October 20th. Everything fine without it. She behaved completely normally, wanted to play and run around, with the exception of her wonky tail nothing notable going on.
October 23rd CT scan, all went well.
October 24th I noticed her tail went straight but out to the side,
October 25th it briefly went all the way up while I was petting her.
October 27th briefly went up a few times while I was petting her.
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This is incredibly long and I thank anyone who has taken the time to look at this, I'm waiting to hear back from a specialist about the report findings. My vet believes we just need to give my cat some more time to recover, but she also recognises she isn't qualified to make the call on her own. I'm just worried.