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Dog got the cat :(

Published on: August 13, 2021 • By: StarksMom · In Forum: Cats
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StarksMom
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August 13, 2021 at 03:48am
Our black lab got ahold of our cat yesterday. We typically keep them separated but the teens did a "dumb" yesterday and didn't close the door that separates the cat and dogs. Anywho, lab got his mouth around mostly the cats hind end. When I rushed home from work after the frantic phone call from my 14 year old, cats fur was all wet from just before his hips, down his legs, through his tail. I felt and touched all over and made sure everything was easily mobile with no overwhelming pain to him. H was tender no matter where I touched in those areas at first. About an hour later he was only tender on his back a little above his hips. Today he's not really having any localized pain that I can tell. He threw up 2x yesterday, 1x late this evening and he hasn't eaten much since yesterday. He's moving slowly, I'm sure he's sore. His heartrate is about 135. Respirations are about 30/min. Limb temperature feels normal in front and back feet. All pads are nice and pink. Gums are pictured. I can't decide if they seem pale or not.   I have videos of his breathing and this weird stretch thing he's doing but I can't post them here. The stretch thing reminds me.of an inch worm where he kind of arches himself up and then relaxes back to normal.  20210812_21070220210812_210714
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
August 13, 2021 at 05:08pm
Oh my goodness how stressful! Dog bite wounds are typically punctate and very hard to find in cat fur - it's not unusual never to find the surface wound.  Typically, the jaws first crush the tissues and secondly  introduce bacteria - causing deep infection such as peritonitis or abscess formation and muscle destruction as the bacteria get going.  Expect lots of severe pain and the potential for widespread infection.  Furthermore, cats' organs are accessible to dog teeth through the body wall and can thus be damaged.  Arching, particularly to stretch the abdomen, is a sign of abdominal pain. Cats gums are generally paler than dogs gums but if you press them, you should be able to blanch them and see them fill up again with less than a second.  Unfortunately the spleen can contract and make the gums appear very normal, even in cases of internal bleeding so this is one part of a jigsaw, not the whole story.   I would have expected a faster heart rate in a stressed out, painful cat. I can only advise you to call your vet immediately for phone triage - they may well want to see your cat, now, as an emergency.  Some pets are lucky after a bite wound but your cat is clearly in pain and there may be more than you can see going on under the surface. Best of luck and please do let us know how you get on.
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StarksMom
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August 13, 2021 at 05:18pm
Thank you. I did call and we have an urgent care visit this afternoon with our vet. He's currently laying on the floor in my office. I have him on some towels with a heating pad underneath. He smells like urine so I don't think he's been going into his litter box. I know he hasn't eaten since the injury and I don't know about drinking but the skin pinch test doesn't appear to show signs of dehydration. I am able to blanch his gums but you mentioned the thing about the spleen so I'm not quite relieved by that lol but it is better than them just being white and not blanching
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
August 14, 2021 at 01:11am
Hi I hope the urgent call went well.  It is so difficult to tell what goes on under the surface with bite wounds.  Vets have all seen some horrible cases so we like to be careful with them.  You are right; blanching is better than too white to blanch, but too white to blanch is very far along!   Thinking of both of you.  Best of luck.
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