1063. August 8, 2013 - interesting cases - public holiday. The Maine Coon has back ache

As I open from 9 am to 5 pm today, Aug 8, 2013 which is Hari Raya public holiday, I got to meet some interesting clients who would have not come to me if not for the vet closing.

CASE
Eat & drink OK. Can walk. Lame Left hind. Hides under chair abnormal behaviour. 
White gums. Swollen prepuce. Bladder pain. Left nasal discharge sticky. Blood test done. 


An Australian mum and daughter brought in a Maine Coon who stopped eating and would hide in a corner. "Seems to be limping on his left hind," the mum told me that Maine Coons must eat the "Maine Coon" specified feed. "There's was another Maine Coon owner asking for this feed too," she was at the pet shop looking for such food and the pet shop operator ordered for her too.

"What's so special about this diet?" I asked her. The cat was not limping inside the consult room but slinked to hide under the table during her walking examination. I pointed to the lady that the gums were very white, unusual for a normal cat. But this cat was not healthy. 

The lady could not specify the need to feed a special Maine Coon diet. I asked her to find out more from the breeder and the research.

I put the cat on the table. "I will be pressing the spinal area from neck to tail," I said to the owner. "Just to check for spinal pain."

The cat "coughed" when I pressed the cervical spinal area between the shoulders and on the lumbar area. The sounds were barely audible. I repeated the procedure asking my intern to video and after asking the owner permission.

The cat hissed when I palpated those painful areas of the back as before. He gave a loud hiss again when I confirmed the areas of spinal pain. This could be captured on video.

"Did the cat fall down 2 days ago?" I asked.
"No," the daughter said.
"Her friend could have carried the cat and dropped him," mum said.
"Could she have fallen from the sofa top and hurt her back?" I asked.
"Possible," mum replied.
"How about jumping up to washing machine and misjudging and hence tumble down? The white gums could be due to internal bleeding."   

It is a mystery as to how this indoor cat got such snow-white gums.
The blood test is pending.



FOLLOW UP on National Day, 9 Aug 2013  4.16 pm
Managed to contact the mother. She sounded much happier as the cat was back to his usual behaviour. "Much better, eating and drinking. Went to litter box."
As to the white gum colour, she said she had not looked at the gums as she was out. After all, this is National Day.