lspencer534

carlton_fritz · 08-10-2018, 6:51pm

Larry, I need some input. The neighbor has a young cat that I took in last winter because she is a little girl that left him out in the below 0 cold. He has since made my home his. When I got home today, he was acting lethargic and like his left side is paralyzed. No signs of injury. No blood. No pain. I checked all over for anything out of the ordinary. He smells like skunk. There is no local vet that has emergency hours. Their emergency is to send you to Louisville, 30+ miles and another state away. I have to work all weekend and get up at 4:15, so going to Louisville is not an option. Any ideas what may be wrong with him?

lspencer534 · 08-10-2018, 7:07pm

There is likely an injury that you haven't found, maybe from a fight with a skunk. Times like this call for sacrifice on your part. While it is rare for a cat to get sprayed by a skunk, it does happen. Skunks have poor vision, so chance encounters happen. Please bundle the cat up now and take it to the vet 30 miles away.

carlton_fritz · 08-10-2018, 7:25pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by lspencer534

There is likely an injury that you haven't found, maybe from a fight with a skunk. Times like this call for sacrifice on your part. While it is rare for a cat to get sprayed by a skunk, it does happen. Skunks have poor vision, so chance encounters happen. Please bundle the cat up now and take it to the vet 30 miles away.

I barely kept my eyes open to drive home from work. If I go that far away, we will probably both need medical attention. I just finished supper and need sleep bad. I have been consulting with a cat expert. She thinks he just needs to rest and recuperate. I am keeping him inside, fed and watered. Probably a reaction to the melcaptan in the skunk spray. I tried to massage his legs and he started to act like he was getting movement back in his left side. That is a good sign.

NEED-A-VETTE · 08-10-2018, 7:44pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by lspencer534

There is likely an injury that you haven't found, maybe from a fight with a skunk. Times like this call for sacrifice on your part. While it is rare for a cat to get sprayed by a skunk, it does happen. Skunks have poor vision, so chance encounters happen. Please bundle the cat up now and take it to the vet 30 miles away.

This. 100%.

99 pewtercoupe · 08-10-2018, 8:24pm

Do you have a friend/ relative that can take the cat to a vet?

carlton_fritz · 08-10-2018, 8:35pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 99 pewtercoupe

Do you have a friend/ relative that can take the cat to a vet?

No. I can't even find the info for emergency services. Website won't load.

Millenium Vette · 08-10-2018, 10:36pm

It looks like there are several that are open in Louisville right now:

Emergency vets in Louisville

MEANZ06 · 08-10-2018, 11:02pm

Years ago when my kids were young (6-7) we had a cat that had a limp and my youngest daughter said "we need to put him down"...

carlton_fritz · 08-11-2018, 3:25am

He moved a little during the night and ate some dry food a few minutes ago. I will be checking in with a vet today.

Jeff '79 · 08-11-2018, 8:48am

I'd take it in for a shot of anti-biotics.
Odds are, if it was attacked, it will eventually develop sepsis.
We just went through a similar scenario with our cat, Ginger.
Something fanged her upper lip and it was torn up pretty good. She was in a real fight with something that left her pretty bloody down her front and inside her legs, which she didn't clean off. Not cleaning herself seemed out of place to us. She just wasn't acting normally, so Liz packed her up and did an emergency vet visit on a Saturday night. They gave her a subcutaneous shot of anti-biotics which left a "bubble" under the injection area. It was a time release shot that released for two weeks and the "bubble" disappeared as it released over the two week period. It cost $214.00, but Ginger has now fully recovered and is back to abnormal.

carlton_fritz · 08-11-2018, 3:19pm

The emergency number just rings and rings. Some emergency number.

carlton_fritz · 08-11-2018, 4:02pm

Not much sleep last night and have to get up at 4:15am for work tomorrow. Wish me luck that I survive. Heading to Louisville to an emergency vet.

Sea Six · 08-11-2018, 4:22pm

Hope everything turns out ok- I'm sure it will!

carlton_fritz · 08-11-2018, 5:50pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sea Six

Hope everything turns out ok- I'm sure it will!

Before I could leave, my brother got hold of a vet that had no financial interest in the cat and told me exactly what to do. Skunk spray is toxic and can range from mild to severe reactions. Fun times giving a cat multiple baths.

MrPeabody · 08-11-2018, 6:23pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by carlton_fritz

Before I could leave, my brother got hold of a vet that had no financial interest in the cat and told me exactly what to do. Skunk spray is toxic and can range from mild to severe reactions. Fun times giving a cat multiple baths.