TCM Question for Clarissa (and the TCM group) regarding another cat issue

[Guest guest]

Clarissa,

 

I am hoping you can help me.  While my husband and I were out of town and hired

a pet sitter to care for our two cats, Jade and Jasmine (Jasmine is diabetic and

needs insulin twice a day).   The cats are extremely shy and were hiding all day

long.  The sitter had checked in the morning and could not find them; she

located both cats at 5pm and unfortunately, gave an insulin shot to the wrong

cat.  We think neither cat had eaten or had water that day (we had stressed to

make sure Jasmine had eaten before giving her the shot).

 

A couple of days later the sitter found Jade at what the vets believe, was the

end of several seizures.  She has lost a lot of vision and is not eating.  The

CT scan came back fine and we are waiting on the toxoplasmosis, spinal fluids

(which were a bit yellow), and urine culture (a possible uti as there was blood

in her urine).

 

Any help from you or anyone else in the group would be greatly appreciated.

 

In health,

Kathleen

 

--- On Thu, 9/17/09, Clarissa <clarissa wrote:

 

 

Clarissa <clarissa

Re: injured cat

Chinese Medicine

Thursday, September 17, 2009, 7:57 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Karen,

 

Reasons for not bearing weight on hind limbs include: spinal or cauda

equina neurological injury, metabolic disease (diabetes, in this case

there is plantigrade walking), saddle thrombus (in this case the limb

turns cold and bluish, and very very painful).

 

If neuro (spinal or cauda equina), localization of the lesion helps with

the treatment. Good prognosis if there is pain perception and withdrawal

reflex.

Normal (or augmentend) patelar reflexes indicates that the lesion is

either before (cranial) fourth lumbar or after (caudal) to sixth lumbar.

(If it was between L4 and L6 the patelar reflex would be depressed.)

If you noticed a puffy and tender area at the base at the tail, there is

a chance to be a sacral lesion. Then, besides weakness, she would have

depressed anal reflex and depresed sciatic reflex.

 

What about propioception reflex? (is she knuckling on the tarsus?)

How is the bladder tonus and micturition?

How is anal reflex and defecation?

 

Useful points to do acupuncture: local points (cranial a and caudal to

the tender area), plus Bladder 40, Bladder 60, Bladder 11, Small

Intestine 3 plus Bladder 62, Governing Vessel 4, Bladder 23. If you can,

use small needles (13 to 15 mm lenght) at limb points for cat comfort.

You can use electroacupuncture as well.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Clarissa Niciporciukas

Vet in Brazil

 

turusachan escreveu:

>

>

> Hi to all you veterinary acupuncturists - my daughter has a 5 year old

> neutered female indoor/outdoor cat. Entirely normal until my

> son-in-law found her a little down a hillside, lying on her side,

> unable to move her hind legs. She's been to the vet's (findings

> below), xray found no fractures, no visible abnormalities, had a

> reliable response to pain stimuli. They sent her home with

> buprenorphine 0.06 mg oral, ev 8 hours.

>

> When she got home, I observed that she is comfortable pulling herself

> with her front legs, dragging her hind legs, could move the tip of her

> tail. I've just been sitting with her now (about 3 hrs after vet visit

> + one dose of the painkiller). She can move and stretch her hind legs,

> roll over, get the legs out of the way but won't use them to support

> her weight. It feels like there's slight puffiness at the base of the

> tail, dorsal side, and she complains if I palpate that area. Moves

> about 3 " of the end of her tail.

>

> Any ideas? The vet said the possibilities are soft tissue injury,

> neurologic injury, unseen orthopedic injury, spinal lesion, other.

>

> I have a list of all the diag results (which mean nothing to me); I

> can supply them to you if needed. The vet did say: 'hind limbs have

> strong withdrawal, positive pain perception and motor. No pain with

> spinal palpation. cranial nerves normal. Purposefully moving hind

> limbs but not bearing weight. Normal paterllar reflexes bilaterally. '

>

> thanks for any thoughts.

> karen

>

> Karen R. Adams,

> Lic Ac, Dipl Ac

> 25 - 27 Bank Row

> Greenfield, MA 01301

> 413-768-8333

>

> I cannot be more than I am.

> I cannot be less than I am.

> But I must be all that I am.

>

> __._