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Expert: - 3/10/2010


Question
I woke up this morning and walked outside to feed my cats, and one of them was laying on a mat we have on the front porch, as soon as I walked out, it started meowing this awful, in-pain- like meow :/ He tried getting up but stumbled. One of his back legs isn't functioning. I don't know if he got hit by a car? My uncle thinks he was bit by a snake? I don't have any idea what happened. The white eye cover inside of his eye is starting to cover up his pupils. When I gave him water, he drank some but it seemed like he was having trouble getting it down. I put him in the bath tub to wash him off because he smells awful and when he jumped out he had a hard time getting over the side of the tub, and when he did, the foot that isn't functioning, made him fall to the floor and he cried :/ Right now he's sleeping. I tried moving his tail around to see if he would do anything, but I don't think he can move his tail either. I don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

Answer
He sounds like he got hit by a car and he needs to see a vet right away. He probably let loose with his anal glands when he got hit which is why he smelled so bad.
Look at his toes nails on his front feet and see if they look shredded. They will reach out and try to stop themselves from flying through the air. Even if they are not shredded he sounds like he was hit. The broken tail is another give away.

His leg is broken and he isn't going to get it fixed on his own. He won't be able to walk until it is splinted or pinned.

Call your vet soon.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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