Maine coon kitten neurological tests :(

[Furrybandit]

Hi everyone. Looking for a handhold and any advice or experiences.

My sweet maine coon boy is just over 1 year old. In summer he started to limp. Despite being given a pain injection and being on daily pain meds it has got worse and worse.

Vet had said he has mild hip dysplasia (one of his hip balls is not perfectly round) and to see how it progressed but may need femoral head and neck excision (hip ball removing). As the limping got worse and worse I said let's get him booked in.

Took him to vet hospital yesterday for the femoral head and neck excision. Got a call 2 hours after dropping him off saying during pre-exams they started to doubt his 'hip ball' was causing the pain so they x-rayed it again and no signs of any change compared to the x-ray in September. No arthritis and looking 'pretty normal'.

Now recommendation is for him to be referred to a neurologist, possibly something wrong with his spine :(

I feel like if there was any doubt why not have booked him in for another x-ray first as opposed to me and him getting prepped for a surgery, taking a day off work, having to take him to vet hospital which is not in my town. An x-ray could have been done at my local surgery.

I am glad of course that they back-tracked I know it was the right thing to do professionally.

I feel a bit overwhelmed and upset. Yesterday I was thinking would be the start of him being pain free (once he had recovered from op), now at square one and him potentially having a neurological/spinal issue breaks my heart. :(

My partner is concerned at us being led on a wild goose chase spending 1000s and having no answers. They charged me £400 for the last minute x ray yesterday which I was a bit :o about since essentially they made a mistake in booking him in for an op.

Anyone experienced similar?

To be realistic you have to be prepared for the vets being unable to find the solution to watch seems a complex issue. It’s the same as for humans who have these sorts of problems —- so many quite common conditions to which there are no sure treatments/cure. Fortunately for us the NHS picks up the cost once we can finally see a specialist.
Really you have a heartbreaking choice of deciding how far you want to go with seeking a diagnoses for your lovely boy. Personally, if there’s insurance I’d seek a diagnoses and once it’s established what is wrong then make the decision regarding pursuing any possible treatment if available or whether his suffering should be ended.
It could possibly turn out to be easily treated but you’ll never know if you don’t take it a step further. Of course the specialist vet might have a pretty good idea from the first consultation and assist you in making the best decision .
Good luck and do let us know the outcome.

Thank you so much for your reply @Longdarkcloud :).

It helps to talk about it, you speak so much sense. It was just a shock to think he was getting it sorted and now he's not.

Stupidly I did not get pet insurance when we got him. Was in a period of grief and not thinking properly. Have two other moggies and they've had several trips to the vets but nothing major or costing a lot. So just did not think. Luckily I can just about afford it but it is rather eyewatering 😂

Thanks for your support and will let you know how he goes.

I will be thinking of you. For the first time I’ve found myself without a cat and I feel desperate for one to cuddle. I even bred cats whenI was younger and I just love them to bits — I don’t think nature has produced an animal more aesthetically pleasing and they are such marvellous companions and better than a sleeping pill. I haven’t had a really sound nights sleep since.
Circumstances mean I can’t have another atm or maybe ever and decline in health means I’m pretty much confined to the house. However I still have hope.
Just hope your sweet boy can be fixed

Good Luck with your boy OP. I know it's awful when something happens to them.

Thank you 💛. So sorry to hear about your health and that you can't have cats again. They are such sweet little creatures, they touch my heart. My boy is quite needy and needs a bit of babying. I love to kiss his fluffy little belly and he lets me rest my head on him!

Is cat sitting an option in order to get your cat fix, or not possible because of your health? I am trying to think of ways to get your cat fix! I assume you say hello to all cats you see on the street? :D

The specialist I got referred to said he will have an app and if he needs an MRI it will cost 3.5k!!!

I am going to get a second opinion from another vet before I blow any big money. I think this is justified since current vet did a U-turn on operation day!

He is a happy little boy but don't want to bury my head in the sand and kid myself that he will always be fine. Hopefully we can sort it.

Thank you so much 💛

I presume that your vet has given the all clear on another inherited disease affecting Maine Coons: spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). It is said to not cause pain but it might and it affects the gait. Just a thought. I am not a vet but I know the Maine Coon well and cats in general. Good luck.

So sorry to hear this. Also have a 1 year old Maine Coon cat and they are the loveliest cats, mine also trills all the time. I hope you can get the issue sorted. It might be worth asking on one of the Maine Coon Facebook groups for UK as they are big groups, they are known for big medical bills, we got insurance but so far not had issues.

There's this on PDSA

https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/kittens-cats/maine-coon#:~:text=The%20potential%20health%20problems%20that%20Maine%20Coons%20are,limping%20or%20difficulty%20walking%20on%20the%20back%20legs. Does your vet have much experience with Maine Coons, with our pets we found ours was variable and for some things there are specialist vets but not sure if there are MC ones.