Very Random Question

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carolynandlatte

carolynandlatte

Member Since 2009
My foster (and soon to be furever kitty) was seen today for possible asthma. Xrays revealed very mild asthma. X-rays also revealed something very disturbing...A bullet (not bb, but real gun). The current location to the pieces are probably subq in the neck/back area. The other is near her trachea. The vet recommended a radiologist look at it to assess risk, despite it not being medically necessary(?!?!)

In both of our minds we felt it probably was medically necessary to have a radiologist look for it. She explained that bullet pieces can move. Though she DOES have asthma, some of her coughing could be related to the bullet pushing against her trachea at times.

So my question, anyone ever deal with something like this? Should bullets be taken out? Left alone? Monitored? I am clueless.

So incredibly sad. Everything about her personality now makes sense. Blind in one eye due to trauma, clipped ear, and shot with a gun. I picked her up at an approx age of 8-12 months. Same vet who saw her today noticed no trauma related to a gun shot. I'm guessing this happened when she was an itty bitty kitty. :sad: :sad: :sad:

Bless her heart and letting me in to take care of her.
 
So sorry to hear that a kitty has to go through all this. Luckily she got you & a loveing home. Ive no answer to the removal of the bullet piece but yes, it's worth looking the possibility to remove it when kitty is young, stable & strong. Any foreign object inside body may cause complications later on, let alone a bullet piece.
Wish you all the best with the caring of kitty.
 
thank goodness for you!! a hero! i hate people sometimes and as an animal rights activist i hear story's like this to often, i was really starting to loose faith in humanity until i found here. loads of compassionate people who give a crap. i have no advise to give but i agree w tortie, could cause problems later on.
wish there was a way to find out who shot her, by those bullets. ugh i'd like to shoot them :evil:
she's so lucky to have, good luck
 
Maybe Mel(Momma of Muse) will chime in over here. Her kitty Autumn had BB`s in her. I have never had (yet) a cat that has been shot with a gun although I am sure at any time where I live it would not suprise me. i feed feral cats and the neighbors hate them.
I am so sorry to hear what your poor kitty has been through and I am glad you have found her and brought her inside.

Terri
 
Mel (Momma of Muse) has a kitty, Autumn, who has had numerous BBs removed from her head and chest. BBs come from a real gun too.

I'd be concerned about the contents of the bullet(s) causing a toxicity issue. I don't think they use lead any more, but other Metals leaching into the body might not be good either.

Checked Wikipedia on bullets some still use lead. Many use copper and steel. More than I ever wanted to know.
 
Carolyn

My Autumn has been dealing with BB's from a shotgun, or what is called scattershot where I'm from but not an actual bullet, as I am assuming from the way you described it that you dear little is going through.

But here is what my vet told me with Autumn as far as if we leave them or try to go in and get them. If they are where they can move and cause further damage then we go after them, as she did yesterday during Autumn's dental since she had two that were very close to her jaw hinge, she also still have several in her back but those we are leaving as they are lodged in subq layer and she doesn't think those will move and even if they do they are only going to travel in that subq level of fat. They aren't going to press against anything vital or cause her discomfort.

But those are BB's so they don't have any sharp edges that can tear into any of her organs or tissue, they aren't close to anything vital so will only be just little lumps under her skin...now with an actual bullet casing I am figuring you have some sharp edges so if they move they can tear and cause damage so I'm sure you are dealing with an entirely different ball of wax there. Plus if the shot itself is still in there well those many times are lead and that can cause problems all on their own I would imagine.

Mel, Maxwell, Autumn & The Fur Gang
 
I just wanted to thank you for taking in this little kitty! The only time I've seen anything like this was when I worked for an animal hospital long ago. Poor kitty got shot near the front shoulder. In that case, they had to take the entire leg. We had to keep it in the freezer for quite awhile, as the owners were trying to find the shooter and it could be used as evidence.

My personal thought would be to get the bullet out if it's safe to do so. Not only does she have the phsical vessel in there, but it also harbors the bad vibe that came with it. I hope she can be free and embrace all the love you have to give her!
 
Thanks for the responses. I was so upset when the vet explained what we were looking at. And, of course worried.

The rescue did not approve having a radiologist look at it, because the xrays and exam already explained dx the asthma.

I adopted Tippie yesterday. She has an appt with Latte's old vet toward the end of March. I will have him (and their radiologist) review the x-ray. I understand if we cannot do anything about it because of the location. I need to know if it could cause complications in the future with migration, or anything else. I really wanted to know this before I officially adopted her, but things do not always work out the way we want I guess.

Poor kitty. :sad: I shudder and tear up every time I think of what may have happened. What a survivor she is!
She is home now and forever. Happy, loved, and well cared for.

I'll let you know what comes of the 2nd opinion.
 
Carolyn

I have a little black feral female I am feeding now, she is so scared. I TNR her last spring to get her spayed she was pregnant, I thought she was only about 4 months old, they told she was about a year. They told me she also has web feet. Must be a birth defect. I call her Tazzy( Tazmanian Devil) she just flits around on my back porch. I watched your video or your new little girl and she reminds me of Tazzy so much.
She used to run if I even looked out the door at her now she will come within about 8 feet of me when I feed her and I talk to her through the door and she does not run anymore.
I would love to bring her in the house, maybe this summer I can get her to come closer to me enough to get used to me. I also feed a huge grey male who looks like a Russian Blue also feral. Everytime I see him he has some type of new injury, paw hurt, tail injury, something wrong with his eye.
My idiot neighbor told me this summer he was going to shoot them with a pellet gun. He shoots his beagles that are penned up with a pellet gun when they bark. I told him if he does I will call the police on him and then the animal control.
But yes there are people out there that do things like that I am sorry to say.

Terri
 
He shoots his beagles that are penned up with a pellet gun when they bark. I told him if he does I will call the police on him and then the animal control.
Click to expand...


Terri, You should call animal control anyway. Dogs bark, especially Beagles, like cats using a scratching post. It's what they do. They do not have a voice and do not deserve to be shot. You can call anonymously. Columbus is working very hard to change the animal cruelty laws and will take this serious if you can be their voice. The dogs would cry and beg not to be shot if they could, well actually they can, they just get shot for it. brakes my heart. :cry:

The question is not, "Can they reason?" nor, "Can they talk?" but rather, "Can they suffer?" ~Jeremy Bentham

Here's some #'s

Capital Area Humane Society
3015 Scioto Darby Executive Ct
Hilliard
(614) 777-7387

Union County Humane Society
16540 County Home Rd
Marysville
(937) 642-6716

Conklin Dairy Farms Inc
12939 U.S. 42
Plain City
(614) 873-8024

If I can help in anyway, let me know. I have some resources in OH. I hope this does not sound off putting in anyway. i just know one voice can make a difference.
 
Gosh! I have not been on FDMB for so long, I forgot to update on the 2nd opinion after I adopted Tippie. Ooops! (in case anyone is interested ;-) )

The vet I used for Latte is WONDERFUL. I brought Tippie in to see him. Though I am not much of a "posh" person, the clinic caters to many folks who are. They were not even sure what "TNR" meant, until I explained. The vet had never seen an x-ray with a bullet in a cat (or bb), so he was speechless. The radiologist said it could be a bullet or an odd shaped bb??? I get the sense they had never seen one before either. It was believed that due to the location of the bullet, it would not be wise to remove. It is basically a part of her now, no matter the consequences. They felt it was not related to her breathing problems and likely caused no risk to her health. So there it sits.

Until this week she went almost 3 months without hearing an asthma related cough. Darn it! A kind member of this site sent me a kitty mask for inhalers. I started with trying to get her to eat treats from it. She just used her paws to pull it out, or refused. Just in the last few weeks she has been eating treats from the mask. Soon we will introduce the sound of the inhaler and go from there. I'm glad to catch this early, as she will require a slow progression into receiving the medication. Any slip on my part, or waiting for an emergency and we will have problems with her accepting it.

Happy. She seems to be a VERY happy cat. She is mischievous, playful, and lovey. She still has her 'feral' streak on occasions. Other than feelings, No one has been hurt yet. :lol:

Oh- and she is NOT polydactyl in the front. Her Dewclaws must be deformed, looking like toes. She is in the back, which is apparently rare. Go kitty!

To continue following Tippie's story, you can check out her FB page!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/213974755301744/
 
Yeah ! Another failed foster. Sorry to hear about the bullet in Tippie but that is awesome that Tippie has found her furever home with you. Don't tell Wink, but he's not going anywhere either right now. Still a foster, not adopting because the shelter will help with medical expenses. I want longer to see what shakes out with him.
 
I've never seen this with a cat. A long time ago I had a dog that would escape from me and one day he returned home with buck shot in his bohunkass! They had to pick it out however since it was in his hinney it never caused any problems. Some people need to have their gun taken away and used on them!!
Bless you for taking this kitty and doing what you can to help!! God bless both of you!
Terri
 
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