Fall from a height

[Guest]

Hello

I wonder if you can help assuage some curiosity. I have a five month old Siamese kitten. Two nights ago, I was getting ready for bed, went upstairs (we live in a double volume house) and switched off the TV and lights. Coming downstairs, I heard a strange noise, turned around and saw little Luca plummeting to the floor.

Needless to say, I had a heart attack. She landed on her feet, and after a second or two ran away into the kitchen. She wasn't moving strangely or anything. When I caught her - she had pulled her haws on her eyes up and just sat and looked at me strangely - she seemed a little stunned. Then she started to bleed out of her mouth and nose.

I jumped into the car and rushed her to the emergency vet. Took me 15 minutes to travel 30 kms! The vet examined her, checked her limbs and her jaw. Listened to her heat and lungs and then checked her pupils. Seems all that the matter was a bruised palate - he said that she probably just had a nose bleed.

He gave her an anti-inflamatory and a pain shot and I then took her home. She seems fine - is the terrorist that she always is - is eating fine. I am taking her to my vet today for her innoculations and am going to have him check her out for me as well.

I am just interested as it seems a very long way to fall - will she be alright?
Why did her haws (nictatating membane) go up?
Is there anything that I need to keep my eye out for?

Any ideas?

Thank you so much!

Shadow!

[Traci]

Had I been here earlier, I would have suggested holding off on the vaccinations for at least a week until you know she has recovered from the fall. So, assuming she's already had them today, now you need to be concerned with her eating, lethargy, fever, pain. This should pass within 24 hours, but with the bleeding from the nostrils, you need to be more watchful.

If the bleeding reoccurs, don't wait, get her back to your vet for a recheck. At that point, antibiotics may need to be given to prevent a bacterial infection.

You didn't mention the height of the fall, so impossible to say to what degree the injury could have been. Good that she landed on her feet though, so it's possible your vet was correct in only finding a bruised palate or tongue. The force could have put pressure on her capillaries in her nose to cause the bleeding, so hopefully, nothing more serious than that. As long as she's eating, playing, active, doesn't seem lethargic, she should be ok. However, with the recent vaccs, she may be alittle blah for a day, and may not seem interested in food. Be sure she eats/drinks at least 24 hours post-vaccination.

Don't worry about the nictating membrane, chances are, it was just a normal reaction to the shock or force. If it has resided, and her pupil reaction is normal, probably nothing to worry about.

[Guest]

Thank you Traci.

When I got home on Friday night, her one eye was a little weepy. I took her to the vet, told him the entire story. He checked her out thoroughly again -shame - her little mouth was all bruised... He said that her eye was probably connected to the fall - no infection or anything like that. He checked it with dye and no lights on and really did a thorough check up. He told me to keep an eye on it (no pun intended) and if it turns milky or cloudy to bring her straight back - even if the discharge changes colour or anything. He gave her her shots and she has been fine for the entire weekend. Eating, drinking, playing - absolutely nothing wrong with her. But I am being careful. I have had such bad luck with my cats lately - my 7 mth old burmese girl was diagnosed with a hemivertebrae and has undergone a mylogram and surgery - but she is fine - I am just not taking any chances with them. They are my children!

Thanks again.

[Guest]

Sorry - I meant to tell you - she fell from the loft in my house - so a little over a floor up.

Thanks.