Neurological Disorders Resources. Treatment and care for pets having pain or trouble walking or standing due to spinal injuries or neurological disorders like IVDD, FCE and DM.
I rescued a young( 7-8 months) little cat out of the road last night. She was unable to walk, had a few abrasions on her legs and forehead. Took her to the vet last night, and she has a fractured femoral head, a paralyzed tail and very poor anal sphinter tone. He said her injury should heal with rest, but the tail may have to be amputated. Also, if her anal tone does not return, he thinks she should be euthanized. I am not one to give up so quickly. Has anyone experienced this type of injury on their cat? How long should I wait? Will accupuncture help at all? She is a sweet little girl, very brave, but I think, based on where I found her, (way out in the country) an abandoned pet. Any and all advice will be welcomed!
Hi and welcome. There are ways to care for cats with tail injuries whether they regain tone or not. Is she also dribbling urine, or has she urinated since you found her? Depending on her condition, her bladder may need to be expressed, and you may need to regulate her stools with a combination of diet and medication, and possibly massaging her colon. Any cat could become constipated if in pain, but tail injured cat are especially prone to it, so that is something to watch. You can use lactulose syrup to keep the stools the right softness. You get it at the vet, it only takes a little, it's not habit forming, inexpensive, lasts a long time. Some pets will lick it off a saucer, or you can give it with a syringe.
Got a call from the vet this morning.....she has regained some of her tail , and actually pooped on her own overnight! He has decided to do some surgical repair to her femur injury today, as he now thinks she may make a recovery. Yesterday he had cast a shadow of doubt over her eventual outcome, meaning he was thinking she would have to be euthanized due to her nerve damage She is not yet out of the woods, but I am hoping she will recover..then she will be added to my crew. We are thinking she may have been a barn cat at the nearby quarter horse breeding farm that has gone bankrupt and is closing down operations, and I think they have stopped feeding the cats, who are now being forced to roam to find food.
UPDATE! She is now home after having surgery to repair her hip. About 2 days post-op, she began to move her tail and sat up! She then used the litter pan and pooped like a champ! She has that youth advantage, plus I believe after the swelling started to subside, her other troubles began to subside as well. I posted a short video of her on my You Tube channel if anyone wants to see little Destiny. My name there is MissPickletoes. She is still limping when she walks, and according to the vet, that may be permanent. But she is coming along so well!
Awww...what a lover! I had a cat named Pasha who looked so much like Destiny. Someone told me she was a pastel calico. I could not get over that her coloring on her bare skin is varigated like her fur - never knew that was the case. I feel the same way everyone else does - I am so glad she is with you now...safe, sound and loved!
Keep us posted!
Christine... and Bailey, playing at the Bridge ?/1999 - 10/25/08
