Double rear leg amutation

Please post questions about pets who are expected to undergo amputation or who have already undergone amputation here, as well as pets born with missing or incomplete limbs.
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animallover2036
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Joined: Fri May 24, 2013 10:05 pm

Double rear leg amutation

Post by animallover2036 »

Hi all, my little kitten Oreo that I have posted about before might have to have both of her rear legs amputated. She was born with her back joints fused together and also some of the spine fused. She is incontinent. She doesn't have any sores on her legs and she doesn't drag them...she kind of tucks them up under herself or pulls them over to the side...but my vet is recommending that I have them taken off.

I wanted to hear from other people who have kitties with both back legs amputated. How did they adjust? What should I be expected? Do you feel like it improved the quality of life of your pet?
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FYI
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Joined: Tue May 15, 2007 2:16 pm

Re: Double rear leg amutation

Post by FYI »

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2127&p=8984
by The FlyerFly » Thu Aug 19, 2004 8:49 am wrote:
News: Alex P. Kitten *PIC*

.......will now rest in peace.

Yesterday was Alex's bilateral amputation surgery. for anyone who wasn't aware of Alex's condition, he had terrible deformation of all four of his legs, but especially the back two. in order to lighten the load on his still usable front legs, we decided to amputate his useless hind legs.

I got a call from the doctor around 2:15pm or so yesterday to inform me that Alex's surgery actually had gone well, and he was expected to make a full recovery. after work, my wife and I went out for awhile to burn off some stress and anxiety from the day's events. when we came home, we had 5 messages on our answering machine, 4 of which were from the vet's office. the last message was from the surgeon herself, and she explained that Alex had gone into cardiac arrest. there were no signs of distress in surgery, and things went well. the doctor and nurses on staff at the time tried and succeeded in reviving him a total of 3 times, but he slipped away one final time when they couldnt get his heart started again.

my wife and I are crushed. there are no words or ways to describe the loss. we have genuinely lost a member of the family. some people would probably think we are silly for being so devastated, but as my wife and i have discussed, caring for Alex was more like caring for an infant than a cat. his disabilities made him completely dependant on us, and we never hesitated to care for whatever ailed him. and every bit of caring and love we gave was returned to us ten fold. i doubt ill ever see another animal that loved liked he did. it was just so incredibly obvious how he felt and how much he appreciated what we were doing for him.

the house seems empty. theres something missing and its more than just his presence. its the way he made us feel. the thrill we got and he got from us coming down the steps in the morning, or walking in after work. the kisses he never got tired of giving. even his assisted trips to the litter box. it all became part of the day. it became part of our lives.

although it all ended far too soon, we are so lucky to have had him at all. theres a certain clarity we are trying to gain from this. my wife and i are planning to start a family. and when Alex showed up, we were wanting that family so bad. he came along and helped us prepare for the selflessness, responsibility, and perspective we needed to be truly ready to have a completely dependant being in our lives. he showed up when we needed him, and he left just before we were to actually begin trying to have kids. it hurts, but we kinda feel like he came and did his work, then left when the time came. at least we can take some consolation in that.

i know i havent posted here in a little while, and im sorry that this post had to be with such tragic news. but my wife and i want to thank you all for the wonderful advice you have given, the support in tough times, and the beautiful work you do here. those of you who care for handicapped animals as a career, passion, or calling are truly pillars of strength. i dont know how you do it. my wife and i once said that we would consider caring for handicapped animals regularly, but at a time like this, im not sure we could go through all this grief again. its one of the toughest things weve ever dealt with.

for therapy, and as a way to thank the hospital staff for their heroic efforts to save Alex, we are assembling a basket (Alex's first bed) full of his toys and some new pet toys to donate to the hospital. the toys will be for other disabled and/or terminally ill pets.

and for the record, if there is anyone who frequents or occasionally visits this board from the northeastern and central PA area, i cannot say enough good things about Leighow Veterinary Hospital in Danville, PA. they are simply wonderful. especially Dr. Kitchen. she has made herself so available, even though her husband is having surgery today. she is one of those vets who you know is in the right line of work.

once again we thank you, Alex thanks you, and God bless you all...

Perhaps we will in fact see our beautiful Alex once again at Rainbow Bridge. :'(

Nathan (The FlyerFly) and Stephanie
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FYI
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Joined: Tue May 15, 2007 2:16 pm

Re: Double rear leg amutation

Post by FYI »

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=9312&p=47370&hilit=+fused#p47370
mumpkees wrote:Even Dallas, our rear paralyzed / legs fused stick straight to the right side of her body gets around on her own just fine.
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=6247&p=33972&hilit=+fused#p33972
mumpkees wrote:Our house is filled with little ones with misshapen extremities and those who are missing parts of their legs and/or feet. One is rear paralyzed with her rear legs fused at the hips stick straight out to the right side of her body. She survived Hurricane Katrina like this and managed to scoot herself up to a rescuer. She wears a diaper not for incontinence, but to keep her bottom clean and sore free and to allow her to 'glide' over carpeting and tile and beat me to the kitchen at dinner time.
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4764&p=25064&hilit=+fused#p25064
mumpkees wrote: Dallas, our little girl who is rear paralyzed with both of her legs fused at the hip and situated on the right side of her body wears the size up from premies. She is only 4# and since her hips have atrophied, she is very thin in the hips. We also cannot diaper her in the normal way because there is no way to close the diaper. We discovered that if we turn the diaper sideways, we can then diaper around her tail and under her belly between where her legs are fused. Dallas isn't incontinent, she actually "scoots" using her front legs to glide her all over the house. Her private parts however rest directly on the carpet/tile and we worry about her rubbing herself raw or getting dirty. The padding of the diaper protects her and helps her "glide".
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critters
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Re: Double rear leg amutation

Post by critters »

Personally, I'd leave them alone unless they're causing some sort of problem. You can always take them later.
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