Robbie's story part 1

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.
Post Reply
Kimpuz
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2014 1:36 pm

Robbie's story part 1

Post by Kimpuz »

Robbie is a little over one year old male DSH cat, who was rescued from a family where they were using him and his siblings as living footballs and toys. Luckily an animal welfare worker was able to get Robbie and his sister out, and so eventually they came to stay with us. He has always had a lovely manner and been ever so friendly. He lives with four other furry girls and one of them is his sister. Robbie likes routine and usually comes in for dinner at 6 p.m. and then he stays in, as the other cats do, until the morning.

One Monday a few weeks back, Robbie suddenly disappeared in the morning. He was nowhere to be found, despite calling and cooing and promises of treats and tuna. Evening came, and still no sign of Robbie. We slept almost nothing that first night. The second day, still no sign, and the third day we called all the vets around us, put up posters and flyers and spoke to neighbours. On Friday morning I had a call from a lady who lives a block from us, telling me she thought our cat might be in her alleyway, but he was just lying there. I ran there with my cat basket, and at first I barely recognised him. Once white and shiny, Robbie was now dark grey with a pronounced limp that made it impossible for him to get out of the alleyway. He was trying to escape as we entered the alleyway, but as I called him, he turned around and when I sat down on the wet grass, he came to me and hid under my jacket. I took him straight to the vet. Dehydrated and exhausted he was given a full x-ray and fluids. His right hind leg was badly damaged and almost crushed. The vet gave us the options of either seeing a specialist far away for the possibility of pins and plates, or amputating. He was comfortable on pain relief in the vet surgery over the weekend. Staff at the surgery was great, they updated us every day, and we were always welcomed to call and check in on Robbie. We decided it would be best to amputate. It was a difficult decision, made easier only by the consideration that there was only a 50% chance that the referral specialist would be able to save his leg, and would we really want to see Robbie have to learn to live with pins and plates in his legs, that he might reject or try to get to at some point?

Robbie had his amputation last Monday. On Tuesday he was allowed to come home in the afternoon, and we were instructed to give him Metacam once every 24 hours. On Wednesday morning he was already bright and breezy and walking around as best he could, but in the evening he seemed to become increasingly upset, lethargic and refused even tuna. His breathing was laboured and heart rate was up. We took him to the vet again, and he was given some more Vetergesic. Again, he was better, and this repeated again on Friday, and we were given Vetergesic to give him at home on Saturday, and so we got through until Sunday night with managing his pain successfully.

Sunday night came the next trial. Robbie had a bout of diarrhoea, and the Metacam was therefore not to be given on Monday. He was fidgety during Sunday night, and Monday morning he was stiff and moving about slowly, preferring to just hide in his blankets in the corner underneath my shirts and skirts in the wardrobe. Every so often we would see him twitch and then growl, as if someone was pinching his bum or his now gone leg aching. Heart breaking to see, so we contacted the vet again (who was not too keen on the idea of phantom leg pain by the way). He was given more Vetergesic and if there is no diarrhoea tonight we are to give him Metacam tomorrow morning again.
Robbie is currently lying next to me while I am writing his story so far. He is pressing his little body against my side, and occasionally looks up at me with content eyes for a ten seconds fuss. But then suddenly his hips goes into what is almost spasticity for a second or two and he growls and looks frustrated and upset. Like a giant invisible wasp has just stung him in the bum. He goes to investigate, and flops over, again upset. He seems to be soothed by us stroking his face and head gently and humming lullabies.

So a few questions pop up in my mind that I would like to hear from other peeps on: what are your experiences with acute pain episodes in amputated cats? What are your experiences with Metacam and these episodes? What are your experiences with other types of pain relief? Did your cats appear to be in physical pain, or was your gut feeling that it is more of a general frustration moment and initial struggle to adapt?
Robbie is staying strong and I think he just winked at the screen.
User avatar
critters
Founding Member
Posts: 14360
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2001 7:00 pm

Re: Robbie's story part 1

Post by critters »

:slant: I'd be willing to bet that he has a bit of spinal cord injury somewhere and is feeling zaps from it. Personally, I'd want him to be on a steroid for a little while, but it's not safe along with Metacam. Gabapentin is a god-send with nerve damage and is quite safe, although I don't know specifically with Metacam. He could also be feeling zaps from the nerves that were cut during the amputation, so I'd be trying to get him more help as soon as I could.
Kimpuz
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2014 1:36 pm

Re: Robbie's story part 1

Post by Kimpuz »

Hi!
Thank you for you suggestions!
Gabapentin has crossed our attention as a possibility. We'll talk to the vet when he is due on Thu, unless he gets worse over the night again. Last night he was very unsettled and the Metacam this morning only did a little bit to help him rest, although his appetite seems to increase gradually today again. Metacam has done nothing for his spasms/twitches/phantom/flashes of pain, and given that the side-effects and possible adverse effects are quite severe, we'd like him off that as soon as poss.
Post Reply