cat amputation - support/advice?

[gunner]

Hi there,

Our cat Rio was found outside a mountain resort in a group of strays. He stood out to the kind-hearted girls who rescued him as his back leg was broken so badly the bone was sticking out of the skin. The bone was healed and then he was offered up for adoption, which is when we met him. Just before we were to take him home, his leg worsened suddenly. We agreed to an amputation at this time, but it turned out that he was having a reaction to the thread they used to sew him up, they removed the thread and all was well. Earlier this week I noticed he was quieter than usual, and wouldn't let me pat or cuddle him. We took him to the vet the next day and he had developed an abscess. They recommended amputation and we agreed.

I am glad that his pain will be over, and that he won't have to make so many traumatising vet visits, but i can't help feeling sad about it, i am really scared of seeing him and his wound for the first time. The operation was a success and i can go and visit him tommorow, but i think i will wait until Saturday, when my husband can come too so I can have some support.

Do you guys have any advice for helping him adjust to life without his leg? I would love to hear your stories.

edited to fix img file. couldn't work it out, here is a link to his photo instead:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/154/3731 ... 57.jpg?v=0

[Amy]

Hi and welcome.
I don't know much about cat amputation but going through it with a dog I would think it would be basically the same thing. You will be amazed and surprised at how well they adapt. If there was already damage to the leg, chances are he has already adapted to having only 3 legs and will do fine. Animals are amazing and adapt better than most of us humans do. I think I was more stressed and worried than my Tyler ever was. Expect him to lay low the first couple weeks. Again I am only familiar with going through this with a dog but the first few nights were the roughest. It sounds as though your Rio will be at the vets for the first few nights so by the time he comes home he should be well on his way to recovery. Once the stitches, usually 2 weeks or so are out we saw tremendous improvement. I have met a 3 legged cat, born that way, and I can tell you he gets along totally fine. He can jump, play and do everything his brother and sister can do.
My thoughts will be with you as you go through this.

Amy and ^Tyler^

[critters]

Amy's right--he'll be fine. He just has to figure out how to work it out, and he'll be off to the races.

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

I have to agree with critters. Cats are incredibly limber and agile. Their 3 legs equals a dog's 4 .
They dont have the same body mobility issues that dogs do, I think and I had a cat mushed by a car and she did just fine for the few years she had left

[CarolC]

You would enjoy reading Susiecat's story. She is the black and white cat who is on the doorway to this forum. She had a back leg amputated at the advanced age of 16. Here are all the messages in order, telling the whole story.

http://www.handicappedpets.com/cgi-bin/msg/webbbs_config.pl?read=20857

[BethT]

There is a yahoo support group for people who have cats with vaccination related sarcomas. Although this is not your cats situation most of the people on this group have experienced amputation to rid their cat of this terrible cancer. There are a lot of good articles and posts on this site about amputation. Below is the link. Good luck. Beth

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline_VAS_Support/

[gunner]

Thank you so much for your words of support and tips!

We visited Rio at the vet on Saturday. I was pretty nervous about seeing him for the first time. I cried of course when the vet brought him out, but they were kind enough to leave us alone with him for a while. It looked different to what I expected, there is no stump at all, it is just smooth. All his fur has been shaved off the area, and so is all pink, it actually looks decidedly like a chicken breast!

So the worst is over for me now, i am just trying to prepare the house for him as best I can. We live in Japan, and vets are slightly different here, whereas at home i should think we would have been able to bring him home, he will have to stay at the vets for at least 9 days. Just really looking forwards to getting him back.

Thanks again everyone.

[critters]

9 days!!! Critters don't even stay that long with a spinal cord injury, much less a tripod!! I consider my tripods disfigured, not disabled; they can do everything anybody else can do, just noisier.

[tammyenewton]

Hi there, Bitsey lost her back leg also, she was 3 at the time. She was in the hospital for 4 days, operated on the 3rd day and home by the end of the 4th day. The area was not as horrible as I thought, very clean, little red. Most surprising was where they had shaved her! Couldnt Wait for that to grow back! But other than that wasnt as bad as I expected. She was up and moving around the next day, slowly. We made a low, not top kitty litter box and had to put her in it the 1st few times, but Id say within 3 days she wanted privacy and got in the large topped kitty litter box with no problems. We have a kitty door and she wasnt allowed outside for a week, that killed her more than anything. And at first she was hesitant about going out (not anymore!) She uses her front claws ALOT now to jump and grab and pull herself up, so claws for a 3 legged cat are a good thing! Even though she has jumped up on us a few times and caught the skin...ouch.....but weve learned when she's looking like she wants up with us, you'd better move your legs! She's a little fat which I worry about, alot lazier than she use to be. Doc said to look for that. I felt really guilty for a long time whenever I looked at her, she loved switching her tail around (lost 1/2 her tail too, kinda looked like a hotdog, no joke) but over the years I hardly notice anymore & we joke about her whittle nub you can see moving around. Other problem is scratching her left side of her neck, cant do that anymore so usually when she wants it scratched all I have to do is look at her and she knows to come on over so I can scratch it for her. And when she's had enough of that she leaves. Not much else I can think of other than I know people new to the neighborhood look at her kinda odd, but other than that she's good to go! Good luck! and dont worry : )

[LisainCAN]

I too am shocked at the nine days at the vet. He must be getting good care though!

I have two tripods: one is a rear-leg amputee and one is a front-leg. They are fast, great at jumping, and just happen to be really good-natured cats. Both were hit by cars and we adopted them each when they were about to be euthanized because they had been strays and no one wanted them.

It's also amazing how well the incision heals. One of the cats, Skittles, actually needed the fur/skin from the amputated rear leg to be stretched up over the 8" "gash" (from the tire) that was right down to the muscle layer over his thigh and back. There is no scar or even any ridge. He does, however, look like a patchwork quilt because of the fact that the leg fur was a bit finer and a bit more beige than the fur on his back!

Best of luck and enjoy Rio.

[maynardsmom]

Rio is a beautiful cat!

When we adopted Maynard, his rear leg had already been amputated. I think his recuperation and adjustment went a little slower than what would be 'normal' because he spent most of the time for the first six or so months after the surgery in a cage at the shelter. He has been home for about 10 months now and is doing very well. At first, he had problems with getting his brakes to work -- He ran almost everywhere at top speed and ran into a few things, including one of our other cats, because he was not stopping fast enough. Balance took awhile, but he has that down now. At first he did not jump as high as the other cats, but that is getting better. He is so proud of himself everytime he jumps on something a bit higher than the last thing. Most of all, he is a very happy, loving cat who get along well with our other cats and our dog, and they except him as he is. He has adjusted well, and I am sure Rio will, too.

[gunner]

Thanks again for all your support guys, it means so much to me. It really helps to hear your stories.

Rio is home now. He is adapting so well! He was so grateful to be home that he just curled up on my lap and soaked up the cuddles and scratches for hours. He then tentatively explored the apartment, he has no problems scratching, and jumped up on the couch first try. The litter box proved a bit trickier, but he got their in the end. He has always loved to sit on top of the keyboard as i type, but he can't make the jump up to the desk now. (probably a good thing!). He is definately still a lot slower and more hobbly, but i expect he will get stronger all the time. Personality-wise, he seems exactly the same, though perhaps a bit more demanding for attention, He is playing with his favourite toys, trying to wriggle under the covers in bed (we live in japan, and so our futon is flat on the tatami floor, no jumping necesary) and eating like cat posessed. He definitely lost a little weight at the vets, i am going to try really hard to keep his eating in check, i don't want to complicate his problems with being overweight!

I put some pics of him and his wound up on my blog. I think it is healing really nicely.

http://gunnerjournal.wordpress.com/

Thanks again guys, I will keep you updated.

[tessa]

gunner...that's an awesome blog!
he's such a looker too.
i wouldn't get used to being able to type unimpeded if i was you. he'll be up on the keyboard in no time.

you have a great photographic eye, btw.

[gunner]

oh thank you! i never thought of myself as taking good photos! with a model like that how could I go wrong though...

[gunner]

quick update!

today he jumped straight up onto the desk!!!!!!

my husband was standing next to me and we both looked at each other with open mouths.

goodbye uninterupted typing!

he is right next to my fingers now, shredding a piece of paper (one of his favourite hobbies!)

xx