Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :( :(

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zayna1
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Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :( :(

Post by zayna1 »

Hello.
I'm new here so forgive me if I have posted in the wrong place.
I really need some advice regarding my 6 year old cat. I'm in a panic so I will keep this as short as possible, but please please please try to read it all.

He is suspected to have been hit by a car. Found him in his bed on wednesday morning, shaking and holding his front left leg up. Left leg at the elbow bone was visible in a gaping wound. I had to rush him to the rspca vet as I am a student and am in some financial difficulties at the minute. My poor little mite, the vet basically said there are two options.

1. Possible reconstructive surgery, where there is no guarantee that it would work, as basically his elbow has been shattered into many pieces. Also this would cost around £3000 as a minimum and there is no way I could afford that.
2. Amputation. It's his right front left leg. I was in shock and disbelief when I heard. But I have been told cats get on very well.

I have decided that the latter would be the best decision. However, I have a massive concern. A few years back (4) he broke his front RIGHT leg, and now his front LEFT leg will be removed. He does have a metal plate in the right, and so my concern is that he will be relying solely on that leg. We have seen him limp sometimes on that leg, especially after a high jump town etc. Which is why I'm worried. The vet says that if he is constantly limping on that leg, he is in pain, there would basically be no point to go for the amputation, as it will only cause more pain to him in the long run, and the only option would be euthanasia :( . But she also said that if it is only occasional we can wait and see how it goes after the amputation. We just don't know. He is very fit and healthy otherwise, a happy bubbly boy.

I want the best for him. My family think he should be PTS now to save him the pain, as they are unsure wheather he will be able to adapt to 3 legs, especially when the only front leg he has may well be hurting him, we just don't know, especially when it will be bearing 2x the amount of weight it once did.

What would you do?
He has a right to life. He may well be fine with his right leg only. But if his right leg is unable to cope, then it will just cause him further pain.
I think the options are:
1. Amputate and see how it goes. He might have to be PTS later on if his right leg can't cope
2. PTS now to save him the pain. 'put him out of his misery' so to speak, but he isn't miserable. He's my baby boy. :(

He is an indoor/outdoor cat, and he gets so depressed when kept indoors, no matter how much stimulation he gets. That's another reason for the amputation seeming cruel in a way. What sort of life will he have? There is no way I can let him out again. We have foxes and other cats around here, which bully him already, let alone with just 3 legs.

I want to amputate and see how it goes, but my family sort of think its not fair on him to do that. But what if his right leg is perfectly fine??? If he is PTS now it would be a pointless waste of his life. But then again he may be hobbling around in pain, and the trauma of surgery for no reason.
I love him to pieces. He is so distressed and aggressive at the vets. Not really aggressive but defensive. He hissed at nurses when they walked past apparently. But when I visited him today, he literally melted in my hands and looked at me with those big sad eyes. He recognized me, and knows who I am. He trusts me and I don't know what to do for his sake.

I'm sorry if this sounds blunt. I'm in tears writing this and I just need advice asap.
Thank you so much for your help.
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Kay
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by Kay »

give him a chance - and yourself too, for that matter, as if you don't you will beat yourself up about it for ages

I have no experience of amputation, but I would have thought removing a whole limb is less traumatic than having a leg in splints for ages

you may well have to take steps to stop him getting on to high places and then jumping down, but such practicalities are the easy bit really, as they are a matter of the head and not the heart

I do hope he will be OK and go on to enjoy a good life for many years
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Walesgang
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by Walesgang »

Is there a branch of PDSA near you? Treatment may be more affordable.

I would give the cat every chance I could
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SarahT1 [PLLE]
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by SarahT1 [PLLE] »

Hi Zayna

Absolutely, you've answered your own question - give him a chance to see how he copes with 2 and a half legs. There are pain management options, prosthetics, even little go kart things if necessary. He's your baby boy as you say, and you will feel terrible if you give in to pressure to PTS. I'm sorry to be controversial, but times like this often family give the WORSE advice. They only think of themselves and their opinions and since he's not their boy, he's yours, they shouldn't be foisting on you. Last yar a friend's cat was attacked by a fox. It was touch and go, and a friend of hers was tryign to persuade her that the 'brave' thing to do was PTS. Fortunately, the vet championed going day by day until he was fully recovered, and my friend is grateuful that she heeded the vet and not a third party.
That said, we're all third parties, aren't we!? But hopefully with no agenda apart from the well being of your little boy.
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bobbys girl
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by bobbys girl »

My heart goes out to you. I can remember the awful sick feeling I got when my husband called me to say Bobby was FIV - this was on top of his infected leg. (I was doing the weekly shop at the time - trying to hold it together in Asda!)
We had little choice but to amputate. Because of his condition the wound has taken an age to heal. But now he is zooming around like something gone soft.
If you went ahead with reconstructive surgery and it was successful, there is still a chance that he might develop arthritis in that leg - this is what I have been told.
It is true, cats have an amazing ability to adapt to 3 legs, and I am sure you can adapt his living space. I knew someone who created an outdoor space for her cats that was connected to a window in the house. They could come and go in safety and not be restricted to indoors only.
I agree you should try your local PDSA hospital (if there is one!) When I was unemployed and living in Stoke I took my elderly dog there a couple of times. They were great - with her AND me! You pay what you can afford.
Remember we are here for you.
Best wishes
Sue xx
zayna1
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by zayna1 »

Thank you all for your replies.

I definitely want to give him every single chance he can get. He means the world to me, and I don't want him to suffer any more than he already is
.
The PDSA simply out right refused to help me because neither me or anyone in my family are on benefits of some sort, even though I'm a student and so have very low income, relying mostly on my loans. If I could afford it I would get him the surgery in the blink of an eye, even if it isn't guaranteed to work, mainly because his elbow is basically shattered into fragments, so they can't even pin the chip back into place.

I can just imagine my poor baby hobbling around on that one leg, it may be fine, but it may be painful due to the previous injury, and as time goes on it may just get worse, and that's my fear. But again I think I have to take the risk, or else he has no chance at all. He's only young still at 6 years old, and such a lively character.

I just feel so incredible guilty. If I had just not let him out, or got him in earlier in the evening, this would not have happened. Though it's not about me, what's happened has happened and now all I can do is try to make it better for him.
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by Crewella »

Bobbys girl is right - I took on a stray last year that had reconstructive surgery on his elbow after being handed in to the vets with a badly broken front leg at the elbow/shoulder area (though not shattered as your boy's is). After 12 weeks of cage rest it's still a bit dodgy, and he does get arthritis in it. He limps but does use it OK, and is coping well with a reduced Metacam dose, but we were hoping for better.

Personally, I'd go for the amputation and give him a chance as the others have said. Kay's right - if you don't, you'll keep wondering if you could have helped him. It sounds awful to say it, but if things do turn out badly, the option of PTS will still be there and at least you will have given him a chance.

Rotten decision to have to make, I'm so sorry.
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MarkB
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by MarkB »

I agree with others. Cats cope incredibly well with 3 legs, although I wouldn't allow him to wander afterwards. One advantage is that he won't need 6 weeks 'cage rest' as he would with reconstructive surgery.

Amputation isn't 2nd best - often it it the best option.

I hope it goes well - sure it will.
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by Janey »

I agree with the others, I would give him a chance.

You can sometimes get help if you are on low income (as well as benefits). Besides the PDSA, you could try RSPCA; Cats Protection; Blue Cross; or, you could see if any of the rescue centres in your area might be able to offer some help, they sometimes have arrangements with vets for reduced bills, so it's worth asking. And if you are unable to get any help from the above, you could ask the price at a different vets, or ask the vet if they'll take payment in instalments.

Hope that helps, and best of luck for your puss.
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by hgale »

I agree with everyone else - please give him a chance. A few years ago a stray cat kept visiting us, and he had 3 good legs but 1 little fore stump, so we nicknamed him "Bad-Paw". He was quite a character and didn't seem to have any problems getting around just using his good legs.

Please keep us all updated, we all want to help, and a gentle fuss to puss from me.
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Lyn from Australia
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by Lyn from Australia »

Ditto. If I were a cat in this situation I don't think I'd appreciate being put down without being given every chance first within my person's means. You may still have a hard decision down the road, but it will be much easier to live with than if you make that decision now, without trying. Please keep in touch.
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by misspaws »

Do you live near Guildford or could you get there easily? If so, I would ask your vet to consider referring him to Fitzpatrick referrals. This man is wonderful and often finds solutions to these cases when other vets do not have the expertise. He is honest and if he thinks amputation is the best choice he will tell you but if there is anyway you could see him it would be worth try.

Best wishes
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by booktigger »

As long as the vet says it is worth trying, then I would do that, and fingers crossed he copes well on his other leg.
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by Hazel »

I had a 10 year old cat who had his front right leg removed due to osteosarcoma. We were also offered reconstructive surgery but were advised by the vet that amputation was a better option (I think to ensure the cancer was all removed). He was absolutely fine.
He had outdoor access but after the first (scary to watch) hobble along the garden fences resulting in us rescuing him from the 8ft jump down we took away his steps up and he stayed in the garden. He occasionally escaped out the front door but we tried not to let him because he was slow and I didn't want him on the road.
We used to lift him down from the sofa and had steps for him to get up and down from our bed, so as not to put any unnecessary pressure on his remaining foreleg. We also put him on glucosamine to help his other leg.
After a while he used to wait or us to lift him down from places and if we were out he stayed on the floor or on our bed (with the steps) so he never got stuck.

Don't worry about the amputation but to try to stop him jumping off things afterwards and get him used to being lifted, especially with his other foreleg not being great either.

Good luck and fusses to your little fur baby. x
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by Hunnybunny »

This sounds terrible but as a rescue I have had many cats legs, front and back (not on the same cat I hasten to add) amputated and I'd do it at the drop of a hat over trying to reconstruct a shattered limb. Its neither financially viable as a rescue or in the long term best interests of most cats who will inevitably have some form of problems with it as they get older.

Cats adapt usually in days to the loss of a limb and unlike humans don't mourn the loss but are happy at being without the pain..... honestly, whip the leg off and he will adapt just like you will.

He can still live a normal active life indoor/outdoor with a bit of rehab that is.

In regards to his metal clad other leg, take it as it comes, I doubt it will cause to much additional stress as he re adjusts but if he needs the odd day or two of pain meds so be it, it has to be better than the alternative....
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bobbys girl
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by bobbys girl »

That's good advice Hazel - I just wish Bob would take it. :lol:
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Hazel
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by Hazel »

bobbys girl wrote:That's good advice Hazel - I just wish Bob would take it. :lol:
Haha, yes, thinking about it I guess a lot depends on the cat! Max, especially as he got older, obviously preferred us to lift him down fom places rather than jumping as he would call out for us to come and get him.Maybe his other front leg was just getting worn out.

It's good that Bobby doesn't want to take it easy, it shows just how easily cats can adapt and that its really not bothering him :)


If you go ahead with the operation, we gave Max rescue remedy for a few weeks and had a Feliway diffuser going. I dont know if these helped or not but he adapted very quickly, especially considering his age. He pulled his stitches out at one point (there was no way he was wearing one of those head cones, he just went crazy with it on) and we had to take him back to get stapled. That seemed more successful.
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by Diana »

Hi

I can only echo what others have said. Amputation I think is the way to go. I think its much more viable then reconstructing the elbow. I certainly wouldn't consider putting to sleep at this stage as there are options before we even get to that. Cats can and will adapt, I have no doubt about. Ifissues arise after regarding that remaining leg with the metal rod, then you can treat that when it comes or if it comes with medication.
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by Hazel »

I just found this video of a crazy happy one-eyed 3- legged cat :lol:
I hope the link works.

http://blog.theanimalrescuesite.com/pir ... pirate-cat" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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bobbys girl
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by bobbys girl »

Hazel, great video clip!
Having three legs has not slowed Bobby one bit. He has now learned how to open the window - Purdy showed him. :roll: He is zooming around the garden and yesterday he even caught a bird. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry! It's funny how my 2 'disabled' cats are the best hunters - it's like they have something to prove. The others are, thankfully, far less interested in hunting. I like my birdies too.
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Re: Advice needed urgently please my cat may be PTS!! :( :(

Post by carys31 »

I have a three legged cat and she gets around fine (although its a back leg) im a vet nurse and i have to say i think i would go for amputation rather than repair a lot of the time... the recovery is so much quicker and they do cope fine, ive seen a lot of repairs go wrong anyway and end in amputation.
I would definitely amputate in this case and see how he copes
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