animals and pet issues

westliferule

hi guys,

Im just looking for a bit of advice here my 17 month old cat got hit by a car about 8 weeeks ago took her to the vet they said she broke her pelvis and dislocted her femur. They told me to put her in cage rest for 6 weeks which I did brought her back down to vet after that and the pelvis still hasnt healed so kept her in the cage for another two weeks. The vet said she needs surgery to fix her femur he was talking bout taking away a bit of bone from te top of her femur he said it should heal in another 8 weeks of cage rest the surgery will cost about 4 hundred euro or more and there is a chance she may never walk right again. Do ye think I should go ahead with te surgery or get vet to put her down. He said at the start that it is a very bad injury and thst if it was a bigger cat she would have been put down back than

él statutorio

I'd have thought that a dislocated femur would have to be popped back into place rather than left by itself. I'm no expert on cat physiology but I'd start by getting the opinion of a second vet.

westliferule

Thanks you think thats the best thing to do and see what they say. Ive already spend at least 300 on her

él statutorio

An opinion from a second vet shouldn't cost anything. Your own vet could be right with their diagnosis but, going on the information you've provided, if it was me, I'd be looking for a 2nd opinion.

westliferule

so you think I should go down and ask for a second opinion

él statutorio

westliferule wrote: »

so you think I should go down and ask for a second opinion

Yes. If it was my cat, I'd bring the cat to a different vet and see what they say.

westliferule

Thanks will do that

maggiepip

westliferule wrote: »

hi guys,

Im just looking for a bit of advice here my 17 month old cat got hit by a car about 8 weeeks ago took her to the vet they said she broke her pelvis and dislocted her femur. They told me to put her in cage rest for 6 weeks which I did brought her back down to vet after that and the pelvis still hasnt healed so kept her in the cage for another two weeks. The vet said she needs surgery to fix her femur he was talking bout taking away a bit of bone from te top of her femur he said it should heal in another 8 weeks of cage rest the surgery will cost about 4 hundred euro or more and there is a chance she may never walk right again. Do ye think I should go ahead with te surgery or get vet to put her down. He said at the start that it is a very bad injury and thst if it was a bigger cat she would have been put down back than

I think its a very tough decision for you. A second opinion will cost a consultation fee and you will need to bring all the xrays to the new vet. Do you have trust in your present vet? Is there a good chance your cat will recover and live a normal and relatively pain free life after all this cage rest and an operation, or are those chances minimal? Quality of life is extremely important.

I think its really impossible for anyone to say whether to keep treating her or let her go. But you should make this extremely difficult decision by weighing up all the odds and what you intuitively feel. Usually when we listen to what we feel deep down we find the answer. Whatever you decide its obvious you have your cats best interests at heart.

westliferule

I thought it would cost alright to get a second opinion well she is techncally wild but I tamed her down before the accident she was more a domestic cat. When I first brought her in the vet said it was a cat bite t hey kept her in overnight and they took xraus te following day and found her pelvis and femur were the problem. After the six weeks we took her out and she could barely walk around the kitchen than over the next few days her walking became a litttle better but she still has a limp. He said she proberly will always have one and may delvolp artrituis Im not vet but Id say she will never be right again. My mother has artritis and she is always in extrememe pain I dont want thay for Tiger. All I want is whats best foer her no matter how much its gonna hurt me

maggiepip

westliferule wrote: »

I thought it would cost alright to get a second opinion well she is techncally wild but I tamed her down before the accident she was more a domestic cat. When I first brought her in the vet said it was a cat bite t hey kept her in overnight and they took xraus te following day and found her pelvis and femur were the problem. After the six weeks we took her out and she could barely walk around the kitchen than over the next few days her walking became a litttle better but she still has a limp. He said she proberly will always have one and may delvolp artrituis Im not vet but Id say she will never be right again. My mother has artritis and she is always in extrememe pain I dont want thay for Tiger. All I want is whats best foer her no matter how much its gonna hurt me

I think you sound like you want to let your cat go, and if you feel deep down that is the right thing for your cat then it is. She is your cat and you know her and you can see what her quality of life is.

Speak to your vet again - very honestly -about the chances of a normal / pain free life after this operation. Arthritis can be managed with medication - but obviously that depends on the severity.

I had to make this decision some years back with my beloved dog, - and it is heartbreaking and far from easy - but at the end of it I made the decision which I believed from my heart was the best decision for her.

westliferule

I dont want to ket her go for myself but its not abiut me he also said that her right leg would be shorter than her left which I dont know how she will walk if thats the cae. Ill talk to him again dont think he is much good if he first thought it was a cat bite but couldnt really afford a second opipion my aunt had a cat something sinular happened to him and they made the heartbreaking choice of outting her down I wish the vet took the choice out of our hands but looks like he isnt going to. Would you think he possible knows it the surgery might not work and he is only saying it might to get the money from us?

Sorry to hear bout your dog. Hope your over him now.

maggiepip

Thanks for that, Im not sure you ever fully get over loosing a pet you loved but you move on.

The shorter leg wouldnt be a huge problem in itself. That can be common with leg injuries and ones that need surgery. Its the pelvis Id be more worried about and the way it is healing (or is it healing at all?) If it heals wrong there could be all sorts of pain issues. And the combination of the 2 injuries just makes things even more complicated.

Some vets are not helpful at all with these things and will not share their honest personal opinion, just give the facts (or lack of them).

I dont believe he would be just trying to simply get 400 quid out of you (I do however believe some vets lack compassion) - but at the same time you need to get him to commit to some sort of result - is it 50/50 for a full recovery, 20/80 ? What is the likelyhood of chronic long term pain? Dont let him away with just saying "I dont know" what the outcome will be. Thats not good enough. He has to give you some idea of the future quality of life your cat will have. Ask him straight out what he would do if this was his cat.

Arthritis will always set into any injury at a later stage, no one really can predict how severe or mild the arthritis may be. Have another chat with your vet.:)

ISDW

Where do you live? Fantastic vet in Baldoyle, Billy McCartney (McCarthy?) my cat had her ribs crushed, he operated and she had plaster casts on for a few weeks but made a full recovery. My vet did the initial xrays and then I took them to Billy when we went up for the operation.

westliferule

Yes death is never easy been in a person or a pet. I just lost my best friend last year It is healing but not completly healed he said it would in six weeks and shand Im not still not over that now the thought of losing Tiger Im only 24!!!! Her pelvis is healing but not as aswell as he he would have liked her said it should heal in six and it still hasnt in eight weeks she in the cage 9 weeks on Saturday.Like he said it should work but every cat and every injury is diffrent he said 80 per cent of cats recover well enough but he wasnt giving me a definate yes and I doubr her ever will. He said right now it is uncomfortable but he didnt give me any long term answers nor alot of time to ask he sais he had other pets to see. An she is tecnacally a wild cat so she should be able ti jump walls and stuff like her brother can once again he said she should be able to but thats not good enough she should be able to. Thanks for you\r help

westliferule

I live in kildare was in Beuafield vets

OldNotWIse

ISDW wrote: »

Where do you live? Fantastic vet in Baldoyle, Billy McCartney (McCarthy?) my cat had her ribs crushed, he operated and she had plaster casts on for a few weeks but made a full recovery. My vet did the initial xrays and then I took them to Billy when we went up for the operation.

I will second this. Billy really knows what he is doing. We have a cat who had a run in with the accelerator belt of our car and ended up with a compound fracture. There were bone fragments to be removed and a fixator etc. He did an amazing job. We were quoted a high price (750) but I wouldnt put a price on the health of my animal. But this price included x-rays, surgery and about 4 or 5 follow up x-rays and checkups so it actually wasn't that bad. I would definitely recommend him.

Only thing I was wondering, I know that we had x-rays done with our normal vet but when we brought the cat to Billy they insisted on doing their own as they said machines give different readings and vets interpret differently etc. Why did they accept yours?

westliferule

Thanks for that, Id really like to get a second opinion on it but dont know if can afford it or not. Whats the consiltation fee? I dont know if my mother would allow me to get a second opinion I have to pay for college and everything one only has so much money. My parents are saying shes my vat so I gotta pay and look after her and it up to me what I do with her. Id have to get the bus to that vet though might be tough with a cat but Id love a second opinion on it

OldNotWIse

westliferule wrote: »

Thanks for that, Id really like to get a second opinion on it but dont know if can afford it or not. Whats the consiltation fee? I dont know if my mother would allow me to get a second opinion I have to pay for college and everything one only has so much money. My parents are saying shes my vat so I gotta pay and look after her and it up to me what I do with her. Id have to get the bus to that vet though might be tough with a cat but Id love a second opinion on it

hi pm sent

ISDW

OldNotWIse wrote: »

I will second this. Billy really knows what he is doing. We have a cat who had a run in with the accelerator belt of our car and ended up with a compound fracture. There were bone fragments to be removed and a fixator etc. He did an amazing job. We were quoted a high price (750) but I wouldnt put a price on the health of my animal. But this price included x-rays, surgery and about 4 or 5 follow up x-rays and checkups so it actually wasn't that bad. I would definitely recommend him.

Only thing I was wondering, I know that we had x-rays done with our normal vet but when we brought the cat to Billy they insisted on doing their own as they said machines give different readings and vets interpret differently etc. Why did they accept yours?

I dont know, I'm in Sligo, vet in Mayo, i collected Meg and the xrays and did an emergency dash to Dublin on a Friday afternoon, got there just before closing and he operated on the saturday morning. Maybe he did take more xrays

OldNotWIse

ISDW wrote: »

I dont know, I'm in Sligo, vet in Mayo, i collected Meg and the xrays and did an emergency dash to Dublin on a Friday afternoon, got there just before closing and he operated on the saturday morning. Maybe he did take more xrays

Maybe it was more of an emergency so it was in the animals best interest to just go with the x rays they had. I just remember thinking it was a bit of a cartel that they were insisting on their own x rays as opposed to ones that were taken 12 hours before. But it made sense re the different machines etc. Hope it all worked out in the end

ISDW

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Maybe it was more of an emergency so it was in the animals best interest to just go with the x rays they had. I just remember thinking it was a bit of a cartel that they were insisting on their own x rays as opposed to ones that were taken 12 hours before. But it made sense re the different machines etc. Hope it all worked out in the end

It did thank you, you'd never know it had happened now. If it wasn't for Billy I think my vet would have had to put her to sleep. It all cost €400, which I thought was very reasonable for what they did.

westliferule

ive asked my mam can I take her to Billy and she said its to far and Im a fool to be wasting so much money on my cat like I said if I knew for certain she was going to be allright Id let the vet do the surgery but the fact is she mighnt be than it might have to come down to her been put down anyways when she walks she walks sideways and you can see her back bones even though Im feeding her proberly twice as much as I did before all this happened also I dont really think its fair for her to be locked up in a cage for another ten weeks in a huge amount of pain but than again I dont know dont think Ill ever make up my mind

auspicious

Is the cat's balance and agility still there? Can it jump? You may need to consider keeping it indoors as a house cat for it's saftey.

Cherry Blossom

auspicious please check the date of threads you are searching before posting. This is 7 years old.

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