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TRIPAWD KITTY WITH PHANTOM LIMB PAIN
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Member Since:
18 January 2014
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1 February 2014 - 1:42 pm
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Hello everyone.  This is my first post.  Our nine year old kitty "Fresno" is now 17 days out from his left front leg amputation.  He was also a rescue kitty for us when he was almost a year old, and he has been a lovely and loving cat.  He began to demonstrate pain behavior in his left front "wrist" about three years ago, and we assumed he had injured his paw.  The vet could find nothing and did not x-ray him.  Off and on over the next couple of years, he would limp, and then it would get better.  The vet could feel "crepitus" in the wrist and thought it was arthritis and gave us chondroitin to give him with no effect.

Then in 2013 in the summer the limp came back but only got worse, to where he was no longer stepping on his left foot unless he had no choice (i.e., jumping down off something).  A lump became evident on his wrist that was clearly painful, and he took to sleeping on a sofa and could no longer curl his foot under him like cats do.  He would lie with the leg outstretched so as not to hurt it.  A vet took an x-ray and told us the bones were separated, and he thought it was an injury to where his foot was caught and he pulled away, damaging the foot.  The vet suggest an arthrodesis, or orthopedic surgery to fuse the bones. 

However, when we went for the "orthopedic" consultation, the specialist vet took a biopsy of the lump and it turned out to be an osteosarcoma, or cancerous lump.  Our choices:  treat the pain and wait for it to kill him, euthanize him, or amputate the leg.  The cost?  $500 for the biopsy (already done), then $3500 to amputate the leg.  We didn't ask about the cost of euthanization.  Lord in heaven, how were we going to afford that?

My husband and I had a trip out of the country planned for ten days, and so the vet said to wait til we got back, and scheduled the amputation for then.  However, we went home and thought and thought about how we were going to come up with the money for the amputation.  I called our local vet, and they kindly referred us to another vet in a nearby town who did such cases at reduced cost.  We went for a consult, and we really loved the new vet -- he was so kind and caring, and he agreed to do the amputation for about $1,000.  We scheduled it and left on our trip.

We got back on January 15th, and on the 16th we took Fresno in for his surgery.  When we got back, I realized I forgot to cancel the first surgeon, so I called them and asked them to send the records to the new vet and that we had found a local vet closer to us who would take care of our kitty.

So, Fresno had his entire left leg from the shoulder down amputated on January 16th.  We did not know it was going to be his WHOLE leg until we picked him up!  However, I later researched it and discovered that total limb amputation is the "gold standard" and that a partial, or "limb sparing" amputation is fraught with complications and not advised.  I'm not an expert at all, but I could understand it after doing some reading.

On January 17th, we picked Fresno up from the vet.  Poor kitty!  If I had any advice for pet owners about to undergo this operation, it would be to prepare yourself for the shocking appearance of your pet after surgery.  Fresno's whole front shoulder and left belly were shaved clean, and he had HUGE stitches from the shoulder down his belly, about 6 inches worth.  Fresno was not bandaged or wearing a cone, so the area looked really stark and scary!  But, he was on oral pain medications and did not seem to be uncomfortable.  Hard to walk without the leg, but not in pain.

Over the first week, Fresno did not eat or drink much, and we had to administer antibiotics orally twice a day, in liquid form.  He hated that, and I think it bothered his stomach.  I can't be sure about that, but after ten days of taking those, he finally started eating better after we stopped.  He also wanted to hide and sleep for much of the first week, but he would come out and lie on the bed if we picked him up and put him there.

The first week, I went out and bought some ridiculous "pet stairs" for the side of the bed, but they were far too narrow and he would not use them.  I think he would have fallen off if he tried.  I took those back to the store, and instead I installed a large plastic storage box with a blanket on top of it, and that has become his "stair" for getting on and off the bed.  Interestingly, our other cat likes to use it too!

For the past few days, Fresno is now acting like his old self.  He howls to go outside, but the vet wants him indoors until he gets his stitches out at 3 weeks.  Can't wait.  His fur is growing back in, and he does not like the stitches.

Here's some things I've encountered that maybe others will benefit from knowing:

1.  The surgical wound has stayed clean and without any redness or swelling, although some "serous" drainage has persisted.  I didn't realize it until I saw a little ooze out, but he licked it right off so I think it has been ongoing.  There is no odor, and no signs the wound is infected, so I've left it be.  (I'm a nurse and know infection when I see it)

2.  Even though Fresno is not in constant pain, I think he does experience phantom limb pain.  Sometimes he will just be restless and bite the air where his leg would be.  That was worse in the first week, and it seems to be going away now.  However, he still sometimes growls and bites at the stitches.  I hope when the stitches come out, that problem will go away.

3.  I struggled with having this surgery done, wondering and wondering if I did the right thing.  Over all, this surgery has cost us close to $2,000 including all the x-rays, pathology and biopsy fees, and vet visits.  Would we do it again?  Yes.  We love Fresno and he still has many happy days ahead, with tons of spoiling and cuddling to boot.

Here's some pictures of our boy:

FRESNO THE DAY AFTER SURGERY

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FRESNO TODAY, 17 DAYS AFTER SURGERY

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As you can see, his fur is starting to grow back, and he has regained his "personality" which is hard to photograph, but trust me!  Notice the shaved leg where he had his IV inserted.  The left leg, gone now, was also shaved in the area of the biopsy, leaving him looking like a "poodle cat."  

Fresno actually seems MUCH happier now, because he can now curl up like he used to, without a painful paw he could no longer put pressure on.  The vet x-rayed his lungs and they look clear, so we hope and pray the cancer does not return someplace else.

If anyone has questions about their surgery experience with a cat amputation, I'm happy to share what happened with us!  After the shock wore off, we are really happy we chose this route.  We hope to have Fresno around a few more years.  He has a great personality and is very well loved!!!!

 

Chris

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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1 February 2014 - 6:35 pm
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Hi Fresno and family, welcome! It is an absolute pleasure to have a new kitty Tripawd member join us (sorry you had to) and we sincerely appreciate it especially because a cat with osteo is so rare. Did you know we have another member here, Jill, who was also diagnosed with osteo?! Check out here blog: http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com

Thank you so much for sharing Fresno's story, you all definitely have a great attitude and are on the right track. I'm so glad to hear things are good overall. I can't remember; can cats take gabapentin for the phantom pain ? Also, you may want to check out this Farabloc blanket, we've read good things about it and experienced pawsitive results when we tested it: http://gear.tri.....s=Farabloc

Thanks again, we are glad you're here!

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

New York, NY
Member Since:
3 December 2012
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1 February 2014 - 7:57 pm
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Hello Fresno and Fresno's family!  Well I sure am not sorry you have to join us here, but I am glad you found us here, especially because Kittys with Osteosarcoma are so rare and the more and more info we can put out there the better!

My Jill (you should definitely check out her blog as Jerry points out in the post above!) is now 9, she is 13 months post amputation for osteosarcoma.  It was a long long journey, but as you said its worth it!  Jill was first diagnosed in June 2012, so I guess we could say she is actually an almost 20 month survivor now! Her amputation was in December 2012.  She is doing great these days, of course I worry every now and then but who wouldn't after their kitty (or doggy!) battled cancer!

Please let me know if you have any questions at all.  I didn't know ANYone who had a kitty with OSA before Jill's diagnosis,  so any advice I can offer I am happy to share!

All our love and wishes for a speedy recovery and long life for Fresno!

xoxo,

Erica & Tripawd Kitty Jill

Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo


Member Since:
18 January 2014
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2 February 2014 - 9:24 am
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Thanks Erica,

Yes, we were told this cancer was rare in cats but common, or more common, in dogs.  We felt really guilty that we "let" him go so long without a diagnosis, but we had him in to three different vets before the third one diagnosed it.  Evidently it is a very painful kind of cancer for a cat (or dog), so I am hoping that he will be a much happier kitty now.  Still, I can tell he "misses" his leg, but we can't overthink how animals will react because they really have no emotional attachment to their missing limb.  Fresno is still learning his balance, and we let him outside for the first time this morning.

Fresno has obliged us for the past 2 and a half week by using the litter box inside, but he is truly an outdoor cat most of the time.  He really hates to use the litter box and will howl for hours at the door rather than use one.  He has done so anyway after our refusal to let him out since surgery, but this morning he was not taking "no" for an answer.  He came in and woke me up and I thought he was just hungry, so I fed him.  Well, he was happy with that for a few minutes and was then back at the door.  We live in a small city and there is a busy street out front, but he has lived here for 9 years and never ventured out on the street.  So I'm nervous, but I reckon that if Fresno were forced to be an indoor-only kitty for the rest of his life, he would have chosen to just give up on the whole thing.  He's been bored for weeks, and he was SO happy to go outside.  He pranced out the door like he always used to do.

Thank you again for your support.  This whole leg amputation thing is nothing I thought I would ever have to deal with.  I actually looked up cat cancers when his paw first started having pain, and I grabbed onto the non-cancer diagnoses and pushed the thought out of my mind.  We even asked the vet about it, and he said it was so unlikely he did not even x-ray Fresno's foot.  It would not have mattered until the lump showed up and was physically palpable, however.  Even with a huge lump on his foot, the x-rays showed nothing.  The lump was not visible on x-ray even last month when it was diagnosed.  Because it did not appear to be a bony mass, that's why the vet biopsied it to begin with.  Everyone was surprised.

I, too, am available for questions.  Not as an expert, but as an owner who has now been through the process, and as we go.  Fresno is still having some phantom limb pain, but it doesn't happen often.  Mostly it will awaken him from sleep and not recur again.  He just looks startled, and eyes me accusingly as though I had just poked him with a stick!  He licks at his non-existent leg for a minute, tries to bite it, then he forgets about it.  I think we'll survive this.

Chris

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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2 February 2014 - 2:41 pm
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Chris I'm just so hoppy you posted here, so when someone else out there needs this kind of information about osteosarcoma in cats, your story and Jill's will be available. Thank you so much.

It's wonderful he's happy to be living life as usual again! Don't beat yourself up about not getting it diagnosed right away, you'd be surprised at how many doggie parents went through the same thing. The good thing is it's taken care of and now it's back to the routine. Cancer really teaches you how precious those ordinary everyday moments are doesn't it?

Yay for Fresno!

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Virginia







Member Since:
22 February 2013
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2 February 2014 - 10:41 pm
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Just caght up on your post.....welcome and sorry you have to be here! Yo've just joined a wnderfuly caring nd supportive group.

HOORAAAAAAAY for Fresno gettng to go outside today!clap He clearly is a very determined cat and that is a wonderful trait to have on this journey!

And yeah, ditto everyone else about the guilt thing. Yo were at the mercy of the professionals...and they were relying on their vast experience. Of course, Fresno is a one of a kind cat ad doesn't fit the "norm"! Many, many, many of us treated our dogs for arthritis...or pulled muscles, etc.....before any mention was made of osteo. Most importantly, putting ANY energy into second guessng takes away from being fully present with Fresno.

This whole journey is about living in tne NOW with our cats or dogs. Stay in the present and know that Fresno isn't worried about a thing...well, except maybe worryi g about hav g to use that ole' litter box!winker

Keep the updates and photos coming! It sounds like the sparkle is coming back more and more nowclap

Hugs to all!

Sally and Hapoy Hannah

Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!


Member Since:
18 January 2014
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24 March 2014 - 1:31 pm
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HERE'S MY BOY THREE AND HALF MONTHS SINCE HIS SURGERY.

 

Doing really well, just a little bit of phantom limb pain.  Has learned how to drink out of the toilet again!

 

Chris

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