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Hello! New to the forum but not cats or veterinary medicine. However, new to tripods 🙂
Whisker Butt is a colony kitty who I've been taking care of for almost 3 years. In may he came home w/ a dislocated left shoulder. Popped that sucker back in while trying to take xrays. Stayed inside on meds and released a week later. Fast forward 3 weeks (6/5) and it's out again. Popped it in under heavy sedation but it didn't stay, so in came the discussion of amputation vs fixing. Let me say now, I work in veterinary medicine. Emergency/critical care/speciality. I have a great group of doctors supporting me. (I see pateints post-every horrible injury you can imagine every day so i don't have a weak stomach.....just a heart lol )HOW EVER, Whisker Butt is not covered under my employee pet benefits. Anything we chose to do would be out of pocket. Work doc would fix for $3k, other vet would chop off for $1k. I have my own medical bills to settle, along w/ a mesenteric lymphoma cat, so we had to go w/ the cheaper (and more guarantee option. Doing another $3k surgery was just not going to be able to happen) solution. I had to go handle some paperwork w/ my day vet yesterday and had to make a quick decision. Either today or 2 weeks from now.....I chose today. He hadn't been using the leg much (although did put pressure on it occasionally)and just seemed sooooo sad. I couldn't hope for another last minute cancelation or make him wait any longer.
We got home about an hour ago, fenentyl patch & buprenorphine on board. Onisor and clavamox to start tonight. He HATES the cone of shame and will almost alligator roll when it's on. He hasn't shown an interest in food or water yet, but it’s not even 12hr post op. He's in the back room, hiding under the bed and being high as a kite. He did growl at me a bit, which he's never done.
My roomie is having a hard time seeing WB like this. He gets very emotional and can't even be in the same room as WB. I get it, I do, but ugh. My heart is breaking for them both.
So, I guess what i'm asking is....what now? Did I make the right choice? Should I take him to work tomorrow to keep an eye on him (roomie will be home all day)? When can I expect my sweet Whisker Butt to be back to his normal self? I thought I knew that his would be the best decision, that I knew what I was in for, but I just feel so helpless seeing him so upset. If he would let me, i'd just lay in bed and snuggle him all night.
9:34 am
Team Tripawds
Administrators
25 September 2009
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Hi and welcome! We are in the Tripawds Chat Room right now if you want to talk. Back in a sec...
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Aw
jerry said
Hi and welcome! We are in the Tripawds Chat Room right now if you want to talk. Back in a sec...
Thank you. I was trying to figure this all out on my tablet last night and kept getting lost.
9:44 am
Team Tripawds
Administrators
25 September 2009
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First, you are a pawsome advocate for Whisker Butt! What a lucky kitty to have someone in the vet field looking out for him.
I'm going to guess that what I say isn't something you already know based on your experience. Yeah, it is so hard to see our animals not being themselves. But try to remember that it's the pain medication, not WB, that is causing the behavior. The fact that he's high as a kit is a good thing really, because the great pain medication he's receiving will help him heal faster. Sometimes pain meds can cause side effects like extra anxiety, so if you feel that WB might be better off with a lower dose, talk to the vet about adjusting the dosages. Oftentimes that's all a recovering Tripawd needs. If you can get an anti-anxiety rx for him that could help too. His appetite and thirst should return soon but if not let the vet know at the 12 hour mark.
Also, have you considered replacing the cone of shame with another tool to prevent licking the wound? Lots of folks here use baby onsies to cover up the area.
Would transporting WB to work be more stressful than leaving him home? If he's not freaked out too much by being moved it might be better to have him near you than your roommate. Animals sense our worry and anxiety and reflect it back at us. Recovering animals do best when the humans around them stay strong and confident. If your roommate isn't capable of that, then yeah, he might be better with you all day.
Stay strong, your sweetie WILL get there. The first few days can be rough but you can both get through this!
By the way be sure to check out our TriKitty News Blog posts for some tips and inspawration. Thanks for registering as a member, your future posts won't need approval.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
9:45 am
Team Tripawds
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25 September 2009
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hbobh said
AwThank you. I was trying to figure this all out on my tablet last night and kept getting lost.
The Tripawds Start Here page is a good place to learn how to get around our community.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Whisker Butt seems to be doing a lot better this morning. He still hates his cone but is starting to get around a bit better. Was hopping around the bed begging for loves and noms. He ate a bit before i had to head off to work.Gonna swing by target and look for a baby shirt later today.
Looking into getting some stairs so that when he does have free-reign of the house (after suture come out in 10 days) i don't want him to hurt himself jumping onto my bed (it's a platform plus box spring plus mattress so a good 3 or 4 feet tall). Does anyone have any recommendations?
2:01 pm
Bucketeers
11 July 2016
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I will try this again. Did all that and poof gone? If this goes twice I apologize?
Hi & Welcome
We pm'd earlier on the baby onesie. I wondered if you posted in the forums, somehow I missed this?
First you did not make a wrong decision!! The first day home is tough! I would block off under your bed ! Stuff comforters, pillows whatever under it so WB does not go back under the bed. Block it off so there is no way WB will get under it.
We used a spare bedroom for Purrkins to recover in. We put the bed on floor so Purrkins would not get under the bed! Every cat tends to go straight under the bed if given the chance! That is not the best place for WB or for your roommate to be able to access him at med time. Purrkins chose the closet to recover in. I just rigged him a little bed in there and that works great!
Is there somewhere in the room you can make a little safe spot for WB to be & still be able to access him?
Is your roommate better today with seeing WB ? I know its not easy the first day is the worst. It will get easier. I think you & your roommate will see a change right away when the cone comes off & you use the onesie or t-shirt! Your roommate will probably cope easier with the onesie/tshirt on too?
What did you decide on transporting WB? That would really depend WB personality. I think whats most important is that he has a space he feels safe to recover in! That someone will be able to get to him calmly at med time. If you took him to work is there somewhere there you could make a little den for him? A cage with a blanket over it? Carrier?
We always say recovery is no picnic! It can be a roller coaster! But you have to know this is temporary and you will get thru this! You have the pain medicine and I agree with Jerry if the meds were given on time then what your seeing is a side effect of the pain meds. We were sent home with different meds Buprenorphine & gabapentin ! As for stairs for the bed that is great thinking! We have several sets for Purrkins.
We got this set on Amazon <a href="