Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi...I have a 7 month old kitten who has a broken bone at the wrist on his front right leg due to injury. Originally, the vet recommended that the leg just be splinted and then after a few weeks we'd check to see if bone was fusing together. If it wasn't, we could do surgery. I went this route because it seemed like the only option. Fast forward a few weeks, the kitten's bones were not fusing at all. I was told that surgery was not an option and that the whole leg needed to be amputated. I'm feeling like having the whole leg amputated is extreme. Currently, the kitten runs around with the bandaged leg with no problem whatsoever. He even has learned to knock on my bedroom door with his leg when he wants to come in. Ha. I want him to possibly have a prosthetic leg. Is that something I'll be able to do for him? And if I can, maybe a partial amputation is best? Thanks for your time.
Hi Leslie, welcome! Your future posts won't need to wait for approval so post away.
You are smart to wait on the amputation, since this isn't exactly an emergency situation. But, with a broken leg, you do want to act fast.
Your kitty would need to be evaluated to find out how much of the leg is functional, and whether or not it's causing pain, or will cause pain over the long term as he grows. Cats are masters at hiding pain signals , so it's important to consider all of that It would be best to get an opinion from a vet surgeon who is experienced with orthopedic surgeries and prosthetics for pets. Where are you located? We can help you find one if you'd like, just PM us your location if you don't want to mention it here.
Although most people don't get a prosthetic for their cat, if you have the determination and patience, time for training, and financial ability to make it happen for yours, there's every possibility that he could adapt to a prosthetic as long as it's a good fit. That's why you want an experienced vet to get involved.
And if amputation is necessary, the current thinking is to leave as much limb as possible for balance and comfort. Not all do, since it means longer healing time. The surgery should be done in such a way that wound healing isn't an issue from banging around the residual limb as it heals. So again, you want an experienced vet to do the surgery if leaving residual limb is the way you want to go.
I hope this helps!
Thank you so much for your thoughts and information. I can't tell you how much I appreciate. I've been trying to find anyone in my area who is willing to talk with me about anything other than amputating the entire leg. Monkey broke the bone right where the growth plates are above paw. When first bringing him in, if I had been told that if the bones didn't grow together it would then be too late for a surgery to repair the brea, then I would've had the surgery done. Now, Monkey's only option is amputation. When I ask about partial amputation and prosthetic, I'm told it's not standard practice and never recommended and that he will have the whole leg taken off.
I'm willing to put the time, care and finances into a partial amputation and would love a possible prosthetic.
If you can please give me any leads in Sonoma or Mendocino counties in California, or San Francisco Bay Area...I'll even drive down to Los Angeles...it would be such a help. Thanks again
Hi Leslie, you are so welcome! I love that his name is Monkey.
A partial amputation and prosthetic may not be standard practice at that particular veterinary clinic, and that is totally OK for what they do. Cats are tricky patients and for some not too focused on felines, the very idea of training a cat to use a prosthetic is something they would never consider in a million years.
But at another practice, there may be a vet who is very excited about the possibility of working with you and Monkey. And being where you are located, oh boy do I know of a practice! And it's literally the #1 vet school in the world right now. Have you contacted the UC Davis orthopedics team yet? I have a feeling that they would be very interested in meeting you and Monkey, and seeing how they can help.
Their faculty is the best in the world, and one of them, Dr. Marcelin-Little, was actually the first vet in the world to try osseointegration (implanted prosthetics ) in a cat. I would book an appointment with ortho after getting a referral from your vet, and see if you can request him to be on your case. He's also a good friend of our community and super enthusiastic about prosthetics and advances to help animals live a great quality of life after amputation (full or partial!).
Let us know how that turns out!
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