3 legged Cat

I had to amputate a front leg on a really sweet, really scared cat today. As horrible as that sounds, Ricardo was actually very lucky. After being hit by a car or caught in a fence or whatever trauma caused his elbow to become dislocated, he actually made it home after 5 days missing. His owner had been frantic, so when he turned up with a useless front leg, she rushed him in to us. Of course her first concern was that he wouldn't be hurting anymore. She said he was essentially a feral (wild) cat, and couldn't be handled without sedation at the last visit to a vet's. Either due to the fear or pain or weakness, he has been just fine for us, but we did get some pretty good pain meds in him right away.

You might be wondering why we amputated a leg with a simple dislocated elbow. We tried to pop the elbow back into place today and it went in really easily....thus the problem. It slid back and forth WAY too easily and just wouldn't stay reduced (fixed.) Splints or casts just don't work for something like this, so open reduction (surgery) was required. The cost for a board certified veterinary surgeon to fix the elbow was too much for Ricardo's mom at this time, and there is more chance of complications, costly follow up care, etc., so amputation, while far from ideal, is an acceptable choice. He got a nice narcotic pain patch placed on him for a constant supply of pain relief meds, and will get some others as he needs them. He is all bundled up in a nice heated kennel right now, pretty zoned out. Just the way I'd want to be if it were me waking up from something like that. Like I said, Ricardo is a lucky cat to have come home at all- and to have an owner who was able to do this for him.

Peace,
DrReneigh