Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Is Amputation an Option?
There is an art to fixing leg fractures, but sometimes the damage is so
severe or expensive that amputation may have to be considered. It is an
idea that may be hard to accept, but cats with three legs can do
extremely well and lead normal lives. It may take cats a few weeks to
figure out how to make the remaining limbs work together, but after
awhile you both may forget that the animal is handicapped.
Amputation may also be necessary when tumors affect bones or tis-
sues of the limbs.This is done to prevent the spread of disease and cre-
ate surgical borders that are free from cancerous tissue.
The Healing Process
The younger the animal, the quicker the bones will heal. Complete
healing can take 6 to 12 weeks, depending on the severity of the frac-
ture. During this period the cat should be kept indoors and her activi-
ty restricted. It's hard to restrict a cat, but lifting her up and down and
carrying her up steps is helpful. It may be necessary to confine her to
one room if you are unable to get the cat to rest.
Follow-up X rays will show how the bone has healed. Even if heal-
ing is not perfect, pet cats will do well since they don't have to hunt to
feed themselves and they can stay indoors and be protected. Sometimes
when orthopedic hardware is used to immobilize the bones, it needs to
be removed once the bone has healed.This may involve tranquilization
or sedation.
SPRAINS AND STRAINS
Sometimes cats have soft-tissue injuries, including sprains and strains.
Sprains are twisting or pulling of ligaments, which are the tissues that
connect bones. Strains are twisting or pulling of tendons, which are the
tissues that connect muscles to bones.
Soft-tissue injuries can be just as painful and swollen as fractures.To
diagnose a sprain or strain, a veterinarian will first examine the cat and
manipulate the affected limb, joint by joint, to find out the exact loca-
tion of the injury. If pain and/or swelling can be isolated and a joint is
involved, the stability of the joint will next be evaluated.
An X ray of a sprain or strain may show swelling, but it won't show
the specific tissues involved or the amount of damage. This is because
