Update: Bad news, need more help.

mycatsnameiszoe

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My cat started getting better and walking around. I think she got too comfortable. She got out of her cast. Don't know how, but I went to check on her, and it was off. I was like oh shoot. Because its the weekend. The vet is closed and we would have to go to the Emergency Vet Clinic. We called them and they said it would be almost 90 bucks to see her plus medical supplies. We just paid a lot when we took her to the vet on Thursday. So we don't have money to do that. So we gave her some of her medication for pain, and waited a little bit, and we did it our selfs. We used the plastic splint and bought some new gauze and went to work. It was hard but we got it on her. My main concern is not knowing if its too tight. She kept slipping her leg out so we had to do it kind of tight to keep her from pulling it out before it was too late. What should we do until Tuesday. I'm gonna take her back on Tuesday so they can do it better, but is there any advice you guys can give me?
 

cheylink

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Awww, what a cutie! Even with the extra large boot on her leg, she gives a smile for the camera. I would keep a close eye on her. If its to tight, causing nerve and or circulatory side effects,chances are she will get it off. Since a cats world is all about being comfortable, doing what they want and when they want to, something like a cast definitely impedes their style! Definitely take her in Tuesday, and for the time being keep her entertained, distracted from the discomfort, and even discourage her attention from it.
 
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mycatsnameiszoe

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Haha, yeah, she's really cute. She's so high on drugs right now, she doesn't want to play with anything, haha.

So, I tried to make sure that she can feel her toes so I got some tweezers and started plucking. Yeah, it's cruel, but its better than her loosing her feeling and then getting compartment syndrome and them having to amputate her leg. Anyways, when I plucked, she didn't react. I got scared she had no feeling. So I plucked on her good leg. No reaction. So I thought maybe they can't feel hair being pluck. So I did something even crueler. I moved her leg on purpose causing her pain. She screamed, but still had feeling. I really don't want her to start loosing feeling in her leg because I don't want to have a three footed cat. Any other advice?
 

cheylink

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Originally Posted by MyCatsNameIsZoe

Haha, yeah, she's really cute. She's so high on drugs right now, she doesn't want to play with anything, haha.

So, I tried to make sure that she can feel her toes so I got some tweezers and started plucking. Yeah, it's cruel, but its better than her loosing her feeling and then getting compartment syndrome and them having to amputate her leg. Anyways, when I plucked, she didn't react. I got scared she had no feeling. So I plucked on her good leg. No reaction. So I thought maybe they can't feel hair being pluck. So I did something even crueler. I moved her leg on purpose causing her pain. She screamed, but still had feeling. I really don't want her to start loosing feeling in her leg because I don't want to have a three footed cat. Any other advice?
If shes on any pain killers or muscle relaxers, this will happen. Definitely best to avoid any physical movement of the leg and discomfort for her as possible. Try to keep her mentally distracted yet relaxed and comfortable.
 
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mycatsnameiszoe

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UGH!! She took it off!!! Again!! And everybody is a sleep, so no one to help me put it back on!! WHAT DO I DO!?!?! Ugh. I'm going to have to take her in tomorrow and spend a hundred dollars for them to just see her. She seems fine, as if shes not in any pain. But its probably just the killers. I'm gonna try to let her sleep in my arms while I fall asleep so that she doesn't start moving around on her leg. How fast do legs start to heal? cuz I don't want it to heal all wrong.
 
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mycatsnameiszoe

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Oh, good, so then it wont heal over night or in the matter of a few days? Good to know, I'm debating keeping her in a box until tuesday. But then I know she wont be very pleased, lol.
 

renovia

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She sounds just a tad stubborn! But in all seriousness - if she keeps taking it off you'll need to take her to the ER, but it will be worth it because she'll be happier and healthier sooner and she'll love you even more for taking good care of her. The ER vet is usually very good about working out payment options.
 

mom of 4

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Was the bone broken completely in two pieces? If so, it is critical to get her in ASAP. There is microscopic healing going on continuously - but it takes a million cells to show a difference on the Xrays. Even the small amount of regrowth can make it more difficult to realign the bones, if needed. There is also more swelling of the surrounding muscles and that can make it harder to correct and more painful for your baby while it is fixed - possibly requiring sedation.

Depending on how deep the original fracture was, it is possible that it can break even further with continued use, bumping or even replacing the bandage. Again, it depends on how deep the original fracture was and where it was.

I would be very concerned about the amount of pressure you are applying ith the dressing. It doesn't take long for the excessive pressure to cause nerve and vascular damage. A cast isn't supposed to be tight, it should be snug enough to not move when the joint above the cast is moved. It sounds like you cat is going to need an E-collar - and I don't envy either of you. It's hard to use them on dogs, cats are a million times worse. They make a cervical collar (think those car accident victims in TV shows) that makes it hard for the pet to bend their necks. There is one that is a hard plastic and then the bite not collar - I haven't used either one, but I'm thinking this might be an option for our next pet.

Good luck! I had having injured pets.
 
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mycatsnameiszoe

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We didn't take her to the hospital. We called and they said that the Vet will be open tomorrow, so I decided to make a splint like this http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Con...=194&A=344&S=2 to hold her up until tomorrow morning. She hasn't taken it off yet because we've had an eye on her the whole time, and tonight we're gonna put her back in her carrier so she doesn't walk on it.

The cat cone and brace things would be good if she was using her mouth to get out. But she's not biting it or anything. Some how she keeps sliding out of it. It comes off as a whole thing. No bite marks or anything. But what we did today seemed to work pretty good.
 
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