My Buddy Cat has a Broken Leg

I have a female cat named Buddy, Ive had her for about five years. Buddy always sleeps at the foot of my bed with my husband and I and we always sleep with the door closed. Tuesday morning we woke up to her screaming like crazy and she was hunkered up by the bedroom door, she wouldnt let us get close to her leg. We thought maybe she just sprained it jumping off the bed because she is a fairly large cat. she is a big squishy 16lbs. Anyway when we got home from work she was just laying on the floor and still wouldnt let us get close to her leg, she would hiss and bite and she never hisses and bites. We took her to the emergency vet and they did xrays and found her back leg was snapped in two and splintered. We have no idea at all how it happened. The vet put a split on it and sent us home. Buddy screamed and cried all night. That next morning I took her to my regular vet and she said her leg would need to be amputated ther was no repairing it and it was going to cost about $900. I dont have that kind of money and I was affraid I was going to have to put her down. I cried and cried and came to the conclusion "Would I kill a child over a broken leg?" HELL NO...Why would I do that to my cat who is just like my child. Anyway after alot of begging and pleading with my vet, She told me about a foundation that helps with the cost of pet surgerories for people who cant afford it and all they ask in return is to volunteer some of you time to the local animal shelters.. No problem here, I will do anything for my baby Buddy. The foundation set up an appointment for her at a different vet for Monday for an eval. So she will get her amputation. I just worry how she will adjust because like I said she is a fatty. It really worries me. I dont know what to expect or will this change my cats personality because she is just the sweetist most lovable kitty ever.
Has anybody else experienced this before and what should I expect to happen?

Oh my gosh, I am so sorry to hear what your poor Buddy is going through? Didn't the ER vet give you any pain medication for her after they set the leg?

How wonderful though that you ahve found an organization to help you save your beloved Buddy. Cats do very well adjusting to the loss of a limb. I don't have any personal experience, but I'm sure someone who does will be along soon.

There are two resident tripod cats at my vet though. One is missing a front leg (and he is a big cat, not fat but very large) and the other a hind leg.

Welcome to the forum, please keep us posted on Buddy.

Thank you for the welcome.
The ER vet gave her no pain meds but my regular vet did and since she has been taking them she hasnt been crying so its helping. Shes been purring and letting us love on her. I hope she stays the same loving cat after her surgeory.

I'm sure she will. The relief from pain and discomfort will be enormous. She'll feel like a kitten again probably!

Have you talked to your vet about a plan to reduce her to a more healthy weight?

we have discussed it with the vet and we will be trying to get her down a few lbs. We normally keep food down all the time because we have a ragdoll cat also but shes only about 5lbs (full grown and small) Ive had her for almost 10 years. Im going to have to start putting the food down just a few times a day. It will be eaiser while Buddy is confined and healing because then I can control how much she eats. Right now I have her in my bathroom with a baby gate accross the door because the vet said to keep her confined so ive been giving her one bowl of food aday. Ive noticed shes been eating it but she really hasnt been drinking and that kind of worries me.

I recommend you switch her over to a good quality canned food, especially now, with her inactivity. The danger of a UTI starting, on a dry diet, with less drinking and less activity, not to mention the stress, is very high.

At least give her some canned food every day, to start. You can add a little water to the canned food to get even more water into her, also. Canned food is better for weight control and over all health.

Hopefully your vet mentioned that weight reduction in cats has to be done very slowly. It's extremely dangerous for an overweight cat to lose weight too quickly. No more than half a pound a month, or even less than that.

Please do keep us posted!

Thanks for the advice about the wet food. I was trying to add water to her dry food to make it moist but it just made a mess. I will talk to the vet and see which food to put her on.

Buddy went to the vet this morning to get her splint changed and she did so good. her pain meds are really helping. She is drinking her water now and shes acting like herself again. I tried to bring her down into my living room this evening so she could lay on the carpet and have company for a little while. She wasnt very comfortable in the open, I could tell she was very nervous so I had to put her back into the bathroom with the gate up and shes happy as lark in there.
Monday is the big evaluation day for her surgeory.

Hi there and welcome,
I hope I can help you as I had a similar situation.My cat Fudge broke her front leg in two places 5 years ago,the vet put it in plaster for 10 weeks but it just would not heal,he said that he could try and pin it together but there was only a 20% chance and she was so fed up and stressed out already to be honest I just didn't want to put her through anything else that would not work.The vet offered amputation and I asked him questions and also researched it on the internet as to how she would cope and I found some brill info and also other peoples experiences which really helped,also it was useful to look at post surgery pictures as the vet said it would be quite a shock when I was to first see her,it was but also a relief as I had seen her drag this useless leg round in plaster for the past 10 weeks and it was a hinder to her.I also struggled to find the funds for the vet but like you no way could I give up on her,luckily I have an amazing mum who loves cats so much and she helped me incredibly.
Fudge lost her front right leg and the first couple of weeks were difficult and she did struggle and bump into things but she soon learnt,she healed so well and her fur grew back quickly.I know it was the right decision as now she is fantastice and can do everything my other cats do,I just have to be careful if the floor is wet if I've mopped it she tends to skid when she runs.My vet told me to give her cod liver oil as it is good for her joints and will help her other leg as she puts so much pressure on it.
I send you loads of hugs and vibes,honestly it will be fine,if you need anything else please feel free to pm me.xxxx

Here's Fudge

What a story. I am sorry to hear about Buddy. However, animals adjusts a lot better with an amputated limb than humans. I'd bet Buddy wouldn't even notice!

I am extremely glad the vet was able to suggest the foundation to pay for the bill. I'd be more than happy to do volunteer work in exchange of vet bills! That is great news there

Keep us posted on the surgery and aftermath!

Which leg will she be losing?

I've seen many cats with 3 legs, and they get on amazingly well. However, as you've discovered, a injured cat will tend to hide, which is their natural instinct to protect themselves from other predators when they are the weakest.

Oh No, poor Buddy! I always worry about my car Nena because she is a very active girl and she loves running from room to room in the house and I always worry she will get her tail stuck in the door or something. Buddy must have had an accident like that, I"m so sorry you have to go though this.

You are doing the right thing and it is so great that you have that option of getting help for surgery, I wish we had that here in Puerto Rico.

I will keep Bussy in my prayers HUGS!!!

Thank you all for the hugs and prayer for Buddy.
Its her right back leg that is broken and she weights about 16.5 lbs shes pretty big. It might take her a while after the surgeory to be able to get around. I bought her a new soft bed today and she loves it. shes been purring and kneeding on it all day. She hasnt left it. Shes just so silly sometimes.

Originally Posted by Bobbee

Thank you all for the hugs and prayer for Buddy.
Its her right back leg that is broken and she weights about 16.5 lbs shes pretty big. It might take her a while after the surgeory to be able to get around. I bought her a new soft bed today and she loves it. shes been purring and kneeding on it all day. She hasnt left it. Shes just so silly sometimes.

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Awww bless her,she will be just fine sweetie I promise,Fudge is great and has adapted so well.Please keep us updated.x

I dont know what I should do. Its 1:30 in the morning and she has urinated on herself and got her splint all wet. I was told that her splint shoulndt get wet at all, and we dont have a vet appt untill tomorrow eve. Should I take her splint off and just let her leg dangle until her appointment?

I would leave the splint on until the morning. Call the vet first thing and let them know what happened. It might do much more harm than good to leave it on and it could be very painful for her, even with her being on meds.

This coming from a woman on MANY pain meds for bone cancer. I don't feel the pain the most of the time, but when I step on my hip the wrong way, or when something is out of whack. WATCH OUT!! It's excruciating. The vet will open in a few hours, urine is actually sterile. But call them first thing to find out what to do. They might have you bring her in to redress her.

Lot's of prayers and healing vibes to you all.

Great news. Buddy had her eval with the surgeon yesterday and he said he could fix her leg instead of amputation. She had her surgeory today and they plated her leg. The vet said she did very well and will get to come home tomorrow. He also told me she needs to lose weight.
I have to keep her confined for two weeks and then she will go back and get her stitches out. Im so happy she gets to keep her leg. Thanks to every one for the good wishes and prayers it really helped.

Originally Posted by Bobbee

Great news. Buddy had her eval with the surgeon yesterday and he said he could fix her leg instead of amputation. She had her surgeory today and they plated her leg. The vet said she did very well and will get to come home tomorrow. He also told me she needs to lose weight.
I have to keep her confined for two weeks and then she will go back and get her stitches out. Im so happy she gets to keep her leg. Thanks to every one for the good wishes and prayers it really helped.

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Oh that is terrific! Thanks for the update!

Healing vibes for Buddy cat, and keep us posted on her weight loss progress.

Thank you I will. I tried to attach a picture of my Buddy cat. I hope it came out.

Buddy has come home today. She seems to be doing well. After her surgory her leg seems to look twisted but we will see. she goes back for a checkup next week. They gave her some strange pain meds, it a liquid that I have to rub on her ear twice a day. Ive never heard of that before.
For now shes in a dog crate shes not supposed to be moving around much. I'll keep everyone posted on her progress.