Amputate or Euthanize? ???? Please Help

Hi, I have owned Tiggy since he was a kitten and he is about 16 years old now. In the last year or two, he has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism which he is treated for daily with pills, has a heart murmer. And recently, his blood work came back with increased liver enzymes, for an unknown reason so now he is on a liver support medicine. He is an indoor/outdoor cat and goes out during the day and comes home every night. 3 days ago, we let him out in the morning, and he never returned home until this afternoon around 4pm. Honestly I thought he was gone forever, so I was in complete shock when I saw him sitting on my deck looking at me. As he walked to the door, I noticed his front right leg was dragging. I instantly checked him out and noticed swelling and the leg was basically detached from his body. So I brought him to an emergency vet, because it was after hours. They took x-rays and found that his humerus was shattered into a whole bunch of pieces and they couldn't tell whether his scapula is intact or not. So the three options they gave me : 1) Surgery with pins/screws to fix it- $3500. 2) Amputate $2000 or 3) euthanize.

Heres my problem:

1) I don't have that kind of money

2) He may not even make it through the surgery

3) I'm not ready to let him go.

I got to talk to my normal vet and he offered to amputate for $550. Which I can totally do! I just don't know ethically if I should...am I selfish for doing that to him? I just don't know.

Although Tiggy isn't the healthiest cat, he is still very active and a happy kitty overall so I can't imagine having to put him down over something like this. But I don't know if it is even worse to put him through a surgery that he MAY not even make it through, and when he wakes up he will be an amputee and forever an indoor cat...(which will make him go crazy regardless). Please any advice/thoughts on this. I need to make a decision tomorrow...right now I have him home with me on pain medication per the vet's orders. I feel awful and don't know what to do.

Thank you

Kim

This is really rough and I am so sorry you have to face this choice.  You ask for advice so I am going to tell you straight up that I think that in your situation, I would probably euthanize It is really rough due to his age.  Not only would he have a rough time adjusting to life all indoors, but he'd have a really hard time adjusting to life without a leg.  Some younger cats and kittens do fine and almost seem to eventually forget they ever had a leg, but I've never heard that said for a cat over 10.  How much would your regular vet charge you to set it with pins/screws?

Whatever you decide, I am sure it will be the right decision for you and your kitty.  I definitely don't assume I have the right answer for you.  I will be sending hopeful thoughts and prayers your way

Hi Kim and I am so sorry for the serious injury Tiggy sustained while outdoors. Tough decision here for sure and yes, you must do something as the leg cannot be left the way it is. I would opt for the amputation then from your normal vet since that is more along the lines of what you can afford. I can tell you that many, many cats recovery quite incredibly well and adjust easily to their new disability. Even though your kitty is a senior, I would still give it a try instead of opting for the euthanasia. I am sure your normal vet will want to do blood work first and that will help you both decide what will be best for Tiggy. I don't think anyone is ever ready to let their kitty go no matter the circumstances. It breaks our hearts to pieces. This is a serious injury and your Tiggy is quite old but if your vet thinks he is healthy enough to give the surgery a try and that his recovery will be fairly easy then you may want to give the surgery a chance. You never know, Tiggy may have some really good years left in him. I think the biggest obstacle will be teaching "no more outdoors". You could build a small enclosure and maybe even attach it to your home so he can have access to the outdoors but still be completely safe. Whatever you decide, we are here to support your decision. There is really no right or wrong decision but it is obvious something must be decided. Best to you, hun. Keep us posted too.

tulosai said:

 How much would your regular vet charge you to set it with pins/screws?

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I don't think that is really possible IF the leg is so badly shattered. Actually, the recovery from the amputation would be better, IMO. Trying to piece together shattered bones is going to be really tough and the chances of an infection are great, not to mention the severe pain the cat will endure trying to recover from such a surgery. If it were my cat, I would choose to amputate if there was going to be any surgery done. And, yes, of course his age will be a big factor in this decision. So sad and I am so sorry.

Hi and welcome to the forum, kim!

I can assure you that, if it were my cat, I'd proceed with amputating his leg - as Feralvr said, cats do recover and adjust remarkably well, even older cats.

There are some things that you should ensure are in place/done before, during and after the surgery. They will minimize some of the risks that accompany any surgery.......I'll come back and post about these later.

And, along with Feralvr, he will need to become an indoor cat at this time.......now, I can also assure you that this adjustment is also one that cats can - and do - adapt to......I have six here who can vouch for that!

So sorry your poor guy and you are going through this.

I too would go with the amputation by your vet. As said, cats adjust remarkably well to disabilities. Sending you and him

Feralvr said:

Hi Kim and I am so sorry for the serious injury Tiggy sustained while outdoors. Tough decision here for sure and yes, you must do something as the leg cannot be left the way it is. I would opt for the amputation then from your normal vet since that is more along the lines of what you can afford. I can tell you that many, many cats recovery quite incredibly well and adjust easily to their new disability. Even though your kitty is a senior, I would still give it a try instead of opting for the euthanasia. I am sure your normal vet will want to do blood work first and that will help you both decide what will be best for Tiggy. I don't think anyone is ever ready to let their kitty go no matter the circumstances. It breaks our hearts to pieces. This is a serious injury and your Tiggy is quite old but if your vet thinks he is healthy enough to give the surgery a try and that his recovery will be fairly easy then you may want to give the surgery a chance. You never know, Tiggy may have some really good years left in him. I think the biggest obstacle will be teaching "no more outdoors". You could build a small enclosure and maybe even attach it to your home so he can have access to the outdoors but still be completely safe. Whatever you decide, we are here to support your decision. There is really no right or wrong decision but it is obvious something must be decided. Best to you, hun. Keep us posted too.

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As for staying inside..... They will adjust, and do that well! Also, look at the bright side of it - he got this injury OUTSIDE - that is not fun!
Whatever you decide hun, we will be here! Monster vibes!!

I'm so sorry that Tiggy and you have to face this situation.  I can't even imagine the anguish which this must be causing you to make this decision.

I too, would probably opt to amputate the leg.  It sounds like, even though he's a senior, that in general he was doing rather well, and probably would have some years ahead of him.  That combined with you not being ready to let him go, makes it a logical choice both from the heart and head.

As others mentioned, cats do acclimate to having a missing limb pretty well.  And, most likely, he would also get used to being indoors too.  We have a cat that we adopted who used to be indoor/outdoor also and not once since we've had him has he expressed any desire to experience life outside again.  So, you might be surprised on that account.

Sending lots of good thoughts and wishes to both of you. 

Hello,

I am struggling with whether or not to put my 4 year old little boy to sleep due to a very expensive blockage that does not seem to respond and he can not pee.  I was bawling my eyes out and then I read your post.  I think you already know what the best thing to do is.  Let me tell you a short story about my little guy.  When he was not quite a year (not sure what his age is as he is a rescue) he fell out of a window and broke his leg in 3 places.  Went to 3 vets and the cost was prohibitive.  We received so many stories and seriously considered putting him down.  Instead we went with a vet who told me that he could save the leg.  Then we got a call from the vet, ostensibly from the operating room, asking permission to amputate as the leg could not be saved.  We said yes.  He recovered from the surgery with pain killers, and a long period of hiding in the closet, and hobbled around for the next 3 years.  When he was picked up he would complain as if there were some pain in the area but otherwise he seemed fine, until now.  He was not given that much food but he was also not able to exercise the way other cats could and so was overweight which put a strain on his hips/joints.  So, my point is that yes, cats will recover from an amputation, but at what cost?  He went through a lot at his young age and knowing what I know now, I am not sure that I would put him through that ordeal if I were to be given a do over.  We both have heart wrenching decisions to make.  In the best interests of our babies, perhaps it is time to set them free and let them go home.    

I would choose amputation as well. I don"t think your vet would have offered such a reduced rate on the surgery if he thought it wasn't worth a try. It will take a lot of TLC to get him back into shape after the surgery and you certainly sound up for the challenge. Tiggy shows a remarkable will to survive as illustrated by his return home on such bad injury. Hopefully that drive will help him get through this. I'm so sorry you and Tiggy have to go through this- we are sending you vibes of love and comfort. Whatever choice you make, I'm sure you will make the decision that is right for you and your kitty.

Grace3 said:

Hello,

I am struggling with whether or not to put my 4 year old little boy to sleep due to a very expensive blockage that does not seem to respond and he can not pee.  I was bawling my eyes out and then I read your post.  I think you already know what the best thing to do is.  Let me tell you a short story about my little guy.  When he was not quite a year (not sure what his age is as he is a rescue) he fell out of a window and broke his leg in 3 places.  Went to 3 vets and the cost was prohibitive.  We received so many stories and seriously considered putting him down.  Instead we went with a vet who told me that he could save the leg.  Then we got a call from the vet, ostensibly from the operating room, asking permission to amputate as the leg could not be saved.  We said yes.  He recovered from the surgery with pain killers, and a long period of hiding in the closet, and hobbled around for the next 3 years.  When he was picked up he would complain as if there were some pain in the area but otherwise he seemed fine, until now.  He was not given that much food but he was also not able to exercise the way other cats could and so was overweight which put a strain on his hips/joints.  So, my point is that yes, cats will recover from an amputation, but at what cost?  He went through a lot at his young age and knowing what I know now, I am not sure that I would put him through that ordeal if I were to be given a do over.  We both have heart wrenching decisions to make.  In the best interests of our babies, perhaps it is time to set them free and let them go home.    

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Aww good luck with your decision too.  As you said to the OP I am sure you know what is the best thing to do for you and your kitty.  My heart is breaking for both of you- I know I would be such a mess.

This is a tough spot to be in. I think here it is important to do what would be best for the cat. Personally, I am not sure I could put a cat though amputation of a leg. But everyone has to make a decision they can live with. I am sure your vet will do blood work first and that will tell the vet the overall general health of the cat. Good luck to you in whichever decision you make.

Thank you everyone for the quick and heartfelt honest advice. I am leaning towards the amputation more but then I keep just picturing him struggling and for such an active cat, I just don't know if that would be like hell on earth for him. I really am torn right now. I feel selfish in both situations. I just wish there was a clear cut answer. If he was younger and a bit healthier I wouldn't even think twice about this. I just don't want him to be put through this and then pass away on me anyways...nor do I think I could handle that! I would feel so guilty. I'm going to call my vets office tomorrow morning and speak to his regular vet that he sees all the time. I trust and respect her and I hope she tells me what I want to hear. I'll keep you guys posted.Also, his regular vet does not do surgeries with the pins/screws unfortunately.

Thank you so much

Feralvr said:

Hi Kim and I am so sorry for the serious injury Tiggy sustained while outdoors. Tough decision here for sure and yes, you must do something as the leg cannot be left the way it is. I would opt for the amputation then from your normal vet since that is more along the lines of what you can afford. I can tell you that many, many cats recovery quite incredibly well and adjust easily to their new disability. Even though your kitty is a senior, I would still give it a try instead of opting for the euthanasia. I am sure your normal vet will want to do blood work first and that will help you both decide what will be best for Tiggy. I don't think anyone is ever ready to let their kitty go no matter the circumstances. It breaks our hearts to pieces. This is a serious injury and your Tiggy is quite old but if your vet thinks he is healthy enough to give the surgery a try and that his recovery will be fairly easy then you may want to give the surgery a chance. You never know, Tiggy may have some really good years left in him. I think the biggest obstacle will be teaching "no more outdoors". You could build a small enclosure and maybe even attach it to your home so he can have access to the outdoors but still be completely safe. Whatever you decide, we are here to support your decision. There is really no right or wrong decision but it is obvious something must be decided. Best to you, hun. Keep us posted too.

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I know of quite a few tripod kitties. Cats, even better than people because they have no social stigma, adapt to things like this really well. :heart2:

Many and for you as you navigate this difficult time :heart2:

I agree with amputation. Unlike us cats adapt really REALLY well and before you know it, Tiggy will be back to running around. I had a tripod who could outrun his siblings (not bio but you know :-)) if she really wanted to. Some kitties thrive on 2 paws. Anything beats euthenation and the heartbreak if that. I am sorry one reader's cat had a bad experience but that sounds like a weight issue and perhaps a surgery problem if pain still existed??? Most tripod kitties do very well. Go for it I say!!!'And Good luck!!

I agee with amputation. Cats adjust and don't even realize a limb is missing. A friend of mine went thru this and her cat is doing just great.

If I were going to have surgery done it would be the amputation.  I also understand that euthanasia would also be a viable option, both because of his age and his liver showing signs of age.   Even with a young cat trying to repair the leg would be harder on him than amputation.  There used to be an emergency vet show on animal planet and one of the vets there said when he first started he always tried to save a dog's or cat's leg.  After he seen how well they adjusted he started recommending amputation quicker than he did when he started.  It will need to be your decision.

Hello!

I am sorry I am just seeing your post now.

My kitty Jill (she is 8 years old) had her leg amputated 5 months ago (due to bone cancer) and is doing AMAZING.  Honestly you would never believe how well they do.  The recovery is a little rough but you get through it and then they are running around like they never had that fourth leg.  I am an active member on tripawds.com (which is mostly dogs, but I stay on there because most of them are also dealing with bone cancer) and I can tell you, trying to repair the broken leg almost never works and causes a lot more pain.

Please visit Jill's blog, if you go to the very beginning I have tons of photos and videos of her recovery and progress:

http://jillsjourney.tripawds.com/

Also, Fang another amputee kitty has a great blog that helped me TREMENDOUSLY right before Jill's surgery:

http://cldavis.tripawds.com/

Please feel free to ask me any questions you have about the amputation, I am happy to answer!

Erica & Tripawd Jill

If you want to see how a cat can get along without four legs watch the youtube videos of Anakin, the two legged cat.

It is really, really great to hear that you trust your vet, hun. :nod: As you can see here on TCS you have much support and posts from people with stories about kitties living on for years after an amputation. Don't be too hard on yourself over this. It is so obvious how much you love your kitty and how difficult this decision is for you. :heart3: Whatever you and your vet decide we are behind you, WE CARE!!! : for Tiggy. :rub: