didnt think it was this serious. kitty fell and cried for the first 15 to 30 minutes. couldnt afford taking her to emergency vet after hours. she calmed down later that night and the next day she was mobile but that leg was hanging motionless. i thought she may have dislocated her hip until i took her to the vet the next day and x-rays revealed a broken femur(thigh bone). the vet gave two options: amputation or surgery. i opted for surgery but it wont happen until monday. vet explained that a metal plate implant is going to be necessary in order for bone to heal in place BUT after thinking about it....she is only 3 months old and is still growing. Isnt the metal plate implant going to impair the bone from growing properly? what do YOU think. I am very worried and trying to think of the best move to make....any suggestions please do share, thank you
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
3 month old kitty with femur bone broken in half
- Thread starter jerome
- Start Date
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #2
to be specific she fell from a height of about 20 feet and broke her left femur (thigh bone) in half! the vet showed me the x-ray. plus my girlfriend made a BIG mistake by giving the kitten a 200mg or weaker motrin (crushed up in her food) for her pain and inflammation, without my knowing. She told me afterwards.I did not agree with that because i didnt think it was appropriate for animals to take human meds. BUT it was an innocent mistake, however, the vet got hyped up and told me that the motrin may be fatal to my kitten and will need her system flushed out with activated charcoal and blood screening for her kidneys. until then she is at the vet with an i.v. hooked into her....i am so worried for my BeeGee...please share your suggestions if any. Thank you
I am so sorry this has happened to your kitten - you must be worried sick. At least she is now in the best possible place while she is assessed and treated. And no, human meds should never be given to cats without vet advice. Even the fillers, flavours and binders that are used in them can be toxic. But the mistake is understandable, especially in a panic and faced with a cat in pain.
If she needs surgery on her leg and you are strapped financially, then ask the vet about staged payments or there is a form of care credit that some members here have used in the US.
As for the implant, the vet should be able to advise. I would have thought that the plate would be small enough to let the bones knit together, yet still grow. She might have a permanent limp but many cats manage just fine with that (my brother's cat is one in point who limps after a car accident many years ago). If you do decide on amputation then again cats learn very quickly to adapt to three legs and can run, jump and groom. They must never be allowed out, though.
If she needs surgery on her leg and you are strapped financially, then ask the vet about staged payments or there is a form of care credit that some members here have used in the US.
As for the implant, the vet should be able to advise. I would have thought that the plate would be small enough to let the bones knit together, yet still grow. She might have a permanent limp but many cats manage just fine with that (my brother's cat is one in point who limps after a car accident many years ago). If you do decide on amputation then again cats learn very quickly to adapt to three legs and can run, jump and groom. They must never be allowed out, though.
This sounds awful, I am so sorry you are all going through this and fingers crossed for your little kitten. @jennyranson is right, your baby is in the right place, hard as it is not to be with her. Hopefully treatment will clear her system of the medication and her kidneys will not be damaged. Fingers crossed for BeeGee.
Discuss you questions about the metal plate and kitten growth with your vet and make sure you understand their answers. It sometimes helps to write questions down first so you don't forget something when you are feeling stressed, and possibly rushed by the vet.How much growth is affected probably depends on where the bone is broken and whether the growth plate of the bone has been damaged.
Thinking of you and hoping your little BeeGee is alright.
Discuss you questions about the metal plate and kitten growth with your vet and make sure you understand their answers. It sometimes helps to write questions down first so you don't forget something when you are feeling stressed, and possibly rushed by the vet.How much growth is affected probably depends on where the bone is broken and whether the growth plate of the bone has been damaged.
Thinking of you and hoping your little BeeGee is alright.
What a terrible situation for you all to be in. Sending best wishes to your kitty for the best possible recovery.
BTW, my cat snapped all of his hind metatarsals in two pieces over a decade ago. Rather than keep him in a dog crate for several months, where he was spinning around (not good for the leg), miserable and panicking - I removed *all* of the furniture from a small bedroom except for a futon mattress on the ground. That way my cat would not panic, yet at the same time there was nothing to jump on - provided the best balance for his happy healing. Just something to think about if your vet would approve it. What an unfortunate incident. And to have to worry about the motrin on top of that - that is a lot for you all to deal with.
BTW, my cat snapped all of his hind metatarsals in two pieces over a decade ago. Rather than keep him in a dog crate for several months, where he was spinning around (not good for the leg), miserable and panicking - I removed *all* of the furniture from a small bedroom except for a futon mattress on the ground. That way my cat would not panic, yet at the same time there was nothing to jump on - provided the best balance for his happy healing. Just something to think about if your vet would approve it. What an unfortunate incident. And to have to worry about the motrin on top of that - that is a lot for you all to deal with.
I am so sorry you are dealing with this. I don't have a lot of advice to offer other than maybe consult some veterinary specialists. The vet I work for has one that comes and does all our orthopedic surgeries. They would know about the growth plates etc.
