Kitten foot eaten off

Hi, I am hoping for some help. We got a feral kitten whose mom was hit by a car. She was about 3 weeks old when we got her. I took her to the vet due to a sore on her back leg. Well when they cleaned it up her foot fell off.  Apparently it was being held on with dried blood and pus.

It has been a couple of weeks now.  The vet has been doing laser treatments and she had surgery to remove a bone that was sticking up.  We have been putting "perpetration x" on it at the request of the vet. but it just wont heal and we are trying to save her from loosing her leg.  any suggestions?? 


we cant get it to stop bleeding it is not alot but any is bad


 Thank you

Thank you for rescuing this little kitten, she is a cutie.  I personally, and I am not a vet but I would not be hesitant about an amputation.  Three legged kitties do very well, even when they loose a limb as an adult.  With the leg still there she is still trying to use it which very well may be why it isn't healing.  Has the vet suggested amputation?

yes..  but I was try to save her from another surgery. Looks like that is what we will need to do but want it to be a last resort.

Thank you for responding

My thinking is this...
I totally understand wanting to save the limb. However, since she doesn't have a foot to walk on, she will continuously deal with pressure sores on the leg remnant that she does have. That portion of her leg is not meant to bare her body weight.

The only solution I can see to keep the limb is if someone can construct a brace/prosthetic that can attach and support the limb and act as a foot for her.

But, the sore is not going to heal if she is allowed to walk/put pressure on the wound.

I'm actually surprised that the vet is not convincing you that it does infact need to be amputated.

The vets I deal with in my rescue will not hesitate to strongly explain why it does need to go.

It really is okay, you will be amazed at how fast she is recovered as if she isn't even missing her leg.

Much easier than now. Having it makes her use it, which is not going to work out.

I should have explained better ;  there is a small piece of pad (palm) left you kind kinda see it in the picture that is what the vet is doing the 

laser treatments on to toughen it up so she can walk on it. 

The problem is where the vet removed a little piece of bone there really was not a lot of skin to sew over and that is what is bleeding

if we can get it to stop she will have to have her leg removed.

thank you for your reply  

I guess you could ask about doing a skin graft over the area. But, really, I personally don't see how the area is going to heal if she is walking on it (bandage or not.)

We have a kitten that is currently recouping from Achilles' tendon surgery. Prior to surgery, he had drop-foot, which lead to a pressure sore on his heal (a part of the foot that is not meant to bare full body weight.) We had to bandage his foot so as keep it in a proper walking position and keep the heal off the ground. This kitten was (and still is) kept in a 3 ft by 2 ft crate to keep him from walking around very much. It took 2 weeks for the sore to close and new skin to grow over.

Perhaps if a sling or something could be constructed to keep her from using that limb it would allow the sore to heal. However, I do suspect that, without a prosthetic device of some kind, she will have problems with pressure sores.

Thank you all

I think we have decided to have her leg taken off

I know she will be fine it just breaks my heart she is so little.

I know it's hard especially with the babies.  I think it's the right decision.  She will be able to heal up and she will be getting around as well as a four legged kitty.

Of course it's hard. Harder on us really though.

Been there more than once, having kittens eye removed is another tough one, been there as well.

Kitty will be much better off, and you will see this in her and feel better about the decision

Also better now then when older.  Less trauma and less adjustment.  She getting spayed at the same time? 

poor little baby, please update us on how she is doing with her recovery!

best wishes to you!!

Amputation doesn't bother them the way it bothers us. Being so young it will be like she was made that way. Otherwise there is going to be nothing but pain and grief for both of you.

I had a cat that came in after being attacked by dogs. When I realized that she was bad, took her to vet, who put a pin in the back leg, and a cast on it, but the urine went down into it, and necrosis set in, so he amputated. She lived for years with only three legs, and even though it was a back leg, she could jump up onto the bed, or the counters, and run like the very devil from bad dogs. We later got a good dog, and they got along just fine. Amputation is not the end of the world with a cat.