Amputation - Did I Do The Right Thing? Recovery?

[ahilaryb]

Hi everyone. I have a 14 year old kitty named Lester who had surgery yesterday to remove one of his toes. He had a necrotic mass under the nail that wasn't responding to antibiotics, and the vet said they would try to surgically debride it but warned an amputation might be found to be necessary (it was). I'm waiting on biopsy results to see if it was a carcinoma. Last night was really rough and now I'm wondering if I did the right thing by putting him through this. I could have either done nothing, or euthanized.
He seemed in pain even with a moderate dose of buprenorphine, moaning softly and occasionally crying out loudly. He's always been very vocal, though. The combination of opiates, anesthesia grogginess, pain, big awkward bandage on his foot, and constricting cone made him stagger and collapse when he tried to walk. He is hungrily eating the wet cat food slurry I bring to his mouth, and he tried to use his litter box, but couldn't stay upright long enough to do his business. I'm babying him as much as I can but I naively didn't realize it would be this traumatic. I never wanted to resort to desperate measures to extend his life without regard for his actual well-being, but this seemed like a straightforward fix to a medical probloem. He is an old guy with chronic kidney problems and achy joints, but still likes to nap on the porch in the sun and chase toys (slowly). Was I foolish to do this to him? Also, any tips on helping him go to the bathroom, and eat with the cone?

 

[Daisy6]

Welcome to TCS Hilary. Thank you for posting - and morei mportantly taking care of a senior cat.

I can assure you choosing amputation was not foolish. If you chose euthanasia for Lester, you would never forgive yourself because there was a cure. There are also litterboxes Lester can use and alternatives to making him wear a cone. He will get better and live a normal life again soon.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Are you communicating with the vet about all this to let them know and to see if they have any suggestions?

I think, although I'm not a vet, that when the grogginess wears off, the bandage is off and he can use the litter box, things should be ok and you'll be glad.
I personally think that no, you weren't foolish at all.

What happens if you remove the cone so he can eat, then put it back on?

You might have to give him a low sided litter box, or even just a couple towels with something plastic underneath for easier cleanup, puppy pee pads or something like that.
To clean his bum, try earthbath wipes - they're safer than regular baby wipes that have too many chemicals, or even microcellar makeup removel wipes.

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh, by the way, was there any suggestion from the vet regarding a litter for your cat while the healing is still going on but the bandage is off?
You might look into littermaid's walnut litter - it's very soft, sort of like sugar or fine sand. If you're concerned about that getting into the wound right at first, maybe try pellets.

 

[ahilaryb]

In all my anxiety, I didn't even think to take the cone off Imagine that!

Thanks for the tips. Lester already uses pellets, maybe I'll just put them down on some pee pads so he still recognizes where to go but doesn't have to clamber in. He didn't want to pee with me standing there holding him up (understandable). The vet says there's no reason to be concerned yet about his recovery. I just want him to feel better asap!

 

[stephanietx]

You did the right thing for your kitty. Every kitty responds differently to anesthesia and I bet that's what's causing the wobbliness and causing him to be unsteady on his feet. Once the anesthesia is completely out of his body, he will start to feel so much better.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[Purr-fect]

I dont think you were foolish.

You took the course you did because you love Lester and want the best for him.

If it had been one of my boys, I probably would have done the same.

 

[Daisy6]

In all my anxiety, I didn't even think to take the cone off Imagine that!

Thanks for the tips. Lester already uses pellets, maybe I'll just put them down on some pee pads so he still recognizes where to go but doesn't have to clamber in. He didn't want to pee with me standing there holding him up (understandable). The vet says there's no reason to be concerned yet about his recovery. I just want him to feel better asap!

Puppy pads are not necessary. You mentioned arthritis, so in the future Lester will need da walk-in litterbox anyway if that gets worse. Some litterboxes are built for cats that can't climb over the side, but have high sides to keep hte litter in. That's a more cost-effective option iMO because you onlly have to replace them once per year, not every time Lester pees.

 

[Jem]

First of all I would have done the very same thing. Although your cat is a senior, kidney problems and joint problems (depending on severity of course) can be very well managed. He may have several happy and comfortable years left in him. Mine are 19, 18 and 10.
Of course you may be rethinking what you did, but with the medications he's on, the anesthesia not even out of his system yet, and that it's only one day post treatment, it is to be expected that your cat will be in really rough shape. The simple fact that he's eating is exceptional!
When our cat was unable to use a litter box during his recovery, we used a big tupperware lid and sprinkled his litter in it. The lid had just enough of a lip to hold a thin layer of litter, so he would know what to use. It worked like a charm for a short term solution. But it was because he could not lift his hind legs high enough.
Now if the reason for bathroom problems is he can't stand upright and keep balance because of the meds, I don't know.
Hope he feels better soon and the results are good news too!

 

[Furballsmom]

The simple fact that he's eating is exceptional!

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

From experience, the first 24-72 hours after a surgery are the hardest, this is while all the meds/anesthesia work their way out of his system.

Hang in there!

I hope the biopsy results are good!

 

[silkenpaw]

I agree, I would have gone with the surgery, too.

I think you’ll find he’s much better when the anaesthetic wears off. Also, are you sure you are not giving him too much buprenorphine? He may be vocalizing because he’s confused rather than because of pain. Maybe try backing off a bit once for one dose and see whether he does better.

Sending him lots of healing vibes, and comforting vibes to you.

 

[ahilaryb]

Thanks again for the input -- I ended up lowering his dose of the buprenorphine and that helped tremendously. I took him off it entirely after about 3 days. It's been a little over 2 weeks and he's pretty much back to his usual self. He's got the stitches removed, although he still has to wear the cone a little longer and he still walks kind of gingerly on his little hoof. The biopsy results suggested either an ademona or a low-grade carcinoma probably originating from the lymph nodes, which sucks...but for the time being he's content and chatty, and we'll just have to watch his health closely.

 

[ahilaryb]

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Thank you for updating us, and I'm thrilled that he is recovering nicely now!