Cat with saddle embolus and paralysis in one leg

[jenna888]

Hey everyone. my 3 year old baby girl jellybean (cat) threw a saddle embolus (FATE) 2 days ago. I witnessed the moment she lost her hind leg function and went to emergency vet immediately. They pushed for euthanasia but I will admit I selfishly was not ready to let her go and she still had some function in the legs at that time and I didn't want her euthanized at the hospital away from home with strangers where her last lucid moments would be filled with anxiety. I opted for treatment. She has been getting plavix and heparin. They diuresed her yesterday and today, I think prematurely since her chest xray didn't show fluid in the lungs. She now has a kidney injury so they are holding off on diuretics and are feeding her with an NG tube (she wasn't eating or drinking on her own).

Today, I visited her. Her CXR this morning is normal. Her left leg has some function. The right leg she is dragging on the floor behind her.

My question is for folks who opted for treatment. If you cat had paralysis of one leg that couldn't be reversed, what did you do to help your fur baby navigate the house? At what point did you have to consider amputation? How much did amputation cost (I'm already looking at a 8-10k bill for the icu stay). I want to give jellybean a fighting chance. Also, how often daily did you have to give meds and what meds? I am hopeful she will be returning home over the next 1-2 days and trying to prepare.

 

[fionasmom]

To answer the easy part of your question first, depending on where you are in the USA/world, amputation can be costly, however variable. For as difficult as this is, simply ask they for a written estimate. They should give you one with most of the variables and add ons included and it should save you having to actually discuss this when you are upset. I have heard estimates from $400 - $8000. My dog's amputation was $6000 at the time, but it was a front leg of a GSD and this is Los Angeles.

Blood thinners and various heart medications are usually used and you will be given prescriptions with instructions for administration. It will be on a regular basis and ongoing basis as the chances of a recurrence are high. I am guessing that Plavix will be definitely continued, for one.

Search Results for Query: three legged cat
There are threads contained here about three legged cats, which would also probably cover a cat who lost the use of a leg. If the leg is not able to be used at all, you will have to make accommodations so that it does not drag on the floor which will be difficult for the cat and will cause damage to the foot or leg. This can be done with the use of a cart or rear end harness, both of which might be more easily adapted to by a dog. You will need to consider helping her with the litterbox/using diapers of some sort.

tripawds.com is a website devoted to dog and cat amputees and they are very helpful. However, as I said before, surgery is risky for a cat in the condition of Jelly Bean and I would not jump into this.

I would get Jelly Bean to a specialist, cardiology or IM at least, and get as much advice as you can. If you were to proceed with any surgery, you want a specialty hospital who can provide the level of round the clock care that she will need. Don't let ER doctors alone handle this.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. First off, your cat is adorable. I can understand why you want to do anything you can to get her better.
Did the veterinarian mention amputation to you? As far as I know, it is extremely rare for that to be done.
If you feel like a long in-depth read, I will link below.

Thrombosis, Embolism, and Aneurysm in Animals - Circulatory System - Merck Veterinary Manual

I have personally seen it many times in cats. Many people do euthanize immediately, but not all.
The longest survival time I have personally seen was one year, but there were 3 additional clots during that time involving about a week of hospitalization each time. The first time was 2 weeks. That was a long time ago.

More recently, within the last 3 years I have seen that some veterinarians do not consider this a death sentence anymore and do treat. Unfortunately I haven’t seen positive outcomes. But, I don’t know the status of all the cats.
The above paper is talking all animals, but does have specific information on cats.