My cat fall from 5th floors and broke her leg

[catniplover]

Two months ago my cat went missing when she fall off the 5th floor of my aprtment. Yesterday i was reunited with her! However she got a broken leg but otherwise seems fine. I took her to the vet and he said it is too late to heal the leg since it's already been 2 months. But i am not very convinced by his claim since he didnt do any X-ray. He said she will be permanently handicapped but no longer feel any pain snce a new bone has started to grow. But like i said no x-ray is being done as he said it is not necessary. I dont have anymore money to go for secnd opinion at the moment..i posted here to get opinion from others, maybe anyone with similar experience? Should i be worried or accept what the vet told me?

 

[moorspede]

Unfortunately, he is probably right. To fix your cat's leg you would have to see an orthopedic specialist at an animal hospital. I'm sure he said that the bone has knit together rather than a new bone growing.  He probably felt confident from feeling the leg but I can understand your wish to know exactly what the bone is looking like and what can be done to help your cat.  

If you are in the USA, many of the  Are you in the USA? This site has a great article on free and low cost assistance from Vet schools etc. 

•  No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help and Save Your Cat's Life

 

[solomonar]

Get a free second opinion, from a shelter,  to clear it up. I am sure the shelters see a lot of various problems like you have. So, just ask a shelter's vet. As a matter of fact, perhaps a small donation would be a good idea.

Re-positioning a bone is something of advanced surgery and could be risky. Primum non nocere. 

The problem I see however is that the rest of the skeleton can get modified in time as a result of un-usual walk. To be checked with the vet.

 

[catwoman707]

Agree, it's healed on it's own now and in it's own way/position.

It would be a ridiculous amt of money to even attempt to re-break the leg and set it correctly again, and unnecessary suffering.

 

[catniplover]

Thank you all for your opinion. I was told by the vet and some of my friends of the same thing so i supposed there's nothing i can do about her leg then the vet only gave a multivitamin and an immune booster for my cat, im not sure if that is enough. she is very skinny and weak. Her condition seems to be worsen after she return home, i wonder why is that? she was able to survive for two months out there, but why is she get weaker at home? I have given her wet foods and drink. I don't know what else i can do while I'm waiting for my pay check to get to the vet again. By the way I'm not from USA, animal care service in my country is rather poor so I dont have much option professionally.  

 

[solomonar]

There is not such a ting like "immune booster" - this is just a trick to rip people off.

The immune system health is a result of overall metabolic process, thus a balanced diet and movement are to be considered instead of swallowing ritzy-bitsy granules of exotic plants or alike.

Specific immune medicine do exist however for cases like AIDS but that is a different story.

The same with the "vitamin supplement" - the excess vitamin do almost nothing to the metabolism. Once the metabolic limit is reached, the supplementary amount of vitamin get cathabolised and that is all. For instance Vitamin C in excess does nothing to flu, just make you feel better.

There are some evidences about effect of certain vitamins in excess. but nothing sure.

Now, the point is adding vitamins and "metabolic boosters" rise the peace of mind and may have some very very limited impact. Sure is they cost a lot.

I am not saying to give up the treatment your vet prescribed. Just do not expect it do make to much difference.

====

Do you play with the cat sufficiently? Cats are hunters, some need a lot of physical challenge for a good life. On streets, they find a lot of such challenges...

Do you feed high quality food? I mean, with sufficient proportion of meat (have a look on the label, don't trust salesmen words - see for yourself) . If your cat hunted outside, he perhaps chooses meat-reach pray (such as rodends or alike).

Fresh water? I  mean- fresh (once or better twice a day changing the water in the bowl).

As I said, a broken leg may modify the overall geometry of the body, with impact to behavior and physiology, so it may take some time for the body to accommodate. Just my guess. 

 

[Alicia88]

I agree with checking the quality.  Meat should be the first ingredient listed on the label.  I give my boys Purina One kitten dry food and Fancy Feast and Sheba wet food.  It's not the best or highest end food, but meat is the first ingredient and it's the best I can afford.

 

[catniplover]

Thank you very much. I really hope it is like what Solomonar is saying, it is just her adjusting herself physically and emotionally and no serious hidden injuries. I will focus on the food quality and spend as much time with her, at the moment i locked her up in a room to avoid her from moving too much or get attacked by other cats (my other cats seems to be acting strange around her, probably have forgotten about her after she went missing..). I hope being locked up didn't make her depress while i'm away to work.     

Alicia88, Fancy Feast and Sheba you suggested is it the one in the small packet or canned food? 

 

[Alicia88]

I get the cans.

 

[catniplover]

thank you very much all. I'll try my best.

 

[Alicia88]

Also, did the vet give her anything for worms?  If she was living on her own outside for 2 months, it seems very likely that she could have picked up worms.

 

[talkingpeanut]

And are your cats spayed and neutered?

 

[catniplover]

No the vet didn't give any worm medicine. I will go to a different vet when i get my paycheck. In the meantime im feeding her frequently but small portion. Her condition seems to get worse.. she wont eat on her own and throw up her meal. Btw yes she already neutered long time ago. She is 6 years old now.