how to look after my cat after having a dislocated hip (excision arthroplasty)?

Question

I found my cat, Marlo this morning and we think he had been hit by a car, it turns out that 2 of his toes have been broken and he has a dislocated hip. Tommorrow morning he is having surgery and we are extremly worried (excision arthroplasty). Has anyone else had this happen to their cat - what is the best way to look after him once he gets home? His other leg also has a large cut about 5 cm long which has to be bandaged and stitched, so he is not going to be able to use it. I'm worried about how he is going to be able to get around and use his litter tray. i'm also woried about how his hip and movement is going to be once he has recovered. please any info is greatly appreciated, two very worried parents here.

Answer 1

Ouch, that had to hurt! I'm so sorry!
As for the litter, give him a chance to go every 2 hours or so. Pick him up if possible and handle him directly over the litter box, kneeling if possible. Hopefully he'll get the concept without hurting himself.

As for feeding, canned food on a spoon which he can lick/eat would be compforting and easy, as well as avoiding injury :D

Answer 2

Excision Arthroplasty Hip

Answer 3

Even if you were able to get insurance right now all policies have a pre-existing condition clause. Basically, this means that for the first month or whatever the only thing they would cover is regular vaccinations. You would still have to pay up front and file for reimbursement. Even then, they would only cover some of the expenses. Talk to your vet about payment options if money is an issue. Your cat is worth it. If it is cheaper to amputate (it shouldn't be) cats do really well with only 3 legs.

Answer 4

Try not to worry about it, the vets will tell you all you need to know before they allow you to take the poor thing home.
We had a bit of a mishap with our cat this weekend- she climbed into the tumble dryer and being a dark chocolate burmese, blended in very well in the dark drum.... Dad didnt notice so our poor cat had a very very near death experience. She was rushed to the vet and they resucitated her, kept her on a drip and put her in a fridge until early today. She's home now but still a bit groggy-no doubt will give my father hell when she's up to it!! Don't worry about Marlo, like I said, the vet will ensure that he can cope before he goes home, and hopefully he makes a full recovery. Thinking of you all x

Answer 5

my cat was attacked by next doors dog when she was a kitten and dislocated her hip she was in the vets for 48 hrs because everytime she came round from anaesthetic her hip popped out again, we gave her lots of soft blankets in her bed kept her warm and put her tray next to her and helped her into it you will be surprised how they manage, unfortunately my cat which is now 8 still has a dislocated hip because it never repaired but the vet said what happens the hip will form a new joint she limps a Little in cold weather but doesnt have any real problems vet said if she gets into a situation what will happen is she will pick her back leg up and still be able to manage without causing her any problems, my advise would be lots of love and keep him warm he will soon be ok

hope he is ok

Answer 6

Hi, one of my cats was hit by a car, and suffered a dislocated hip.

The vets were great, they managed to pop the hip back in, then tightly bandaged her up, kept her in for a few days, then I picked her up.

This is what I was told (and she's back to her normal crazy self now!):
1. Keep the cat in one room until the vet eventually says it's ok for him to have the bandages off and go elsewhere.
2. Remove ALL opportunites for the cat to want to climb or jump from the room you keep him in.
3. I removed the bed from the bedroom and put the mattress on the floor so she could sleep on the it with me, and not have to jump.
4. I removed the curtains from the bedroom so that she was not able to climb them.
5. I put litter tray in the room, and food and water. She "hopped" in and out of the tray, but found "pooing" not too easy as it was difficult for her to maintain her balance in the tray. So keep so tissues handy to help wipe the rear fur.
6. Don't allow the cat to try too much movement, it tires them out when bandaged up.
7. Cats unlike humans get used to their situation very quickly and adapt to it.
8. Like any worried "parent" give plenty of strokes to him!
9. Don't let your other cats (if you have any) in to the room too soon. With mine, her brother did the hissing as he didn't fully recognise her with the bandages, and he was scared. Eventually he washed her and they were back to best friends. (The other cat didn't care - free food in bedroom and indoor litter tray! Hooray he thought!!!).

Good luck guys!

Julian

Answer 7

Mine broke her femur a few years ago and had to have pretty nasty surgery. She had a fixator in her leg (a big metal frame which actually sits on the outside of the skin for all to see but keeps each end of the bone still whilst healing). I was told to keep her in as confined a space as possible with everything she needed in easy reach, all on one level so she doesn't need to climb or jump. She basically lived in my downstairs loo for 8 weeks but she adjusted really well with lots of TLC and made a complete recovery. I am sure your baby will be just fine too. Limiting movement space seems to be the key.

Answer 8

So sorry to hear that! I've only looked after human hip patients but I can tell you that its important for him to mobilise gently,so keep him indoors for at least a week (check with vet) but let him walk when he feels up to it. He needs to move the limb or it will stiffen. He will probably feel very groggy after his anaesthetic and may be off his food. Encourage him with titbits and make sure he gets plenty of fluids. High protein diet (tuna, chicken etc) is advisable for good wound healing. Check the wound for infection. If it appears red, hot or weeps fluid, take him back to the vet. He will try to lick it. Keep the isolation collar on him for a few days to allow the wound to dry. Make sure he does pass urine and faeces. Anaesthetic will slow his digestive system and can cause constipation. Mention it to the vet if he hasn't been for a few days, post surgery

I agree with what others have said about supporting him emotionally. He will have had a nasty shock. If he has a special place he likes to sleep, move his litter tray (and food etc.) there and surround it with newspapers for the first couple of days. This will prevent unnecessary movement and prevent distress to the cat if he messes. If you think its appropriate to your cat's normal behaviour, perhaps restrict him to one room for a while until he can bear weight on his legs. Keep him calm and quiet. Pet him gently, particularly to rid him of molts as he is unlikely to clean himself straight away and that may cause distress. Above all, follow your instinct. He's your cat, you know him best. If you are at all worried, give your vet a ring. It's what they are there for.

Good luck!

Answer 9

My cat broke his hip a few years ago. He got stuck between our doors. The best thing to do is to comfort him in any way, constantly check on him, but give him some space, too. I'm not quite sure about the litter box thing, but after he has healed, he should be fine, no running, jumping,etc. Hope this helps. Just give him a lot of TLC!

Answer 10

I know that using the Bach Rescue Remedy when he comes home will help greatly in his overcoming the trauma of his accident and the resultant surgery. It is for emotional healing and cannot harm the cat nor interfere with any medications the vet will give him for pain and such.

The medical aspect of his recovery will be covered by the vet's instructions. You can cover the emotional aspects with the RR. You simply shake the bottle well and put three to four drops on your cat's fur between his ears. You can do this every fifteen minutes if it seems necessary till he relaxes and seems more emotionally composed. Use it as long as it seems to help him, for a week or so.

Your cat's emotional healing is as important as the physical healing and will contribute to a more speedy recovery. Many vets do use the RR in their practices and report on the efficacy of its use.