My poor kitty... =(

[greenie53]

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So my cat is very clumsy, and about a month ago, he tossed his way out of my boyfriend's arms and landed on his left side. He limped for about a day or so, and then started to get better. After a couple of days, the limp was barely noticeable, and it was determined that he was stinky and needed a bath. During the bath he thrashed about and the next day he was back to limping.

A couple days later we went to the vet. and the vet decided that it was only soft tissue damage at the left hind hip due to how he did get better and then worse. No xrays were taken. I called the vet back a week later when the limping continued, and he said to wait another couple of days. My cat, Diesel would get a little better, and then start running and jumping all around and injure himself again and I couldn't keep him still long enough to let him recover. This cycle just continued.

Today, almost a month after the accident, we went back to the vet because the limping had not improved. Xrays were taken and showed a fractured femur head. The vet said that my cat needs a femur head osteoectomy.

Now I feel absolutely horrible that this whole thing wasn't found sooner and that he's been in pain for so long (granted if it were really horrible pain I can't imagine he'd be acting like such a goof running on it all the time). But still, I just can't help but feel awful. I obviously know now I should have gotten a second opinion or just insisted that xrays were taken, but what the vet said about soft tissue damage made sense. 🙁

Anyways, I wanted to know if any of you guys know anything about this surgery- cost, recovery time, success rate...
It's kinda weird how they just remove the whole femur head and don't replace it, but just let it hang by the muscles and fibrous capsule that forms.

 

[Hollycozza]

I looked after a dog that had a femoral head and neck ostectomy after it was found to have an irreducible pelvic fracture (hit by car), and he recovered really well and quickly. He's a Belgian Shepherd too, so a big dog.

 

[CalpardNY]

I don't know really any specifics about the surgery but just some anecdotal evidence.

I work at the AMC in NY and i have seen a few animals who have had the surgery. All have been dogs, so im not sure how it compares for cats. I've heard it works better on smaller dogs but i saw two great danes that had the surgery done and were doing well. I think recovery can be a few months but I'm not sure (clearly big great danes that i saw were going to be slower to heal b/c of the weight on the joint and it was about two months out!). I also think recovery is improved with physical therapy - motion, swimming (not sure how that would work in a cat!), etc!

Yes, they remove the femur head and just "let it hang" as you said, but the orthopedic surgeon was explaning to me that the femur can form a sort of false joint! I think its really fascinating that the muslces, ligaments, etc can do that! He said its not as secure as a normal joint but its much less painful!

I hope whatever you decide your kitty gets better soon!

 

[ShelterGirl]

That's so weird - we just had a feline FHO at our hospital today, which was the first non-canine one I'd seen.

Cost to the owner was around $1000-1500 (mind you this is in Northern California in an affluent suburb) including surgery and hospitalization.

The cat will probably go home tomorrow or the next day, and generally they are on restricted exercise for a few weeks.

Recovery in dogs that I've seen has been great. Good luck!

 

[greenie53]

Thanks for everyone's input. I've been researching FHOs online and I'm starting to feel a bit more relaxed about it. It seems as though most of the cats who get it are these clumsy young cats! But people have said that the success is usually very good and you won't even notice that there ever was a problem after several months.

I guess this is what I get for picking the most rambunctious kitten from the shelter 😳

 

[winglessflight]

we've had a few cats where i work get it, and i'm always shocked at how quickly they move around. It seems like by the time they come in to get the stitches out the owners always are complaining (in a good way) that they are having trouble keeping the cats quiet.

Let us know if you decide to schedule it and how it goes.

Good luck!!

 

[greenie53]

For those of you working in clinics- do they ever call in specialists (orthopedic surgeons) to perform the surgery or does the clinic vet do it?

 

[slainte]

Its been my experience that most DVMs (not specialists can perform the surgery. Its also my experience (only seen it on dogs) at the clinic where I work is that the animals do very well and recover very quickly. I've also personally observed this surgery... its really cool what they can do and I think your cat will be fine and feel alot better.

 

[Steelmagghia]

For those of you working in clinics- do they ever call in specialists (orthopedic surgeons) to perform the surgery or does the clinic vet do it?

We have two vets who do all our bone surgeries. I'm not sure if they are certified or not, but at least one of them is super awesome. The other owns the clinic so he doesn't spend a lot of time at the clinic. I don't see a lot of his surgeries.

 

[ShelterGirl]

We have two vets who do all our bone surgeries. I'm not sure if they are certified or not, but at least one of them is super awesome. The other owns the clinic so he doesn't spend a lot of time at the clinic. I don't see a lot of his surgeries.

Same here - 2 docs do all ortho cases, not sure if they are boarded, one is the owner, and I'm pretty sure it's not the same clinic as Steelmagghia's 😉

 

[Steelmagghia]

Same here - 2 docs do all ortho cases, not sure if they are boarded, one is the owner, and I'm pretty sure it's not the same clinic as Steelmagghia's 😉

Haha, yeah, I'm definitely sure they are not the same clinic. That's kind of creepy though.

 

[WannaFixFounder]

We just did one the other day. It takes like 20 minutes 🙂 We use only board certified ortho. surgeons. I''ll have to check on the price, but probably $2-3K.

Cat was a little sensitive on it the day after, but should be just fine.

 

[greenie53]

Thanks again to everyone who has given some input. Now I just have to hope that I can get an appointment ASAP and with someone good... I recently moved to Chicago and don't really like the vet that I've gone to the last two times (through my internet researching, it sounds like this is a pretty commonly misdiagnosed case- animal comes in limping and vet just says to wait it out, then limping doesn't go away and they find out that the leg has been broken the whole time! 🙁 pretty horrible- and def. a mistake I will never make as a vet and I hope after reading my story none of the rest of you future vets do either!! 🙂)

Well I think I found a place with pretty good reviews but if anyone is familiar with the Chicago area and knows anyone good here, I'm definitely up for suggestions 🙂

 

[bunnygirl]

Well I think I found a place with pretty good reviews but if anyone is familiar with the Chicago area and knows anyone good here, I'm definitely up for suggestions 🙂

If I remember correctly a petsitting client of mine had found a great specialty clinic in the chicago area... I will call her tomorrow to find out

 

[greenie53]

So I've called that place I heard was very good from a friend and they then referred me to other places because they don't perform orthopedic surgeries 🙁

I called one of the places they referred me and supposedly the surgeon is pretty good but they gave me a quote of $2300. I am still very much willing to call other places if any of you guys know good people. If not, should I just go with the high price well-reviewed surgeon? I know I live in Chicago and it is very expensive, I just don't know if this is unreasonable...

 

[ShelterGirl]

$2300 might not be unreasonable if it includes pre-op bloodwork and comprehensive pain management ... no suggestions wrt Chicagoland prices specifically, though.

 

[greenie53]

Well to update all of you who have been following my story, I called the vet I worked for back in high school in Phoenix whom I completely trust and asked him his opinion on everything. He said that 2300 was outrageous and that they charge $875 at their clinic. I know he is an excellent surgeon, so I've decided that I will fly back with my cat from Chicago to Phoenix this next week (their earliest appt is in a week 🙁), and my total costs (plane ticket + surgery) will be ~ 1200, which is $1000 less and for a service I know I can trust!

Thank you everyone for all of your help and advice/info on the surgery. It has helped tremendously. 🙂

 

[ShelterGirl]

That's great! Let us know how it goes!

 

[greenie53]

Hey everyone!

So, I remembered that I met a pre-vet girl last summer who lives in Chicago and call her. She gave me the name of a vet (about 45 mins from downtown) whom she trusts and would do the surgery for $750! I decided this was a better idea than to drag my kitty on a plane to Phoenix, have the surgery, and then take him back- which was the last plan due to costs and the fact the I knew the vet down there very well. Anyways- I got my kitty back today and supposedly the surgery well very well 🙂 He's super drugged and has been sleeping in a box w. blankets I made up for him (he loves boxes), but I think he'll be alright

Thanks again for everyone's support and advice! 😍

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31233725&l=c211e&id=15500055

 

[bunnygirl]

Glad the surgery went well 🙂 Wishing you and Diesel a peaceful recovery

 

[ShelterGirl]

Thanks for the update! Glad it went smoothly.