Tilly is 18 years old, and as sweet and gentle a cat as you’ll ever find. She likes nothing more than going out to the end of the drive to see the school kids passing by each morning and evening.
On Friday 13th, she was minding her own business at the end of her drive when a passing dog grabbed her on a long loose lead. The dog shook her, shattering her humerus (a bone in the upper forelimb). She managed to get free and scampered under the car for safety. The dog's owner allegedly made a sharp exit when a vigilant neighbour intercepted them. Once the owner knew what was occurring, Tilly got treated promptly at her vet's and Tilly was sent to us at West Midlands Referrals for assessment and possible fracture fixation.
We love fixing fractures, and we hate amputating legs …but …
….This was an old cat with a horrendous fracture. Several fragments, splits, and fissures extended to the top of the bone. This fracture promised to be extremely tricky to fix. Fixation failure was possible, and Tilly would need to be cage confined for several weeks. She doesn’t do much except potter up and down the drive, so we felt that amputation was the best option for this cat. Amputation is quick, predictable in the outcome and involves little in the way of aftercare.
She recovered well from the surgery and went home the next day, eating like a horse.
We hope she’ll soon be back on the school run …
15th November 2015
