Cat hip replacement??

[indiesearcher]

So shocked I could cry!

Cat came in limping a week ago.

Vet prescribed painkillers and an x ray today if no improvement.

Here we are with a fracture and a recommendation for hip replacement.

I've been paying £25 per month insurance for a 'premier policy' only to find there's w cap of £1000. This surgery and x rays will come to more than £7k.

Has anyone been through this?

Any advice?

I'm distraught for our lovely cat and my bank balance.

Thank you @OrSomeSortOfWokAtTheVeryLeast that's so helpful. So do you just do it for nights (and room rest in the day)?

@indiesearcher the vet said as long as we supervised him, he could be out during the day, even though on the paperwork it said only out for 5 minutes 3 times a day.

So we would use the cage every night and if we were out during the day. Its actually important they use the leg as soon as possible after FHO to build up what will be essentially a new joint that replaces the bone.

Out of his 3 surgeries, the recovery for the FHO was the easiest for him, even without the use of the other leg. You wouldn't even know now that he has had surgery on that hip.

Also just another tip, make sure you have a low litter tray for inside the cage, just so he isn't jumping or stumbling to get in, or one with a low entry point. Our usual tray is huge as he is a big cat, but the sides were too high.

@OrSomeSortOfWokAtTheVeryLeast thanks again. I'll certainly update here next week once he's had the surgery.

Hi everyone,

An update on DCat; he's had the FHO surgery today and vet said it went well.

He's home now and has an impressive scar, seems happy to be back and is on cage rest for a few days.

He's been perched in the litter tray now for 20 mins so I expect he's trying to do something but he's not able to squat.

Any advice on how I can help him or what to do?

Thanks a lot!

He's ticking into some food now too, happy boy.

So glad to hear he is home and eating! It sounds like the FHO has done the trick! So glad you were advised on here about that. Did the FHO work out cheaper too and did your insurance cover it?

So glad he is doing well. Encourage movement as its so important he builds up the muscles and tissue to create the new "joint". Obviously nothing that goes against recovery or what the vet has said. He will be back to himself in no time.

Hi @OrSomeSortOfWokAtTheVeryLeast @Unreasonabubble

The insurance didn't cover it no, but our vet found a surgery that was very kind and capped it at a more reasonable price for us.

He's quite content sleeping off his meds today but we'll take him back for follow up tomorrow morning and some advice on physio, I'm hoping they'll say he's okay to mooch around the room and do room rest instead of the cage.

He's putting the paw down albeit very gingerly, but it's good to see.

How on Earth does one get a cat to do physio?

Some passive movements, some massage, some cryotherapy... 😹😹😹