Fractured Calcaneus - ripped stitches out

[ChandlersMum]

I'm not sure what I'm looking for, but I'm so totally fed up and massively stressed about my stupid cat.

He's 10 months, been going outside for 2 months but no cat flap yet so he's only out for an hour or so at a time.

3 weeks ago he was limping, then hiding. I dragged him out from under the bed and took him to the emergency vet, who diagnosed a sprain.

5 days in I had a video call with the insurance vet who was happy with his progress. I wasn't though, as he was still limping a lot after a week. Vet x-ray showed a fracture and he had surgery a week ago.

He's on a cocktail of drugs to keep him calm, which don't seem to be working. He has to be crated for 6 weeks. This was originally the main cause of my stress, but it quickly got worse when he kept escaping the buster collar. He pulled the plaster off so I took him back early for a checkup. Vet wouldn't put another plaster on as it'd heal quicker without.

We're now a week post surgery. By some miracle the collar is now staying on, but he's managed to pull his stitches out and open the wound WITH THE COLLAR ON!!

Back at the emergency vet tonight and they couldn't staple or stitch without sedation (they tried), so he's back in tomorrow to be sedated a re-stitched. I can hear him crying and fighting to get out of the crate.

I have a friend proving great real life support (ex vet nurse), and I do feel awful for the stupid cat. But I just feel so low. I've had cats my whole life and this has totally thrown me. With hindsight I would not have got another cat. The stress of the situation is giving me headaches. I wish I could just fall asleep and wake up once its over. But will it ever be over?

Just here for support, I'm going through something similar. I am on day 6 of house arrest looking after my cat who room on a fox! He is on Gabapentin as he was so distressed he was yowling non stop. I'm averaging about 3 hours sleep a night...on the sofa with him. A newborn is easier!

Ask for Gabapentin if he's not on it already , bitter apple spray is good to keep them away from from the wound, mine couldn't tolerate the collar so is wearing a baby grow !

Photo of the idiot while I was awaiting surgery.
This was probably the high point of the last three weeks, as he couldn't get at the foot or put any pressure on it.

He's on gabapentin and trazodone. Plus antibiotics and metacam.

He's not behaving particularly well while I give the medication, but he's not violent yet so I suppose it could be worse.

Post surgery sulk.

He broke the plastic vet collar. I have two more from amazon that I'll try out tomorrow after he's been re-stitched.

I hope things get better for you soon!

Much sympathy OP. I started a thread on here after my cat broke her pelvis and was on cage rest for 8 weeks. I would almost say it was worse for us than her. It’s really hard so don’t beat yourself up for feeling the way you do.

My cat was a Houdini escaping the collar (and her cage..) - I found the soft ones with elastic and a toggle better than the vet’s collar. And then as much distraction as possible for the cat - ours is massively food oriented so we gave her loads of treats in home made and bought puzzle toys, and we cycled through various cat tv stuff on the iPad until we got to know what suited her at what time of day. Relaxing music playlists (my partner’s end of year Spotify playlist will be interesting! 😹).

It’s easy for me to say this now, but it will pass. Jan-March this year honestly felt like the longest 3 months of my life at the time, but now it’s passed and our cat is fully recovered and leaping around outside again, without a care in the world.

Sending good wishes to you and your cat!

New collar this morning. The last one came off during the battle of the pills.

He's in at 11 for sedation and re-stitching. I'm supposed to be in the office so have taken the day off.

I mix the meds with Lick e Lix ,it's strong smelling so over rides any thing else. Worth a try.

Poor soul 😭

That collar looks great, can you link it please. He couldn't use the vet one as it made him so disoriented he couldn't eat or use the litter tray and I ordered a doughnut one and he was out of it in two seconds!

Already tried, he wouldn't touch it 😆

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

I couldn't work out how to get the link from the app, but hopefully you can find it from this x

Thank you!!

Oh wow, he has discipline, it's like kitty crack to my boy 🤣

@ChandlersMum How is he doing today? Hope he has calmed down a bit and you are feeling less stressed.

How's things OP?

Stitches came out today but still needs to wear his baby grow for a couple of days.

Thanks for asking @KittenKaboodle @MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

I think we're both feeling much better.
The vet put a proper bandage on this time, so even when he manages to get the collar off (only once since Tue) he's not able to rip the stitches out. No doubt he could if he was given longer collarless. At some point I really do need to get back to the office though.

I'm letting him wander around the kitchen while I cook, and we've been having cuddles on the sofa. We've still got over 4 weeks left in the crate, bit I hope we're over the worst of it.

Meanwhile, the other one is over grooming. He already was, but it had started getting better.

@ChandlersMum Pleased to hear he’s doing ok and hasn’t managed to get the bandage off. Hopefully he’ll settle down in the crate - it feels an eternity for us but I don’t think so long for them (just as well). So sorry to hear your other cat is now unsettled - never rains, etc.

Chandler had his final xray this week, which was supposed to be his ticket to freedom after 6 weeks in the crate.

Unfortunately he has not healed at all, and after sleeping on it, our best option is looking like amputation.

He's been temporarily let out of the cage while we wait for the appointment. My poor boy.

You might find that he bounces back much quicker from
Amputation. He'll be mobile pretty quickly. And won't need crating.

One met a few tripod cats. And it doesn't hold them back.

Yes, the vet said he'll be fine and the recovery time is much shorter - though he does have form for being difficult so I'll have to make sure the wound is well covered!

One of the options offered would have meant 3 more months crated. I couldn't face it, or afford it.

It's what I would do for my cat. I wouldn't put them through any more treatment or crating.

We saw another vet this morning - an independent to hopefully bring the cost down.
He understandably doesn't want to amputate without opening him up and seeing what he can do first. So we're stuck again making another decision.

I know why he's saying it, and he'd rather save the leg on a young cat. But my current thinking, ignoring all financial constraints, is that even if he operated successfully he will develop problems and pain in that leg at some point in the future. And barring any separate medical issues, he's likely to live a longer pain free life with 3 legs than fighting to keep the 4th.

Hopefully seeing a 3rd vet this week.

Short term I also don't want to put him back in the cage for 2-3 months. I'm trying to look past that stage and decide what is best for him long term.

Such a dilemma for you if this vet doesn't agree with amputation until other options are explored. But it's only their opinion and their judgement about what's best for Chandler (great name BTW!) long term is no more valid than yours.

They aren't the ones dealing with the consequences of months of crating an unhappy cat, nor the financial hit for you. Even if he is young, amputation is not the worst outcome. My sister had an tripod who was very happy and well adapted. Best of luck in deciding on what to do.