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Ellie


ali-cat

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We have just returned from the vets where we were heartbroken to be told that tomorrow Ellie will have to have her left back leg amputated.  After 3 months she still has no feeling from half way down her leg & despite giving her physio & bandaging her foot daily, to try to stop her cutting it, she has developed an infection on the top of her paw.  The vet assures us that it is the best thing for her & I honestly know that it is - but it still didn't stop me from bursting into tears. 

So by this time tomorrow will have a 3 legged, tail-less, half shaved cat ...... but we still love her & will be spoiling her rotten even more than usual - if that's possible. 

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[quote user="ali-cat"]

So by this time tomorrow will have a 3 legged, tail-less, half shaved cat ...

[/quote]

But all she'll know is you love her and she has (and will have) a very nice life so the fact she's a bit lacking in the tail and leg department won't bother her a bit. Good luck for tomorrow.[kiss]

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Bad news but really, she will be fine.  Small animals cope really well with missing limbs.  And they have the great advantage of having no idea what's in store for them when they zizz off on the operating table.  It's probably far more traumtic for you than for her.

Bon courage.[:)]

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Thank you for all your kind words. 

We feel as if we're in a real dialema now as we've spent all day looking up 'nerve damage in cats' on the internet & everyone says amputation should only be used as a last resort.  It can apparently take up to a year for the nerves to re-grow & for full mobility to return.

I think a long chat with the vet in the morning should help us decide if it's for the best, but I think the infection in her poor wee paw may be the real problem at the moment.  Will let you know how everything goes.  I'm away to get some ham out of the fridge for her now - but don't tell Mr Cat, as it's his!!

 

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Don't worry Christine!!  She's not allowed anything from 8pm so she'll be on starvation diet from then onwards.  Not sure how I'll explain it to Mr Cat when he goes to make his lunch tomorrow & there's no ham left for his sandwich!!  [Www]
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Ali-cat - I know it is awful but young animals adapt easily.  I had a cat who had a leg amputated at 18 months old.  He lived to be 15 and was a skilled mouser and tree climber.  His disability bothered him very little.

Good luck to you and Ellie.

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I suspect she will do very well after her operation but I can really empathise with your concerns about whether there are alternatives.  About twenty years ago my husband was told his right arm would remain paralysed after damaging his neck in a cycling accident.  Through sheer doggedness and hardwork he perservered with his own exercises and physio (sawing logs was one of his methods even though he needed to use both arms to begin with) and he now has full use of his arm and was able to resume his career as a professional musician.  He still has all sorts of neck problems but he's certainly not paralysed.

I know it´s the eleventh hour but you could try going onto www.giveusahome.com and posting on the Chat section.  There are lots of people on there at the moment trying to rehome kittens but if you start a new thread explaining the situation you will find one or two really knowledgeable people there who might come up with either re-assurance or alternatives.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

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Ellie has been given a 2 week reprieve!!  We had a long chat with the vet & when she got Ellie to walk around the room was surprised at how much improvement there was in her whole leg. So she gave her a long lasting anti-biotic injection, we have to bath her foot twice a day in iodine, continue her physio & ..... buy her baby shoes to protect her paw!!! We will probably order a 'cat-shoe' as so far we haven't been able to find anything suitable – except a pair of kiddies socks to keep it clean in the house!!  Photos will follow!!  [:D]

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Not quite "Puss 'n Boots" - more "Kitten 'n Socks"!!  She doesn't seem to mind wearing them & I really hope they are helping to protect her paw, until the proper 'cat shoes' we've ordered arrive.  No idea what she was doing in the plant pot - just had to rush a get the camera & then start to worry about what exactly goes through that childs head!! [blink]

[IMG]http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk325/markatards/005.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk325/markatards/009.jpg[/IMG]

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