My cat was hit by a car. I took him to the vet, and they suggested putting him to sleep. I refused – it was just too hard. Since yesterday, I’ve been wondering if I did the right thing; he’s in pain at times (not all the time) when he moves, and he hasn’t eaten or been to the toilet yet.
Can you give me some advice? Have any of you been through the same thing? What happened to your cat?
I’m really struggling to cope with this, and I just don’t know what the best decision is for him!
Thank you for your help.
Translated from French
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"I've just thought of something – I’m not sure where you’re based, but if you’re a long way from a specialist referral hospital, you can easily do a remote consultation. I did it for one of my dogs."
Something just occurred to me. I’m not sure where you’re based, but if you’re a long way from a major specialist hospital, you could always look into a remote consultation. I did exactly that for one of my dogs.
You’ll need to get your current vet, or even a different one, to put a case file together. They can then email over the X-rays and all the other clinical records to a specialist at a referral centre. You do have to pay for the remote consultation—it cost me around £60 when I did it—but I honestly think it’s worth a go in this situation.
Just ask a vet to set it up for you, at least then you’ll know what the next steps are. It really helped me out (even though my dog’s case was completely different). If I hadn't asked for a second opinion from the specialists, I’d still be sitting here wondering how long my dog had left. As it turned out, the specialist hospital gave a completely different diagnosis—the vet who’d originally done the CT scan had totally messed up the interpretation of the results!
Believe me, I don’t regret doing that remote consultation for a second. If I’d just stuck with the first vet’s opinion, the consequences would’ve been devastating!
I’ve just thought of something... There are vets who specialise in orthopaedics... The problem is, they're few and far between... I’ve done a bit of digging online... There are specialist referral centres in places like Surrey or near Manchester... So it all depends on where you’re based...
Hi again
That’s what’s so good about forums, you learn loads of things.
I love doing the legwork for the people asking the questions! 😁
Besides, it keeps me busy during lockdown...
Spent the afternoon gardening and it’s much more tiring 😁
I've just had a thought... There are specialist orthopaedic vets... The trouble is, there aren't many of them around... I've done a quick search online... There's a specialist referral centre in the South and another one up North... So it all depends on where you're based...
Isab1975
Hello,
I’ve read your initial post and the replies you’ve been given... I imagine it’s a really tough decision to make... I think it would be just as hard for me if I were in your shoes... But it must also be so difficult seeing him in that state... not to mention him crying out in pain... Do what Provéto Junior Conseil suggested... see another vet for a second opinion, or even two or three different vets to get several opinions... I’m not a vet, but I know how complicated things can be with this kind of fracture... I think I’d ask the vet to give him some pain relief just so I could keep him for a few more days to spend a little more time with him, and then I think I’d have to face facts if there’s really nothing else that can be done...
Thanks for your advice. The vet told me to keep an eye on whether he was eating and going to the toilet: he hasn’t eaten, he’s only had a tiny bit of water, he’s wet himself while lying down and hasn’t passed any stools. The vet said if he stops eating and can't go to the toilet anymore, I should reconsider putting him to sleep. I’m really struggling, even though I don’t want my cat to suffer. I’m at a total loss, it’s so hard. Thank you for your help.
Did you read the explanations in the link I provided?
Urinating happens naturally if the functions haven’t been affected. But pooing requires the cat to get into a specific position and make an effort that he’s simply unable to manage right now.
How exactly is the pelvis affected? What can be seen on the X-rays? Does your case match the information on that specialist veterinary link? Is the spinal cord damaged?
If your cat does recover, he might only be able to get around by dragging the whole back end of his body along the floor, like a paraplegic person would if they were out of their wheelchair.
Wait and see for now, but don’t leave it too long.
Thanks for your advice. The vet told me to keep an eye on whether he was eating and going to the toilet: he hasn’t eaten, he’s only had a tiny bit of water, he’s urinated on himself while lying down and hasn't pooed.
He said that if he stops eating and can't go to the toilet anymore, I should reconsider putting him to sleep. I'm really struggling, even though I don't want my cat to suffer.
Hello,
This is indeed a very distressing situation to be in.
A fractured pelvis can be extremely painful for your cat and is often very difficult, if not impossible, to repair (surgery is frequently not an option and it's unrealistic to expect the bones to heal properly on their own).
Take some time to think it over and weigh up your own feelings against your cat's quality of life.
Don’t hesitate to see another vet for a second opinion.
Wishing you all the best.
Caroline – Vet student at the Alfort National Veterinary School (EnvA), Project Manager for ProVéto Junior Conseil, the school’s student-run consultancy http://proveto.net/
