Casper has been hit by a car - phantom limb pain?

[LesleyW]

Lesley - if the cage offer still stands, would I be able to pick one up when I come round on wed as it looks like it will certainly be needed?

Mum didn't say anything, but she is clearly worried about the cost over the next few months, so I'm considering doing some kind of sponsored something to raise some money towards it as well as selling my cards.

I will give it a good clean up and have it ready for you on Wednesday Hun.

If you want, we could think of doing a car boot or something - I am sure I can find some cat carriers and other bits and pieces and with Christmas around the corner, you could take your cards along as well.  We can discuss it on Wednesday if you like.

[Dawn F]

I know my vet does it I've heard people talking about it in the waiting room and a friend of mine spread £400 over 5 months with her vet (even though she could afford to pay)

[Bryony84]

Thanks everyone, stories of cats who have gone on to live happy lives after amputation have made me feel better about the decision.

As far as payments go, I don't know if the vet will accept monthly payments but the raising money thing is partly because in a way, I still feel like Casper is my cat, even though mum preferred him to stay with her. I certainly can't afford to give her any money towards treatment as I've only just come out of a very tough patch, but I really want to help.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I forgot to mention that Ducha is 15 yrs old now and like Desleys Pebbles he is so quick across the ground, its unbeliveable, also charging up stairs!

[Desley (booktigger)]

I am sorry things are looking so drastic, but I would also go with the amputation - PEbbles had to have her leg amputated at the age of 11, because surgery she had had done younger had suddenly caused an issue, and she also had bad arthritis in that joint. She had to have cage rest for 10 days, the first thing she did was demand to go out, but I didn't let her - 2 days later though, she had managed the stairs and the bed, so I allowed her supervised access. She could still outrun me on 3 legs though, so the care isn't as much as your mum thinks - if you do a search for PEbbles on here, there should be pics etc and her story, might help alleviate some of your mums concerns

[Dawn F]

will your vet let you pay in installments?

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I am so relieved to hear it was not a deliberate attack and like Mark wondered whether to mention amputation,

I have a 3 legged cat, Ducha who had some kind of accident before he came to me and they tried to save the leg but it did not work.

he is a lovely happy little monster and rushes around like a lunatic and once they have recovered from the amputation they do not need special care, except to be aware that some things they cant do as well as they used to.

Its Duchas right back leg that is missing and he has his own special way of using a litter tray and its important they do not get overweight cos that puts a lot of strain on the remaining legs. He also needs the side of his head and ear rubbing and grooming cos he cant scratch there so loves it being stroked and played with and chin strokes.

he finds it too hard to be on a lap cos he must not feel comfortable I think but dont know if that is just Ducha and dont think he had much , or any lap time before he came to me after he lost the leg.

I am sure this will be the best option for Casper and apart from the recovery time I dont think your mum needs to be worried. although he should not be allowed out on the road.  Ducha cant jump as high so when he goues out he is garden bound although when he first came here he used to go out a lot more and did see him in neighbours garden and coming back across the fence, ,,,,,,,,,,,he scared me terribly cos he sorta jumped at the fence and clung on with front paws and heaved himself over and then plonk back to the ground........so pleased he doesnt do that anymore! Didnt know he could until I saw him.........sigh

Best wishes for Casper 

[Rosella moggy]

So very sorry to hear this. Poor lad.  I'm sure 1 of Gill's has 3 legs altho can never remember which as she doesn't mention it much, presumably as he gets about fine (I'm certain it isn't Sasa hence "he")

I just can't imagine how it must feel to be told that someone has done that deliberately to a much loved cat. You and your mom must be so very upset. (Just saw your last post and relieved if that's th right word that it was an RTA)

I also appreciate your dilemma as to whether to bring Casper to convalesce with you or leave him in familiar surroundings.  Much depends on how you think your mom might cope.  Just bear in mind we all are capable of surprising ourselves when things get really tough  

[Bryony84]

Latest update - Our vet has seen him and he is 98% sure it was an RTA so I suppose in a way that is better even though its still a horrible situation.

He has said that our options are: 1: the operation, which he is happy to do if we think that it is the right choice, but is very complicated, would cost £2000+ and could cause problems in the future. The aftercare and recovery are also pretty shocking. He has said that Casper would need to be kept in a cage for around 6 months and everything would be a very gradual process, we wouldn't even be able to touch him for the first week or so. He would need regular visits back to the vets for that 6 months and probably a lot afterwards too.

2: The amputation, which would be a quicker and cheaper option and also involve less aftercare and a less dramatic recovery process. Mums gut reaction was to go for the amputation as it seems less cruel to both him and us. I agree with her given the options.

Lesley - if the cage offer still stands, would I be able to pick one up when I come round on wed as it looks like it will certainly be needed?

Mum didn't say anything, but she is clearly worried about the cost over the next few months, so I'm considering doing some kind of sponsored something to raise some money towards it as well as selling my cards.

[Janeyk]

so sorry to hear about this we had to have one our cat's legs amputated, it does sound like you'e doing the right thing lots of love to Casper xx

[candyshandy]

My Mum's old cat had his leg amputated at the age of 1 and lived until he was 10.  He got around fine we just had to monitor his food because he put weight on easily.

[LesleyW]

Bryony, so sorry to hear this news, it sickens me to think what people can deliberately do to animals .

I agree with you that, although sounding drastic, amputation may be better in the long term, for healing times as well as athritis problems etc in later life.  Emily had her leg pinned after an apparent RTA before I got her and it has not healed very well to me and she does seem uncomfortable with it and I had to have the wires holding the pin in removed as they started breaking through the skin.

If you need anything you know where I am.   to all of you.

[em1209]

Get well soon little Casper 

[Tiggy's Mum]

Sending healing vibes to Casper

[Bryony84]

Mark - thats what I thought when mum told me the options, and it seems far less likely to cause him trouble and pain in the long run, even if it does seem drastic.

[Kittybabe (Ruth)]

I'm so sorry Bryony.  to all of you, and a for Casper. Poor baby.

[Mark]

Sorry but I even typed a message about possible aputation yesterday but didn't post as it wasn't fair. Cats do get around fine on 3 legs and the recovery is a lot quicker than it is after complicated surgery  

[Bryony84]

I know, how anyone could deliberately hurt an animal is beyond me.

I think my mum is panicing about the prospect of caring for a disabled cat, so I'm considering offering to bring him back to mine after his op. There is someone around at ours for more of the day and he wouldn't be able to get outside, Amber and Chilli are essentially indoor cats, although they have a couple of hours of supervised outdoor time at the weekends in good weather. The only thing I'm concerned about is how that would affect Amber and Chilli and how they would affect him.

I definitely agree with the idea of letting people know, I may write a letter to our local paper about it as well as possibly putting a note through doors in our street.

[clarenmax]

Sorry to hear Casper's injury is more severe than first thought 

Hope he gets well soon, poor little babe xxx

[Debsymiller (Rufus' mum)]

So So sorry to hear about the poor lil puss- at least he has lots of loving people to care for him.  :grouphug:As awful as it sounds, it may well be worth letting neighbours and people in the area know if the vet thinks this may have been deliberate. Although it doesn't bare thinking about someone doing something like this, it would at least be a good thing to tell people if it could prevent others from having the same things happen to them.
  Casper! 

[Dawn F]

sorry about casper the idea of deliberate damage does bear thinking about

[Den]

I'm so sorry about Casper 

 

[Bryony84]

Just had a call from a very upset mum, apparently the leg is more badly damaged than we thought, shattered rather than just broken in 2 places. The vet also said the damage looks more like it was deliberate rather than caused by a car which has made me really angry and really upset mum.

The options are now down to a complicated operation that may not work to try and mend the legs, or amputation. As drastic as it seems, I'm actually veering towards amputation as with damage this severe, I don't think the leg will ever be the same again.

Either way, it is going to cost a lot more than first thought so I am going to be setting up a Casper fund and ramping up my card making efforts to help pay for it.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Sorry to hear about Casper and hope that he is home soon 

[Bryony84]

Thank you for all your kind wishes, and to Ruth and Lesley for the offers of help. I'll speak to mum again tomorrow when her head is a bit clearer and see if there is anything she needs and what Greg recommends for his rehabilitation. I think at the moment a large part of it is the cost involved, they can find the money and they will pay whatever it takes to get him well again but its certainly not what they need at the moment and I still feel that he is in part my responsibility so I'm planning to chip in what I can as I get paid this week. I'm also considering giving them any extra money above cost that I get from selling my Christmas cards, I think they will need it more than i do. Mum has said that she will get insurance once he's recovered but I don't think any insurance company will ever cover any problems he has because of the pins that will be in his leg. Let this be a lesson to anyone who doesn't have their furbaby insured!

Once I've found out when he will be cleared to go home from the vets, I'm hoping work will let me take an afternoon off to help my mum settle him back into the house and keep an eye on him.

[LesleyW]

Same here, if there is anything I can help with, let me know 

[koscha (Ruth M)]

Poor Casper! at least it's repairable and with your parents (and no doubt you) doting on him he couldn't be in better hands. 

If you need any help at all let me know....i've got an extra large cat carrier that might be more comfy for him to use while his leg is healing that i'd be happy to lend you for trips to the vets etc..... i've also got spare litter trays that are yours for the asking....

Sending positive leg healing vibes...

[Tiggy's Mum]

Poor baby, at least it's fixable though   Sending him a healing head kiss from me and the boys

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Poor Casper    I hope he's sorted soon and that he copes ok with his confinement.

[Bryony84]

I will do, I don't think mums thought of what will happen when he gets back from the vets (won't be until tuesday/wednesday mum thinks) so the cage might be a good idea, I'll ask her tomorrow. We've never had broken bones with any of our cats before so don't really know what to expect.

He'll be going to Grove Vets in Elm Grove, Southsea. Its right around the corner from their house and we've been going there for 12 years or so and know Greg the vet really well, she said the lady at the emergancy vet in North End was really nice but she would feel better when Casper was back at our vets. Its much more handy for visits as well.

[LesleyW]

So sorry to hear about Casper, send lots of love to him and your mum and dad.  If you need a cage or anything else, let me know - I've got one spare for you if you need it and anything else I can help with, heat pads, etc etc.

Which vets will he be going to?

[Kirst]

Poor Casper!! Im sure with some tlc he will be back on all four paws again soon.

[Janeyk]

poor boy! I hope he hasn't to go through too much 

[Bryony84]

Just got off the phone with mum and it turns out he has broken one of his back legs in 2 places, so will have to have an operation tomorrow to put pins in, poor casper! I'm relieved in a way because it could have been worse, but it means he's still got a lot to go through before things start getting better. I'm assuming they will put some kind of plaster on the leg and he'll have to have a collar and stay indoors, none of which he's going to like much!

Still, its enough for now that he's alive and the damage should be fixable so I suppose I have that to be thankful for!

[Kirst]

Poor Casper! Hopefully he is just bruised and will be back home soon. xx

[Bryony84]

I hope so too, not heard anything since this morning though so i'm a bit worried.

[Mark]

Fingers crossed it is just a bump 

[CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls]

Aww hope he is ok and just feeling a little broosed 

[Bryony84]

Thank you everyone, I'm still waiting to hear the news from the x-ray at the moment but I know they are keeping him in and my dad is transferring him to our vets in the morning when they open.

Michelle, I remember reading about Lulu, I guess its all of our worst nightmares really, I feel awful for my mum, she doesn't deal with crisis's easily and dad was at work, wish she'd called me earlier!!

[Tiggy's Mum]

Poor Caspar, hope he's going to be OK