Cat broken pelvis: Is surgery recovery too painful, or should I put her down?

Poor girl. This is severe break and the pieces are not at all aligned. Unfortunately because the two bones are not aligned properly to heal back together naturally, this likely needs surgical correction. Poor kitty. : ( I recommend discussing with the vet about surgery for this poor kitty to help align the bones. I am not an orthopedic surgeon however, so a consult is needed to discuss if this particular break is repairable surgically or if there are other things that need to be done. Best wishes with your stray kitty Wen. Take care!

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Poor kitty. Without doing an exam there is no way to completely determine if surgery is an option. That said, even if surgery is an option, that is not surgery that most general practitioner or shelter veterinarians would be able to do or have the appropriate equipment for. If surgery was an option, typically MRI is first needed to assess the spinal cord, then surgery would be performed by a board certified surgeon. The cat would then need extensive physical therapy and even if everything goes perfectly, there is no guarantee of return to function. In most cases this scenario would cost many thousands of dollars. Many owners and shelters cannot afford that level of care, so alternatives such as cage rest and pain management may be tried or euthanasia may be needed in some cases. I'm sure it is not a case of the shelter vet being unwilling to help this cat, but that the resources are not available. In the case of limb fractures, often amputation is a quicker and more cost effective option to save an animals life than orthopedic repair. Many fractures require pins or plates and screws which needs an orthopedic surgeon and would cost thousands to repair and has a much longer recovery time (requiring foster homes willing to do physical therapy). Even with owned pets, many owners cannot afford a $5000 fracture repair or do the follow up care, but amputation can save their life. The majority of dogs and cats do well with 3 legs. Thank you for your interest in helping these pets. It sounds like the shelter vet is doing a good job for these animals.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. My guess would be pain. Any little tweak or trying to move too fast could be exruciating. I'm sure it goes without saying but a fractured pelvis is extremely painful and he should be on probably at least two pain medications given 2-3 times daily. If he is on less than that, talk to your vet about adding something on. (Even if he is on two, ask if another might be indicated.) Best wishes to you and the little guy.

I would also likely recommend amputation if the wound is not healing as the possible complications and pain involved would likely be much worse than the surgery. Cats do very well with three legs, especially if it is a young cat! If you would like another opinion I would recommend consulting with a boarded surgeon as they have more training in fracture repair. Good luck!

It's a little difficult to see in your copy of the x-ray, but it looks like the left femur might be fractured. If the broken bone is above the knee then a cast won't help because it's not possible to stabilize the fracture. If they have recommended pain medication and rest I think that probably is the best option with a broken hip - kittens can heal quickly and it's possible that he will have decent function in the leg. If not, then a surgery called a femoral head osteotomy might be an option once he's big enough for surgery.

Hello, its difficult to assess if he will recover from this injury as there are no x-rays to evaluate. If his does have a fractured back, and currently is unable to move legs then his prognosis for recovery may not be great without surgery. Buprenorphine is great pain medication for cats. Sorry to hear about Little bit, I hope he recovers well!!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Stitch! I think you are doing the right thing. If her bone density isn't normal then she will have a hard time healing and it will take her longer, could be more painful and put her through more. Amputating the leg will be uncomfortable for her for 5-7 days then she will do great. Cats do well on 3 legs! I wish you the best!