Can my kitten with IVDD and weak back legs recover without surgery?

Poor cat! If there is no deep pain present in the back legs then chances are kidding you won't regain function unfortunately. We use the pain is an indicator whether the pet will walk again. However if deep pain is present (kitty moves twitches or flinches when you pinch the back toes), then there is a chance that Katie can regain function of the limbs. However you won't know the extent of the injury without an x-ray. And without an x-ray he won't really know what treatment kitty needs. I unfortunately don't see a good solution here without proper diagnostics. Kittie may be a lost cause at this point without proper medical care for such a traumatic injury like this which undoubtedly involves the spinal cord and/or pelvis. I would highly consider Humane euthanasia for this kittie because the outcome looks bleak.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Nova had an accident that caused a leg issue. I would recommend he be re-evaluated by a veterinarian, or even an orthopedic specialist. At his age, it may be permanent, but depending on the type of injury there may be a possibility for a procedure to improve things. Good luck!

Often young kittens recover well from injuries given enough time. I would let him do what he wants as long as he’s getting around now. I expect him to improve and not become worse or paralyzed. He may never be perfect but if he’s able to walk and run an isn’t painful then he can live a normal life. Having an exam would be good when you can. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your kitten.

I'm so sorry Drew is going through this at the moment, and I'm sorry for you as well! This is a very hard situation. Unfortunately, the statistics with recovery are very poor with stage V IVDD. With medical and conservative treatment, the prognosis is less than 5% of recovery. With surgery, there is a 50% chance of recovery if the surgery is done less than 24 hours after symptoms appear, and less than 5% if it's done more than 48 hours after symptoms appear. As you can see, these numbers are quite poor, and if your vet has ruled out surgery, your only option is the medical treatment. I guess you need to weigh whether or not you want to see if Drew will be part of the less than 5% who can recover, but the fact that she doesn't have deep pain is not a good prognosis. You can have her monitored with the vet for another 24-48 hours, but if things still look poor after that time, euthanizing her may be the best option. Again, I'm so sorry you are going through this, and I hope my answer helps you somewhat.

You can keep him clean and comfortable and see if the control of his rear legs will return. He may be permanently paralyzed though. I like to support these animals, putting something underneath their stomach if needed, to get them standing with their rear legs underneath in a normal position. If he gets stronger when you have him standing he may improve. Usually they will start to move their legs in a few weeks if they are going to improve. If he remains paralyzed you can purchase or make a cart or wheelchair for him so he can walk around on his own. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for this kitten.

I would take him to a rehabilitation veterinarian who can do acupuncture also. I see many paralyzed animals that recover with neurological retraining exercises, laser, hydrotherapy and acupuncture. The sooner he receives treatment the better the outcome. Even if he doesn’t get 100% better many animals can still live a happy life with proper care from the owners. Please take him in soon to give him a chance. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Reg.

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.