Expert: Jessica - 9/3/2009

Question
Hi Jessica,

I take care of stray animals ,particularly cats with medical and health problems.I have also adopted 3 cats inspite of the fact that i had a pet dog.

7 days back one of the stray cats outside my house met with a bad car accident as a result of which she has a broken jaw, ruptured pallet and she is unable to walk. she is also suspected to have diabetes as her glucose level was pretty high.

vet consulted to bring glucose under control before any kind of surgery for her jaw and pallet.with insulin her glucose was under control and she got operated with a wire in her lower jaw and suturing in the upper pallet. she has a ryle's tube now in her nose for feeding.

although she was very well able to move her limbs like for stretching , crawling,turning from one side to another,clawing and scratching herself I fear is there is any spinal injury because of which she is not able to walk or even stand.she is pretty weak but alert.

what would you suggest me to do if she is not standing or walking ? what all tests are recommended and medicines / injections in such a case. is it that bad considering the fact that she is moving all 4 limbs to such an extent??? Please guide me with every possibility.

what more can I do for her...I really want to see her walking again.she is one of my favorites..

thank you for your time,

god bless,

rachita


Answer
Hi Rachita.  Bless you for taking such good care of this kitty!

It’s difficult to say what the prognosis for full recovery is so soon after a serious accident.  Since she is moving all of her limbs, it indicates that she is not suffering any paralysis, which is an excellent sign.  But there is still a possibility that she may have suffered severely debilitating back trauma such as crushed vertebrae or a fracture without nerve damage.  The best way to detect this would be to have her spine x-rayed.

If x-rays have been done and no damage to the bone has been detected, then I think the kitty just may need more time for recovery.  I would give her at least another two weeks before making any decisions.  Although it may be difficult to see her living with limitations during that time, many cats begin to make great strides toward recovery as damaged nerves begin to heal after about 3 weeks.

In the meantime, I’m sure your vet has her on a good regimen of medications to control pain and inflammation.  A lot of injuries that cause severe swelling respond well to steroids, but unfortunately, diabetic cats cannot have steroids.  Your vet probably is using non-steroidal anti-inflammatories to take care of swelling as best as possible, and hopefully a narcotic pain reliever is being given in addition to really keep your kitty’s pain under control.  It’s proven that cats who are not dealing with constant pain actually heal more quickly, so effective pain control is extremely important.  Buprenorphine (mostly for in-hospital use) and butorphanol (for at-home use) are some of the most commonly prescribed narcotic pain relievers for cats.  You can ask your vet about these drugs if you are unsure that she is receiving them.  Buprenorphine is usually given by I.V., but orally prepared buprenorphine or liquid butorphanol could be given in her feeding tube.

Best wishes to you both!

Jessica