1st May 2006

How will my cat cope with having to have her hind leg amputated?

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Question:

My poor 2-year-old-cat, Puzzle, was recently involved in a serious road traffic accident, and despite excellent care from my vet and three operations it was not possible to save her right hind leg. It had to be amputated as it had been so severely injured and I am very worried about her and how she will cope with this loss.

Answer:

I am very sorry to hear about Puzzle's accident. Unfortunately it is not an uncommon story, particularly with cats living in inner city areas. The good news is that cats do cope extremely well with this type of injury. I am sure you will find that within a few weeks Puzzle will be running around and getting up to mischief as if nothing had ever happened. Be careful, as she gets older, that she doesn't become overweight. The extra strain on the already overburdened remaining back leg may predispose her to getting arthritis in that leg.