This was originally posted July 2022
If you've been following at all, you'll know that our last dog, Isis, had a broken leg. Well, now we are dealing with another broken bone. One of our loving barn cats, Theo, has broken his leg. Monday evening he was laying on the door step with his brother Arlo, like they tend to do when it's warm, taking it all in. A couple of hours later when my husband went to give the cats treats, Theo didn't get up from his spot in the middle of the walkway. I scooped him up after he ate his treats and he cried, so I put him down and he wasn't using his back right leg. I assumed he had sprained it in the woods or something.
Here is Theo laying with us in the screen tent, before we had taken him to the vet.
After a few days with no improvement, I realized this wasn't going to heal on it's own. So I had an appointment for Friday. Took him in and initially they thought he had a puncture, she thought she felt swollen lymph nodes. Went for an x-ray, just to be sure there were no breaks. X-rays revealed that his femoral head was broken. Basically, the top part of his leg that sits into the hip socket was broken off. He needed surgery. I took him home with pain meds, locked him in a crate inside of the chicken coop (where they usually sleep) until Tuesday morning. He was not a happy camper.
Arlo stayed by his brother.
While Theo was scheduled for his FHO (femoral head ostectomy) and he wasn't moving much anyway, we did let him out with us every once in a while. He was locked back up in the crate at night and while we weren't around.
We are headed to the vet. I have him buckled in, the road is very windy
I picked him up Wednesday at noon and brought him home. Arlo missed him. Theo did well with his FHO and was sent home with more pain meds and some antibiotics. He needs to be crated and on meds for 2 weeks. Then I will need to take him back to the vet for an exam and removal of his stitches.
Theo is spending some time in the house. It is incredibly hot outside this week
August 21: Well, a week after Theo came home from his surgery Arlo started limping. Not as bad, bad still a limp that didn't go away. So, back to the vet we went. Theo had his stitches removed and cone taken off and the vet was pleased with his mobility. Arlo had an x-ray and found that his femur (same leg) is also cracked. Apparently there is some sort of genetic condition that causes cats to get what is basically arthritis in their femurs at a very early age. This is not common. Thankfully Arlo's isn't broken completely, but there is a hairline crack and some chipping, and there is some deterioration of the other hip also. For now, they are both on supplements to try and slow it's progression, but it is almost assured that Arlo will need the surgery, probably within the next 6 months.
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