Cat Knee Displacement or Fracture Care

by Tamara
(Kingston, ON Canada)

Last night my 24 year old cat jumped off the bed and then started limping. He will not let me flex his leg and tries to gum me when I try to flex it. My cat has had most of his teeth removed a few years ago and he took 7 1/2 hours to recover from the anesthesia.

I want to know what type of treatment is involved in repairing a dislocated knee or a fracture. I believe that his cat injury symptoms indicate one or the other. Hopefully it is just a sprain but considering his age, I can not be naive. I have given him small doses of metacam for pain management, provide water in a cup in bed and carry him to his cat food and litter box so that he does not injure himself further. I will do this until I take him to the veterinarian on Monday unless it gets worse.

I just want to know what type of treatment options are required for these types of cat injuries so I can know what to expect. I am worried that surgery might be necessary. My cat, Mafia, is too old to survive another surgery. He is spoiled rotten and has a great life with lots of stimulation. We regularly take him to the drive-in with us and take him for rides in the Corvette or truck. My cat sleeps with me every night and always has to be touching me. My kitty is just like a member of our family and we would hate to lose him. Please provide me with the information I seek.

Thank you Dr. Neely.

Sincerely,
Tamara


Dear Tamara,

Although you likely already have an answer to your questions regarding treating your cat’s injury, I would have simply said that you were doing all of the right things to keep your kitty comfortable until he could be seen by a veterinarian. Unfortunately, without seeing your cat in person, I would not have been able to diagnose the nature of your cat’s injury. However, if it was a fracture or dislocated knee, I have seen many cats recover successfully and continue to live long, happy lives.

I hope you will keep us posted on your cat’s health condition. I hope all has gone well for you and your precious cat.

Sincerely,
Dr. Neely