Ozzie Update, How he’s doing

It has been a little over two weeks since Ozzie’s accident which resulted in having one of his hind legs amputated. Everyone here was so sweet to comments and concern I wanted to be sure to share with you how he’s doing with his recovery. While Ozzie was still at the vet coming out of surgery I was researching what to expect and trying to prepare for his return. But honestly, I was not prepared for any of it.

The first few days were surprisingly smooth with the exceptions of his utter disdain for the cone he had to wear on his head to keep him from licking his incision. He seemed to not notice he was missing something and tried to do just as he had before the amputation.  When I was able to keep an eye on him I would take the cone off so he would be less miserable.

I had read that cats are prey animals and don’t like to show their vulnerability so they may hide during recovery. Not this kitty, Ozzie has been very affectionate and was more cuddly than ever. He used to tolerate having is stomach scratch for a few minutes and then bite you when he’d had enough, now suddenly he can’t get enough.

The first major drama after his return was administering Ozzie’s medication. Two different liquids to be given by mouth through a little syringe. I tried the first dose and got about half the liquid in his mouth and the rest all inside his stupid cone (his words not mine.) Problem was, after the first attempt he was wise to what was going on and gave his best fight. I didn’t want to hurt his incision so it was hard to restrain him. After three doses into the cone and all over the floor, I decided to go to the internet for some advice. The vet on YouTube made it looks so easy, she apparently has not met Ozzie. I decided to improvise. The total dosage was only 9 mg a day total so I decide to mix it with about twice that much of the liquid part of his soft food. Ozzie could then lick it up himself without the drama and once he was finished I gave him the rest of the food. (The vet said this was fine but it does depend on the medication so be sure to ask.)

In the first few days, Ozzie was getting around well, hopping up and down the stairs and jumping up on chairs. He was great at getting around fast but for him getting up and managing the balance of his now one-legged rear end was difficult. I imagine it is like riding a bike, once you get going it’s pretty easy but trying to get your balance can take a while to learn. Ozzie did not seem to realize there was a change. When he tries to take off and loses his balance he goes into a rolling, crying, hissing frustration that make me want to cry. This usually ends with him hopping backwards for a bit until he gets his balance and can move forward.

We went back to the vet eight days after the surgery for a check up. There was a little redness and swelling which was treated with an anti inflammatory injection and, since Ozzie learned to use the edge of the cone to scratch the incision and had already removed half of it, the bandage was removed. I asked about the balance issues Ozzie was having and he gave the vet a little show of his frustration dance but she was not overly concerned.

On day ten we went back to have the stitches removed. The redness and most of the swelling was gone and I was amazed at how quickly the wound had healed. The picture below was taken on day eleven the grey area is the adhesive from the bandage but you can see the wound is completely closed.

The day after Ozzie’s stitches came out was rough. I don’t know if he was in pain or sore and tired from using one leg where there used to be two. Maybe he was just frustrated that things were not working like they used to be. There were lots of crying, hissing, rolling fits that finally sent me into a crying fit of my own. I hated seeing this sweet cat struggle to learn a new way and wanting to do just as he did before. My husband reminded me it was just going to take time. I know he is right but it is still hard to watch when I can’t do anything to help.

That was a week ago. Since then Ozzie has had good days and bad. Like me, he starts the morning off stiff and off-balance but seems to loosen up as the day goes on. He’s a pro on the stairs and he can get jump up on the bed but getting up quick is still a struggle. I know it will take time, so I try to be patient. I only wish Ozzie would do the same. What he really wants is to go outside and play. I keep telling him that it is cold and snowy out there and it wouldn’t be any fun anyway but he won’t listen. For now, he is an inside cat who can go out with an escort but the vet assures me he will be fine to go out in no time. He can’t wait!