Unfortunately bones, broken or fractures are not uncommon in pets, especially cats and dogs. There can be a variety of causes. But often they are caused by traffic accidents or a bad fall, which usually results in injuries to the hind legs.
Clear signs of a fracture in a cat
- tries to use three paws when moving, not to step on the injured paw;
- swelling develops at the site of the fracture;
- the paw will not straighten;
- when touching, a sound similar to crunching is heard - when bone fragments come into contact with each other.
Fractures of other body parts such as pelvis, tail, hips, jaw, spine, ribs are also quite common.
Types of fractures in cats
- fracture;
- open fracture;
- closed fracture.
In a closed fracture, the bones that are broken do not break through the skin and do not come out.
If the bones stick out of the wound it is an open fracture.
A fracture can occur in young cats because their bones are soft. And so a fracture can be ruled out, but the bones can bend or crack when trauma occurs. A pin is not required here.
Diagnosing a fracture in a cat
In order to accurately locate the fracture and determine the severity of the fracture, an x-ray should be taken. And also to make sure that the cat does not have any more complicated injuries. And, of course, all this must be done by a veterinarian.
X-rays and subsequently surgery are done only with anesthesia so the cat doesn’t feel pain. A regent helps the veterinarian identify a closed fracture. Once detected, an incision is made and the bone is exposed.
Treatment of a fracture in a cat
A paw fracture is repaired by pinning. Using a drill and a long metal pin, the doctor makes a hole in the broken area, and the two fragments are joined together beforehand.
Then the paw must be fixed. The veterinarian puts a tight bandage on the paw with the pin until the bones come back to normal, that is, they will not fuse together. The pin, on the other hand, will stay in the cat’s paw for life.
There are many techniques to fix a paw fracture, but all are the same: you need to align the broken bone by putting it in its natural position and then fixing it.