I want to thank you so much for your advice on our cat Alf. He had his operation and is walking although with quite a limp.
The vet is still worried about possible damage to his thermostat in his brain. He is on pretazone for the meantime. His temp was very high and the vet put him on it to keep his temp normal. It has been ever since.
He came through surgery fine. He seems depressed and we think it's because he's been through so much and he still hurts. We are hoping the whole ordeal won't perminately affect his personality. He was so loving and affectionate. He is eating fine and all other functions are normal.
Alf's Dad, I'm concerned with the walking. Ideally, he should NOT be using his pelvis until he is fully recovered. Pelvic surgeries require strict confinement post-op for at least 6 weeks, as much confinement as possible, restriction of activity is paramount in order for the pelvis to heal and align properly. I'm surprised your vet didn't tell you that??? If he didn't, give him a call and discuss this thoroughly with him.
Brain trauma injuries can take time to heal, sometimes one must expect months to see full recovery. But, each day he should be showing signs of improvement, and if there are no developing complications by now, the chances of recovery are good. He may have some slight disability, it is too soon to tell, brain traumas are too difficult to predict the outcomes. If he seems alittle slow right now, I would first contribute it to the nature of the injury, the pelvis healing, probably some amount of pain as he recovers from the fractured pelvis. Your vet should have sent home with you oral pain medication for at least the first few days directly after surgery.
In the meantime, start reducing his activity, try to confine him to a small area, complete with a comfortable, fleecy bed to help cushion his pelvis and to keep him comfortable. Good news on the normal functions, you lucked out, most pelvic fracture patients have difficulty with bladder expression and constipation during the first couple weeks of recovery.
Please humor me and give your vet a call and discuss the confinement/restriction of activity issue, and do be sure you've scheduled a followup to get an x-ray of the pelvis to determine it is aligning/healing properly. Also tell him about Alf's depressive state, don't want to alarm you, but you want to rule out possible complications.....he shouldn't be depressed, he should be showing signs of alertness, bright attitude and interest in his surroundings, etc. On the otherhand, your vet can help you determine if this is really withdrawal or if it is pain or something else related to his condition.
