A few days ago, my fiance's roomate accidently closed a door on our cat. The next day, we noticed that the cat began walking gingerly and the day after, the cat couldn't even walk to her food dish. We brought the cat to the local vet for an exam. The vet told us that he suspected that our cat had "medial Patellar Luxation", which he said was a genetic condition where the cat has a shallow groove in which the kneecaps sit, causing the kneecaps to easily move around. He advised that this causes extreme pain. He said that he needed to sedate the cat so that he can perform a thorough orthopedic exam and possibly take x-rays. He said that if he did discover that the cat had this condition, the cat may need corrective surgery, first in the right hind leg and then in the left hind leg six months later. I just dropped off the cat for the sedation and the x-rays.
Here are my questions:
1) Is this a common problem in cats? Can it be caused by trauma or is this always a genetic condition? Is surgery necessary or even the best option?
2) I found the cost of the vet to be very expensive and the prices he quoted for the possible surgery were outrageous. He charged me $46 for the first office visit. $274 for the sedation, orthopedic exam, x-rays, and radiological consult. If the cat does need surgery, he said it would cost between $1500 to $1800 for each one of two surgeries. This vet is in Brooklyn, NY. Are these prices reasonable? We love our cat, but that's a lot of money considering we don't have pet insurance.
Thanks for your help!!!
Help!!!
Re: Help!!!
First, how old is your kitty, and did the vet rule out internal injuries, given the nature of the incident?
In my opinion, you were charged fairly, orthopedic surgical procedures are expensive, given the nature of the damage, and the degree of skill to surgically correct it.
Yes, the condition is fairly common, although seen more in dogs. It is usually genetic but trauma can also cause the condition.
Yes, surgery is necessary in most of these cases, without surgery, the patellar won't heal or align correctly, and can predispose kitty to degenerative joint disease later on, which is just as painful and debilitating as un-corrected patellar luxation. It is better and more successful if kitty is younger than 2-4 years old, but any kitty can benefit from the surgery, post-operative recovery may be difficult however, and you need to be committed to keeping your kitty strictly confined after surgery (for up to 4-6 weeks, depending on recovery and your vet's assessment)
If you're not confident with your vet, at least take time with him and ask questions so you know what to expect. If after that and you are still not comfortable, get another opinion from a qualified vet surgeon, but chances are, your kitty needs the surgery anyway, the most important thing to consider is the surgeon's experience and expertise in this surgery. Also, you don't want to waste time here, your vet is correct, this is an extremely painful condition.
In my opinion, you were charged fairly, orthopedic surgical procedures are expensive, given the nature of the damage, and the degree of skill to surgically correct it.
Yes, the condition is fairly common, although seen more in dogs. It is usually genetic but trauma can also cause the condition.
Yes, surgery is necessary in most of these cases, without surgery, the patellar won't heal or align correctly, and can predispose kitty to degenerative joint disease later on, which is just as painful and debilitating as un-corrected patellar luxation. It is better and more successful if kitty is younger than 2-4 years old, but any kitty can benefit from the surgery, post-operative recovery may be difficult however, and you need to be committed to keeping your kitty strictly confined after surgery (for up to 4-6 weeks, depending on recovery and your vet's assessment)
If you're not confident with your vet, at least take time with him and ask questions so you know what to expect. If after that and you are still not comfortable, get another opinion from a qualified vet surgeon, but chances are, your kitty needs the surgery anyway, the most important thing to consider is the surgeon's experience and expertise in this surgery. Also, you don't want to waste time here, your vet is correct, this is an extremely painful condition.
..........Traci
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Twilo
Re: Help!!!
Thanks a million...Your response was extremely helpful. The vet just got back to me and advice that the cat does have medial patellar luxation in both rear legs and that surgery is necessary. I'll post again with an update.
Re: Help!!!
I'm in NY as well, further north of Brooklyn, and those prices sound reasonable. Perhaps your fiance's roommate can help absorb some of the cost considering the source of the accident. I'm certainly not saying it was done on purpose but the condition seems to have come out now after the injury. Ask the vet about a payment plan as well. Good luck with it all. My thoughts and best wishes are with you and kitty for a successful surgery, quick recovery and pain free playing!