Cat with hip dysplasia - tips for post-op care?

[Jcatbird]

This occurred in a tiny town (country farm vet only) and long ago. The attending vet transported him for me to a larger facility to help. I had dozens of rescue ferals from a colony at that time that all had Felv so I had my hands full and left the details to be handled by the attending. Hip Dysplasia was all that was related back to me. I was told that the other hip should be watched. At a later check I was told that there seemed to be some decline in the other hip but minor. When I first saw this kitty laying down and unable to use that leg, I assumed he had been injured by something or someone. Apparently it is genetic malformation. This cat came into the picture when I was about four years into the Felv colony and almost all died over a six year span but four cats did not test positive and survived, including him. I do wonder is something is related to disease that is unknown which is why I am appreciative of reading here. After twenty years of colony cats, I am always learning from others. One of the Felv positive cats is still with me. One older cat had a dislocated hip as well but was also active Felv and passed away. Is there a connection to the two genetically? IDK. Lots of questions and few answers. Lol I watch and hope he never has any other hip issues besides the arthritis type symptoms and some xrays that show a bit of bone loss. One other cat had hip surgery but that was due to injury. I’m just grateful that the two that had surgery did very well. Over twenty years and about 300 Cats being rescued I still wonder. I still learn.

 

[gabicards]

We're almost on day 4 post op and day 5 without Topaz passing stool.

This is driving me absolutely insane - the vets don't seem concerned which means I keep having to chase them. Today I finally got them to prescribe a laxative, and we tried (and failed) to give him an enema earlier. He's been eating decently since Sunday - 3 sachets per day instead of his usual 4. Today he was also fed closer to the usual meal times.

Vets put it down to 6 things, in summary:

• He went a full day without eating (Friday, the day of the surgery), which disturbed his intestinal tract;
• On Saturday he ate very little as he was still coming down from anesthesia;
• He's barely moved since the surgery, which has slowed down his intestinal tract;
• The opioid use as a painkiller has also slowed down his intestinal tract, which was already slower due to inflammation;
• He can't position himself properly in the litter box because he hasn't regained movement on his legs, and it's painful for him;
• He's unwilling to poop outside the litter box.

As far as we know he hasn't even tried to poop at all, and he hasn't been alone since we brought him back home. He kept trying to get to the litterbox on Sunday, but his bladder was really full so it was likely to pee. He tried again today, we helped him and it was just pee again.

We gave him a shot of dypirone as an additional painkiller, and might need to give another one tomorrow, because the dosage for cats is lower than the one for humans, so I had to ask a pharmacy to manipulate that medication for him and it will only be available on Wednesday. He also prescribed lactulose, every 12 hours for 3-5 days - what's killing me is I've read it can take 3 days for it to help... it's already been almost 5 days, how can he wait 3 more?

It's annoying to me that they haven't offered to do any procedure to help him out, despite me asking. I also don't understand why they aren't more worried? I keep seeing people say that a few days without poop while they're still eating could have all kinds of horrid consequences, and he's just been through surgery. They were able to help him pee, but when I asked about passing stool they said there was nothing they could do. I've been hearing "I'm sure he'll go by tomorrow" for a few days now.

The surgeon tried to reassure me today saying it isn't uncommon for cats to go through this post surgery. But I had asked about exactly this before accepting the recommendation to get both sides of the hip done in the same surgery and was told it would be fine. I'm so concerned and sad.

 

[Jcatbird]

I have used the lactulose on Banjo after she had severe constipation and her bowels were being partially blocked by inflammation. It worked within a day although the first stool was still limited. After that she started going regularly.
Good stuff. We did increase the dose once but as the inflammation decreased she got cleared out and we had to decrease the dose. Hoping it works well for Topaz,

 

[OopsyDaisy]

This occurred in a tiny town (country farm vet only) and long ago. The attending vet transported him for me to a larger facility to help. I had dozens of rescue ferals from a colony at that time that all had Felv so I had my hands full and left the details to be handled by the attending. Hip Dysplasia was all that was related back to me. I was told that the other hip should be watched. At a later check I was told that there seemed to be some decline in the other hip but minor. When I first saw this kitty laying down and unable to use that leg, I assumed he had been injured by something or someone. Apparently it is genetic malformation. This cat came into the picture when I was about four years into the Felv colony and almost all died over a six year span but four cats did not test positive and survived, including him. I do wonder is something is related to disease that is unknown which is why I am appreciative of reading here. After twenty years of colony cats, I am always learning from others. One of the Felv positive cats is still with me. One older cat had a dislocated hip as well but was also active Felv and passed away. Is there a connection to the two genetically? IDK. Lots of questions and few answers. Lol I watch and hope he never has any other hip issues besides the arthritis type symptoms and some xrays that show a bit of bone loss. One other cat had hip surgery but that was due to injury. I’m just grateful that the two that had surgery did very well. Over twenty years and about 300 Cats being rescued I still wonder. I still learn.

Amazing story and YOU ARE AMAZING!

Thank you so much for all that you do and for your dedication to these babies.

 

[gabicards]

TOPAZ FINALLY POOPED!!!!!

He started meowing and trying his best to get to the litter box, digged a lot in the litter and eventually was too tired to sit, so he did it while laying down. It was really dry and there was some bright red blood on it. I got him cleaned up and he moved to his bed, all on his own. He kept meowing though which was distressing, so a few minutes later he went back to the litter box - and this time he managed to stay in the crouch position to poop again. It was taking a long time, so I supported some of his weight to help, but eventually more came out - very dry, long pieces of stool. That was probably painful, but hopefully the worst is past us now. I'd imagine the stool still passing through his intestinal tract is much more recent - and he started taking the laxatives yesterday, so we'll probably have a least a couple of days of diarrhea ahead.

I really just want him to feel well. He's been moving more since last night, I think the dypirone shot made a big difference. We'll go back to the clinic to give him another one today and tomorrow he should start taking the oral medication.

 

[Jcatbird]

Yay Topaz! I know you and Topaz must feel better! This is great news!

 

[gabicards]

Topaz has been moving more and more, was quite active earlier today. Continues to pee just fine in the litter box, but hasn't pooped since Tuesday. He's eaten less today, presumably because his intestines are so slow now. He's been taking lactulose for 2 days.

Today was his first physical therapy session! I thought it would be mostly exercises, but it's actually somewhat similar to human physical therapy (at least the ones I've done in Brazil), where they also use machines to decrease swelling and inflammation, which in turn helps with pain - this pleased me as I remember my own foot healing exponentially faster once I started working with a physical therapist that used them. Ideally that's combined with exercises, but since it's only been 6 days since his surgery and he's evidently quite sore, the vets didn't want to do that today and just focused on laser/infra-red therapy instead.

His stitches will be removed on Monday and he has physical therapy sessions scheduled for Tuesday and Friday.

 

[OopsyDaisy]

Topaz has been moving more and more, was quite active earlier today. Continues to pee just fine in the litter box, but hasn't pooped since Tuesday. He's eaten less today, presumably because his intestines are so slow now. He's been taking lactulose for 2 days.

Today was his first physical therapy session! I thought it would be mostly exercises, but it's actually somewhat similar to human physical therapy (at least the ones I've done in Brazil), where they also use machines to decrease swelling and inflammation, which in turn helps with pain - this pleased me as I remember my own foot healing exponentially faster once I started working with a physical therapist that used them. Ideally that's combined with exercises, but since it's only been 6 days since his surgery and he's evidently quite sore, the vets didn't want to do that today and just focused on laser/infra-red therapy instead.

His stitches will be removed on Monday and he has physical therapy sessions scheduled for Tuesday and Friday.

View attachment 442805

He looks fairly comfortable. How did he do with it? Did he seem to like it? I hope he poops soon. He's such a lovely boy...just look at him getting all of that attention.

 

[gabicards]

He looks fairly comfortable. How did he do with it? Did he seem to like it? I hope he poops soon. He's such a lovely boy...just look at him getting all of that attention.

He did well! Didn't really want to leave his carrier for a long time after we arrived... it took about half an hour for me to talk to the vet, give her all his medical history and all of that. He was just chilling in his carrier, even though it was open, and looking at us. Once that was finally over, the vet made her way to him and coaxed him out... eventually another vet came in with the machines and he seemed to be okay with everything.

They had a look at his stitches too and said they look perfect, which is a relief. He has a lot of bruising (super ugly) from the surgery that all vets have told me is normal... I was pretty freaked out with the one in his belly because it seems to keep getting worse, so I was given a cream for it yesterday and the vet today said that the laser is going to help it heal even faster. Fingers crossed!

 

[OopsyDaisy]

He did well! Didn't really want to leave his carrier for a long time after we arrived... it took about half an hour for me to talk to the vet, give her all his medical history and all of that. He was just chilling in his carrier, even though it was open, and looking at us. Once that was finally over, the vet made her way to him and coaxed him out... eventually another vet came in with the machines and he seemed to be okay with everything.

They had a look at his stitches too and said they look perfect, which is a relief. He has a lot of bruising (super ugly) from the surgery that all vets have told me is normal... I was pretty freaked out with the one in his belly because it seems to keep getting worse, so I was given a cream for it yesterday and the vet today said that the laser is going to help it heal even faster. Fingers crossed!

That's great! He'll probably be fine with his next treatments then. At least he didn't freak out. It probably felt really good. I haven't done any physio with mine. I'm not sure if I'll need to. Glad to hear that it is going well. I hope he poops again soon. Look forward to your updates.

 

[gabicards]

Tramadol is the bane of my existence.

So Topaz is doing very well in terms of his actual surgery - he can walk, run, jump, clean himself, everything is great. The swelling at the surgery site has gone down much faster than his physical therapist thought it would, and the bruises are pretty much gone now. He's doing so well that she expects his next physical therapy session to be the last one.

What's absolutely killing me is his constipation. The surgeon has pretty much dismissed it as being caused by his (presumptive) IBD which I refuse to agree with, because not only was it controlled before the surgery, it also never caused constipation. On the contrary, whenever we had a flare up, it's soft stool/diarrhea. His regular vet, as well as the vet that saw him at the clinic today when I took him in for an analysis of his urine, both told me tramadol is the most likely culprit because it's known to dry up the stool a lot, in both humans as well as in animals. We had tried removing this medication on Monday, but I thought he was still in pain, so I gave it again (with his surgeon's approval) from Tuesday-Friday, but I cut down the dosage by half. His physical therapist did a bunch of exercises with him yesterday and confirmed to me that he's probably just a little bit sore, but there's no need for this strong medication anymore, because he was responding well to her touching him.

So now tramadol is gone, he's back on lactulone, and the vet we saw today said his bowel movements should start improving in 2-3 days once it is out of his system. I was desperate today because since last night he kept going to the litter box, moving the litter around, positioning himself, and leaving without doing anything. This morning he kept meowing... it was so distressing, it's why I took him in for an urine analysis, I was afraid he had some type of infection (results have come in and it's all perfect). I tried putting an enema on him, authorized by the vet that saw him today, and he pooped immediately (literally, it can't even have been the enema because as soon as I removed the tip of the product from his butt he went to the litter box and finally managed to poop. I wonder if I touched something that somehow helped? I don't know).

Despite the fact that he was evidently uncomfortable and straining today, it was actually the first time since his surgery that he pooped two days in a row (he did it yesterday too). As I talked about before here, it took him 5 days post-op to poop for the first time, and since then he was going every 3 days. I'm hoping this is a good sign. Please please let it be a good sign, I'm actually starting to miss having a cat with diarrhea as opposed to constipation!

 

[fionasmom]

Tramadol, as with other opioid analgesics, can be highly constipating in cats, dogs, and humans. Some studies have shown that up to 50% of those using it suffer from this side effect. It is good to hear that Topaz is doing so well overall and that he will be able to stop taking it.

What you did with the enema tip may very well have induced a bowel movement. You probably did not touch anything in particular but often the insertion of something like that into the rectum is enough to solve the problem.

You do get to that point where you are just so happy to see poop!

 

[gabicards]

Tramadol, as with other opioid analgesics, can be highly constipating in cats, dogs, and humans. Some studies have shown that up to 50% of those using it suffer from this side effect. It is good to hear that Topaz is doing so well overall and that he will be able to stop taking it.

What you did with the enema tip may very well have induced a bowel movement. You probably did not touch anything in particular but often the insertion of something like that into the rectum is enough to solve the problem.

You do get to that point where you are just so happy to see poop!

Yes, when I talked to the surgeon this morning, he was like "he's doing so well in terms of post-operation movement, I think his intestinal problem is related to his IBD and you should talk to his vet to have another ultrasound done", meanwhile I have been hearing from his regular vet, and the other vets at this clinic where he got the surgery done, that tramadol does that. I was pretty annoyed/distressed when he said that.

I talked to a friend today that told me the same thing, she had to take tramadol herself after her last surgery and it took her 7 days to be able to pass stool, she said it was absolutely horrible.

I am sure it doesn't help that Topaz's IBD probably did slow down his intestinal tract, but, like I said, he used to pass stool everyday before, and the consistence of it was perfect in the week leading up to the surgery (once I gave up on hydrolized kibble and put him back on his kitten sachet). I would not be so quick as to attribute what's happening here to this condition.

It does make me super anxious though. The vet authorized me to put the enema on him again tomorrow. My dad was playing with him about half an hour ago and petted his belly, and his reaction (softly biting, shoving his hand away) is an indicative that he's probably quite sore, and I'm assuming some of it is from the straining (as well as the surgery site, of course, since the incision is right below his belly, under his legs, and it's still a bit swollen). I remember suffering from constipation when I started taking Iron supplements a decade ago and my abdomen was so sore. I figure it's the same for animals?

Ugh this issue can't be resolved fast enough. I go back and forth between thinking "omg he's doing so well!" to "omg he's so sick, I need help" and it's draining my energy.

P.s.: It's been so helpful that I can vent about the situation a bit here!

 

[fionasmom]

You are doing a wonderful job with Topaz. He is probably sore from the surgery, or just not wanting to be touched as he is not sure what else might be coming, plus he does have IBD and has been on tramadol. If you can get him off the tramadol as it seems you have done, then at least one piece of the problem is removed.

You may find that doing what you did before with the enema tip may produce a bowel movement.

 

[OopsyDaisy]

I was thinking about Topaz last night and wondering how he was doing. It sounds like he is doing excellent in terms of healing and movement. That is awesome! You say that Topaz is jumping? Wow. I was told not to let mine jump for at least 12 weeks.

How excited I was to see poop from my two after surgery. I've never used Tramadol but I'm hoping this will clear up in time. Once all of the medications and post-op treatments are over, and his system gets to rest and return to normal, I think he will be fine. I know how distressing it is to watch them go through it all. Today, I'm trying to decide whether to take my Lulu off her pain meds. I feel that she should be moving around more. I was also watching for poop today because I hadn't seen her go for a couple of days. She did eventually go. Both kitties went through some bowel issues during this healing period.

Venting is good. So many knowledgeable members on TCS. I don't think I would have gotten through this without them. It helps to hear about and learn from the experiences of others. Trust your own instincts too. I think that's important. We know our cats best.

 

[gabicards]

I was thinking about Topaz last night and wondering how he was doing. It sounds like he is doing excellent in terms of healing and movement. That is awesome! You say that Topaz is jumping? Wow. I was told not to let mine jump for at least 12 weeks.

How excited I was to see poop from my two after surgery. I've never used Tramadol but I'm hoping this will clear up in time. Once all of the medications and post-op treatments are over, and his system gets to rest and return to normal, I think he will be fine. I know how distressing it is to watch them go through it all. Today, I'm trying to decide whether to take my Lulu off her pain meds. I feel that she should be moving around more. I was also watching for poop today because I hadn't seen her go for a couple of days. She did eventually go. Both kitties went through some bowel issues during this healing period.

Venting is good. So many knowledgeable members on TCS. I don't think I would have gotten through this without them. It helps to hear about and learn from the experiences of others. Trust your own instincts too. I think that's important. We know our cats best.

I didn't think I'd be able to let him jump either, it feels so soon. The physical therapist had originally said (during our first session) that he'd probably need to be confined to the bedroom he'd been staying at for at least 20 days. We saw the surgeon 10 days post-op for him to remove the stitches and see how he was doing, and he allowed us to let him roam around the apartment - I told him we could only do that if he was allowed to jump onto/from couches, because we have many and knew that, realistically, we wouldn't be able to stop him, and he said it should be okay. I asked his physical therapist during his 2nd session, and she agreed that his recovery was going well enough that he'd be able to gauge himself whether he could jump or not onto certain places - that has indeed been the case so far. In the first couple of days, he was using his front legs more to get on his favorite couches, but now it seems he can put enough force on his hind ones to jump comfortably. He hasn't aimed for the higher places that he used to be able to reach before (my bed, the dining table).

He doesn't fall anymore and his legs don't seem wobbly, and he also spends a lot of time sitting, which he couldn't do at all in the first few days. It's not perfect yet - he sometimes plays with us or rests by laying his hind legs on the floor and pushing himself up with just his front legs, which he didn't really do before. It's like he wants to sit, but his legs are sore, or he's tired, so he does it halfway.

I think my biggest fear is that this medication is going to cause lasting damage, but he's off of it already, so I suppose there's nothing else I can do. I was scared about the meds/quantity/frequency too, and it felt like removing them 10 days post-op was too soon. What if he was still in pain and it became chronic? So I definitely know how you feel. I felt more comfortable doing it after I watched the way the physical therapist handled him and how well he responded to her massaging his legs, belly and torso. I'm sure if he had been in actual pain (as opposed to soreness), he wouldn't have let her. I also think that the tools she uses on him (laser, infra-red) did make a difference in terms of speeding up the healing process.

All of that being said, my attempts to get him to do the exercises she recommended have been a great failure.

I've uploaded a few videos of him so that you can see the way he's moving now - 2 from our failed activities attempt, and 1 from him straining at the litter box this morning (without managing anything), which can also show how he gets around: Topaz Post-FHO

 

[fionasmom]

He is a beautiful boy and looks great! His walking seems so normal and relaxed, although I felt sorry for him in the litter box video.

 

[gabicards]

He is a beautiful boy and looks great! His walking seems so normal and relaxed, although I felt sorry for him in the litter box video.

It’s rough, I witnessed that several times in a span of 10 hours or so. By the time I decided to try the enema I was in tears and with a headache.

I put the camera there and configurated it to notify me whenever there was movement in that specific area of the box, so that I could watch him without going there and distracting him. But my heart raced each time I got a notification because I could see his distress, and mine probably matched it…

 

[OopsyDaisy]

I think he looks great in those videos! Thanks for sharing those. He's a beautiful boy.

I noticed the same with mine, they seem to be able to guage what they are capable of doing. I don't know if I mentioned before, I built some steps with boxes and towels for mine to climb up onto my bed. They still use them. Ash is almost back to 100% now, he is up on the cat tree and running around playing. Lulu is only 3 weeks post-op so she is still a bit slow but does climb. She hasn't tried to jump yet. With the medication and not knowing for sure if they are in pain, that's a play it by ear situation too. No vet has been able to give me a time period for the pain meds. I'm glad I stopped Lulu's today because she's already more frisky. If I see any signs of pain, I will resume the meds. Topaz looks really good though.

You're doing a great job. Like me, you are most likely worrying too much. I know it's hard but he looks great. At least he didn't have to get the butt shave, lol. Hoping for a good poop soon! C'mon Topaz we need to see a !

 

[gabicards]

I think he looks great in those videos! Thanks for sharing those. He's a beautiful boy.

I noticed the same with mine, they seem to be able to guage what they are capable of doing. I don't know if I mentioned before, I built some steps with boxes and towels for mine to climb up onto my bed. They still use them. Ash is almost back to 100% now, he is up on the cat tree and running around playing. Lulu is only 3 weeks post-op so she is still a bit slow but does climb. She hasn't tried to jump yet. With the medication and not knowing for sure if they are in pain, that's a play it by ear situation too. No vet has been able to give me a time period for the pain meds. I'm glad I stopped Lulu's today because she's already more frisky. If I see any signs of pain, I will resume the meds. Topaz looks really good though.

You're doing a great job. Like me, you are most likely worrying too much. I know it's hard but he looks great. At least he didn't have to get the butt shave, lol. Hoping for a good poop soon! C'mon Topaz we need to see a !

I agree we probably worry too much. I was trying to think like that as I wept earlier today because he was meowing in discomfort - he's pooping less and straining, yes, because he's constipated, but it's unlikely he'd pass away over something like this when he's otherwise doing so well. I just panic tbh. I keep looking for things online that talk about this side effect of tramadol to console myself.

I barely even think about his legs these days because of how concerned I am about his bowels. Who would have thought...