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 Pet Central
Q&A
Q: Our 20-week-old
cat pulled a tendon in a rear knee. The veterinarian put on a soft splint
that stretches her leg out straight. The splint will stay on for two weeks.
Surgery was not an option due to cost. Does this sound like a reasonable
treatment? — M.W., Las Vegas, Nev.
A: Dr. Claude Gendreau,
a Riverwoods, Ill. board certified orthopedic veterinarian, points out
that your letter is a bit perplexing, since there is no tendon in a cat’s
knee. However, there are four ligaments. If you refer instead to ligament
damage, treatment depends on which ligament was torn and the extent of
the injury. Gendreau says such injuries are rare in young cats. More likely,
your cat injured its Achilles tendon in the lower leg. Check with your
vet to clarify exactly what the injury is.
A partially torn
or stretched Achilles (or calcanean) tendon will heal with a device like
the one your cat is now wearing but it probably will take three to four
weeks. If the tendon is torn completely, surgery would have been a better
option. The tendon will eventually heal, but in all likelihood your cat
will develop a permanent limp, forcing her to walk on her heel instead
of her toes. This may cause sores on the thin skin the cat would now be
stepping on, instead of her foot pads.
If you work with
an experienced orthopedic vet, it may not be too late to achieve a successful
outcome with surgery. The cost would run anywhere from $650 to about $1,100,
depending on what intricacies and/or complications are involved. I suppose
this makes an argument for pet insurance.
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