cat broke his pelvis, no insurance.

[charlietangoteakettlebarbeque]

Just back from vets.

We don't have insurance. I know, we are stupid idiots. We never got round to it

Anyway, the op is going to cost around 1500. We don't have anywhere near that kind of money

The vet said we could leave the cat in a cage for 6 weeks and let the pelvis heal by itself

The only repercussions in doing this is that he may have problems with constipation when he gets older.

I don't know what to do. The op is booked in for Monday but we won't be able to pay. The vet won't accept a payment plan. No one we know would have that money to lend

Does anyone have any advice? Is there any institution that could help us?

Would it be so bad to leave the pelvis to heal by itself?

[LaurieFairyCake]

Are you on benefits? Contact the pdsa?

[Pointeshoes]

Could you look for another vet that does a payment plan? It's a heck of a lot of money.

[AreYouFeelingLucky]

It's ambitious to think that the pelvis will heal fine by itself. It will heal, but without surgical help, it's likely to heal incorrectly.

Keeping your car in a cage for six weeks will be difficult too. The more the cat fights, the worse the healing will be. It's why humans have casts.

I'd speak seriously to the vet about the options. Can they not do a cheaper surgery? Ask about what happens if the break heals badly. You're likely to be looking at an even more expensive surgery to rebreak and set the pelvis, then.

I presume that you've explored Credit cards etc, and whether there are any other vets that would accept a deposit?

[StormyBrid]

There's always the morally dubious option, if you know anyone in receipt of housing benefit...

[Clobbered]

Or, maybe you just need to accept that this is a terminal event for your pet. Insured or not, it's still a big deal to put your cat through a major operation that he/she won't understand and all the associated pain and aggravation. If it were my cat, I would have them put to sleep. Sad but kinder in my opinion. Sorry, horrid for you and your cat, whatever you decide.

[Muddiboots]

Actually cats do suprisingly well, have seen even quite nasty pelvic fractures heal with cage rest. yes in an ideal world the op would be first choice but if you havent got the money then you cant magic it out of nowhere.
By cage they mean fairly big crate with room for litter tray and bed, cats seem to accept these very well, its no major issue for most.
twenty years ago before orthopedic surgery/insurance was so common, this would have been the treatment of choice for most cats and most cats would do just fine.
I certainly wouldnt PTS at this point if your vet has even suggested cage rest as an option.

[affafantoosh]

Seriously, cage rest! It might not be the gold standard treatment but cats are incredible healers. If it's been suggested as an option, and you can't afford surgery, then go for it. Really, it might well be fine.

(I'm a vet BTW)

[charlietangoteakettlebarbeque]

Hello everyone thank you so much for replying. I appreciate everyone's response

My dp has phoned the rspca and they are going to do the op for 40 quid!!

We are taking him in now. Thank goodness we are so relieved!!

[charlietangoteakettlebarbeque]

Oh and we've sorted insurance now

[polkadotdelight]

We used to see good results with cage rest depending on the fracture (but I havent worked in veterinary medicine for 9 years).

The most important thing to establish before you make any decision is that your cat is able to pass urine. Some cats suffer nerve damage after a blow to the pelvis and cannot wee - if that were to be the case then surgery woukd be a waste of your money and unfair on your cat.

Puppy training crates/large dog crated can be picked up cheaply on ebay or gumtree.

[polkadotdelight]

Cross posts - glad you have it sorted. Good luck with the surgery.

[charlietangoteakettlebarbeque]

This is the x ray. He has been passing urine so that's good. Although hasn't passed solids as yet. Hopefully the rspca will pull through with the op

[winterland]

This was the exact same advice i was given when my cat broke his pelvis. We did the cage rest and hes fine now. no problems what so ever.

[LaurieFairyCake]

That's fantastic news - so pleased, £40 is fab.

[charlietangoteakettlebarbeque]

Hello everyone

not great news I'm afraid. The rspca told my dp last night that they don't do hip operations and wouldn't be treating the cat. They did keep him overnight and we planned to pick him up today and have him on bed rest in a cage for 6 weeks to let it heal on its own

We spoke to rspca today and they said the cat isn't passing urine or solids (I was wrong thinking he had passed urine).

Does this mean he will have to be operated on? The rspca isn't going to help us financially after all and in fact, it cost us 40 quid for the consultation yesterday. God knows what they'll charge for the stay over

I feel sick.

[polkadotdelight]

Im so sorry, thats such a let down - what happened? Did someone get crossed wires?

Firstly, if he can't wee thats really serious and he should not be at home. He is likely to need someone to express his bladder manually and be given a period of time to see if this resolves. What have you been advised regarding this?

Sadly if it doesnt resolve you may need to consider euthanasia. Im really sorry to have to say that but right now that (and pain relief) are his biggest concerns.

[gatofeliz]

Wow, the RSPCA stung you for 40.00 for the consultation

That reinforces my view of never donating to them.

I'm afraid i agree with PP and think that maybe being PTS is the kindest option if he isnt pasing urine and the PDSA cant help

[charlietangoteakettlebarbeque]

Oh god no, euthanasia? I want to cry. I feel so stupid and selfish for not getting insurance.

The pdsa can't help as we are both working. Although I do get child tax credit to help with nursery fees, would that count as being on benefits?

I'm seriously considering trying to find someone who is on benefits who could maybe help us. I know it's dishonest but if it saves the life of our beautiful cat surely it's worth it?

[affafantoosh]

If he's not passing urine that is worrying. But it's also likely to be a sequel of the accident rather than because he hasn't had surgery. It isn't your fault - it's something which we worry about with every pelvic injury. There may be bladder damage or nerve damage.

It would be really wrong to defraud the charity. Their eligibility criteria are there for a reason. I'm sorry :(

[patienceisvirtuous]

Could you take out an interest free credit card and pay back monthly. Or try another vet who accepts payment plans?

[polkadotdelight]

I'm really sorry, affafantoosh explained that better. This is not your fault and if he has bladder/nerve issues it is a result of the accident and surgery would have no bearing on that. Sometimes they need time and nursing.

[affafantoosh]

In cases like this we often wait to see if an animal has normal bladder function before putting them through surgery anyway. If he haesn't got normal bladder function because of nerve damage then surgery may not be an option anyway :(

[charlietangoteakettlebarbeque]

Hello everyone thought I'd update

Our beautiful cat is home. She has passed solids and urine!!!

So we will be keeping her in a cage for 6 weeks and hope for the best

The cage we have is not fit for purpose though. It's not big enough for litter tray and food / water. We can't afford to buy a new one and eBay and gumtree have proved fruitless

We tried putting him in a travel cot but he keeps trying to jump out. It's great that he's even trying, he looks so much better!! I have high hopes. But the cage thing is troubling. Can anyone suggest anything? We have to keep him in the small cage tonight but really it's not fair and we need to get the situation sorted for tomorrow.

Any ideas?

[polkadotdelight]

So glad to hear that. What about posting a plea on Freecycle, even if it is to borrow one?

[Corygal]

Really glad all has worked out, bar the cage. Could you ring the vet and ask to borrow one?