Cat with dislocated hip joint

Question
hi Jessica,

This is rachita again..I seeked your help few months back regarding a stray cat hit by car. Thanks a lot for your help.The cat is completely alright now.

Now this time my own cat Ceaser, has been hit by a car, i dont know when it ran out and this happened. we found him injured in both hind legs. got an xray done and found that his left hip is dislocated from its socket.

now the problem is that we were out of town when this incident happened and we lost almost 10 to 15 days in getting my cat treated with antibiotics,pain killer and Xray. The doctor tried to put the joint together but everytime he tried ,it came out of the socket. Reason being that we lost time and there was some growth of tendons or something in the socket due to which the hip wasnt fitting in the socket.The doc suggested that my cat would develop a false joint in this case and use that leg but with little limping.

its been more than 20 days since the doc tried to put hip back in its place and there is no improvement at all in my cat's leg. its not even putting that leg on the floor which it was earlier before the doctor handled the leg.

i dont know what to do now. Should I wait for the formation of false joint or what???? any medicine or any other treatment that can help. my cat is on no medication as of now.

please advise , i am waiting for your assistance

lots of regards,

rachita

Answer
Hi Rachita.  It can take quite a while for the muscles to develop around the joint and for the injuries to heal before the kitty is feeling able to bear much weight on it.  Any impact on the leg can set the healing process back, so if he uses the leg too much or lands on it when he jumps, this can cause his pain to worsen for several days.  It's really important to keep his activity to a minimum during this time so the area can heal.  He should be completely prevented from climbing and jumping, and running should be strongly discouraged.  Be sure to keep him away from areas where he would have access to heights he could climb or jump from.  In fact, when I had a stray come to my home with a similar injury, the vets advised 16 weeks' cage rest.  With strictly limited activity for a few months, the cat did eventually recover and bears full weight on the affected leg today, although I think his hip is still a little sensitive.

At times, the cat may not compensate for the injury, and a corrective surgery must be considered.  I think once you've given the kitty a few months to heal, if there has been no progress, this needs to be given some thought.

An anti-inflammatory medication may still be in order for the time being.  You should call your vet and ask about a pain reliever.  Medications like Metacam, and sometimes Rimadyl, are used to reduce swelling and pain in cats.

In any case, it would probably be wise to start your cat on a glucosamine/chondtoitin supplement.  This can help prevent arthritis that might become a problem if his bones are wearing on one another abnormally due to the dislocation.  Zuke's Hip Action treats for cats are my cats' favorite supplement, but there is also a powder called Cosequin for cats that gets mixed into food, and a liquid called Arthrimaxx which is given directly by mouth.  All of these products are available at pet stores and online.

Good luck!

Jessica