December 2012 – Freya's tale

Day 10 AA

Well, ten days after amputation.

I had a little scare this afternoon when I looked at Freya’s incision and there was a thin piece of what looked like dental floss sticking out from the middle of the incision by about a centimetre. Eek. It looked dried and not covered with any gunky stuff, but it was definitely there. OK – one hasty repair to an e-collar later and I put it on her and the sulks began (hiding behind the couch).

I then called the Vet on call as it was Sunday afternoon (not our usual vet but his associate) and after a bit of discussion it became clear that it was not an internal suture as she said they would be purple, but rather one closer to the skin that are used to keep the upper layers of the skin together – the fatty layers. She also felt it was not a matter for concern if the skin layers were still joined together – which they were (you can check out a photo from today below). So we agreed that the length of suture sticking out should be removed to avoid temptation and that the collar could go on when I’m not around to keep an eye on her. If after observation I felt a trip to the vet’s was required we could do that in the morning. So, that made me feel a bit better.

I then went back to talk to my sulky cat and what do you know? The suture string appeared to have snapped off as it wasn’t there any more. I think maybe in the slight chase to get the cone back (and wasn’t that a golden moment in my life, lunging after a three legged cat with plastic cone in hand!) on there may have been enough movement to snap it off. No sign it was ever there really. I had said it looked really dry, not even like (now that I think about it) that it had even been licked by a cat recently.

Anyway, I examined the incision in a lot of detail as you could imagine and saw that the top part and the bottom part are healing really really well. The middle part is not yet covered by hair and has some little … bulges? … not yet healed over. I could see a little bit of what could be a suture stitch at the surface inside one of the bulges but it looks well settled in there. So given all that, the cone of shame came off and Freya forgave me ….. after some biscuits.

Then I thought, hey it’s Day 10 and I really enjoyed the comparison shot that was done of Fang at Day 3 and Day 10 (and again later comparing Day 10 to Day 21) so here goes, my comparison shot of Freya’s incision between Day 2 and Day 10, albeit not side by side but you should still get an idea.

Close up of internal suture incision - no exterior sutures or staples — Freya’s incision Day 2 and Day 10

Freya's incision 9 days AA — Freya’s incision Day 2 and Day 10

Looks good at Day 10 doesn’t it? You can see the bulges I’m talking about where the white patch on her belly ends at the right. But compare that area to Day 2 and it is amazing the progress that has been made. That area of bulge is obviously where the greatest pressure is and therefore will take the longest to heal over, but it is well on its way I reckon – loose bits of surface suture notwithstanding.

Freya also hopped up onto the cat chair again today. I worked out that she wanted to climb the leg and not use the wussy chair and so I shifted the chair that was in the way and up she went. She had been sniffing the air and all that and so clearly wanted to be up there that it was breaking my heart that she wasn’t able to – but of course she can!

Then it was another evening on the couch together. Excitement plus. But again, when I think how I was the first night after the operation when she was home, I’ll take lounging on the lounge together every time!

I’m off to work for the full day tomorrow, the first time since the amputation, but I should be able to come home at lunchtime to check on her (my guess, and you can work with me here, is ….. sleeping on the couch. Just a thought! LOL). I have made sure that I’ve had a few days where I have been out for half a day or so, or nearly even a full day (went to see the Hobbit at a 3-D cinema which involved driving an hour each way) but this will be the first full day. I’m pretty sure she’ll be fine, but we’ll see about me. When I went into work for half a day on Xmas Eve it was like I had a baby, showing off pictures and telling everyone how she was, and I expect tomorrow I’ll bore people the same way. Ah well, they can cope.

Day 9 AA

Another day with not much to report.

I have noted that Freya seems not to be wanting to jump up to her cat chair, and that may be a matter of confidence? Not sure, but will observe. Mostly today (for Freya) was lying on the couch, with the occasional hop over to the food bowl. Freya’s appetite as usual is quite strong!

She did get into one piece of mischief as she was playing with an empty plastic bag and got her head (as sometimes happens) inside the handle – and off she took. moving quite fast for a three legged animal indeed. Needless to say the offending item was removed and all was right with the world.

I didn’t get a look at her incision today but she seems in no discomfort (but as we know our animal friends are good at masking).

Freya - feline of leisure on Day 9 AA — Freya – feline of leisure on Day 9 AA

Here she is taking life at a slow pace.

There was perhaps another episode of phantom limb pain but it wasn’t too clear. She was soundly asleep and then work herself up with a start and a bit of a yelp, and that was it. She didn’t seem fazed by it at all.

So another day after amputation and another day with a cat snuggling by my side.

Day 8 AA

Again another day post amputation has passed. Today I made an effort to be around for the whole day (I’ve been out and about the past two days) to see how Freya is coping and what she is getting up too. Sleeping appears to be the order of the day. I did notice she is more alert and that her elimination after the pain killers and antibiotics have finished are now almost solid and that is great (the measures of success in my life have certainly changed since the operation!). I also noticed that her solid eliminations (or rather semi liquid ones if you know what I mean) were actually quite odourless and that now she is off those meds the ….. hmmm…… bouquet (?) that normally accompanies her deposits is beginning to return. Her food intake is great, and she seems to be moving around with a bit more certainty.

The slight swelling and the liquid (very very small amount) I observed from the mid point of the incision yesterday appear to have sorted themselves out today. I spent a few minutes looking over the incision in great detail this morning and it is looking very good again. I have kept an eye out for a seroma as a number have suggested (nothing appears puffy today) but it does not appear to have been that, but it is worthwhile keeping an eye on it.

In terms of phantom pain, I think Freya had a little bit of it this evening. She was curled up behind my legs (I was lying on my side on the couch) and she made a bit of a squall/growl cross, no movement as such. I hurriedly moved around and petted her and she was quiet – it didn’t last more than 5-10 seconds really and thanks to posts here and elsewhere I pretty much knew what it was. When she looked at me her pupils were really concentrated slits and they remained that way for maybe a minute and then her pupils returned to their more normal circumference. I’m not sure she needs any pain killer as she has settled down well again, but I am pleased to know that I have it there if needed.

This evening we also had another return to one of our favourite positions – me lying on my side on the couch and Freya lying on me. She has been a bit hesitant making that move before tonight but sure enough she measured the distance from the floor and made it up and she settled down like nothing was different. It’s these little things that really make each day a better day. In terms of other usual habits, she hasn’t been sleeping with me on the single mattress downstairs, but part of me thinks that is because it is a smaller mattress and that when the upstairs is open again that she will return to what was her normal behaviour before the amputation.

I’ve also decided to keep her from trying the stairs until at least 10 days after the operation, which is really only two days away!

Wow.

Was it really a week ago that I picked her up at the vet and brought her home? You know, it is. Did I anticipate I would be this calm and content in a week? Nope. I was pretty much thinking morose and gloomy thoughts for the medium term. My life after Freya’s diagnosis had constricted to this narrow, dark and scary tunnel and I could not see light at the end. And the tunnel smelt of fear – mostly my own. Everything I had read (and I read a lot – thanks Tripawds, and Fang and Jill in particular) had told me Freya would cope well and that the worst affected would be me. I cannot stress how true this is. If you are someone just approaching this decision and wondering if it will be for the best, I can add my voice to the chorus of ‘trust your pet’. Our companions are strong, bright, loving creatures and they have strength to cope and they have the desire to live. I read somewhere that they truly live in the now and they do not dwell on what was yesterday and from what I have observed first hand, that is so true. I know Freya no longer has her leg but Freya has (pardon the upcoming pun) taken it in her stride. It is confronting, it is radical surgery and it is scary ….. for us. For Freya? She knows the leg isn’t there but she does not dwell, she does not worry – she assesses new paths, new techniques and new strategies for getting around, but she gets around, she adapts and she appears to be thriving. Take a deep breath and know that many have made a similar decision before you and it has been a good decision for our pets and, ultimately, for us.

Because Freya has been doing so well, I’m thinking of going to visit some friends for New Years, which would mean leaving her alone for one night (11 days after the amputation) – but if there is feedback on that I’d appreciate it. I’d keep her in the one room and she’ll be a bit peeved at that, but it would give me peace of mind to know she is confined. If that is the case I might keep her from the stairs until after that, which would be 12 days after amputation. If I time it right I could head down 7pm on the 31 December and be back in the afternoon of 1 January, so less than 24 hours …… actually when I think about it like that I’m not so confident – 20 hours or so on her own? I’ll think some more on it but would appreciate knowing when others felt OK leaving their tripawd unsupervised for 24 hours.

Anyway, I’m about to go make a chamomile tea and then return to the laptop (might do a FB update) and my position beside Freya on the couch. And so ends another day. Another good day.

Day 7 AA

Well, there is not a lot to report today. Her last dose of antibiotics was this morning and fingers crossed we won’t need any more. And she hasn’t had pain medication for a few days now and seems to be doing very well in that regard.

I had another ‘normal’ moment when I went to get some things from the car and when I came back she was miaowing just inside the door which is how she usually greets me when I get home. She also managed to negotiate her way via steps and a chair to a viewing spot at another window (less preferred than the window above her cat chair). I might have to give some thought on how to arrange things so she can get around to these favourite spots more readily.

I did notice on the couch tonight that there seems to be some pockets of skin I hadn’t noticed before midway along the incision site – maybe a bit swollen? And just then I noticed a very small damp spot that might be some leakage/fluid from that part of the incision. I’ll adopt a wait and observe approach for the next little while.

But apart from that she seems very good in herself. And I am beginning to lose that tight feeling in my chest when I think of what has happened over the last week. And it has been a full week since the operation – amazing how the days pass and how the dread and the fear that were my constant companion leading into the operation has been replaced by amazement and thanks.

Excellent website and messageboard

Tonight I was reviewing some of the earlier sites I bookmarked in that feverish time of research we all go through when we are desperately trying to find the website that will tell us it is all a dream.

There is a great site called Archie Cat and the message board there is fantastic with posts going back over four years and with lots and lots of kitty tripawd stories. I ended up scrolling through them in an effort to find some advice about when I should let Freya attempt the stairs I have (steep and narrow and leading to the bedrooms and main bathroom) and found it full of helpful observations and stories that are uplifting as well as realistic, and of course some of which are sad.

One thing this site does is talk about phantom limb pain and although Freya has not had anything like this, and my vet said he doubted such was likely, I thought I’d link to the site for those who may need or want to look into this.

Oh! The stairs? There were some posts which referenced cats going up and down stairs just days after the operation! I think I’ll still give it a day or two, maybe on Day 10 I’ll see if Freya can get up and down them. On a selfish note, my bedroom is up there, and the sooner Freya can get up and down the stairs, and up and down from the bed, the sooner I’ll be back in my bed. Of course this will be good for Freya too as that is normally (six nights out of seven) where she sleeps, and would be an excellent sign of her being nearly where she was before the amputation. Another test will be getting to her favourite viewing spot upstairs, on the window sill about the toilet – which should be very achievable in terms of traction and jump height.

Day 6 AA – Boxing Day

Well, Freya started the night on the bed and then actually in the bed under the sheets with me (which is something she does quite often but not since the operation) and it was so normal! Then she got jack of that (pretty much because I dared move … move I tell you!! How dare I?) and she wandered off and went to the lounge again.

I did notice something yesterday, which was her tilting her head to scratch her ear and the muscles in the hip moving as to bring the leg up to scratch her ear. That was very …. interesting to see and I didn’t feel too teary or upset, which I thought I might. I did scratch her ear for her but it was plainly inferior as she shook me off. But she seemed to move past the fact her leg wasn’t there and settled down again. The resilience of our animal companions is incredible and quite inspiring really.

We are pretty much at the end of the antibiotics and her incision is looking really good – at least as far as I can see.

Freya's incision on Day 6 — Freya’s incision on Day 6

As for the painkillers? Well, I’ve decided to stop them as it is now 6 days post operation and she is often curled up next to me on her incision side, so again I’m making the assumption that all is well with that.

She is having some trouble still with ‘flow’ onto her foot from runny ‘deposits’ but as I’m no longer giving her pain killers and the antibiotics finish tomorrow morning I’m hoping that it resolves itself – although I do recall she was having a bit of trouble in that department prior to the operation. But all things considered it is an easy thing to deal with.

I opened the window earlier, the one that her cat chair leads to, and no sooner had I opened it and started saying “So Freya, are you interested in hoping up” she was already there, no worries. And when she got on the couch a little while back she started by scratching the arm (I gave up on ‘good’ furniture pretty much nine years ago LOL) and then came up the long way, as in up the arm and then down to the cushions to join me. She is already working out that her front claws need good traction and so she really sinks the claws in, as I found out when she tried to come up over my legs after she got on the couch.

I wonder how a declawed cat would be able to deal with a missing limb as Freya is really using hers for purchase on things.

Anyway, cup of camomile tea in hand, cat eating dry biscuits in the kitchen, and Day 6 AA draws to a close and it is another good day.

Day 5 AA – Merry Xmas

Well, last night I left Freya on the lounge in her favourite position and she didn’t leave there all night. While I felt a little lonely with no cat on the bed I think she was just content to be there. In fact she spent the majority of the day there, albeit sometimes imposed by me as I had people over for lunch and then I went to a friend’s place for Xmas dinner. I got a miaow when I got home, and she was standing at the door to come out of the lounge as she was anxious to get out and get fed some more.

The incision is still looking good and while she does lick over it a bit, she is not fixating on it so I’ve left the Cone of Shame off. The antibiotics are nearly over so we’ll see how it goes over the next few days. She is often sleeping or sitting on the incision side of her body so I am assuming her pain medication is working. I might keep it going for another day or two.

Freya is getting around OK although she hasn’t tried to get on the table again, but she has gone up the long way on the couch again (up the arm) and this time she did it really well! She did have an issue when she did a solid elimination this morning but that was more to do with the fact that it was quite liquid (due to medications I believe) and it ran onto her foot. Her crouching to eliminate seems fine and she seems steady.

Apart from that, not too much to report. We are on the couch again as I type and she is curled up against me. Another good day. Hard to believe it is five days since the operation as she is so good.

Day 4 AA

Well, things move apace. Freya managed to crack the e-collar last night and I had to watch closely while a cat groomed itself after three days in a collar. Do you know how long that took? It felt like hours!!!!!!! Anyway, she did move over the incision and I shooed her away but over the course of the day I have seen her lick a bit over it but it seems to only be as part of the overall grooming and not focused on that area. So I will watch and observe. The collar can be repaired at any time (the vet didn’t have any small ones left).

She is still taking the antibiotics in her food, and I am still giving her the pain killer. Her incision is looking really good I think. The vet, who I stopped by this morning, also confirmed that she won’t have to go back to get any stitches out and that is great news. I highly suspect that is because Freya is a ‘difficult’ patient and no repeat visit is a relief not only to the cat in this instance LOL.

Today it became obvious that Freya is sometimes, but only sometimes, exceeding her reach. I posted a photo yesterday of her scaling the cat chair but that she tottered a bit and came down pretty quick. Well, I shored up the chair and she was up it again and that was great. However she also tried to get back into a favourite box to curl up and her leg got caught (she had successfully got inside it earlier in the day). And then she tried to get on the table – using a chair which was good – but the Xmas tablecloth I have was slippery and she jumped up on an angle and it didn’t end well. She then tried to jump up on the couch but straight onto me as opposed to the cushion and that was a struggle for her, so I think we have found her current jump limit. Now, I’m pretty sure she doesn’t take these things too seriously, as she made an effort to get in the favourite box again (which I made one side shorter) and is curled up there now. But seeing her try things and not succeed gets you right <thump> here. But she is doing so well overall, especially when I think that it is only 4 days since her operation!! But for tonight I will close off the rest of the downstairs again and possibly tomorrow when she moves to the loungeroom I’ll leave her in there while I head to a friend’s for Xmas dinner.

Speaking of unsupervised, I went to work today for four hours and was like a new parent (I guess, not being a parent) where I was showing the photos of her progress to anyone who stood still long enough! They were all suitably appreciative of course. FYI I left Freya fortified in the loungeroom with all supplies needed but still headed home as soon as possible – to find her curled up on a chair with that ‘why did you burst into the room like that’ look.

Some observations for new feline three legged cats:

There is a definite need to impose jumping limits and close observation is a good idea for the first few days. Seeing them try and succeed is a fantastic feeling, but be prepared for them trying and failing – it’s tough to see but it will be how they adjust.
Consider having a litter tray in each room you are allowing your cat to visit until they get stronger. I now have three over the ground floor, her usual spot in the downstairs bathroom, one in the room we are sleeping in and one in the loungeroom. Freya is using the one in the loungeroom most during daytime hours and the one in the bedroom or the bathroom (not that far away) in the evening.

Freya surveying the outside world from a favourite position

For those not in the know, Freya has actually adjusted her posture to be more secure on the bar. Clever kitty!

And here, she was in her favourite box no worries (see the crinkly paper inside?) but later she had trouble so I folded one of the sides over and she is in there right now.

ETA: She has just now left the box and joined me on the couch, jumping straight to the cushions and not onto me – I repeat, clever kitty.

Day 3 AA

Well, last night wasn’t quite as easy as the night before. Not necessarily because of the amputation but because when I went to go to sleep Freya had somehow managed to extend herself across almost the full width of the mattress. So I was mostly contorted, but that is something we cat owners know about. She made some small growling noises in her sleep, which is not usual and I’ve noticed she has been making a few noises like that as she snoozes/sleeps. Not necessarily alarming but different. She was also wandering a bit and I notice it takes some time from when she wakes up to be confident getting around. I also find that I pretty much follow her everywhere she goes, even in the middle of the night, just to be sure she’s OK. And you know what? She seems to be.

As for getting around, well, she has made the choice it seems. I think I was saying that I was thinking of opening the entire lower floor to her today? I went into the kitchen area and then back to where I have set her up and the door to the other room was opn – the room in which I have stored all the stuff she shouldn’t be near yet – like the cat tree and so on. It is a rabbit warren of boxes and stuff and there she was, lying in the spot of sun in the little bit of clear floor space there was.

Then a little bit later on I was again in the kitchen (which was still off limits), and she navigated the barriers I had set, which must have involved her jumping on the bottom stair, and sauntered in as pleased as she could be into the kitchen. She went into the loungeroom and found a place to hide so I just let her do that. I had to leave for an hour or so (dropping off that feral kitten) and so I contained her within that room leaving water, food and litter tray in there.

When I got back (verdict of kitten – definitely feral and too late for socialisation and we know what that means) she was on the lounge itself, curled up as cute as could be. I had left a little step to the lounge and wondered if she had used it, especially as she jumped down in one go a little while later. Well, I soon saw first hand that she did not. I was so pleased. The couch is one of our favourite places to be together and so when I was curled up there and she jumped up to join me, well I’m not ashamed to say I had a little moisture in my eyes (allergies? no, happiness). And a little while later she clambered up the long way (ie over the arm) and after a little bit of a ‘will she, won’t she’ balancing act, she was there!! I am so so proud of my little trooper.

Freya snuggling on the couch with her human

She has also tackled her favourite cat chair but it wobbled a bit and so she didn’t stay there long. I’ve fixed the wobble so her next attempt should be better.

Freya on top of the world - or at least her favourite viewing platform — Freya on top of the world – or at least her favourite viewing platform

As for the ongoing battle for antibiotics, she ate most (most is good) of the antibiotic laced liquid this morning so I’m quite pleased. I’ve gone and bought some straight tuna in springwater and I take the liquid from that and mix it with a broth you can buy in individual sachets. to make a liquid and smelly concoction within which an antibiotic liquid can hide. This evening she again managed to eat most of the antibiotic mix, although I have to follow her around with the bowl, which must look a bit funny. But only 3 more days of antibiotics to go and then I can relax about her food (and start tackling her weight as tripods need to be reasonably svelte and Freya will need to lose some weight).

Pain does not seem to be an issue at the moment. Of course that is with all the caveats of cats being good at hiding pain. The dose seems to be right (once a day liquid dose) and she is moving around quite freely.

Her incision is looking fine, no discharge, no swelling and so far no worries. Fingers crossed and double crossed that all is well there (she is a good healer – her recovery from the biopsy was a source of some joy to the vet) and continues well. I just compared it to the photo from Day 1 and it already looks better, marginally better of course, but hopefully not my imagination.

I think I might leave the e-collar on until tomorrow afternoon as I will be going to work in the morning for a few hours. But she is OK with it for the most part although she bumps it when wants to rub against things – but she can sleep in it quite well and eat in it so I’m pretty fine with that. It’s a bit pathetic when she wants to lick her side but she forgets shortly (I read somewhere that cats are very much of the now and that seems to be very true).

And so Day 3 after amputation draws to a close and Freya is with me on the couch as I type away with a movie on in the background (Seabiscuit for those who may want to know). It’s so like the way things normally are that the tight feeling in my chest that has been there since her diagnosis is beginning to relax. Not gone you understand, it probably won’t be gone until her incision is healed, and possibly only then minimised, as I know I need to remain vigilant, but it will be so much better.

ETA: A word on elimination. Freya has been weeing no worries and her balance is fine (the e-collar is the greater hindrance I think) and she did a solid elimination on Day 2 ie yesterday. Nothing so far today but I’ve mostly been giving her liquid food to hide the pain killer and more importantly the antibiotics so possibly that is the cause. I’ll give her some more solid food before bed.

Day 2 AA

Today Freya managed to get around some more, she had a solid movement (oh joy) and has taken her required doses of painkiller and antibiotics. The antibiotics in particular feel like a win – she doesn’t take them orally at all well and so I sneak them into some of her food (strong smelling fish broth) and for the most part she eats it. She sometimes stops and there is still food there and so I follow her around with the bowl, tilting it for her and after several impassioned pleas to be a good girl, she eats it all. I just hope that it continues this way for the next four days.

She slept well last night, sharing the mattress I moved downstairs into the room she is recuperating in. I managed to sleep quite well too. She has stuck quite close and usually is lying next to me as I read or type. I just had to move then to avoid having her sit on the laptop, or walk across it, as is her wont. I kept an eye on movements to see when I should give the next dose of painkiller – once a day is the recommendation but if need be I would move it up a few hours, but she did well. When I did notice the start of some discomfort I dosed her up (in food) and she settled.

She really doesn’t like the Cone of Shame and that almost causes as much trouble for her moving around as the loss of her leg does. It came off the first day and I did keep a watch and unfortunately she did start to lick the incision site so I put it back on. She just them managed to remove the soft cloth at the back of it, but it has stayed put. I think I might remove it tomorrow afternoon and observe her actions again. I would remove it tomorrow morning but I have to take a feral kitten in to the RSPCA and she will have to be left alone for the hour or two that will take.

That’s a whole other story. Suffice to say that on top of worrying and caring for Freya, a mother cat and six kittens turned up in my yard four days ago and after some feeding I got one of the kittens tonight and have placed it in a cage. It was not pleasant and I’m thinking that I might see if I can get a humane trap from the RSPCA but it seems like such an unnecessary complication in my life right now. I want to be focusing on Freya and her recovery but instead I’m having to spend time trying to work out how to deal with a feral cat situation! Part of me wants to just ignore it but I know someone has to take responsibility at some time.

I’ve also been doing some thinking about the incision as I got feedback that internal sutures without any external ones is a bit unusual. I know most of the photos I’ve seen are of staples and the length of the incision seem so long but Freya’s is about the length of my hand and looks quite … well, smart isn’t the word, but quite neat I think. I’m not sure if this is an Australian thing but my vet said he was old fashioned and didn’t use staples. He also made the call to make them internal and I’m guessing that was so she didn’t need to go back to get stitches out – she would probably have to be sedated and that would be unnecessarily harsh for her so soon after this procedure. He’s been a brilliant vet, and I feel quite lucky.

There also appears to be a different approach to amputation overall here (or at least at my vet) as Freya was only in overnight and back home the next day (the vet said I could have taken her home the next morning and that would have been less than 24 hours) and she is only taking pain killers once a day. I know from some of the other blogs that it can be days at the vet and the pain management regime seems quite intensive. But Freya doesn’t appear to be in pain (no head to floor posture, etc that can sometimes be the only indicator) and she is currently lying on the incision, so I am making an assumption she is not in pain.

Freya has begun to want to investigate more and it was all I could to stop her sneaking in to try the stairs! I’m glad she’s feeling that way, but I’d like her a bit more stable before she tries the stairs. I am however thinking that I might open the bottom of the house to her tomorrow. I’ll have to go through and shift some of her favourite jumping places, and place some assists (small boxes) to the couch but that should be fine.

So, Day 2 is drawing to a close and it has been a good day.