My cat has a fractured spine and can't move legs. Can it be fixed?

Question

So at the shelter I work at there is a cat who was likely HBC. He has some feeling in lower back legs but cant move them yet. He has a fractured spine, when I asked our shelter vet whether surgery or anything else could be done she said "not really" which made me think maybe there is something that could be done that maybe is just too time consuming for her to consider. I have noticed She seems to remove every broken limb instead of surgically fixing it also. Could his back fracture be fixed? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 4 years and 4 months old | 12 lbs

Rebecca, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Poor kitty. Without doing an exam there is no way to completely determine if surgery is an option. That said, even if surgery is an option, that is not surgery that most general practitioner or shelter veterinarians would be able to do or have the appropriate equipment for. If surgery was an option, typically MRI is first needed to assess the spinal cord, then surgery would be performed by a board certified surgeon. The cat would then need extensive physical therapy and even if everything goes perfectly, there is no guarantee of return to function. In most cases this scenario would cost many thousands of dollars. Many owners and shelters cannot afford that level of care, so alternatives such as cage rest and pain management may be tried or euthanasia may be needed in some cases. I'm sure it is not a case of the shelter vet being unwilling to help this cat, but that the resources are not available. In the case of limb fractures, often amputation is a quicker and more cost effective option to save an animals life than orthopedic repair. Many fractures require pins or plates and screws which needs an orthopedic surgeon and would cost thousands to repair and has a much longer recovery time (requiring foster homes willing to do physical therapy). Even with owned pets, many owners cannot afford a $5000 fracture repair or do the follow up care, but amputation can save their life. The majority of dogs and cats do well with 3 legs. Thank you for your interest in helping these pets. It sounds like the shelter vet is doing a good job for these animals.

My cat has a fractured spine and can't move legs. Can it be fixed?

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