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408 Great North Road
Grey Lynn
Auckland
Ph: 361 3500
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WhiteFoot becomes Jackson |
Whitefoot Update February 2009
Whitefoot was Home for Christmas
As promised, Whitefoot left our veterinary hospital on Christmas Eve to be cared for by new owner, Melanie and her husband Ian. He was still under strict cage rest instructions as his bones continued to heal.
Words from Melanie to all of you
“My husband, Ian and I were privileged to be entrusted with Whitefoot’s care on Christmas Eve last year. We have renamed him “Jackson” after a friend of ours, Tony Jackson, who this time last year was given 12 weeks to live and who went out and competed in and finished his 24th Ironman and is now in training for his 25th! Tony is a fighter and survivor, just like our little Jackson.”
Planned recuperation proving difficult
After a further 6 weeks of cage rest he was given the all clear to start moving round the house. Unfortunately his injuries seem to be irrelevant to him and he is 100% kitten playing in his new home with new feline friend ‘Sammy’.
Melanie reports-“Because of his injuries and surgery he doesn’t have the natural agility and balance of a normal kitten – in fact he is quite a “klutz” often knocking things over or landing in a rush of papers and skidding to a stop – this doesn’t perturb him in the least-he just does things that healthy young kittens would do. He keeps us on our toes and is very entertaining.”
Physiotherapy and Therapeutic Goals
Long term goals are to keep the injured joints mobile with the help of naturopathic supplements packed with omega 3’s, glucosamine and chondroitins to improve the health of his joint cartilage, especially in his fore leg. He is also on a non-steroidal pain relief as necessary if he overdoes things but so far he has been ‘hiccup’ free.
Jackson’s new family
“Now that he is healing from his surgery (after which he looked a little bit like a French poodle) his coat has grown back and it is lovely and shiny but he still has the most amazing bushy tail – just like Basil Brush – which seems to attract all sorts of things to attach themselves to it, all of which goes completely over his head.”
“We already had a young cat – Sammy – and they have become good friends. He has given Sammy back her playfulness and they have a wonderful time together. Their favourite time to play “chasie” around the house-usually the bedroom-is about 3 a.m. They sound like a herd of elephants as they charge around, up and down the stairs, playing hide and seek and pouncing on each other til they are both exhausted-when they’ve woke us both up they then curl up together and go to sleep.”
Happy endings for one little cat with a thousand fans
“He is putting on weight, eating well, recovering and has the most amazing trust in people and we are thrilled that he is part of our lives and if I may presume to say thank you on his behalf for all the wonderful support and love he has had.”
“Jackson is the most adorable little fellow. He is incredibly affectionate. He will jump on the couch next to you, curl up and then reach out with his paw just to rest it on your leg. If he jumps up on the bed he often curls up in your arm with his head and one of his paws resting on your arm, all the while purring like a well-oiled engine. He loves being around us and we have to be careful not to walk on him when we are walking down the stairs or working in the kitchen because he is in and around our legs all the time. He just loves being around people.”
Saving one small life can make a difference |
Post Operative Recovery
It’s now one month from the day that Whitefoot was dropped off in his shoe box. It’s hard to believe the speed of this tough little cat’s recovery. Post operatively he continued to get stronger by the day, his effervescent personality and youthful playfulness attributing to the amount of personal cage side visitors he has received.
The most difficult part of his post operative recovery has been to keep him cage rested as given the chance he will run and jump around with his odd hoppity gait, defiant of his horrific injuries.
Where to next?
We have been waiting with baited breath for 4 weeks to pass so we can re-xray his fractured limbs. Radiographs will help to assess his ability for a normal life walking on all four legs again.
Vet nurse Chris giving Whitefoot physio
Both hind legs are doing well with an acceptable range of movement at this stage. With minimal discomfort during the thrice daily physical therapy sessions he is regaining strength to his wasted muscles.
Whitefoot being the purr-fect patient
His right front leg has been slower to mend, as expected, due to the fracture type; olecranon fracture right through the elbow joint.
Daily physio increases chances of success
Next week he is due for post operative films which will be assessed for bony healing both by our veterinarians at Vetcare and the veterinary surgeon that performed the surgery, Dr Mike King of the Veterinary Specialist Group.
Whitefoot loves Reiki
Whether you believe in natural therapies or not, we believe complimentary therapies such as Reiki do no harm to an animal’s well being and it has been a joy to see Whitefoot respond. Animal practitioner, Melinda McCarthy offered her services to Whitefoot, free of charge, and we readily accepted. Sponge-like, Whitefoot lies very still during sessions, absorbing the positive energy. After sessions he rests quietly up-side-down with all legs outstretched as if to maximise the healing in his bones and joints.
Whitefoot doing noses with unimpressed Vegas
Home for Christmas
Again, we would like to thank the dozens of kind families and individuals that have offered Whitefoot a home. We know that he would be well-loved and cherished by all who donated towards saving his life. Unfortunately he can’t go to everyone. Although we would like to keep him wrapped up in cotton wool in the clinic, after all that he has been through, we believe he would be a happier cat in a loving home over the Christmas period. His ongoing care and physical therapy needs will continue for the next year with regular visits to the clinic, repeat radiology and sessions with animal physiotherapist Lindsay Craig. Please accept our apology if you are disappointed Whitefoot can’t be re-homed with you. We will try and choose a home that allows for the weekly visits necessary in the hope of a full and complete recovery.
Jimmy & Whitfoot preparing for Christmas
Update before Christmas-To all of Whitefoot’s numerous sponsors and fans his 4 week post operative xrays will be emailed to you before Christmas.
Until then........
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At VetCare we continue to treat your pets as we do our own, an extended part of the family. We provide complete, holistic health care giving them the highest quality and longevity of life. We successfully treat problems as diverse as compound fractures to separation anxiety, and tooth extractions to pancreatitis.
Our vet clinic has an extensively equipped sterile surgery theater, the latest in x-ray imaging, dentistry equipment, and modern, safe anesthetic capabilities. We have an in-house laboratory to help us diagnosis internal disease and to screen animals before anesthetics. Our sumptuous cattery features a large sunlit communal area with cat jungle gyms, igloos, a water fountain and air conditioning.
All our furry patients receive personal attention and care from our dedicated, highly experienced veterinarian and vet nursing team. If you wish to ensure the best quality health care and advice for your pets, please come and visit VetCare Grey Lynn for yourselves.
Dr Alex Melrose & Associates. BVSc. MRCVS.
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Whitefoot: Breaking News on Campbell Live
Last Friday night a 4 month old kitten, Whitefoot, was featured on Campbell Live. Abandoned and broken he was left at VetCare Animal Hospital, Grey Lynn, Auckland where our dedicated team nursed him while trying to contact the owner. He sat for a week fighting infection and malnutrition, unable to stand unaided. His injuries were so severe we thought he may not live.
After 7 days we could adopt him. Radiographs were taken to investigate the full extent of his injuries. Despite his bright demeanour his injuries were horrific. A fax was written detailing his story in the hope that an article or television spot may create some interest in this little fighter. By this stage his adorable nature and endearing purr could soften even the coolest heart. The public response was phenomenal.
Choosing a New Home
Post operatively Whitefoot is going to need ongoing care. We have had dozens of offers of a new home for Whitefoot as his spirited feline nature and fierce determination to stay alive was broadcast across the nation. He will need to be cage-rested for over a month while his injuries heal. Post operative radiographs will be taken at 4 weeks to assess the effectiveness of the fracture repair. He will then receive weekly physiotherapy sessions to assist his right foreleg to start moving again. Due to the intensity and necessity of post operative care Whitefoot will need to stay close to VetCare Animal Hosptital to enable a full recuperation. We will keep his fans updated regarding his progress and new home.
Whitefoot Thanks His Fans
In this current time of worldwide recession and hardship we were amazed by the compassionate generosity that flooded in from the entire nation. We have received donations from $10 to $1000’s from across the country. Animal lovers everywhere united to pledge their support, best wishes and love to an animal that was suffering the injustice of poor ownership. We would like to express our sincere gratitude for helping us save one life.
As veterinarians we can’t save everything. We work in an industry that deals with stress, trauma, and tears every day. After years as a veterinarian euthanasia doesn’t get any easier. Good vets and vet nurses have passion for their work and empathy for the animals under their care. We can’t save them all but saving one dynamic individual with a will to live makes our jobs worthwhile.
How did he sustain his injuries?
This question has been the one most asked. Unfortunately we can only speculate with such a sketchy history. He received enough physical trauma to fracture several ribs, break both hind legs, his pelvis and his front right elbow. Whether it was ignorance, mishap or abuse; to us it is irrelevant. The big question was – are his injuries fixable?
Why did he need Specialist care?
With severe multi-trauma in such a small, young patient and aged injuries the need to reduce and fixate all three fractured legs for an ultimate recovery was necessary. The surgery was going to be long and difficult.
VetCare is well equipped for a comprehensive range of orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery, however to maximize chances of success we readily accepted the assistance of Veterinary Specialist Group (surgery@vsg.co.nz) small animal surgeon Mike King. With over 11 years of training to become a U.S Board Certified small animal surgeon Mike was Whitefoot’s best chance of walking again.
Why does it cost so much?
Whitefoot’s surgical procedure took over 3 hours. Whitefoot was under general anaesthetic for 5 hours and will be monitored closely overnight for signs of shock, infection, hypothermia and ensure he receives complete pain control. Surgeon Mike King was assisted by a surgical intern, an anaesthetist and a surgical nurse in a state of the art surgical suite. The surgical equipment necessary to fix the multiple fractures runs into tens of thousands. Whitefoot was only one of a line-up of pets in for surgery at VSG that day. With no funding from the NZ Health Dollar the cost of surgery on animals is similar to that on humans with the owner or pet insurance company being required to pay. High quality veterinary care and expertise comes at a cost.
The surgery
The right elbow was the first fracture to be repaired. There was a massive amount of tissue reaction surrounding the bony fragment of the olecranon with joint fluid leaking out under the skin.
The triceps muscle attached to this fragment exerts a powerful upward pull displacing the fragment and making it difficult to reduce. A tiny pin must be placed perfectly to reduce the fracture, tension wires are then used to exert downwards pull on the fracture site, opposing the upward pull of the triceps muscle.
The first fracture was repaired with great success. One surgery down - two more to go.
The second approach was to the right hip where the ball of the femur had sheared off remaining in the hip joint.
Due to vascular damage to the bone fragment a salvage procedure called a femoral head ostectomy removed the small ball leaving the femur surrounded by muscle to form a false joint. In a young cat this is an effective procedure providing a fully functional limb. It did, however, make it even more important that the right hip be repaired so that Whitefoot had at least three good legs.
The left hip was the most difficult fracture to fixate. The pressure was on.
After three hours of surgery veterinary surgeon Mike King managed to stabilize the final fracture with several pins and wires. Whitefoot has been given the best chance possible of walking well on all four limbs again.
The rib and left sacroiliac and pelvic fracture were left to heal naturally as there was little displacement of the bone with no long term complications expected.
Whitefoot was recovering well and will have round the clock veterinary care overnight. We expect him to be back at our clinic tomorrow for ongoing post operative pain management.
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We are located half way between the Grey Lynn shops and Bond street. We have parking to the side of the building or down Hadlow Terrace. |
Please use the link below to email our team here with any animal health questions you may have, or for further information about our animal hospital; Dr Alex Melrose BVSC,MRCVS, Dr Steve Mirams BVSc, Vanessa Townsend-Paley VN, Michelle Kilkolly VN, Rebecca Abel VN, Chris Hu VN.
You will also find a full ORIENTATION to this website and a clinic LOCATION MAP in the following section; "ABOUT".
Link: CLINIC EMAIL LINK |
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