Snorri's Saga

Happy, Healthy Cats

2007-11-19T15:41:00.001-08:00

Snorri is now fully healed (again) and is walking, running and jumping again -- all without a limp (although it took a good few weeks after his final cast removal before he built his muscles back up into working order). Of course, he also enjoys resting with his friend Edison:

Snorri is now fully healed and is walking, running and jumping again -- all without a limp. Of course, he also enjoys resting:

Complications

2007-07-20T10:06:00.001-07:00

After weeks of uneventful bandage changes, Snorri had some difficulties last night; his toes became very swollen and he was not acting like himself at all. After a middle-of-the-night trip to the VHUP ER, he's back at home resting comfortably with a new bandage -- two in one day!

He still looks a little annoyed about it all, but at least he got to sleep while waiting. He did well with last week's change and x-rays; he will have another normal bandage change next week (fingers crossed!) and likely more x-rays the following week to see how things are healing.

Home from Surgery

2007-06-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

Snorri came home yesterday after spending the night at VHUP; he seems to have settled into the routine quite well. Although he did well without one last time, he has an e-collar this time around since he ended up with some extra stitches on his belly (he had a small lump removed while he was under) and there was some concern he might worry them. I've removed his collar for the time being since I'm home to keep an eye on him today; so far, so good.

He's actually quite alert today and looks content resting in his crate -- he is eating and drinking very well. He goes back in on Monday for a cast change and will be on antibiotics for some time.

Out of Surgery

2007-06-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

Good news -- Snorri is out of surgery and did quite well. He's going to stay in the hospital overnight and should get to come home tomorrow if all continues to go as planned.

Round Two

2007-06-12T05:54:00.000-07:00

After over two years of more-or-less straight front legs, Snorri is back in for surgery on his other front leg today. His right front leg (previously 'the good leg') has been getting progressively more crooked over the last year or so, but that process has hastened considerably in the last few months.

While he is in no obvious pain in that leg, he is unable to straighten it for normal walking, so it's time for a plate in that one as well. Fortunately, I now get a nice employee discount on all things veterinary (which has also been handy with his allergies) so that makes it a little easier this time around.

Snorri is truly a bionic kitty. We'll have a report after surgery!

Straight Legs

2004-09-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

Snorri is now fully healed and is now running and jumping as if he never had a problem. He continued to limp for a few weeks after the cast came off, but gradually realized that his leg is fully functional (and that it might be useful to him to move more quickly, especially around our other, much more...rambunctious cat).

It's possible to feel the plate through his skin, but it no longer bothers him at all.

Now on to treating his skin condition...we expect the Special Shampoo to arrive this week. More to come!

(Here is a gratutious shot of Edison, so you can see what Snorri has to put up with)

The cast is off!

2004-08-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

Well, the big day finally arrived -- the cast is no more!

The leg doesn't look so hot right now, and Snorri will need to do a lot of moving to build his leg and toe muscles back up, but he's now able to move freely. His toes look pretty floppy (especially his middle one, which was broken during surgery and healed along with the leg), but he's beginning to realize that his leg is straight and that it's OK to walk on it:

A smaller cast

2004-08-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

We're down to a very small bandage indeed; Snorri had x-rays to see how his leg is healing and he only needs another week with the wraps on. We're to let him walk a bit more this week, as he needs to put some weight on the leg in order to get the plate to 'set' before the bandage comes off.

So, no more crate, but he's being kept in the Kitten Sick-Room until the bandage is off, as jumping and running are still not part of the plan.

Pink!

2004-07-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

Another new bandage, this one in a festive pink. Snorri is (finally) off the interferon and Lamisil, but we've had to put him back on the Cipro as his skin went very yeasty indeed without it. His hair is growing back nicely, although it's slightly darker where the pain patch was.

However, he's now (slightly) more active, but still needs to be supervised and crated when alone.

He is beginning to enjoy looking out the window again, though:

The Third Cast

2004-07-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

Snorri is now going in every week to have his bandage examined and changed. After coming home from work last week to find him stuck in a box, he now has to stay in a crate when we're out to keep him from injuring the leg.

Although he's not too pleased about that, he does seem to prefer this cast, as it's in Smarty Jones Blue:

He gets to have lounge time on the bed or couch under supervision, but much walking, running and jumping are still verboten.

Home from surgery

2004-06-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

Snorri has a variety of medicines and a bright green cast. Although he does have a few painkillers, the majority of his drugs are for his apparent yeast infection. According to the dermatologist, he had 'enough yeast to bake bread' -- they cleaned him up and medicated him before surgery.

He's got a large cast, a pain patch and other painkillers. He's also got interferon, lamisil and Cipro for his skin. He's not too pleased about things.

Surgery

2004-06-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Snorri had surgery today and comes home on Saturday, provided everything goes well as far as swelling. So far, so good.

Diagnosis

2004-06-08T11:44:00.000-07:00

Snorri is a one-year-old Devon Rex. Despite normal appearances as a kitten (first image), his left front leg has begun to grow at a crooked angle, becoming very deformed indeed over the past six months.

After a string of vets and quack diagnoses, he finally has a real one: angular limb deformity requiring either amputation or corrective surgery.

We're going the corrective surgery option, thanks to the Animal Medical Center and their orthopedic surgery department.