Fall Of A Cat From A Great Height (windows, Balconies)

2023 Author: Molly Page | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 22:49

There is such a term abroad - " falling cats syndrome". The fact is that with the onset of spring, we open windows and balcony doors to enjoy the spring sun. And cats immediately begin to gallop merrily on windowsills and railings, hunting for flies and birds. And then it begins …

The result of falls is very diverse. To the credit of cats, we can say that they are one of the most successful mammals in this regard, but there are also very serious injuries. In my memory, there was a cat that fell from the 24th floor and not on a haystack or even on the ground, but straight on the asphalt. He got off only with bruises and a bitten upper lip, while he was in a cheerful mood and had a healthy appetite. Another "parachutist "ended very badly. He fell from the third floor, fell on a tree, injured his spine, so that his hind legs gave up. Apparently, he could not properly land on all four legs. We advise all our clients to a very simple but effective measure to prevent such flights: it is enough to fill the rails on the edge of the cornice of windows and balconies, as instantly the cats have a non-slip fulcrum.

Dislocations and fractures occur even in apartment conditions. There are such very cute and very airy dogs - Italian greyhounds. They have a habit, when the owners are holding them in their arms, suddenly jump out and at the same time often break the front paw (ulna). Once they brought us a Rottweiler puppy with a bilateral fracture of the lower jaw. This tragedy happened in the bathroom, when the owner left for some moment while washing the dog: the puppy, feeling some discomfort, began to get out and, slipping, hit his head on the tiles.

The first thing the owner should do if a fracture is suspected is to immobilize the diseased paw. The most optimal for small and medium-sized animals is the use of tongues made of cardboard of different thickness. According to the size of the paw, a square tube is cut and folded, into which, previously wrapped with cotton, the diseased paw is placed. Thus, transport immobilization of the limb is carried out. The term "immobilization "means ensuring immobility (rest) with various injuries. If the animal is large, then such a splint can be strengthened with a rail or other rigid material of a suitable size. The tongue, of course, should follow all the natural curves of the paw. It is dangerous and unacceptable to carry an injured cat or dog without immobilization, since the resulting bone fragments can also damage blood vessels and nerves. After the immobilization has been carried out, you should contact a veterinarian, and even better, take the animal to a veterinary clinic.

Fractures can be simple or complex … With simple ones in the area of the lower leg or forearm, non-lining plaster casts can be applied, but if the fracture is in the area of the thigh or shoulder, then in this case it is necessary to use pins that are inserted into the medullary canal of the damaged bone. If the fracture is complex, with several fragments, then it is necessary to use special extra-bone metal plates, on which separate bone fragments are collected. In very difficult cases, we sometimes have to use the apparatus of G. A. Ilizarov. Compared to humans, dogs and cats, and often birds, are, in our opinion, more difficult patients. Because, feeling the slightest opportunity to use the injured paw, they begin to jump and jump as if nothing had happened. Therefore, after fixing a sick paw, it is necessary to restrict the movement of the animal for a month,walk only with a leash and make sure that your pet does not move too much at home.

Actually, I wish you and your four-legged friends not to get into such unpleasant situations.

Source: Vladimir Romanov, director of the veterinary clinic "Adept"

Editor: veterinarian, candidate of veterinary sciences V. Aronov - tel.: (812) 923-86-80, mob. +7 (911) 923-86-80.