Does my cat need his cast changed weekly?

March 11, 2009 9:41 AM

Does a cat's leg cast really need to be changed every week?

My cat recently busted his 4th (or 5th?) metatarsal. He has had a cast on that (hind) leg for two weeks, and the vet claims he needs it changed weekly. However, his cast is clean, hasn't shifted around or been chewed apart, or anything like that. Under these circumstances, is an (expensive) weekly cast change really necessary?

posted by R_Nebblesworth to Pets & Animals (9 answers total)

Best answer: Just on general principle, I wouldn't assign the recommendation of a vet less weight than the recommendation of a random internet person. Maybe you should call up another nearby vet, explain the injury, and find out whether the other vet would recommend that course of action. You don't have to even explain the current situation with the weekly change, just ask something like "I'm wondering if the cast needs to be changed and how often" and if not ask if the vet knows any resources explaining things you have to do with a longer-term cast.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 9:48 AM on March 11, 2009 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Well, I was hoping that any vets lurking on AskMefi might respond, I do have a little sense and wouldn't disregard the vet's opinion for a "random internet person." But, good idea on asking another vet - I will try that. Thanks
posted by R_Nebblesworth at 10:00 AM on March 11, 2009

In my opinion your vet is giving it to you straight. My dog had issues with his nails, and we had a few times of them breaking badly and needing to have it removed, to once having all nails on all paws removed. As such, I have had lots of experience with pet bandages. The big reason for the changing is to keep things clean and dry. The dry part is very important. When things get damp, and rub, you get even bigger problems. The cast may look clean and dry on the outside, but after a week I would bet you cash money it's already getting disgusting inside. I would talk to your vet though. Our vet was nice enough to sit with me and explain/show me how to properly wrap a bandage. This allowed me to purchase bandages, wrap, etc from the store and do weekly bandage changes and cleaning myself instead of having to make the trek to the vet and pay for a tech to do it. The one thing I got from the vet that I didn't find at the store was a powder to put around the toes to help keep things dry.

Now, if it's a hard cast I'm doubtful it's something you will be able to do yourself. It still wouldn't hurt to talk with the vet about. Depending on how the leg looks when they pull the cast off to clean and put a new cast on, you might be able to stretch it out to a week and a half or so but I wouldn't count on it. When I was changing bandages myself, it was every four to five days.

Hope your cat gets better soon.
posted by chrisroberts at 10:23 AM on March 11, 2009

I'd trust your vet, but a vet friend tells me that if you put two cat bones in a room they'll find each other, i.e. that cats have amazing healing powers when it comes to bones. While this is not universally true, I'd take comfort in it.
posted by idb at 11:41 AM on March 11, 2009

Response by poster: Just as an update, I have now been told that he requires x-rays every 2 weeks (for a total of 9 weeks) to ensure the bones are healing correctly. I can't help but think I'm getting squeezed here and hope a vet chimes in with their opinion if this is standard practice or not.
posted by R_Nebblesworth at 1:11 PM on March 11, 2009

I am not a vet, but I work in a vet clinic. This is my opinion and not in any way veterinary advice. No ethical vet is likely to give you an opinion without actually having seen your cat and his x-rays, there is no one standard answer to a question like this. If you don't trust your vet, find another one, I know VANISHINGLY few vets who "squeeze" people, but many who are bad communicators about the medical reasons behind their recommendations. What you are describing doesn't sound at all out of the realm of good practice by any means, and regular cast changes are pretty typical, to make sure the fit stays good and doesn't end up being too tight or loose (legs swell and shrink, bandages shift with movement, whether it looks any different to you or not), which can cause serious harm. Regular x-rays will show if the cast is keeping the bones in appropriate location (before they have knit completely, while there is still time to adjust things), and whether any other problems are developing. Remember, it's your vet's job to advise you on the best possible course of treatment for your pet, your vet is advocating for your pet's health, it's YOUR job to decide what you can and will do.
posted by biscotti at 4:09 PM on March 11, 2009

And why not ask your vet to explain further?
posted by biscotti at 4:09 PM on March 11, 2009

I am not a vet but weekly cast changes is standard practice to safely manage fractures in small animals.

"Daily monitoring of the cast by the owner and weekly veterinary rechecks should ensure that potential complications, such as loss of fracture reduction or soft tissue injuries, are recognized as soon as possible." See Johnson AL, Hulse DA: Fundamentals of orthopedic surgery and fracture management, in Fossum TW (ed): Small Animal Surgery. St. Louis, Mosby, 2002.

Please take your cat in for his checks so you can make sure his pain is being well managed and to avoid lameness, infection, and other potential disasters. Without knowing the particulars it's difficult to say whether bimonthly Xrays are required but talk about your concerns with your vet. S/he may be able to give you supporting literature and other help understanding the rationale here.

I genuinely sympathize with you about the expense and trouble; we had orthopedic problems with my cat that resulted in amputation and his care was in the thousands, a really devastating unexpected expense. Consider signing up for pet insurance so if something happens to him in the future it won't be such a blow. Best of luck to you and your little guy.
posted by melissa may at 4:16 PM on March 11, 2009

Like Biscotti, am not a vet, however I am a tech at a veterinary specialty practice where we deal with orthopedic surgery cases such at as metatarsal fractures. First of all, I think you should understand that the reason to change the bandage/cast weekly has more to do with what is happening inside of the bandage/cast than outside. So while the outside may appear to you as healthy and clean, inside may well be less so. A lot of the reason for weekly changes is to monitor the incision site, as well as provide a clean interior (the part of the bandage/cast that is actually touching the incision site) in order to prevent infection. I really can't speak to the frequency of the x-rays. Another consideration to make cost-wise is, are they having to sedate your cat for said changes? Also are you following instruction and restricting your cats activity level? I have heard of some clinics who will tack on extra cost for non-compliant owners (owners who do not follow instruction) simply because it ends up costing them so much more work as well as being detrimental to the health of the patient. Mind you, this extra cost is usually very minor.
posted by citizngkar at 10:34 AM on March 12, 2009