It’s hard to predict how busy your day will be when working in a Veterinary Hospital. Especially Saturdays! Some are busier than others, and this particular Saturday was very busy.
It was mid-afternoon when a man came rushing through the door with a small cat wrapped up in his jacket. He was driving down Boudreau Street in St. Albert when he witnessed the car in front of him hit this sick little cat. It’s not known if the driver knew what they had done as, sadly, they just kept driving. This Good Samaritan pulled over in traffic, scooped up the cat and drove directly to us.
Our technician Stephanie quickly assessed her and it became apparent that there was trauma, especially to her front leg of which she could not move. Dr. Takacs ordered x-rays to assess if there were broken bones. To Dr. Takacs surprise, there was none! The damage to her front leg seemed to be neurological in nature. The cat was given pain medication, stabilized with
fluids, and cage rest.
The next step was to try to find her owner. She had no microchip, collar, or tattoo. We posted her picture on Facebook but unfortunatly no one recognized her. Her first few days with us she was timid and choose to sleep in her cardboard box bed in her cage. She loved to be petted and have her belly scratched. However, the use of her leg was almost nonexistent. We affectionately named her Beetle.
After some days of pain medication, we started physiotherapy on her affected leg. If there were any chance of her gaining back her mobility rehabilitation would be needed. Every day our technicians went through a range of motion exercises with her.
One of our Veterinarians is certified in acupuncture. Dr. Wilson started a treatment plan for Beetle with a hope that it may help with her recovery. Beetle responded very well to her acupuncture treatments, and after a few treatments, we noticed that she demonstrated slight movement in her shoulder. We were so excited to see that Beetle was able to move as even just the slightest twitch was progress.
Beetle has been with us for a month now, and we are continuing her physiotherapy and acupuncture treatments. As the days go by we see more and more movement in her leg. I cannot say enough about the dedication and care that has gone into caring for Beetle. Our staff have taken turns coming in on the weekends to do her treatments, and Dr. Wilson has volunteered her time to do her acupuncture treatments.
At this point, we don’t know if Beetle will regain full use of her leg. The progress she is showing is very encouraging. We hope to find her an exceptional home with someone who can care for her needs. She has such a warm, loving personality and we know one day she will make an outstanding companion for someone. Until then we are devoted to doing all we can to help her. Stay tuned for further updates on our website and Facebook page.
Written by Debra Briton, RVT
