A feline patient undergoing tail amputation and excisional arthroplasty of the left hip joint

A 10-year-old male domestic shorthair cat was admitted to hospital following a road traffic accident (RTA). On admission the patient was mobile but reluctant to move. He was fairly bright and responsive but was vocalising and was reactive to examination of the left hind limb.

The veterinary nurse (VN) allocated to this case had extensive involvement with patient care in the initial 2 days post RTA. Involvement on the day of surgery included preoperative assessment and preparation, intraoperative anaesthetic monitoring and postoperative recovery and care including pain assessment and management.

On admission the cat's vital parameters were determined: heart rate (HR) was 168 beats per minute and respiratory rate (RR) 48 breaths per minute (Table 1). This elevation in RR may have been due to stress, pain or a cough the owner reported. Examination of the left hind limb was poorly tolerated implying trauma. The tail was fractured 12 cm proximal to the tip and there was no movement or sensation distal to this. Both were confirmed by radiography under general anaesthetic (GA). In-house blood analysis revealed mild hypoproteinaemia and anaemia. This was indication for further stabilisation before surgery due to the potential for hypoxia and an alteration in drug potency in the patient.