Travis

Winner September 2008: “Travis”

Travis’s story

When Travis was brought in early one morning, we couldn't believe our eyes! We had taken a call from his owners saying that he had been involved in a road traffic accident and we advised that he was brought into the surgery immediately. When he got here we couldn't believe our eyes..... the injury that Travis has sustained was, in one word, Horrific.

The lower part of Travis’s leg was literally hanging on my a small section of skin, and the main bone of the lower leg was sticking out about 2 or 3 inches.
I will refrain from adding a photograph, but you get the idea....it wasn’t pleasant!

This was an “ all hands on deck” situation, vet Glen started sorting out treatment for Travis immediately. Travis was going into shock, and although he was surprisingly calm and appeared almost pain-free ( probably a combination of the shock, and nerve damage sustained in his leg) he was started on some very strong pain relief and fluid therapy before being anaesthetised so that he could be fully assessed.
Half of the nursing team was running around setting up for x-rays and preparing theatre or getting injections ready while the other half of the team prepared Travis and monitored his anaesthetic for the inevitable surgery to remove his mangled leg.

On further examination, it was noticed that Travis has lacerated his tongue in the process but apart from that there were no other obvious injuries ( these ones were quite bad enough!)

The surgery went very well. Travis’s leg was amputated quite high up. The damage to the tissues in the leg was irreparable and so it was really the only option we had. The tongue was also stitched back together and Travis begun his road to recovery.

That day he was quiet but comfortable and would take food if he was smooched and handfed!! He stayed in the hospital for a couple of days for intensive treatment and was then sent home for a test run because he was walking around the surgery as if he had been born with only three legs and it really wasn't a problem! His owners brought him back for a couple more days of handfeeding and pain relief and then we sent him back home for keeps .

On the 29th September, only 21days after his unfortunate accident, Travis came in for his final post operative check up, a truly happy 3 - legged cat.

We are all so happy that he has come through this terrible accident that could easily have cost him his life and we are delighted to award him September’s Braveheart!
 

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