# Cat with sacral fracture and nerve damage. 5 weeks on he can't wee. Advice?



## comeonjacques (Apr 8, 2013)

My lovely two year old tomcat, Jacques, suffered a tail pull injury (a car we think) just over 5 weeks agoand has a sacral fracture. His tail has not been amputated but has lost movement and falls limp. (I've noticed when he stretches his back out into a curve the top of his tail has some movement, but this may not be as positive a sign as I think).

Immediately, we were told he had no anal tone and little chance of any recovery. They encouraged us to say goodbye. While he was kept at the vets we did our research and asked the vet to give him more time to see what his recovery was like over the week. We spent an hour or so with him in a side room and he ate for the first time and seemed much happier. They let him come home the next Friday to see how he got on/ whether we could manage it, and we've been manually emptying his bladder since then. 

We found a practice offering veterinary acupuncture and was able to get a second opinion. She was far more positive and encouraging. She took time to show me and my husband how to express Jacques. I don't know how helpful the acupuncture has been but he has fantastic strength in his back legs and runs after toys and jumps around happily. He purrs away. On the face of it he looks like a content, healthy cat. But, he still cannot wee. He licks himself and wee drips out. We can't tell if he knows his bladder needs emptying and can't physically contract it, or if there's no feeling at all. He poos independently, usually in his litter tray and always conciously. Sometimes he tries to go on his tray, nothing comes out but then falls as he runs off or makes a jump. He gets constipated so on the second vet's recommendation he has Lactulose mixed in with his food. Judging the Lactulose dose is tricky. Sometimes he has quite rumbly stomach and wind and he's gone the opposite of constipated once or twice, too. Sometimes there is a small amount of wee in the tray but we're not sure if this is coming out when he tries to poo and his bladder's getting more full so gets pressed upon.

He's a big sturdy (not fat!) cat (5kg) and gets very hungry. He's on a wet only diet and has three pouches daily at the moment, but of course this is water based and fills up his bladder quickly, too. He never seems full up. I express him three times a day at least. He hated it at first, but he is okay with it at the moment, purring away merrily often on the first one of the day because he's getting attention after a night of sleep! This is obviously a big commitment though and we have to think about any time where we both need to be away from the house for any period over 8/9 hours. 

He's not able to play properly outside because of his tail, which upsets him. I bought a lead to walk him round the yard and alley at the back of our house but he (understandably) doesn't like the feeling of it around him. 

He's gone from no anal tone week 1 to pooing independently. I so want to believe his bladder will also recover but know that tail pull nerve damage can be serious. We don't want to be selfish owners. We are always mindful of his wellbeing but he does not appear to be in any pain and, when he's not miowing to get outside, he is happy playing and sitting, purring on my lap. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about this situation? Any words of advice? 

Thank you!


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

Wow, what a story, and what dedicated owners you are.
I am really pleased you have found a vet who does acupuncture, I often advise it in similar situations but most people do not seem to follow it up. My other recommendation would be to find a McTimmoney chiropractor and see if they can help....they have animal trained practitioners listed on their site.
As regards the constipation, I use Miralax for my cat with chronic bowel issues. It is the laxative of choice for cats with Megacolon and similar issues in US, but not so well known over here. It is very gentle in it's action and does not cause the gassiness which Lactulose does.
Please do keep us posted as to his progress, and I would love to see his picture.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi Comeonjacques I am so pleased to hear Jacques has made such great progress since the injury and is now pooing independently! This is very encouraging indeed, especially as the recovery was quite quick.

I believe it is impossible to say at this stage what kind of recovery there will be with his bladder, although I do think the signs are looking good The acupuncture is a good idea, and I would definitely follow up Paddypaws advice regarding the chiropractor and the Miralax. (Lactulose is not a great treatment to be on long term and is likely to affect his bowel tone adversely eventually.) 

I wonder whether adding pure fibre (with no carbs) i.e. Psyllium, to his food might help, as it would make his stools bulkier and softer, so easier to pass, and might avoid the need for long term laxatives.

The dribbling urine seems to be something that quite often happens with a tail pull injury, and does not always seem linked to the bladder actually being full. 
It is wonderful he is allowing you to express his bladder for him! Well done! This will be an excellent preventative measure against him getting a urinary tract infection. 

If he is often hungry, it could be that he needs a higher protein diet, with fewer carbs (grains), as carbs are not well digested by cats and pass through their gut almost unchanged. Protein is digested more slowly and completely. 
Hilife Natures Essentials and Natures Menu are 2 foods high in meat protein that can be bought from [email protected], or there is a much bigger choice on line from sites such as Zooplus. But remember that when reducing grain content you will need to replace the fibre by adding psyllium, as previously mentioned

Many good wishes to you and Jacques, hoping his recovery will keep progressing


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## comeonjacques (Apr 8, 2013)

Thank you, both, for taking the time to reply. I'm sorry I've not thanked you before now but have only just managed to log back into the system. I've (hopefully) uploaded a picture of our little man!

I will definitely look into the high protein foods and the addition of fibre to bulk up his stools. Last week at acupuncture, the vet said he'd be okay with some quality dry food like Iams but a small portion seems to have clogged him up, so it's back to a wet diet for now. I'll head to pets at home later, I think. As a complete opposite, he had terrible runs on Tuesday night but got himself onto the tray each time (running his tail through it on the way out, bless him. I think this was my error when measuring and pouring the new less viscose lactulose. Thanks, too, for the miralax recommendations. Is this a mini emema that is inserted rather than oral? I think the vet has administered this when he's been constipated a couple of times. 

We've noticed small wet patches in his litter tray but I am concious that this happens when it's been a while since we last expressed and he seems to be trying to poo. I don't know how excited we can be if this is actually just dribble that comes out when he is squeezing from his bowels. In any case, it's small amounts of wee that are left in the tray rather than evidence of him completely emptying it.

We're thinking about having his tail amputated over the next couple of weeks so that he can go outside without us worrying about it getting trapped. Some say that the removal of the tail weight can encourage nerve growth (though we may have passed the critical time period for this to be true, now).

I so hope his bladder gets some tone and he can learn to squeeze it empty himself. We've got weekends away in the diary and very worried about him!

Thanks again for your advice and kind words.


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## Elizabeth and Bertie (Oct 5, 2012)

I am so sorry to hear about your cat's injury, but he is blessed indeed in having such dedicated caregivers.

Nerve damage heals slowly. When my cat was diagnosed with diabetes he had diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage) in his back legs which made it hard for him to walk sometimes. It was suggested to me that I give him methyl B12 supplements to help speed the healing process. I have to say that it seemed to work wonders for my cat, and I know of many other cats - with far worse neuropathy than my cat had - that seem to have benefited from it too.

I know your situation is different, but maybe methyl B12 could help with the nerve damage in your cat...?

I bought my methyl B12 tablets (I got a brand called 'Xobaline' which is specially formulated for cats!) online from the US. I think the company is called Lifelink. And they delivered pretty fast. But you may well be able to buy methyl B12 in the UK now; you just need to check the ingredients list to make sure there's nothing else in there that might not be good for cats.

Sending healing vibes to your boy, and a big (((hug))) to you.


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## rose (Apr 29, 2009)

Hi, am happy he is doing so well. My cat had a different ending with a similar injury. After a week with no bladder or anal tone and he screamed when they expressed his bladder I was advised to PTS. We were all heartbroken but I couldn't see him suffer any longer. I have always wondered if we should have waited longer for the nerves to heal but the vets said after a week with no improvement it was doubtful. My cats are indoor now. Kind thoughts to you all
Xx


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Aww Jacques is a real cutie-pie:001_wub: He looks like one of my cats!

I really would avoid all dry food, as his bowel is not 100%. He needs all the fluids he can get and ingesting them in food is so much better than trying to get him to drink enough separately.

Also, very importantly, if you are giving a laxative such as Miralax or Lactulose, they work by drawing water into the bowel from surrounding tissues, and therefore it is essential the cat is getting enough fluids to prevent his tissues from becoming dehydrated.

Miralax is a liquid, same as Lactulose, though as I recall it is also possible to get Miralax enemas, (and enemas are NOT something you would want to be giving your cat regularly, and best left for a vet to administer).

Here is an interesting table comparing the various laxatives and the ways they work: (Miralax is noted for being the most gentle)

http://www.miralax.com/pdf/Comparison_of_constipation_treatments.pdf

If you do decide to try the Psyllium, I'd get the powder rather than the husks, and follow the instructions of ratio of water-to-powder to the letter, as otherwise it could cause an intestinal blockage if there is not enough water added.

From what I've read, better control of bowel and bladder is often achieved once the paralysed part of the tail is removed. Does he have any feeling in any part of his tail, or will the whole tail right up to the bottom of his spine have to be removed?


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

Miralax is actually a tasteless, odourless powder which can be sprinkled on to food....most cats do not even notice it is there. 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb...ralax laxative powder&sprefix=miralax,aps,341
If you do decide to use the psyllium which Chillminx recommends I would re-iterate her advice to use the powder...and to use it very sparingly as it _can_ cause worse constipation if the bowel tone is lacking.


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## Satori (Apr 7, 2013)

I'm sorry that I don't have any practical advice for you; I just wanted to say that Jacques is a real stunner and you are so lucky to have each other. Best of luck with his progress.


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## lauramc05 (Apr 12, 2013)

No advice for u, but hope everything works out for u & wee jacques!! 
X


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## comeonjacques (Apr 8, 2013)

Thank you all, again, for all the supportive comments and advice. 

As a little update on Jacques, he is weeing! On Saturday night we noticed another little patch of wee in the tray. We went out, and when we came back he went onto his tray in front of us, squatting low and leaving us more wee and having a good scratch around to cover after! He's been onto his tray leaving small amounts several times daily. He's pooing and not leaving any wee when he does. Only a tiny bit of wee at a time, and we're still expressing him, but we're taking it as a good sign! The only thing is there's been a couple of times where we've also noticed a dribble on the chair or floor, which we've not had from him before. Tail amputation is booked in for Monday and hopefully, they'll be able to leave a little length so not to go too near his nerves and reverse any progress. He doesn't seem to have any feeling in his tail, although when I touch the top of his tail near his back there does seem to be an involuntary 'twitch' through his body. 

Rose, I'm sorry to hear about your cat. It's such a difficult decision, isn't it. You can only go on your vet's advice though. It's definitely not been an easy couple of months and I think we've still got quite a way to go.


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## Jesthar (May 16, 2011)

Wow - what a saga, and great news on his improvements! Jacques is a very blessed kitty to have such dedicated slaves, and such a handsome chap, too 


comeonjacques said:


> the vet said he'd be okay with some quality dry food like Iams but a small portion seems to have clogged him up, so it's back to a wet diet for now.


I just wanted to echo chillminx and say I must respectfully but wholeheartedly disagree with the vet on this point - dry food is not great for cats anyway, as you know, but additionally IAMS is NOT a 'quality' brand. It contains a lot of grains (which cats can't digest and so makes them poo a lot) plus added chemicals and sugars, and isn't really better than bog standard supermarket dry food - just a lot more expensive.

If you do want to try dry food, then Applaws, Origen and Acana are the only three brands usually mentioned on here, but the wet food approach that you have him on is a whole lot better for any cat. If you can get him to make the switch to grain free high protein foods then that will not only be better for his innards, but will result in a lot less poo for him to pass.

Have you been introduced to the wonders of Zooplus? Be warned, it's bad for your wallet, but it's also one of the few places in the UK you can get reasonably priced grain free food - you can actually get much better foods from there for less than you would pay for supermarket quality food.  The following are commonly recommended at the moment:

Bozita - the tins are better value, but if you have a fusspot who won't eat pate style foods and demands chunks in gravy or lots of jelly, the tetrapaks are worth a try:
Bozita Wet Cat Food: Free P&P on orders £19+ at zooplus!

Animonda Carny - make sure it's the Carny, this is the grain free pate style. They do a mixed flavour saver pack if he likes it:
Animonda Carny Wet Cat Food: Free P&P on orders £19+ at zooplus!

Grau grain free - more expensive pate style, I use it as an occasional treat food. They do a mixed flavour trial pack, and also a mixed multipack - just make sure you look for the ones marged Grain Free:
Grau Canned Cat Food: great bargains at zooplus


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## Beki89uk (Apr 25, 2013)

Hi everyone, I'm new to the site so bear with me  my cat 'little' has the exact same thing with the nerve damage! We think she got hit by a car but we just don't know :-( she had her accident about 3 weeks ago and is going for her amputation tomorrow. We've been expressing her bladder which I have to
Say was pretty difficult to begin with but my hubby has got the jist of it now. I 100% know how you feel, when I found out about her nerve damage I cried for 2 days especially when our vet lept saying Little would have to be put down. She's our baby as are our other cats big and mills, let me
Know how you get on with progress xxxx


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## comeonjacques (Apr 8, 2013)

Hi Beki,

I've just noticed your post. I'm really sorry to hear about Little's accident. How's she's getting on after her tail amputation? Jacques looked really funny, with a big shaved circle around his bum! It seems to be healing nicely and of course, he can't feel anything so it's not stopped him running all over the house and miowing to get outside!

Expressing bladders has become my clock these days. It definitely is a bind, but you I definitely think you are doing the right thing giving Little her chance to recover. It's great that your husband's got used to doing it. I think the cat him/herself must get more used to it too. 

We're around 9 weeks down the road now. Jacques started pooing conciously quite quickly once he was home, although his bowels are definitely not 100% and he's on wet diet only and Lactulose (though I plan to order some Miralax which people have told me is more gentle). He is now weeing small amounts in his tray (though sometimes does dribble even though not full if he's lying relaxed in a twist or on his tum. We're still expressing him three times daily but he doesn't seem as full at 'expressing time' now! He's a happy, active cat. His absent tail and bald patches which are growing back slowly do make him look a bit of a sad case (!) but I'm so glad we moved away from our original vets and gave him some time to heal. We've had five or six acupuncture sessions and who knows if that's made a difference, but I'd like to think that it has. Maybe you could try this with Little?

I'm useless at checking this forum regularly, but the advice I've had has been brilliant. Such a good place for advice and encouragement. I hope that Little's doing okay without her tail and starts to recover.


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## comeonjacques (Apr 8, 2013)

Thank you for your food tips, Jesthar. I think this cat gets to eat better than we do! Zooplus looks like it's going to save me some ££s though, thank you! I think our vet, when she said to just try him on the IAMS, was trying to make me feel more relaxed about everything because it had got to the stage where I was over thinking _every _decision. Food, how much lactulose, water, where he slept, how much he ran around, everything! I think she just wanted to make me feel less pressured! I've been sticking to a diet of better(?) quality wet foods (HiLife, Gourmet Chefs Favourites, Feline Fare) and oily fish, though.

Right, Zooplus and bank card time, I guess! Thank you, again.


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## Beki89uk (Apr 25, 2013)

Hiya, thanks for getting back! That's really good news about jacques! We're 4 weeks down the road and baby's pretty much the same. She's not going for a poo voluntarily, it just seems to pop out but were lucky because her poos are always hard which the vets said it means her bowel is working ok. She keeps going to the litter tray and crouching but nothing comes out! So although her bladder and bowel is working she just can't release it. I know it sounds bad but I just keep thinking long term and if we want to go on holiday (im only 23 yrs!)what do we do then? Do catterys cater for this type of thing? I know the one we normally take our cats to dont! But I'm just glad we still have baby with us and the vet said she should still have a good life span! Xxx


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## Mooneys (May 23, 2017)

Hi I'm new to this forum. I know this post is very old - so may not be a place to post here...but I was really curious to know how Little and Jacques were after these posts? My little cat Findlay has had a similar injury (sacral fracture and no bowel /bladder function) only 10 days ago and I'm distraught. I've been trying to do lots of reading about how people have got on with expressing their cats bladders and whether they regains function etc. This post always re-pops up on my search & im really interested to know how your moggies are doing and any advice. Or if anyone else has some advice. Thank you in advance xx


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hello @Mooneys and welcome to the forum  . I am sorry to hear about little Findlay's injuries. 10 days ago is very recent and I understand it can take at least several weeks for the inflammation to go down and for damaged nerves to heal before you get a clearer picture.

Neither of the above posters have been active on the forum for 4 years, so it is possible you may not get a reply from them. If you were to start your own new thread I am sure you would get replies from currently active members.


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