Hi Walter,
My cat was diagnosed with a dislocated hip after falling down our stairs ten days ago. The xray shows no broken bones, and the vet prescribed cage rest which seemed to be working - when her hip was in place she could walk as normal with no limping. I took her back 5 days ago and the vet seemed to think she'd be fine. However, 3 days ago she seemed to start limping on her leg - it frequently seems to come out of its socket and then go in again, and seems to be causing her more pain now. However the pain does not seem to be that bad - she is still eating and drinking, and going to the toilet as normal, and still enjoys her fuss!
I'm worried that the ligament is starting to reform with the joint not properly in place, if that makes any sense? If possible I'd like to avoid another trip to the vets - it causes her so much stress, and obviously is not cheap.
Any advice you can give would be gratefully received.
Many thanks, Rachel

When a cat's hip has been dislocated it cannot be returned permanantly into its socket.
The Head of the Femur ( The 'ball') becomes attached by fibrous tissue about 1 cm away from the original socket, and a 'false joint ' is formed. This about 90% as effective as the original;. and once it is healed the cat copes remarkably well. It will take 8 to 12 weeks.
The resulting hind leg is a little shorter, but the cat compensates very well by holding it a bit straighter.
Alternativly, complicated surgery can be carried out, reducing the dislocation and attaching the headof the femur into the socket using a 'toggle' but the final results are rarely any better than leaving it alone as described above.
Remember that cats carry a far smaller proportion of ther weight on their hips than we do.

Hi,
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. Does this mean that Maisie is recovering as you would expect and I don't need to take her back to the vets? She seems happy enough although she doesn't like staying in her cage too much!
Thanks again for your help
Rachel

Yes, cage rest helps in the early days.

Hi Walter,
Thanks for your replies so far. I've just arrived home and found that Maisie is struggling to walk - she limps along for a bit and then her leg seems to lose all its function and she has to lie down. A few days ago she could walk with no problems.

I'm worried because she seems to be getting worse, rather than better. Is this normal as the 'false joint' forms?

Thanks again
Rachel

There is usually a steady improvement.

Was he hip x-rayed to check that it was dislocated and not broken?

Yes, the xray confirmed she had no broken bones

She was getting steadily better until 2 days ago when she seemed to suddenly have trouble walking. When her leg became dislocated, we used to be able to put the joint back in by 'walking' her on her back legs, after which she would be able to walk as normal but we're unable to do this any more, it seems to have stiffened. She can walk sometimes, with a slight limp, but it easily seems to slip and her leg goes under her body, and she lies down. She doesn't like me touching her leg but seems otherwise ok, is eating and toileting etc.

We had let her out of her cage for about half an hour the day before she seemed to take a down turn - she seemed absolutely fine and loved playing about - we kept a strict eye on her to make sure she didn't jump. Bu perhaps this set her back?

It will take time for a strong 'false joint' to form.

Thanks once again for your replies. Maisie is a lot better today, she can move much more freely and is not limping as much.

Sorry to keep bombarding you with questions but how long would you recommend we keep her in cage rest?

Thanks Rachel

Six weeks

Hi Walter,

I followed your advice last week and have kept my cat Maisie in her cage with very little exercise. However I'm still worried. Her hip seems to be at a slightly strange angle compared to her other side, and although she can put weight on it, she is still limping quite heavily. We are no longer able to manipulate the hip back into its socket.

Is this due to the ball of the joint attatching about 1cm from the original socket, as you said in your original reply? It has been 2 1/2 weeks since her accident.

Do you think i need to take her back to the vets?

Thanks, Rachel

It will take at least 6 to 8 weeks for a 'false joint' to form, and the leg will be about 1 cm shorte, but the end results are just as good as expensive surgery.