When I found out that my cat would need surgery, I was also told that there was an “intense” recovery period. I wanted more information, so I googled.
I wasn’t thrilled by what I saw, but I also wasn’t thrilled by the vet saying that if I didn’t do it he’d be on painkillers for the rest of his life. I mean, this was a sweet nine month old kitten who was limping and walking like an old man–specifically, he was walking like my previous cat who died of saddle thrombus complications. Nope!
I found this site really helpful! but I also (morbidly?) wanted video. I mean, you know. How bad will it be, exactly? What’s normal?
A lot of the sites about FHO (Femoral Head Ostectomy) were also about dogs, which makes sense because dogs are a lot more likely to get it and some dog breeds are prone to dysplasia. If dog owners find the site helpful that’s awesome, but cats are smaller and lighter. That’s great for cats, as it makes the surgery more likely to be successful. That’s also why we decided to do both hips at once: Only put him through this one time.
Aral will always have a more developed “upper body” and less developed “lower body.” That said, he’s gotten really good at jumping! He can even get onto the kitchen counter now if he plans his jump path well… uh oh.