Cat’s leg amputated after fox attack

A beloved Brighton cat had to have its leg amputated after it was seriously injured by a fox.

Five-year-old Coco, who is deaf, was rushed by her owner Michelle for life-saving treatment at vet charity, PDSA after the attack.

Michelle, 55, a dance teacher doesn’t let Coco out to roam the streets and has put fence netting around the back garden so Coco can wander safely outside.

In June, while Coco was in the back garden, Michelle’s son heard a strange noise which sounded like a nasty catfight.

Alarmed, he ran to the back door to see what was happening and manage to scare away the animal – believed to be a fox – that was attacking Coco.

Sadly, he found Coco with a large injury on her leg which was bleeding profusely, as well as some wounds to her lips.

Horrified, Michelle rushed Coco to Brighton PDSA Pet Hospital, where vets quickly admitted her.

PDSA Vet Katerine Burfield at Brighton Pet Hospital, said: “On examination, we found large, deep wounds on Coco’s front right leg. We could see right down to the bone and immediately knew this was a very serious injury.”

Coco was quickly started on fluids and given pain relief, and once the team were happy that she was stable, she was given anaesthetic, so X-rays could be taken of her leg.

The team assessed the extent of the damage, and thankfully they found no fractures, however the wound was very deep and contaminated with dirt which had to be extensively cleaned and flushed.

Katerine said: “We were very concerned about how Coco’s wounds would heal – due to both their depth and the dirt, but also because the blood and nerve supply had been badly damaged.”

Over the next few days, Coco’s injuries were managed with regular bandage changes and medications. Unfortunately, despite the team’s best efforts, the wound became infected and it was clear that the blood supply had been damaged.

The decision was made to amputate Coco’s leg to give her the best chance of survival.

Michelle said: “We all felt extremely sad and shocked that this had happened to Coco. She is a massive part of our family, and we all do our best to protect her.

“The vets at PDSA were brilliant. When we collected Coco from the Pet Hospital, the team gave us a personalised sheet with easy-to-follow aftercare instructions, which was really helpful.

“When you’re overcome with emotion, it’s really difficult to take in all of the information from the vet. The team also let us borrow a crate to ensure Coco would get plenty of rest at home, which she wasn’t a fan of, but it was definitely needed.

“Now, thanks to PDSA, Coco is slowly adjusting to life on three legs. We’re still making sure she gets lots of rest so that she can return to her old self soon – our little family is so relieved that Coco is on the mend.

“Without PDSA, I don’t know what I would have done. The team were so kind and efficient; they provided us with advice to help make Coco’s recovery as easy as possible. I can’t thank them enough!”

The total cost to PDSA for Coco’s treatment was £1,472.38.

It costs £75.4 million a year to run PDSA’s services across the UK – which help 390,000 pets like Coco every year. For more information on how you can help PDSA keep people and pets together, click here.