Cat survives attack

Jun 30, 2021

Purdy uses up one of his nine lives!

Purdy unfortunately had a run in with a dog, which resulted in him receiving a severe bite injury to his head.

Purdy was quickly treated by our veterinary team – providing pain relief, antibiotics and intravenous fluids. Purdy had been bitten near his right eye, and an x-ray showed that he had several factures to his skull bones in this area. The vets were concerned about Purdy’s jaw joint and whether he would be able to eat, so a CT scan was recommended to assess the head further to provide greater detail.

We have a 16-slice CT scanner (Computed Tomography) at Sydney Animal Hospital Kellyville, so Purdy was transferred there for the scan. CT scans are a rapid and non-invasive method of imaging boney structures and internal organs, and are especially helpful for imaging complex bone fractures.

The CT scan confirmed that Purdy had damaged his temporomandibular joint – the hinge of the jaw. This type of injury is painful and can make eating difficult, so in addition to ongoing pain medication, our vets placed an oesophageal feeding tube which allows nutrition to be supplied directly into the oesophagus so that chewing is not required.

Purdy was then carefully monitored in hospital and fed a liquid diet for several days. Showing true resilience, Purdy was soon back to eating on his own, and the oesophageal feeding tube was later able to be removed.

Purdy has since recovered from his injuries and is back to his normal self.

If you have any questions about our CT scanner and what conditions it can be used for, please speak with our friendly veterinary team.