United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

We discussed the possibility of birth related bpi in animals over on the gen board a while back, well now I've just got back from the vets where I took our cat with a sore shoulder. He won't use his front leg at all and is holding his paw in the 'waiter's tip' position. The vet looked at him and said, "He's damaged the nerves in his neck and shoulder, it's called a...." I said "Brachial plexus injury!"

The vet was very interested in my tbpi (which he hadn't noticed) and we had a long conversation about it. Our cat has a stretch injury to the upper plexus so hopefully he'll be fine in a while with some NSAIDs and TLC, if he doesn't recover it'll be the chop, my family budget doesn't run to nerve grafts for cats (or for me come to that!)
The funny thing is, my kids who take absolutely no notice of my tbpi, are devastated about the cat, my 15 yr old daughter was crying her eyes out.....the cat of course is playing it very cool and whichever way it goes he'll be fine. It's only been a couple of days he couldn't use the arm (sorry leg!) and he can already climb trees and yesterday he caught a mouse, if only we could adapt as quickly as that.....

My son has a dog who is 3 years old now with a Obstetrical Brachial Plexus injury. She is the neatest dog and her injury doesn't slow her down for a minute. The guy who had the puppies was going to put her down because of course nobody wanted her. My son who has a traumatic brachial plexus injury immediately took right to her. The guy gave her to him. She used to fall a lot when she was younger. She doesn't fall as much now but still falls and she leans to one side when she walks or runs, but I tell you what everybody adores her and she has no clue she is different.

Wow Jenny that is amazing about your cat.
You handle your injury so well that your family takes it for granted. Maybe they will understand a bit better now. Too bad the cat had to be the object lesson!

Nancy

In Dec. of 1995 I was diagnosed with diabetes and by January I was pregnant with help from the diabetes medication.I was told I'd never have kids. My grandmother who I was very close to was diabetic and 90 and died in February '96. Michaela was born in October on my grandmothers birthday with a LOBPI. It wasn't until Michaela was already 2 years old that my aunt told me that my grandmothers cat fell from the back of my uncles truck in April '96 and had a left front TBPI or the equivilent in an animal and she didn't tell me before because she thought the whole situation was so freaky! I still get chills thinkin about it!LeeAnne

Jenny

If my memory serves me right did'nt Hazel adopt a cat with tbpi?
How is the cat doing. Better still how are the kids? See how well adjusted the kids are. My kids never noticed my arm until friends asked what was wrong with their mother's arm ... duh... nothing was the answer...LOL

LeeAnne some things are stranger than fiction.

Kath

you're right Kath, Hazey did have a 3 legged cat, she always called him her tbpi cat but I'm not sure how he lost the leg.
My cat is doing great, must have been a stretch injury. He is using it a bit now and isn't crying in pain when he walks. I wonder if his mental state (ie he knew nothing of bpi and just had to get on with life....jumping up a 7ft fence with a dog after you would prolly be great therapy....) helped in the recovery?
Wish I'd thought to take a pic of his wee paw in the 'waiter's tip' position tho....:0)