Veterinar, Vol. 64 No. 1, 2026.
Stručni rad
https://doi.org/ISSN 0303-5409
Limb amputation in dogs and cats
Vinka Holjevac
; Veterinarska ambulanta Jug, 40000 Čakovec
*
Marko Pećin
; Klinika za kirurgiju, ortopediju i oftalmologiju, Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
Limb amputation in veterinary medicine is a common surgical procedure in dogs and cats, and is a
therapeutic option in cases where other treatment methods do not provide a satisfactory quality of life, or
when the patient’s life is at risk. The most common indications for amputation include severe traumatic
injuries that are impossible to repair, neoplasia of the bones and soft tissues of the limbs, chronic infections,
ischemic necrosis, and certain congenital deformities of the extremities. In clinical practice, the decision
to perform amputation is based on an individual assessment of the patient, including their general health
status, the functionality of the remaining limbs, their physical condition, and the presence of concomitant
diseases or the existence of metastases in oncological patients. This study presents the most common
indications and contraindications for limb amputation in dogs and cats, the basic surgical approaches to
thoracic and pelvic limb amputation, and postoperative care with the emphasis on possible complications.
Dogs and cats quickly adapt to a new lifestyle, the quality of which is, in most cases, satisfactory or better
than before the procedure. In cases where this adaptation is more difficult, it is possible to make the new
lifestyle easier for the animals, and their owners, with the help of orthopaedic devices.
Ključne riječi
amputation; dog; cat; quality of life
Hrčak ID:
348963
URI
Datum izdavanja:
8.7.2026.
Posjeta: 0 *