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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Cat paw pad moved to fix soft tissue defect on front leg

By Fearnside, S M & Straw, R C·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2003·West Chermside Veterinary Clinic, Australia·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Transposition of first digital pad for reconstruction of a palmar antebrachial soft tissue defect in a cat.

Species:
cat
Movement & jointsCats

Plain-English summary

An 8-year-old female Siamese cat had surgery to remove a tumor from her front leg, but it left a large wound that needed repair. The veterinarian used a technique called digital pad transposition, where the cat's dewclaw was moved to cover the defect. This method worked well, and the skin flap healed nicely, although some additional care was needed for a small area that broke down. Overall, the surgery was successful, and the cat's leg looked and functioned much better afterward.

People also search for: cat leg wound treatment · Siamese cat tumor surgery · dewclaw transposition for cats

Abstract

An 8-year-old female neutered Siamese cat was presented with a recent history of incomplete excision of an apocrine gland adenocarcinoma from the palmar aspect of the right antebrachium, just proximal to the carpal joint. There was no evidence of metastasis. Wide surgical excision of the previous surgery site was performed resulting in a soft tissue defect. Partial reconstruction was achieved using digital pad transposition of the first digit (dewclaw), forming a local axial pattern flap that was transposed into the adjacent defect. The remaining defect was closed by primary apposition. The skin flap healed successfully. Some breakdown of the skin closed by primary apposition necessitated open wound management. The cosmetic and functional result of the first digital pad transposition was considered excellent, rendering it a useful means to reconstruct soft tissue defects in the carpal region.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15084011/