Owner urges gardeners to cap bamboo canes
A London cat owner is making sure to keep plant-supporting canes safe or capped when cleaning her garden this autumn after her cat nearly died after being impaled in the chest by a bamboo cane. We are calling on gardeners to do the same.
How three-year-old Shadow, from Plumstead, south-east London, ended up impaled with a 10-inch cane fragment remains a mystery. But thankfully, this healthy kitten was saved thanks to the expertise of leading veterinary charity PDSA and support from People’s Postcode Lottery participants who helped pay for Shadow’s painkillers and antibiotics. I have fully recovered.
Owner Mark Rozier, 51, explained what happened: I often have trouble sleeping at night because I have a lung disease. So when I heard that I woke up and immediately got up and ran to my kids bedroom to make sure they were okay.
“The kids were still fast asleep, so I followed the screams to the backyard and saw Shadow on the back wall. He had something protruding from him and was clearly in pain and kept screaming. I was there.”
At first Shadow ran away and Mark desperately searched for him, but thankfully the distressed cat eventually returned to the garden and Mark clearly saw the bamboo cane stuck deep in his chest. I was able to see it. He said: We immediately called PDSA Pet Hospital in Thamesmead and were told to bring her in immediately. ”
At PDSA, which provides free and low-cost care to sick and injured pets, veterinarians were shocked to see what happened to Shadow and quickly got to work.
Retired officer Malcolm Fletcher, from the PDSA, said: “X-rays showed that a bamboo rod had penetrated between two ribs and punched a hole in the parapet.” This forced air into the space between the chest wall and the lung itself, causing Shadow’s lungs to begin to collapse. ”
Shadow required emergency surgery to remove the stick and repair the damage. The distraught owner was warned that his injuries could lead to death. The air was removed from Shadow’s chest, his lungs reinflated, and the wound in his chest wall carefully sutured to prevent further collapse.
Mark added: “Shadow is more than just a pet, he’s part of the family and we couldn’t imagine life without him. He gave us all so much comfort and we loved him so much. We were shocked when we were told that we might not be able to make it in time.”
Despite the high risks, Shadow’s surgery was successful thanks to the efforts of the PDSA veterinary team. After an overnight stay at the pet hospital, he was on the road to recovery. Much to Mark’s delight, Shadow was given painkillers, antibiotics and instructions to rest and was able to go home the next day.
Laura Chow, head of philanthropy at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: Last year, funding from People’s Postcode Lottery participants helped pay for pain medication for more than 85,000 PDSA pet patients. With support from players, pets like Shadow can quickly and easily get the emergency help they need. ”
Mark continued: “We are extremely grateful to PDSA for saving Shadow’s life. The team did a fantastic job. We still do not know exactly how Shadow became impaled. No, but I think he may have perched on an upright bamboo pole in a neighbor’s garden, broke it, and somehow continued moving with the bamboo pole inside his body. We cover all bamboo canes and encourage all gardeners to do the same to be safe.”
Shadow is now fully recovered and loves relaxing in Mark’s garden, but these days he doesn’t go too far from the house and is always home by 10pm.
PDSA is a veterinary charity for pets in need, providing free and low-cost veterinary care to owners experiencing financial hardship. Through 49 pet hospitals, we see 11 pets every minute, helping connect pets and people. It receives no government funding for its vital work and relies entirely on public donations and support from People’s Postcode Lottery participants.
For more information and pet health advice, please visit: www.pdsa.org.uk
