[andreairvin]

I live in Bangkok, Thailand and am caring for a former street cat, Mimi, with a couple of friends. Mimi had a serious accident that ripped open her back right leg. The leg has now healed but she has nerve damage and cannot use her paw correctly – it folds under when she walks. The accident happened about 3 months ago. On our last visit to the vet, they advised that since the accident was already 3 months ago and her nerve had not healed, that it would not come back. We were doing physical therapy (range of motion exercises) twice a day – though unclear whether this was to keep her muscles flexible or to encourage nerve regrowth or both. One vet told us to keep doing the physical therapy and another told us, no reason to keep doing them and we could stop. These vets are not specialists in rehabilitation and unfortunately, we have not been able to find and there aren’t any in Thailand. We are unsure about the advice we were given and therefore are seeking clarification on the following:

1. Can a cat’s nerve still grow back if 3 months have passed since it was injured or is it definitely not coming back?
2. Does the cat still need the physical therapy/range of motion exercises? If so, does she need those for life or up to what point?
3. Are the range of motion exercises for her muscles or the nerves? Her muscles in that leg are already very atrophied, by the way, since she was in a cage at the vet’s for 2 months.
4. Can acupuncture help with the nerve regrowth at this point?
5. We are thinking of getting her a splint to keep her paw in the right position when she walks. Would this help her back leg muscles to re-develop some?
6. Are there any splints for cats that you recommend?

Thanks so much for any advice and assistance!