Shadow

Three-year-old Shadow narrowly avoided death after he was impaled by a bamboo stick.

Shadow survived a horrific ordeal after his loving owner, Mark, discovered that a 10-inch bamboo stick had punctured into his cat's chest.

Mark, who lives in South East London with Shadow, was horrified after hearing a scream at four in the morning to find the stick stuck in Shadow.

Mark said: "I have lung disease, which often means I struggle to get to sleep at night. It was 4am, and I heard an awful scream; I immediately got up and ran to my kids' bedroom to check they were ok.

"The kids were still fast asleep, so I followed the screaming sound into the back garden, where I saw Shadow on top of the back wall. He had something sticking out of him and was clearly in distress, continuing to call out.

"We think he must have landed on an upright piece of bamboo stick in a neighbouring garden and somehow managed to keep moving with the stick in his body. It was an absolute horror to see. We honestly thought he wouldn't make it."

Shadow jumped off the wall into the neighbouring back garden as Mark tried to approach him, leaving Mark to think Shadow had gone off to die.

After searching for him for a long time, Mark was relieved when Shadow finally returned to his garden. He quickly rang PDSA, who advised him to come to Thamesmead PDSA Pet Hospital immediately.

When Mark arrived, the vet team quickly got to work to save Shadow's life.

Malcolm Fletcher, a Vet at Thamesmead PDSA Pet Hospital, explained: "We were just as shocked as Mark when he brought in Shadow to see the bamboo stick penetrating into his chest.

"The X-rays revealed the bamboo stick had gone in between two ribs and punctured the chest wall. This allowed air into the space between the wall of the chest and the lungs themselves, causing Shadow's lung to begin to collapse."

Shadow required urgent surgery to remove the stick, and his distraught owners were warned that he could die from this injury. The air was drained from Shadow's chest, and the wound in his chest wall was repaired to allow the lung to reinflate and prevent any further collapse.

Thanks to the PDSA vet team's efforts, Shadow's surgery went well – despite the high risk. After an overnight stay at the Pet Hospital, he was on the road to recovery. Much to Mark's delight, Shadow was able to go home the very next day with pain relief, antibiotics, and instructions to rest.

Mark added: "After the warning that Shadow might not make it, we were just thinking the worst. We couldn't imagine our lives without Shadow. He's not just a pet; he's a family member. He brings so much comfort to the whole family.

"He's back to being his adventurous self again, and we're so relieved his recovery has gone well."

Total cost of Shadow's treatment: £873.34

PDSA is the UK’s leading veterinary charity. Through our 48 Pet Hospitals and Pet Care scheme, we save the lives of poorly pets who would otherwise be left untreated.

Every year, we helped over 388,000 pets. Without us, emergency cases like Shadow's would be left untreated and many pets could lose their lives or be separated from families who love them.

We wouldn’t be here for cats like Shadow without your support. Please consider donating today.

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