Why does a cat limp on its hind leg without visible damage: what to do? What should the owner do if the cat starts limping? The cat is limping, what to do?

There are many reasons why a cat may be limping on its front leg. However, visible signs of a problem, such as a wound or swelling, are not always present. Often only a veterinarian can make a diagnosis using tests or medical instruments. The owner is able to independently identify problems with obvious external signs such as a fracture, wound or splinter. Treatment in all cases must be prescribed by a doctor. Therapy, its intensity and duration directly depend on the type and severity of the disease.

Causes of lameness

Often, dysfunction of a cat's forelimbs occurs because the owner has stepped on its paw, pinched it, or dropped something on it. Lameness persists for some time without visible damage or painful sensations when touched - thus the animal demonstrates resentment. If the incident does not result in injury, normal gait and behavior are restored within a couple of hours. In the absence of other signs besides lameness, veterinarians advise waiting a day, ensuring the animal rests and limiting its mobility. If the problem persists, you need to go to the hospital for a diagnosis and treatment.

Causes of lameness can be:

• Osteomyelitis. The disease is characterized by partial destruction of bone tissue. The disease can develop on any limb and affects individuals younger than 2 years of age. Osteomyelitis is especially common in Persian cats and breed-based species. It is assumed that it is provoked by genetic factors.
• Osteochondrosis. Lameness develops due to pinching of the spinal roots, resulting from a violation of the formation of cartilage tissue. The disease is common in older cats. Depending on the severity, the pet may limp or almost completely lose control of the front (hind) limbs.
• Elbow dysplasia. The disease affects the joints of the front paws. It is rare and develops mainly in purebred individuals. One of the reasons is poor quality selection. Dysplasia can appear at a young age (up to 2-3 years) and be inherited.
• Infectious diseases. One of the most common causes is calcivirus infection. Limping, among other symptoms (fever, mouth ulcers, general stiffness), is observed in the early stages of infection in kittens and adults. The condition persists for 48-72 hours. The severity of lameness depends on the strain of the virus and the cat's immunity.
• Arthritis and arthrosis. These are types of age-related diseases characterized by inflammation and degeneration of the joints.
• Fractures, bruises, splinters and other injuries. In such cases, the cause of the lameness is usually immediately visible due to swelling of the affected area, bleeding, or a local increase in temperature. But sometimes the problem is invisible. A fall, for example, can cause a bone fracture or connective tissue tear. Symptoms, such as lameness and pain, resolve relatively quickly, but there is a risk of permanent damage to the structure if subsequent trauma occurs.

Some conditions require surgery, while others can be treated at home. Most often, the approaches are combined.

Treatment methods

If lameness is caused by an infection, the cause is first eliminated. A number of diseases, such as calcivirosis, do not have specific therapies and are treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics in combination with immunostimulants, anti-inflammatory drugs and vitamins. A cat can be prescribed a 7-10-day course of Flemoxin at a dosage of 12.5 -22 mg per kilogram of weight. Antibiotics are necessary to protect the body weakened by the virus from bacterial infections.

Anti-inflammatory drugs are a common treatment for skeletal and joint problems. Non-steroidal drugs prescribed for arthritis and other disorders include Ketofen. It is often used in the form of subcutaneous injections (1% solution) or tablets (once a day). Corticosteroids are also prescribed to cats. Dexamethasone is one of the most powerful drugs in this category. The medicine is given to the animal in the form of injections (0.1-1 ml, depending on the pet’s condition), but only on the recommendation of a veterinarian. For lameness, painkillers are also used (No-spa, Papaverine, etc.).

The duration and intensity of treatment depend on the disease. Osteomyelitis disappears on its own with age. Osteochondrosis, arthritis and arthrosis often become chronic. In this case, the owner can stop outbreaks of the disease with anti-inflammatory and painkillers. In severe forms, surgical intervention is required, which may even replace the affected joint with a prosthesis.

The type, dosage and combinations of medications are determined by your veterinarian. Attempts at self-treatment create the risk of developing allergies and other serious consequences.

If an animal has a fracture, the injured limb must be immobilized. Then the pet needs to be taken to a veterinarian, who will set the bone, apply a plaster cast (fixing bandage) and perform other manipulations. If the lameness is caused by a splinter, you can try to solve the problem yourself. To do this, it is better to use the help of a partner or restrain the animal, since it will not allow you to examine the paw, which is not stepped on due to a foreign body. As in humans, a splinter is removed using a needle (pin) and tweezers with preliminary sterilization of the affected area. After the manipulations, the cat will continue to limp for some time. If the paw hurts for more than a couple of hours, it is recommended to consult a doctor due to the risk of remaining splinters or injury to the limb.

When a cat lacks microelements, especially calcium, it may experience degenerative changes in the joints and bones. Of course, it is difficult to imagine such poor nutrition that this could happen, but cases are still known. And if the cat is pregnant or nursing kittens, this probability is generally very high: she may have a lack of calcium due to the fact that she needs to supply the kittens with it.

Lameness due to infection

Sometimes infections such as mycoplasmosis or chlamydia can cause lameness. With such diseases, the joints of not just one paw, but all of them, are most often affected, so the cat limps on one or the other. Pain in the limbs occurs due to inflammation of the joints, which is caused by infections.

Age-related changes

As cats age, they can experience the same musculoskeletal changes as humans. Bones become more fragile, joints wear out, and cartilage tissue undergoes degeneration. Older cats also experience arthritis and arthrosis. This does not happen very often, but in the case of lameness and advanced age of the pet, one can suspect just such a reason.

Back or brain injury

Sometimes we look for a problem where it visually manifests itself, but we need to look elsewhere. Trauma to the lumbar back or brain can cause lameness in cats. With a back injury, a nerve may be pinched, which prevents the cat from feeling comfortable when walking. When the brain is damaged, the part of it that is responsible for nerve communication with the limb may be involved.

Video shows a cat limping due to spinal cord damage after a fall

Bone tumor

Among the causes of lameness in cats may be such a terrible disease as a cancerous bone tumor (chondrosarcoma). This is a malignant tumor that gives a lot of metastases to other places. One of the symptoms is pain in the limb and lameness.

Treatment of lameness in cats

Treatment for lameness in cats depends on the cause. Depending on this, either only painkillers, or courses of antibiotics, or anti-inflammatory drugs, etc. will be prescribed. In some situations, complete healing will not be possible, but the cat's condition can be maintained at the proper level. In any case, we recommend that you do not do this yourself, but go to the veterinary clinic. If your pet is given a terrible diagnosis, you need to recheck it in another clinic, without initially saying that you already know the opinion of another doctor.

Cats are particularly mobile. This may also result in some injuries. If a cat is limping on its front leg, the owner should definitely find out the cause of the problem and provide quality treatment to the animal. Without this, there is a high risk that the damage will not go away on its own, and the pet’s condition will continue to worsen. The owner can determine on his own the reason why the front leg is limping only if there are external signs of a violation of the integrity of the limb. In other cases, only a veterinarian can make the correct diagnosis.

Causes

There is one non-pathological reason when a cat's front (or back) paw is lame. It occurs if the animal has an artistic streak and a touchy character. Such a cat, if the owner even slightly stepped on his limb or slightly pinched it with the door, and everything happened without injury or damage, immediately uttering a very loud cry, begins to limp on the injured paw, demonstrating with all his appearance that he is a victim.

After examining the limping paw, the owner does not detect any pain or signs of damage. The animal will demonstrate an abnormal gait for another 2-3 hours, after which it will stop the performance. The main thing at this moment is not to feed the cat treats, as otherwise it will get used to this method of extortion.

In other cases, the cat's front paw is lame for pathological reasons that require treatment. The following several diseases and injury are the main factors causing front paw lameness:.

1. Injury. The most common reason why a cat limps on his front leg if he walks freely on the street. Lameness does not necessarily occur due to a severe injury, such as a fracture or dislocation. Impaired movement of the front paw can also occur due to bruises, cuts, splinters and sprains. During an external examination, you can detect a wound or swelling that causes the front paw to limp.
   If a cat suddenly limps, then in 99% of cases there is an injury. If it is simple, then nothing needs to be done, and it goes away in 2-3 days. The most serious damage occurs to a kitten if it is attacked by a dog. If the animal begins to limp gradually, there is no talk of injury.
2. Osteochondrosis may also be the cause of a cat's lameness. The disease occurs in older cats. In pathology, pinching of the spinal cord roots occurs. If this pinching affects the cervical region, then the cat has one front paw or both paws lame. It is very difficult for him to stand on them. It is impossible to completely cure the pathology, and therapy is exclusively supportive in nature. The older the pet, the more severe osteochondrosis will manifest itself, causing more and more pronounced lameness. Often this is the answer to the question why a cat is limping.
3. Elbow dysplasia. The disorder occurs infrequently and mainly in especially purebred cats, whose external appearance is much more important than health. This disorder begins to manifest itself in young cats and only intensifies over the years. Such individuals should not be bred, since the pathology is hereditary and is passed on from parents to offspring. The left or right paw is lame, or both at once. The pathology begins to manifest itself most clearly when the cat is two or three years old.
4. Arthritis or arthrosis. Diseases that occur in older cats and lead to inflammation of the joints. The pathology affects the fore and hind limbs equally. Lameness increases gradually. Treatment for this disease is predominantly supportive. There may be periods of complete elimination of symptoms and their subsequent reappearance. The cat's lameness does not disappear completely. If therapeutic measures are not taken, the pet’s condition will only worsen and it may completely lose the ability to move normally.
5. Osteomyelitis. Occurs in cats less than 2 years old. In pathology, partial destruction of the paw bones occurs with the development of a purulent-inflammatory process. The cat has a limp front leg, both legs, or the back legs too. The disease is especially common in representatives of the Persian breed and animals bred on their basis. The main assumption regarding the causes of the disease is genetic predisposition.

If a cat or cat is limping on its front leg, urgent measures must be taken to eliminate the problem. The longer a visit to the veterinarian is postponed, the more money will need to be spent on treating an already advanced disease. The veterinarian will take an x-ray of the front paws and, after identifying the cause of the pathology, prescribe the necessary treatment. The front paw of cats is especially functional, and therefore when it is lame, the pet experiences serious difficulties and cannot continue to live a full life.

The article provides general information on this issue, as well as how the problem is solved in different cases. Only after examining a four-legged patient from a veterinarian can you get accurate advice on how and what to do for treatment.

Why does a cat limp on its front leg and what to do?

Lameness in cats is quite common and there can be many reasons for this: trauma, dislocation, fracture, sprain. Inspect the paw and, if no injuries are found, take it to the veterinarian. If there is a wound, treat it with an antiseptic and bandage the paw. Until your pet's complete recovery, his paw should not strain.

Why does a cat limp on his hind leg after castration, an injection without visible damage, how to help

During surgery or an injection, the doctor could have touched a nerve, which is why the cat is limping. This can continue for three to five days, without outside intervention. If the lameness does not disappear, then consult a veterinarian for examination.

The cat is limping and doesn’t eat anything.

The only reason a cat doesn't eat is because her paw hurts. She may have a dislocation or even a fracture. Take him to the doctor. If this is a sprain, and the cat still does not want to eat, then force feed it through a syringe, because it will not have the strength to fully recover.

The kitten is limping and won’t let you touch its paw, won’t let out its claws, what is it and how to treat it at home

The kitten injured its paw, but won’t let it be examined only because it hurts and is afraid that you will make it even more painful. He thinks right! You can only expect an examination from the owner, and the veterinarian must treat lameness and the injury itself.

The kitten has a limping paw and a swollen paw, what to do and how to fix it

Examine the paw. Treat and bandage the wound, but not too much. In this condition, take him to the doctor, as the kitten could have broken a paw or torn ligaments.

The kitten is limping on one paw or the other after vaccination

There are two options: either the doctor touched a nerve, or this is a side effect of the drug (depending on the type of vaccination).

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Is your pet limping?

What is lameness? Lameness is a gait disorder mainly caused by damage to one or more legs.

Causes

Lameness in a cat can be caused by many reasons and cause pain to the animal. Any decrease in limb mobility can be considered lameness. Lameness may be constant or appear at different times: in the morning, at night, after rest, during or after a walk. Lameness can be caused by both serious joint problems and a small wound on the pet’s paw pad.

Susceptibility to lameness does not depend on the breed, age, or gender of the pet. Lameness can be caused by trauma, such as being hit by a car, or it can develop gradually due to bone swelling. Lameness often affects a pet's quality of life and may be associated with hip dysplasia and arthritis.

Symptoms

• Inability to walk or move normally
• Pet whines due to pain
• Refusal to walk and climb stairs
• The pet does not lean on its paw

When your cat is limping and you, not knowing what to do, are looking for advice on this topic on the Internet on forums, we recommend not to self-medicate or experiment on your beloved cat. The fact is that there are many causes of lameness in an animal, and the consequences of your experiment may disappoint you and your family.

Diagnostics

• Medical history and physical examination. Your veterinarian will look for all possible causes of lameness. A physical examination and a thorough orthopedic examination will help him with this. The doctor will observe how the cat stands, sits, walks and runs. During a physical examination, areas that are causing your pet pain, as well as bone or joint abnormalities, will be identified.
• Neurological examination. Lameness is not always associated with orthopedic diseases. Your veterinarian may perform a neurological examination of your pet's limbs if they think the problem is related to the brain, spinal cord, nerves, or muscles.
• X-ray. Depending on the results of the physical examination, an x-ray of one or more limbs may be ordered.
• Other diagnostic tests may be needed: collection of synovial fluid, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, myelography (examination of the spinal canal while seeing dye), biopsy, contrast radiography, or arthrography (injection of dye into the joint).

Treatment

Prevention

Lameness in a pet can occur at any time. But it can be avoided. To do this, you need to carefully monitor your pet, avoid serious injuries, such as falling from a height or being hit by a car, use a leash for this.

In some breeds, lameness may be associated with hip dysplasia and luxating patella. When choosing a pet, pay attention to the diseases of its parents and their medical history.

Care and maintenance

After surgery, it is necessary to limit your pet's movement to relieve stress on the damaged limb. This restriction may not be long or may last about six weeks for complex fractures.

Sometimes a doctor may apply a plaster cast, splint, or soft bandage for limping. They must remain clean and dry. They need to be checked every day to avoid swelling, diaper rash or pain.

Follow all directions from your veterinarian and ensure your pet is taking regular antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medications. Repeat x-rays may be necessary, as well as a visit to the veterinarian.

Remember, you should immediately contact a veterinarian if you notice lameness in your pet in order to solve this problem and not lead to irreversible processes.