# My cats leg is swollen...?



## Dazlin

My cat came in last night limping badly. His leg and foot is swollen. He's eating fine, and he jumped up on my bed ok. but he won't let me touch it.
My Vet will charge a couple of hundred $ for an x-ray, and check-up, so I'm trying to wait. Is there anything I should do...wrap it in an ace bandage?
My family thinks I should I leave it alone, and let him stay off it, as he really likes to sleep all day anyway.
After this, he is NOT going out anymore! I've had him to the vet too many times for one thing or another. A few months ago, he probably got into a fight, and had puncture wounds around his neck and abdomen. That was a nice ticket to the vet too! I can't do this anymore, and besides, I cried all the way to the vet, and could hardly tell the vet what happened. He's going to have to adapt to staying in.
Please offer any advice...THANKS!


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## GoldenMom

Take his temp. The most common reason I see swollen limbs in cats that go outdoors is an abcess.


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## Vickie44

Especially if leg feels hot , I would be concerned about premature closing of bite wounds resulting in infection
Check foot pads for splinters etc ( and between toes )


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## farmmom

GoldenMom said:


> Take his temp. The most common reason I see swollen limbs in cats that go outdoors is an abcess.


I agree. He probably got in a tussle with another cat and got bit.


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## Ravenlost

I also agree. Sounds like an abcess. He really needs to see the vet.


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## Jay27

Cats are tough! *IF* you aren't dealing with infection, he'll be fine. 

ETA: If there is an abcess or infection, he needs antibiotics

That being said, if you really like your cats, it is best to keep them inside... outside is a dangerous world for them. Although, I have found that cats have an amazing ability to survive. 

We had a barn cat that broke her leg. Healed up just fine on it's own! At one point, we contemplated putting her down because we could tell it was bad, but she seemed fine other than that one leg. She was a friendly cat but would not let us catch her until she was mostly healed... I wonder if she didn't _know_. Once she was mostly healed - still 3-legged (not literally) - we could get our hands on her and could feel the leg had been badly broken... but, the cat was fine at that point and the leg was healed as good as it was going to get. She's still around... gets along real well... can scramble up into the hay loft just as fast as any of the other kittahs.

Had another barn cat that got chewed on by a dog (not one of mine). You could see inside the hock joint on a hind leg and she had puncture wounds all over her hind end. When we found her, the wounds were old and could not be stitched... smelled a bit foul, too. Took her inside, put her in a dog cage to limit mobility, disinfected, globbed with vaseline, wrapped and gave antibiotics. She got raw salmon, raw eggs, raw milk, wet food, and dry food options... dang thing never ate so good in her life! I really didn't think that cat was going to make it or heal normally, but I'll be danged, she doesn't have so much as a scar! 

Our barn cats get 1 trip to the vet - to get spayed/neutered - after that, we give vaccinations and deworming. Everyone who is around gets rabies shots when the vet is out for coggins for the horses or CAE for the goaties. I value my cats, but I'm just not about to spend a lot of money on them. I will do my best to doctor them and keep them healthy, and most importantly, I will provide a humane end if they are suffering.


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## Dazlin

He was licking it alot last night, and I could see a tiny cut. It's not deep or infected at all. I'm thinking now that he got caught on something, and possibly hung up by his leg.


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## mamahen

Even those teeny little cuts can be decieving. 

Almost every time my cats get in a tustle with another stray cat, they get an abcess. The key is to keep it from scabbing up, you want the pus to drain, not heal over so quickly.

If it's still swollen, will he let you wrap a hot, moist towel around it? That may help get the pus to start draining. 

A round of antibiotics wouldn't hurt, if you could take him for that, it's very easy for the vet's to diagnose an abcess - and if it happens again, you can call in for the script. 

Usually the whole visit and meds at our vet is around $70. An office call is $40, an antibiotic shot is about $5, sharp disposal is $1, and then the acutal meds are about $20.


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## Ravenlost

mamahen is absolutely right! Those tiny cuts are VERY deceiving! I've had cats with cuts/bites so small they were almost invisible, but they still ended up with a serious abcess. 

I'll say it again...the cat needs to see a vet.


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## WstTxLady

Dont wrap it, he will be fine. +1 on what the others have said.


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## Dazlin

Thanks so much everyone!
I"m leaning towards that he may have boken it just above the foot, around the ankle. I was able to touch it and it moves too much from side to side. There is no infection, or abcess, but the foot is very swollen.
I also don't think I should wrap it because it is in the joint, and needs to bend.
He has no heat or fever, and is eating fine, but I could see he's in alot of pain.
I may call the vet on Monday and get a price, but I was told there is not much that can be done.


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## Minelson

Dazlin said:


> Thanks so much everyone!
> I"m leaning towards that he may have boken it just above the foot, around the ankle. I was able to touch it and it moves too much from side to side. There is no infection, or abcess, but the foot is very swollen.
> I also don't think I should wrap it because it is in the joint, and needs to bend.
> He has no heat or fever, and is eating fine, *but I could see he's in alot of pain*.
> I may call the vet on Monday and get a price, *but I was told there is not much that can be done.*


You were told wrong. Your cat needs to go to the vet. Tell them up front you don't have money to spend. They are not going to be able to tell you how much it's going to cost without seeing the cat and diagnosing the problem. Hopefully they can figure out if it's broken or not without X rays. Since this cat is a regular client at the vet they should work with you with the finances. If they say it's broken and still insist on a xray then question that. We went for years without an xray machine at the clinic and successfully set bones without it.


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## harvestgirl

i had this happen to me last week. i did go to the vet & it was pretty random, but my cat had a dislocated patella ( knee cap) we are waiting a bit, but her limping is not improving.


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## DamnearaFarm

Add me to the wounds can be decieving department. A mare on a case i'm on this past week had a small puncture wound on her neck, left side. Oozy **** running from it (Lord knows how old it is) squishy pocket on opposite side of neck. Vet lanced pocket and it's an abscess from the OTHER side of her neck-it's gone through.


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## Dazlin

Just want to thank everyone! My cat was amazingly improved yesterday. I'm shocked at the improvement, especially since Friday night, it was sooo swollen. The swelling began to go down yesterday and he was stepping on it a little. Today, it's almost normal, with slight swelling. I'm trying to keep him in, but he's darting out when I open the door. I really don't want him out ever, but maybe I can train him to go out only in the morning, and keep him in after that. I'm not sure how that's gonna go, because even with all this he was annoying me to go out. Thanks again everyone, I really appreciated your advice!


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## Minelson

Great I'm glad kitty is better


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