my cat hurt himself... what should i do?

Question

My cat, Benny, got outside last night. I heard some fighting out there so i ran to get him, but he didn't want anything to do with me. Finally, at about 1am he came inside. He wasn't using his front left leg. So i checked it out... no bleeding, no nothing! He was pretty calm the entire night. I let him sleep, which he did almost all day now. He just got up and he is babying the leg. Some pressure and sometimes no pressure on his leg.
I really don't have time to take him to the vet today... gotta work soon. what should i do? is this a big deal?

Answer 1

Nobody here can tell you what's wrong. Even if we were vets, a vet would have to examine the animal before making a diagnosis. Get up early tomorrow and go to the vet.

Answer 2

Just wash it with some salt water. You can also clip the hair away from the site so that it doesn't get stuck in the wound and infect it. You should never apply anything meant for humans on an animal since they have much more delicate skin. They also lick themselves. Medical creams could irritate or burn the skin, or poison them if ingested. It'll probably heal up by itself if it's not been cased by another cat. If it's a bite, then these can turn into abcesses. If you're worried see the vet. Bandaging isn't necessary unless something is bleeding badly, broken, twisted etc.

Answer 3

Get him in tomorrow. The bone could be cracked, the joint could be damaged, he could be bitten and it's abscessing inside, he could have a piece of glass in there, who knows. All you know is that he can't use the leg and has so much pain when weight is on it that he won't put it on the ground.

The longer you wait, in come cases, the worse it gets. I wouldn't second guess that it's going to get better and have a vet check it out. You don't want it to be a permanent injury because you delayed. I've taken off a few hours from work to take ours in for an emergency more than once in the past few years. Work usually understands.

Answer 4

You didnt say if he is eating/drinking ok. Alot of times they get out and tomcat it around. As one would assume they get hurt in the process of establishing their territory. If that is the case a couple days of rest and care and he'll be back to normal trying to get out again. The other side is he might have been poisioned or abused by someone who doesnt appreciate the feline species. If that is the case get him to a vet asap for treatment otherwise you might not have to worry about his nighttime antics. I have had cats go both ways and the latter is NOT good. When you go to work get someone to check up on him and keep you informed. I hope it was just a wild night for him. Good luck.

Answer 5

Make time to take him to the vet or get someone else to take him. If the leg is broken you will be in for some really big bills if you leave it too long and he will be in for a lot more pain than he would have had.

In other words yes this is a big deal for you both.

Answer 6

Benny hasn't been neutered has he? You know the kindest thing that any owner can do for their pet is to have it spayed or neutered. Number one, it cuts down on the fights especially among Tom cats, and two it cuts down on unwanted litters of kittens and puppies. If you have ever had the displeasure of euthanizing (putting to sleep) or ever having to witness the euthanizing of these babies, you would become the responsible pet owner and get this done ASAP. If your Benny is hurt, check him over real good for his wounds. Sometimes with Toms they get their claws stuck in their adversary and end up ripping them out, so kitty might have a claw sticking him. Check him real good. Also be sure Benny is up to date on all his shots. This is prime rabies season now. But please, if you love your Benny as I'm sure you do, get him neutered if you haven't already done so. If Benny is still limping on that foot, get him to a vet. If it were your child, you would do the same would you not? Good luck to you and Benny.

Answer 7

Phone your vet. An exam is important as soon as you can get one for him.

In the meantime, keep him isolated in a small space with his litterbox, food and bed so he has everything handy and can continue to baby his leg. A bathroom, closet or small tent would work. Do not give him any human pain or anti-inflamatory meds; they can be deadly-toxic to cats.

An xray may be necessary to rule-out a fracture. If he has "just" torn ligaments, your vet may advice confining him for several weeks to see if the injury healts itself. The feline orthopaedic surgeon I have seen likes to avoid surgery unless absolutely necessary. Howevery, you need to know the type of injury your cat has and only your vet can determine that for certain.

Answer 8

Try and get him to the vet if you can, he may have a small puncture wound from being bitten that you don't really see because of the fur.

These wounds can be very dangerous to your cat's health and expensive to have treated!

I know this because I missed one on my cat, it got infected and turned into a huge abcess which burst.

$700 and a surgery later to remove all the damaged tissue he is now fine and an indoor cat, much to his dismay.

This could have been prevented with an immediate course of antibiotics though.

So believe me, you're better off getting him to the vet sooner rather than later!

Answer 9

You should really take him to the vet if he continues nursing over the next day or two. Some animals, especially birds, may show very little sign of a problem when they actually are injured.

Also, you may want to take him to the vet to make sure it was not a raccoon and that he was not bit. Rabies can be fatal.

Answer 10

Take him to the vet as soon as you can. Sometimes there can be a serious injury even when no visible would is detected. Cats can suffer from sprains and strains, and sometimes puncture wounds from teeth and claws are almost invisible or they close up quickly. Unfortunately, such injuries often become infected and abcessed.