The cat bends its hind legs. The cat is limping on the front paw what to do

In the article I will talk about the reasons and what to do if the cat is limping on the front or hind paw. I will list the main diseases that cause this symptom. I will describe the signs of common injuries and how to help with bruises and fractures.

Reasons why a cat can limp

There are many reasons for a pet's sudden lameness. If the kitten or cat was healthy and suddenly began to limp, then most likely there was a limb injury.

It can be:

• a splinter in the paw;
• a bite of an insect;
• damage to the ligaments;
• a crack in the bone tissue;
• injury;
• subluxation;
• fracture.

Another invisible cause of sudden lameness of a pet may be an exacerbation of a serious illness of the musculoskeletal system, which can manifest itself as lameness in the front and hind limbs.

Front paw

It is usually diagnosed at the age of two years.

If the cat is limping on the front paw, ulnar dysplasia is possible. Pedigree cats are susceptible to this disease. Pathology, as a rule, develops on one front limb and is hereditary.

Changes can be in varying degrees of severity from mild lameness to complete inability to move with the help of a sore paw.

Treatment in most cases is possible only by surgery. Drug therapy is prescribed only in mild forms in the form of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs.

To the back

Hind limb lameness occurs when the patella is dislocated. It is rare. Affects the hind legs. In this case, lameness appears abruptly.

It looks like this: the cat falls on its hind leg, meowing loudly with every step from the pain, the paw takes on an unnatural shape.

Dislocations are genetically predisposed and are often associated with severe trauma to a limb. In mild stages, it is treated with anti-inflammatory corticosteroids, in difficult cases, surgical intervention is indispensable.

Only an experienced veterinarian can correct the dislocation correctly.

On both limbs

Lameness of the front and hind limbs is manifested in the following diseases.

Arthritis or arthrosis

It usually affects older cats. It happens in the form of monoarthritis (one joint is damaged) or polyarthritis (several joints).

Arthrosis manifests itself in the same form. Strong painful sensations with this disease appear when moving. At rest, they hurt less. With this disease, the cat quickly weakens, loses its appetite. Sometimes the body temperature rises.

With arthritis, not only the joints are damaged, but also the internal organs. The main reasons for the development of these diseases are: heredity, a sedentary lifestyle, a strong increase in body weight, unbalanced nutrition, various untreated infections. The disease is dangerous with complete destruction of the joint.

Osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis in which in cats, as well as in humans, the spine is affected and causes lameness. In this case, the nerve endings are pinched between the discs of the spine.

In the event of a violation of the process of cartilage formation, the cartilage between the discs of the spine is quickly erased and the vertebral processes rub against each other, causing severe pain. The disease is hereditary. At the initial stage of the development of the disease, treatment with corticosteroids is possible.

With pinched nerves and progressive lameness, treatment is possible only by surgery.

Osteomyelitis

The disease affects young cats of predominantly Persian breeds. It passes on its own with age. During an exacerbation, it gives the pet severe pain.

Therapy includes corticosteroids and medications.

Bone tumors

On impact, fragile, pathologically altered bone can crack.

Diseases of the musculoskeletal system cannot be independently diagnosed and prescribed the correct treatment. In such cases, the cat needs professional help.

How to recognize a fracture or bruise

Paw injury is always immediately noticeable.

The cat keeps the injured limb on weight, cannot step on it, does not allow to touch the sore spot.

Bruises are a common type of injury in mobile cats. The hallmarks of such damage are:

• paw swelling at the site of the injury;
• hematomathat can be seen under the coat;
• absence of wounds on the sore paw;
• the structure of the paw is not disturbed;
• joints are mobile;
• at the site of injury there is an increase in temperature skin;
• cat constantly licks the sore spot.

A fracture is a more serious injury. Its signs are more pronounced and noticeable:

• violation of form damaged paw;
• bone instability can be determined by touch;
• swelling in the whole paw.

First aid for a cat

If the cat has hurt its paw, self-treatment at home is possible. You can help the cat in the following ways:

• if possible calm down (if the pet does not show aggression, pick up, caress, pat on the back);
• to the place of injury apply cold for 1 minute, then, after a 30 second break, apply again for 1 minute, etc. Repeat the manipulation for 15 minutes.

In the event of a fracture, it is necessary to immobilize the paw and, if possible, fix it. It is desirable to transport the pet to the veterinary clinic in a motionless state, so as not to damage the limb even more.

The veterinarian at the clinic will take an X-ray and all the necessary manipulations to help the cat.

No matter how painful it is to a cat due to injury, it is strictly forbidden to give painkillers from a human first-aid kit on your own.

These medicines are not intended for use on animals and may cause irreparable harm to health.

When is it time to go to the vet

In case of injury, the paw will recover on its own within 5-7 days.

Special treatment will be required only if during the specified period the pet does not stop limping.

If the fact of a fracture or dislocation is evident, you must immediately contact a veterinary clinic for professional help.

In the case when no signs of injury are visible, but the animal is limping and by its behavior shows that it is in pain, it should not be delayed with a visit to a specialist. This symptom may indicate a serious condition of the cat's musculoskeletal system and requires professional treatment.

In this article, I talked about lameness that can suddenly occur in a cat. Has listed the main reasons for this condition. Described the signs of injuries such as contusion and fracture. I wrote about giving first aid to a cat.

It is not uncommon to observe the limping gait of a domestic cat. Most often, the animal limps on its hind leg. The cat walks with caution, tries not to step on the sore paw, throwing weight on the other limbs. Sometimes it even keeps its paw in the air, moving on the remaining three paws.

Lameness can occur in a cat for many reasons.

A pet's lameness can be caused by many seemingly invisible reasons:

• wound between the joints;
• dislocation;
• sprain;
• injury;
• pathology of joint formation;
• arthritis or;
• lumbar back injury.

How to recognize a broken or bruised hind paw

Inspection of the hind paw.

Looking closely, mechanical damage becomes noticeable.

The wound can be located between the joints or on the inner surface of the pad, between the fingers of the cat. It happens that during a jump, an animal is incorrectly pushed off the surface. In this case, dislocation of the joint, sprains are almost always ensured. Obese cats with a sedentary lifestyle are most susceptible to such damage.

The joints of such animals are poorly developed and with a strong push or sudden movement, the risk of injury increases. Dislocation, sprain, bruise can be with a slight swelling, rather painful when pressed.

What to do if a cat limps on its hind leg without visible damage

When a cat holds a paw on weight, cannot step on it, when trying to examine a limb, this can mean only one thing - a fracture.

Severe swelling of the paw.

On closer examination, swelling becomes visible, the paw is hot, painful. A significant reason is the pathology in the formation of the joint. When the kitten is still a small symptom of lameness is rarely observed. The baby's weight is insignificant, which means that the load on the paws is also small. As you grow older, lameness becomes more and more noticeable.

Lameness in a cat

Another reason for lameness in a cat is due to diseases such as arthritis or arthrosis. The manifestation of arthritis occurs as the animal grows older. The influence of external factors on the body is aggravated with age, which makes it possible to manifest inflammatory processes in the joints.

The older the cat, the greater the likelihood of exacerbations of the disease, which is accompanied by recurrent pain and, as a result, lameness.

Arthrosis

The cat is limping on its hind leg due to arthrosis.

Arthrosis by its nature is a chronic, non-inflammatory disease.

For a long time, it can pass latently, since degenerative changes in tissues, bones and cartilage happens gradually. There are many reasons, the most common is a congenital anatomical anomaly.

As with arthritis, adult felines are most susceptible, but there are exceptions when the innate changes are too extensive. Then lameness is observed in young animals.

Traumatic arthrosis

Difficult case.

Arthrosis can be traumatic. The cat was injured while walking, there were no pronounced symptoms, over time, bruised tissues, bones, cartilage begin to rebuild incorrectly... Do not discount lumbar back injuries.

The pet could be hit during a walk or it landed badly itself during a fight with other animals, dogs, for example. For traumatic back injury possibly pinching of the nerve endings, which causes discomfort when walking.

First aid for a cat

Noticing that the cat is limping, you must immediately identify the cause. Once the wound is found, the first thing to do is to disinfect it. If possible, remove hair around the damage, rinse with furacilin solution.

Limit the access of dirt to the wound, apply a bandage, and consult a veterinarian.

If you suspect a dislocation, sprain or fracture, provide the pet with maximum rest, give anesthetic and heart medications, call a doctor.

Hind paw x-ray.

The clinic needs to make an X-ray ... A fixation bandage is applied as needed. The fracture is fixed by the imposition of a splint, a plaster cast. Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs are used.

Arthritis treatment

Treatment for arthritis includes taking antibiotics in the form of a food supplement - glucosamine, chondroitin.

Taking fish oil, pain medications. Shown a light massage, daily short exercise. Animals with arthrosis are provided with dietary food, comfortable living conditions.

Drug treatment - decongestants, anti-inflammatory - in the presence of inflammation. Massage, therapy with Minin lamp. With severe back injuries, the prognosis is, alas, unfavorable. The animal experiences severe pain, sometimes limb paralysis is observed.

When a cat lacks trace elements, especially calcium, dystrophic changes in the joints and bones can occur. Of course, it is difficult to imagine such malnutrition that this happens, but still cases are known. And if a cat is pregnant or nursing kittens, such a probability is generally very high: she may have a lack of calcium due to the fact that she needs to supply kittens with it.

Lameness due to infection

Sometimes infections such as mycoplasmosis or chlamydia can cause lameness. With such diseases, the joints of not one paw are most often affected, but all, therefore, the cat limps one way or the other. Pain in the extremities occurs due to joint inflammation, which leads to infections.

Age changes

With age, cats may experience the same changes in the functioning of the musculoskeletal system as in humans. Bones become more fragile, joints are worn out, and cartilage tissue undergoes dystrophy. Older cats also have arthritis and arthrosis. This does not happen very often, but in the case of lameness and a respectable age of the pet, just such a reason can be suspected.

Back or brain injury

Sometimes we look for a problem where it is visually manifested, but we must look elsewhere. Trauma to the lumbar back or brain can lead to lameness in cats. With a back injury, a pinched 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 the nerve communication with the limb can be involved.

In the video, the cat is limping due to spinal cord injury after a fall

Bone tumor

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

Treating lameness in cats

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

Cats are particularly mobile. Some injuries can also occur because of this. If the cat is limping on the front paw, the owner should definitely find out the cause of the problem and carry out high-quality treatment of the animal. Without this, there is a high risk that the damage will not heal on its own, and the pet's condition will continue to deteriorate. On their own, the reason why the front paw is limping can be determined by the owner only if there are external signs of a violation of the integrity of the limb. In other cases, the correct diagnosis can only be made by a veterinarian.

The reasons

There is one non-pathological reason when a cat's front (or hind) paw is limping. It occurs if the animal is distinguished by its artistic disposition and touchy character. Such a cat, if the owner even stepped on his limb slightly or slightly pinched it with the door, and everything went without injuries and injuries, immediately issuing 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 foot, the owner does not find its soreness or signs of damage. The animal will demonstrate a disturbed 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 with treats, as otherwise it will get used to this method of extortion.

In other cases, the cat's front paw is limping for pathological reasons that require treatment. Several of the following diseases and trauma are the main factors causing foreleg lameness.

1. Injury... The most common reason a cat limps on its front paw is when it walks freely down the street. Lameness is not necessarily due to severe injury, such as a fracture or dislocation. Disorders in front paw movement can also occur due to bruises, cuts, splinters and sprains. On external examination, you can find a wound or swelling, from which the front paw is limping.
   If the cat suddenly limps, then in 99% of cases the trauma takes place. If it is simple, then nothing needs to be done, and it goes away for 2-3 days. A kitten gets the most serious damage if it is attacked by a dog. If the animal begins to limp gradually, there is no question of injury.
2. Osteochondrosis can also cause a cat to lame. The disease occurs in older cats. With pathology, the roots of the spinal cord are pinched. If this pinching affects the cervical region, then the cat has one front paw or both paws at once. It is very difficult for him to take them. It is impossible to completely cure the pathology, and the therapy is of an exclusively supportive 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 of why the cat is limping.
3. Elbow dysplasia... The violation is not common and mainly in especially purebred cats, the external appearance of which is much more important than health. This disorder begins to manifest itself already in young cats and only intensifies over the years. Such individuals should not go into breeding, since the pathology is hereditary and is transmitted from parents to offspring. The left or right paw is limping, as well as 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 joint inflammation. The front and hind limbs are equally affected by the pathology. Lameness increases gradually. Treatment for such a 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 you do not take therapeutic measures, the pet's condition will only worsen and it may completely lose its ability to move normally.
5. Osteomyelitis... It 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. A cat has a limp front paw, both, or hind 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 onset of the disease is a genetic predisposition.

If a cat or cat is limping on its front paw, urgent action must be taken to correct the problem. The longer the visit to the veterinarian is postponed, the more funds will be required to spend on the treatment of an already neglected 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 forepaw in cats is especially functional, and therefore, when it limps, the pet experiences serious difficulties and cannot continue a full life.

VETERINARIAN CONSULTATION REQUIRED. INFORMATION FOR REFERENCE ONLY. Administration

Based on materials from the site www.icatcare.org

Feline calicivirus (FCV) infection can cause lameness in cats. It is one of the leading causes of upper respiratory infections (colds) in cats.

The classic "cat cold" includes a short incubation period (three to five days). It manifests itself mainly in diseases of the upper respiratory tract (sneezing, runny nose, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, discharge from the eyes and mouth). These symptoms may be accompanied by a fever, less commonly coughing and pneumonia.

Already in the early stages of the disease, some cats may have transient lameness, which can be considered a clinical sign of FCV infection. It is currently believed to be a relatively common clinical manifestation of feline calicivirus infection. Transient lameness associated with a calicivirus infection of a cat is called Lameness syndrome (limping syndrome).

Calicivirus infection has been identified as a cause of lameness in observations of infected kittens. Limping manifested themselves for 2-3 days along with the usual symptoms - hyperthermia, lethargy, loss of appetite. For several hours with developing hyperthermia, kittens also showed general or localized stiffness. It manifested itself as lameness in some, and almost complete immobility in others. The cats reacted painfully to palpation and manipulation of joints, and general hyperesthesia (pain or increased sensitivity to touch) was observed. None of the cats had sneezing or eye discharge. However, about a third of kittens developed mouth ulcers (one of the classic signs of feline calicivirus upper respiratory infection). Clinical signs resolved within 48 to 72 hours with no residual effects.

Effects of feline calicivirus infection on joints.

Further research showed that calicivirus proteins could be found in the synovium (the membrane lining the surface of the joint cavity and the ligaments located in the joint) in cats infected with or vaccinated with live FCV vaccine. Since viral proteins are associated with antibodies, we can talk about the formation of an "immune complex" (a combination of a virus protein and specific antibodies produced against it), which can provoke an inflammatory reaction. In some cases, it was possible to isolate the whole virus from the joints of cats with signs of calicivirus infection, including lameness. This can be considered evidence that the virus provoked an acute inflammatory response.

Therefore, it is obvious that under the influence of calicivirus, at least in some situations, a systemic infection occurs, which causes the localization of the virus in the tissues of the joint. This can cause an inflammatory response due to local replication at these sites, or possibly due to stimulation of immune-mediated inflammation. Lameness syndrome is a form of viral-induced polyarthritis (inflammation affecting multiple joints).

It appears that some strains of FCV carry an increased risk of lameness in cats than others.

Vaccination against calicivirus infection and lameness syndrome.

Lameness syndrome associated with feline calicivirus infection is most common in kittens. It may develop after the first vaccination of the kitten. Some vaccines are more likely to cause lameness than others. All manufacturers are constantly improving their products to reduce the risk of such complications. In addition, even if lameness occurs after vaccination, in some cases the acquired infection is causing the syndrome rather than the vaccine itself.

The role of feline calicivirus infection in the development of lameness syndrome.

So, calicivirus can undoubtedly cause temporary polyarthritis (inflammation affecting more than one joint) in cats, more often in small kittens. This is a fairly common manifestation of calicivirus infection, sometimes the syndrome of lameness is associated with vaccinations (especially live vaccines).