Injured from fighting....opinions on how to help?

Well, one of my babies...10 months old...has been out fighting again. He seems to get in most of his fights at night, so we try to keep him in by about 7-8. Anyway, his front leg, at the "elbow" joint (you know, the middle one, not the shoulder, not the ankle) is terribly swollen and I can't examine it closer to see if it is cut or not. Not unless I feel like getting torn to shreds. Is this a "let mother nature handle it" kind of injury? The vet is really out of the question unless they are doing it pro bono...(good luck to me on that! lol!) Any advice? Anyone else's kitties have this kind of injury before?

NO that is a GET to the VET and have it looked at ASAP
I cant see your cat neither can anyone else on here

www.carecredit.com may be able to help

is your fighter neutered??

Okay, I know that spaying and nuetering is a huge issue on here, and yes, he is. But that isn't really the issue I needed advice on. I was actually finding out if other people's kitties have had similar injuries.

thing is NO ONE really can tell you since we cant see...

ahh well good for you getting him fixed , thought maybe his fighting was that ,...

If it's very swollen, it's likely either a sprain/strain or a abcess. If it's an abcess, he will need to have it drained and be put on antibiotics. Is he putting any weight on the leg?

Don't be harsh about neutering. That was a valid question to ask because most male aggression (i.e. fighting) issues are directly tied to not being neutered.

First and foremost, thank you for the advice. Yes, he is putting weight on it, but he is mostly resting. I know it does hurt him.

I am sorry if I came across harsh about nuetering. Every time I ask a question, it does seem to be the first question asked....can you see my point? Anyway, he has always been agressive, not unfriendly to humans at all, but he is a very big kitty, and I guess he can get away with it. Part of joys of growing up with great-uncle warlock and a brother and sister. Not to mention that he was the runt out of a litter of 7!

I'm sure you mean well as you are here on a cat site asking for advice, however you are doing your cat an injustice by not getting it adequate medical care. From the way you described the potential issue- it could be something that requires immediate medical examination and care by a lisenced vet. As an owner -it is your responsibility to get your pet medical care when it has been injured. If you neglect those duties as an owner- most places consider that animal neglect (i'm not accusing you of it- however i work for Animal Control in my area as a veterinarian technician -if someone here chooses not to get an injured animal medical care- it is considered abuse/neglect and they are charged appropriately for the violation.)

Please consider working out a payment plan with your vet- most of them will be more than willing to let you make a payment plan with them and allow you to pay over a period of time. You may also want to check out www.carecredit.com as Jennifer has already suggested. They may be able to help you hon

In the mean time- please start keeping your kitties indoors. Allowing them to venture out unsupervised is NEVER ok. I can not tell you how many cats and dogs have wound up in the shelter where i work after "disappearing" from home, roaming for territory/mating/food, getting attacked by other animals, attacking other people and being held on rabies watches..the list goes on. By allowing your cats to venture outside and thus venturing the chance they might come in contact with other cats/dogs- you greatly increase their risk of getting in a fight over territory/ other factors and as a result your beloved pet might be injured badly (as it seems to be at the moment), develop a disease/virus as a result of exposure to other infected animals, be hit by a car, shot at by neighbors, you name it.

The safest place for a pet is indoors. If you would like to let your sweet kitties get a little fresh air every now and then- please consider buying a cat safe harness and leash so that they can still go outside for walks and fresh air- but will not run the risk of being injured, killed, or infected with serious conditions as they would be when allowed to roam. It's easier than it sounds to get a cat to walk on a harness/lead! All of mine go out in the garden on theirs and they love it- they get to get fresh air, and i have the peace of mind that they are safe with me as i'm there to supervise. It's the best of both worlds.

If you own your own home- you might also want to consider building a cat safe enclosure in your backyard- that way your kitty can get fresh air/enjoy the outdoors without being allowed to roam. If you do this though you must always keep in mind that they are not fool proof and there have been instances of other animals (raccoons/etc) breaking into enclosures around my area and when that happens the potential for other animals to do them harm if the enclsure isn't properly secured/build is always there. Supervision is key to a healthy/safe pet! Always make sure your pet is up to date on all vaccinations as well as their rabies vaccine.


Now onto the medical issue at hand- the swelling could be the result of a number of medical problems- broken bone, an absess, you name it- without having him here to personally examine him, i would be unable to offer medical advice to you. Therefore my best advice is for you to take him to a vet and see if they will work out a payment plan with you. Most of them will be more than willing to! Just ask!

If he does indeed have an absess or the joint is physically ripped open due to a tear/fight- one thing i've found to work incredably well is mixing table sugar (white refined like you'd use in coffee) with betadine antiseptic solution. You mix the betadine and sugar together till it forms a paste and then you take gauze and soak it in there- you use the gauze to gently clean the infection site and then use another clean, freshly dipped gauze and then apply stretch wrap over it to hold it in place and change it daily. If it is at the "armpit" area- the infection site must be shaved properly and wrapped appropriately so that the wrap and gauze stays in place otherwise you will do more harm than good. If you don't know what you're doing or how to wrap the site- it is best to let your vet show you how to properly care for it. Please do not apply any solutions/etc to this cat without first having him assessed by a vet to make sure another course of treatment isn't necessary instead.

At least call a vet - but the best thing is to GO there.

Just an office visit is not that expensive. Then at least you will know what type of injury your kitty has.

Since he was in a fight, my guess would be a bite wound to the leg. It's a common injury. It also swells up quickly.

Does the leg feel warm? warmer then usual?

It's a quick job for a vet (or more likely, the techs), and if you're not in a very urban area it is probably fairly cheap. They sedate the cat, clean the wound, and send you home with antibiotics.
My grouchy outdoor cat Max got himself into trouble last spring and had to go have that very thing done. I think it was $118? (neighbor with the unaltered tom moved away and took their cat with them, thankfully!)

If it is a bite and you choose not to treat the wound the infection could spread or if your cat is luckily enough to heal it - there could be lasting damage that will cause a limp.

Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

If he does indeed have an absess or the joint is physically ripped open due to a tear/fight- one thing i've found to work incredably well is mixing table sugar (white refined like you'd use in coffee) with betadine antiseptic solution. You mix the betadine and sugar together till it forms a paste and then you take gauze and soak it in there- you use the gauze to gently clean the infection site and then use another clean, freshly dipped gauze and then apply stretch wrap over it to hold it in place and change it daily.

Click to expand...

I've never heard that one before, it sounds like a great tip.

Someone should put together a comprehensive first aid thread for cats and cat caused injuries to humans (topic pops up often). And what to look for.

Is there anyway you can get near the cat to tell us what it really looks like??? Is it open, closed, red, white or ect??

I too, unfortunatly agree that a vet is in need. That is such a sensitive area, and when not taken care of properly the damage done is awful. If its an absess and it get infected and goes to the bone, he could lose a leg!

I know better than most how expensive they are, but sometimes they're just necessary!

I had a cat who had that bone broken, my DH told me he was fine and not to worry about it. It healed like that and now he walks like a bulldog and has severe arthritis and sometimes has to take pain pills along with joint medicine! Have I had brought him in, it could have been fixed properly and he wouldn't have to go through what he goes through! The winter months for him are the hardest, but he handles it pretty well. The vet said if it gets too painfull for him in the future we will have to remove the leg....

Im sorry you're going through this with your kitty, and none of us seem to be giving you the answers you want, its just we cant see him to know what is wrong!!

Good luck, good and for you at this stressfull time!

any updates?