Extreme pain in hind leg

Hello all,

So my boy, Hero, has had extreme pain in his left hind leg for quite some time now. The day I realized there was a problem was when he was just lying on the ground. He wouldn't let me pet him as he would snarl and start hissing. He has NEVER done that to me.

So I took him into the vet and got some x-rays. The vet couldn't determine exactly what the problem was as there was no fracture or broken bone. There IS some pain in his knee though. The vet sent me home with some anti-biotics and I came back a few days later. The vet was then able to move his kneecap and gave an educated guess as an "influx kneecap" where his kneecap is moving side to side.

Hero just limps around when he walks and won't run and play with his sister. The vet told me to look into Cosequin (join medication). The weird thing is that Hero is only 1.5 years old... not old enough for arthritis. Has anyone had similar problems? I don't have the money to pay for surgery and would like to find some alternate route if possible.

I HATE seeing him in pain.

Thanks,
Kck

It could be luxating patellas:

http://www.petalia.com.au/Templates/...&story_no=1883

Does the vet recommend surgery as the only way to truly fix this problem? Whether or not you think your cat is too young to have arthritis, it won't stop him from getting it and that's exactly what this could lead to if the patella is moving around or if there's a serious stability problem.

Try getting care credit, asking friends or family for a loan, get a bank loan, anything to get the money you need.
If you absolutely cannot find a solution to get your cat the medical treatment he needs, try finding him another home that can. You wouldn't want to live everyday of your life in so much pain that you could barely walk and do none of the normal things in life you enjoy - don't force your cat to live that way. The fact that his behavior has changed so much just proves how much he really does hurt.

Arthritis doesn't just happen to older cats. My youngest boy has luxating patellas (slipping kneecaps). He had surgery on the worst leg at around 9 months of age to repair it because without it he would have developed severe arthritis and bone deformities. He's 14 months now. His other leg is not bad enough (at least not yet) to require surgery. Ask your vet for a referral to a orthopedic surgeon if possible so you can get a definitive diagnosis. He does take glucosamine supplements as well.

Thanks for the response, everyone!

It does appear to be luxating pattela. The vet came to an educated guess with that but told me to try the anti-biotics to stop the swelling. It doesn't seem it has worked all that much.

I'll look into getting a 2nd vet opinion and opt for surgery. Yay more credit card debt!

I hope Hero know how much I love him