Pain relief

Here's the story. Our cat Sunny was outside one day and got bit by a free-roaming cat. He refused to use the leg and it was obvious he was in pain. We went to the vet the next day and they said he had tendon damage. That was around a month or more ago. He's been on pain meds and antibiotics, but he finished up the pain meds about a week ago and he still acts painful. The vet doesn't want to put him on more pain meds unless absolutely necessary. Is there anything else that I could do for pain relief?

Did the vet talk about possible surgery to repair the tendon damage? I had a cat that ran through a glass window one time and had serious tendon damage to her back legs. The vet was able to repair most of the tendons. Even after the repairs, she had limited use of her legs (for example, she could climb up a cat tree but not back down). If you don't have this repaired, I would suggest that you don't let Sunny back outside or he might not be able to fend for himself.

For the pain, it sounds like he hasn't healed all the way and it could be that he needs surgery, or he just heals slowly. If it were me, I'd be seeking a second opinion on his condition, and boosting his health with better foods, immune products such as L-Lysine, and encouraging him to rest until he heals. If he is still in pain and not just able to use the limb because it is permanently injured, then he should have pain meds for a bit longer.

When I suspect one of my kitties is in pain I insist on a pain med. There are various types and dosages the vet could give you. It doesn't have to be as strong as the initial med if your vet is concerned, but they should give you at least something. Also, I agree to keep your kitty quiet as possible.

Momofmany, my vet and I discussed surgery, but at this point she doesn't think it's absolutely necessary. She said if he didn't get surgery he'd likely just have arthritis in that area. He's still using the leg (slight limp), he's still playing (which has always been light), still eating, still drinking, etc. If she really thought it 100% needed surgery she would have flat out said it. But it wouldn't matter anyway because it's not my cat and not my call.

I wanted to see if there was anything natural or OTC that I could try (the reason I posted the thread in the first place). The vet recommended that the pain med be stopped.