Re-injuring Paw repeatedly

I have a male cat who seems to be determined to walk with a limp no matter what I do. Not sure how to prevent it. He is an indoor/outdoor brown tabby, who is the "guardian" of the neighborhood (or so he thinks).  He has to make his rounds to secure the area, then returns to nap a little while, then heads out for another security sweep to put the other cats in their place. He is not a large, bullying type of cat, but he chases them off and growls to let them know who the big man on the block is, which I find quite amusing because he isn't the largest cat I have had. :-)

Not long ago he came home with quite the paw injury. It was nothing visible, but he couldn't walk on it. He held the front paw up, refusing to put any weight on it whatsoever. He would let us touch it, move it, and purred the entire time we were examining him. So we didn't feel there was any immediate need to take him to see the vet. We decided to keep him in a few days and monitor how he was doing before deciding whether he should go in or not. It never did swell or get any worse. After a few days he was walking normal again and seemed fine.  So we let him back out.

But he came home again, holding the same paw up, limping. So again, I kept him in a few days, watching  it. This time when he was almost walking normal and I was thinking he'd be okay to let out again, I watched him jump from the top of my upright piano to the floor (our cat climber is next to the piano - he had scrambled up the climber just moments earlier in a kittenish frenzy, then dashed across the top of the piano and soared off the edge to the floor), only to start limping again and holding it up.

Now I am not sure what to think. What should I do? Every time he jumps from up high he hurts it. He keeps reinjuring it. But what do you do with a cat? Especially one so active and playful as this? And one that we have to fight with so badly to keep inside? He wants so desperately to be outside roaming. I don't know how to keep him from injuring himself.

Feel the pads, on the paw he is limping on, then feel the pads, of the other 3 paws. Do you notice a different in tempature?

Like, does the injured paw/pad, feel colder, than the other 3 pads/paws.  

I'll have to grab him when he comes back inside from going out with my husband this morning. What would a difference in temperatures indicate? Just curious while I wait for him to wander back. He usually comes to the back door about this time each morning from his first run around the neighborhood and to love on my kids since he knows they are up for the day, so I'll check and see what I can find out and report back.

Trisha

I believe, when there is an infection the paw would feel warmer than the rest.  Just from my own human experience, any time I've had some kind of skin infection the area feels warmer than it should.  Perhaps he has something inside it which you can't see, such as a shard of glass or splinter.  Or, an infection of one of the claw beds for instance.  Or, if there is a problem with blood flow to the paw - it might feel cooler than it should.

I personally would have a vet see him to rule out anything serious since it keeps happening.  

I don't think you would get a true registration, with him just coming in from outside, unless its not cold or raining.

I am not trying to scare you, only rule this out, as a possible issue.  Its the first thing I thought of, as I read your post, but it doesn't mean, thats what it is.

*If* the limping paw pad, is colder than the temp of the other paw pads, that is an indication, he may have thrown a clot, as in, the paw is colder than the rest, because of the decreased blood flow, its kinda like with humans, if your arm gets cold, or it goes numb, hence the limping, he can't feel it, or it feels funny to him.

I had one with HCM, and with him, the limping, was the beginning of the end. I remember my vet telling me to check the temp on all his pads, if the limping pad was colder, it weren't good, his was.

Just trying to rule this out, as a possible cause.  

After he had been in awhile (I thought of the paw being colder from being outside, too, as it was quite chilly out), I snuggled and messed with his feet. No temp differences between his four. I couldn't feel any abnormalities between the four. Still not sure what he is doing.

Trisha

I am so very glad, there was no temp difference.  

The only other thing, I can think of, is maybe he possibly sprained it, in his travels or interactions outside.  I had one yrs ago, I took her to the vet, they x-rayed her, could not find anything, he said she might have just sprained it, she did used to jump down from the hayloft, on to the floor below. 

I agree with sivyaleah, I would take him to a vet, and ask for an x-ray, and as long as he is there, ask the vet to listen to his heart, which in an exam, they should always do it.

So I guess, for Week 17, he is going on IR (Injured Reserve), like Tony Romo, LOL. Ya got a back up, that can fill his position? LOL.  Does his team need him, to get into the playoffs?  If not, I would rest him.         

He could have a hairline fracture or something along those lines and when he jumps he injures it again.   I would recommend xrays at the vet to rule out or confirm that possibility.

TrishaSmith said:

 
After he had been in awhile (I thought of the paw being colder from being outside, too, as it was quite chilly out), I snuggled and messed with his feet. No temp differences between his four. I couldn't feel any abnormalities between the four. Still not sure what he is doing.

Trisha

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Hi Trisha - have you been able to bring him to the vet yet?  If so, what was the outcome?

I actually did not take him in. He has been fine since and hasn't reinjured it again. I have been watching him closely and he has been in an out often. He has been jumping from the piano and cat climber, from the top of the baby crib and my desk, from the kids' bunk bed (top bunk)... and so far each jump he is landing fine and not limping after. So i think whatever he did has finally healed and he is back on track to being his normal rowdy self.

Silly cat had me scared for a few weeks though!

Trisha

Glad to hear he's doing better.  Hopefully it won't happen again, but if it does, a trip to the vet next time might be warranted since it happens frequently.  Just to be on the safe side of course.

If he does it again I will most definitely be taking him in to check on what is going on. I don't want to go through this again. If he continues I'll know something is up and he needs some help.

Trisha