Actually, it is generally thought that ligaments heal more successfully without anti-inflammatories (I own a horse and when they have ligament sprains, you are told not to give anti-inflammatories as it can inhibit healing) - I would talk to your vet about this. For my horse etc., I would not give any pain relief as then the horse won't feel the pain and might overdo things. I would sooner the animal feel the pain so they know not to run on that leg. Your vet obviously has given different advice re the morphine, and of course you should follow that advice so I am just telling you my experiences that may or may not be relevant. But with horses, we do want the horse to feel the pain as it stops them from overusing the leg.
Good point. If the animal is confined so it cannot overdo things, then pain meds are a nice thing for the animal. But if the animal is out and about and not confined, then I would think feeling the pain would at least limit the temptation for the cat to jump or sprint about the house. So to me it seems that the use of pain meds might depend on the particular situation.
Just keep a tight eye. I've learned from bad experience with my horse that minor ligament injuries (misdiagnosed in this case by vet so my horse was not confined initially) can turn into serious ligament injuries that may not heal properly if movement is not restricted. So keep assessing things. These injuries can heal so well (perfectly in my kitty's case, and in the case also described above) if given the chance.
