Hey guys, Need advice whether to call the vet for limping, but its a bit complicated!

I have two cats, one is 4 years old and one is 8 years old.  Both are male cats.  My 8 year old who is around 16-17lbs i just noticed that he walks with a slight limp from his front paw.  His head bobbles up and down like it is a bit labored to walk slow.  He puts his weight on it and doesn't life his paw up at all.  Also he still runs up our wooden stairs after the other cat and they still play at times.  IF i shake the treat bag he comes running.  It just seems when he walks very non chalantly it is very noticeable something is bothering him but then he runs like its nothing?  Its been at least 3 days like this.  He has had some type of crust or corn on his front paw for over 2 years now and the vet said it would heal but it never did but i don't think that is problem as it seems to be more of a soft tissue type problem.

My 4 year old cat is the definition of the energizer bunny and he does force the big one to run around more than he wants(he starts hissing after a few minutes at the smaller cat)  I have wooden floors everywhere so it is pretty hard on the cats in that respect.  He still jumps on the couch to sleep and he still eats/uses the litter.  He has also has a slight case of Asthma and he gets one or two attacks a month, no meds for that since it isn't serious enough.

I try to get him to lose weight with food, etc but he just has a super slow metabolism while the other cat has the opposite and eats like a horse and is very very active.  Also i usually have to make the VET come to the house as it is a disaster to get him to the Vet, so a house calls with exam runs me 175 bucks usually.  How long should i wait for the limp to be gone? Do i call for a house visit?

Thanks,

Mike

It's hard to say. The limping could be from a sprain. At his weight, jumping onto hardwood floors could have sprained that leg. However, the head bobbing is concerning because I don't see how that is related. Is it just when he walks slowly? Is it just from the awkward walking or something else?

For peace of mind I would recommend a vet visit.

The head bobbing frequently accompanies limping, although more so in horses than in cats.  If he were my cat, I would watch him closely for a week or so and if the limping goes away, great. He may have just twisted his ankle, so to speak, while playing in the house.  If the limp stays the same or gets worse, a vet visit would then be in order.  You may have to actually take him to the vet, as hard as that is, because unless your mobile vet carries a portable x-ray machine, you are probably going to have to bring him to the office for that.

At 8 years old and with his weight, it could very well be arthritis.  Watch him for a few days and if it persists, talk to the vet. 

Hey guys, i took some pics.  Keep in mind, these are different pads as he has these crusts on 3 out of his 4 pads. I think two pictures are of the same foot/pad and then there are a couple more of the other 2 paws.

http://s179.photobucket.com/user/mike2000z28/library/Crusts

Let me know what you think. The vet came over a year ago and said at the time, one would heal and it wasn't bothering him.  It hasn't healed and now he has more of them on different pads/feet.  It looks like he is still probably going to go, but i need to buy a bigger cat carrier possibly a dog one since i think he won't fit in the one i have now.

I can't see the crusts very well on my monitor but it looks sort of like what my cat had. Do the crusts look sort of like this?


My cat has had these on and off for years. I suspect they may be related to a bacterial infection. They cleared up when she was given Clavamox (an antibiotic) for feline herpesvirus and then they came back again after she developed another herpesvirus bacterial infection. The vet doesn't know what they are.

I'll also point out that these bacterial infections went undetected for more than two years and that's when she developed the sores and scales. 

After they healed the first time, her paw pads were squishy like a marshmallow. They appear to be sore to me as she seems to walk in a strange manner. But she has no problems running around and playing. 

Her brother actually did have these scales too. His healed up on their own as he has a stronger immune system, but it turns out that he also had an undiagnosed bacterial infection then too. 

If you ever find out what those crusts are, let us know.

Hey guys, i took a short video of him limping.  I still can't tell which leg although it seems like the left front leg, but i feel it up and down to his shoulder blade and he doesn't flinch in pain or kinda give me a get away from that area look.  Don't mind the mess, we are spring cleaning

http://s179.photobucket.com/user/mike2000z28/media/Crusts/penguino.mp4.html

From the video clip I think it's the front right paw.

It doesn't look to be his leg, but like the pad is sensitive, this is why he would still run around, etc. as he is able to ignore it too.

Does one or another of his front paws have more of what you are calling crust?

Can I ask, what are your floors cleaned with? Or what have they been cleaned with in the past?

This looks to me like it's the soft pad of one of his front feet that is causing the limp.

Aw, poor baby!

Now that I've seen the video, the head bobbing does seem like it is associated with the limp.  And, yes, I would say the front right foot, as well. I don't know what the crusts could be.  How does he react when you try to touch the pad(s) with the crusts? Does he flinch, cry out, or pull back quickly?

Hey guys, well the pictures of the crust are in my post above.  Basically both rear pads have a decent wart looking crust type thing growing out the side of the main pad.  The fronts both have it but they are almost identical in nature.  I have touched his pads and he lets me touch them and doesn't wince however i don't apply any pressure to it really.  Oddly i can see the outline of a new crust forming on his rear pads.  Its this that is just starting to form on his rear pads.  This has lesion has been present on his front pad for 2 years now.  Sometimes it gets a bit better and sometimes a bit worse.  http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w311/mike2000z28/Crusts/IMG_20140424_123427_190.jpg

This is the lesion on the pad he is limping on http://s179.photobucket.com/user/mi...s/IMG_20140424_123905_940.jpg.html?sort=3&o=5

I clean the floors with steam, but i don't think its an allergy as much as something else.  I know he has a slight case of Asthma and his coat although he cleans himself regularly tends to shed a lot with skin flakes since he is black and white more black.  I try to not use any air freshners or fragrances as not to inflame his Asthma.

Hmm...perhaps these crusts need a more in depth analysis, especially if new ones are popping up. The vet may need to do a scraping to check for certain fungi, etc.

And it's still possible that the crusts are not the cause of his limping, so I would keep an eye on him in that regard. If it is mild sprain, I would think that you would see gradual improvement (as long as he's taking it easy).

Well he goes to the Vet tomorrow morning at 11am.  I am worried because if i need to isolate him to a room without jumping and separation from the other cat.  He isn't running around anymore or chasing or playing with the other cat.  They paw at each other, but not like before where they would chase each other up and down the stairs.  He still uses the litter and still eats good, but then just sleeps.   I am praying it isn't a broken bone or torn tendon!