My cat is hurt and I took her to the vet and they won't help can someone help!!!

af97

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Nov 1, 2016
Messages
2
Purraise
0
My cat is 9 months old she has hurt herself I don't know if she has fell as she got out of the house and we lost her for 4 days and now she is limping she uses the paw to play and hold herself up but won't use it unless she has to she let's us touch it but and pressure on a certain. Area hurts her we phoned the vet and they won't see her as we don't have the money up front to pay as I don't get my wages till next month neither dose my partner, I am concerned my partner says it may just be a sprain, but she's my baby she's eating and playing like her usual self just not walking on it any ideas ????
 

stephanietx

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
14,772
Purraise
3,491
Location
Texas
If you live in a larger city, call around to other vet clinics and explain your situation and see if you can find one that will work with you.
 

Kieka

Snowshoe Servant
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Sep 6, 2016
Messages
11,394
Purraise
19,968
Location
Southern California
My boy recently had similar symptoms and it turned out to be a broken limb. My sisters cat was similar and it was a bite wound to the leg. Cats will hide pain. Link was trying to walk on his broken leg as if nothing was wrong and now it is a month into healing and he is dashing everywhere .... but its still broken and he won't put weight on it when he is sitting. Dorky cat, *sigh*, thats why I had to go surgery route. Anyways ....

Until you can get her to a vet you should confine her movement (think crate, large carrier, shower stall or bathtub if it has a door). Basically just big enough to eat , and possibly litter box. When Link broke his leg one of our options was confining his movement for 6-8 weeks to allow the bone to heal without damaging it further (still need an xray to confirm that to make sure its a smaller bone and lines up well for self heal). I am not saying you don't need an exam, but confinement until you know what it is will prevent further damage if it is a break. Also, check the limb for any wounds. Bite wounds can hide so you need to look carefully (my sisters cat you couldn't see it until he was shaved). If you can find a wound, keep it clean and treat with Neosporine (non medicated) or an antiseptic cleaner.

Most likely you'll need an exam, antibiotics and xrays to figure it out. Having been down that road twice in two months low end is $400 and high is .... high. So maybe look into CareCredit, if offered in your area, to help with spreading the payments out.

I wouldn't assume it is something minor . You are talking your cats mobility and if she goes outside that means her life too. She should see the vet to confirm how minor (or major) it is and ensure proper treatment for the best healing.

Best of luck.
 
Last edited:

catwoman707

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 16, 2011
Messages
7,689
Purraise
2,263
Location
Vallejo, CA
The way a cat is able to heal their limbs always amazes me, basically without vet care you will need to keep her indoors, that is critical, if you can limit her area even better, but if not she will baby it fine anyway while inside.

It doesn't sound broken or she would not use it AT ALL. It would hang and she would not sit herself on it or use it for a toy.

If you do not see swelling anywhere on her arm, it will take a few days but bet she suddenly starts walking on it fine again, once the pain from her injury fades.

If it does not go away, her appetite goes way down, she acts depressed or shows swelling or fever, she definitely should be seen.
 

basscat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 29, 2015
Messages
1,874
Purraise
5,724
 
The way a cat is able to heal their limbs always amazes me, basically without vet care you will need to keep her indoors, that is critical, if you can limit her area even better, but if not she will baby it fine anyway while inside.

It doesn't sound broken or she would not use it AT ALL. It would hang and she would not sit herself on it or use it for a toy.

If you do not see swelling anywhere on her arm, it will take a few days but bet she suddenly starts walking on it fine again, once the pain from her injury fades.

If it does not go away, her appetite goes way down, she acts depressed or shows swelling or fever, she definitely should be seen.
THIS ^
 
 

Kieka

Snowshoe Servant
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Sep 6, 2016
Messages
11,394
Purraise
19,968
Location
Southern California
 
The way a cat is able to heal their limbs always amazes me, basically without vet care you will need to keep her indoors, that is critical, if you can limit her area even better, but if not she will baby it fine anyway while inside.

It doesn't sound broken or she would not use it AT ALL. It would hang and she would not sit herself on it or use it for a toy.

If you do not see swelling anywhere on her arm, it will take a few days but bet she suddenly starts walking on it fine again, once the pain from her injury fades.

If it does not go away, her appetite goes way down, she acts depressed or shows swelling or fever, she definitely should be seen.
I agree that it is probably not broken, but safe is better than sorry, it more likely is a bite wound or infection of some sort in the area. It may even be just a sprain or strain. I jump to broken just because I've had two cats break limbs and one very recently. Also, since the cat is allowed outside she needs to have full mobility for her own safety so it is better to at least get it checked, when possible, to make sure it is minor.

I do disagree with the assessment that it isn't broken based on her willingness to use it. Link's leg was/is broken, snapped the tibia but not the fibula so it was somewhat internally stabilized. It's his hind leg so he wasn't using it for play but he would put it down on the ground for balance when he had to. Yes, he was trying to hold it close to his body and not move it when he was laying down but he toe touched some too and was trying to climb with it when I found him. The vet initially thought it wasn't broken because he was willing to put weight on it and allowed her to manipulate the limb; she was more concerned with internal damage because he looked banged up. Even though he had been gone for 4 days the leg was not swollen (although he was badly bruised). But once she saw the x-rays it was clearly broken. He was at the vet for 5 days and during that time he would touch the ground with it to move around and frequently laid on it. Within a week of the injury he was trying to use it normally and now 4 weeks out he is acting like it was never broken except for when he stops moving.

In this case it could be a fracture or a similar situation of one of two bones broken in the area as a worst case scenario. In which case some use of the limb is not unexpected but if she doesn't have the time indoors to heal it properly she could make the break or fracture even worse and end up having only the option of surgery to take care of it at that point. In my case, Link really wants to go outside and if I didn't know better I would say he was good to go. But since I did get x-rays and evaluated I know its broken and I know that going out right now he runs the risk of making it worse. So even though he seems fine we are waiting the full 8 weeks to ensure it fully heals and the bone is completely bonded so it won't snap when he runs, jumps or lands on it weird. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if after a few days she starts acting normally. But I tend to be more on the line of its better to not risk that it is minor and get it checked out. I completely agree that appetite problems, lethargic behavior, vomiting, etc are signs she must see a vet. Also watch for seeping or blood in the area that would indicate an infection has formed under the skin. I still think it should get the peace of mind of an exam and xray though. But with money concerns, if I couldn't afford an xray to confirm it isn't broken I would assume it is and keep her indoors for 8 weeks and try to limit jumping/running to make sure she fully heals and doesn't re-damage it. Assume and treat as if the worst case and prevent it from getting worse versus assuming it is the best case and treating it as such and then ending up in a worse situation. 
 
Last edited:

catwoman707

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 16, 2011
Messages
7,689
Purraise
2,263
Location
Vallejo, CA
 
I agree that it is probably not broken, but safe is better than sorry, it more likely is a bite wound or infection of some sort in the area. It may even be just a sprain or strain. I jump to broken just because I've had two cats break limbs and one very recently. Also, since the cat is allowed outside she needs to have full mobility for her own safety so it is better to at least get it checked, when possible, to make sure it is minor.

I do disagree with the assessment that it isn't broken based on her willingness to use it. Link's leg was/is broken, snapped the tibia but not the fibula so it was somewhat internally stabilized. It's his hind leg so he wasn't using it for play but he would put it down on the ground for balance when he had to. Yes, he was trying to hold it close to his body and not move it when he was laying down but he toe touched some too and was trying to climb with it when I found him. The vet initially thought it wasn't broken because he was willing to put weight on it and allowed her to manipulate the limb; she was more concerned with internal damage because he looked banged up. Even though he had been gone for 4 days the leg was not swollen (although he was badly bruised). But once she saw the x-rays it was clearly broken. He was at the vet for 5 days and during that time he would touch the ground with it to move around and frequently laid on it. Within a week of the injury he was trying to use it normally and now 4 weeks out he is acting like it was never broken except for when he stops moving.

In this case it could be a fracture or a similar situation of one of two bones broken in the area as a worst case scenario. In which case some use of the limb is not unexpected but if she doesn't have the time indoors to heal it properly she could make the break or fracture even worse and end up having only the option of surgery to take care of it at that point. In my case, Link really wants to go outside and if I didn't know better I would say he was good to go. But since I did get x-rays and evaluated I know its broken and I know that going out right now he runs the risk of making it worse. So even though he seems fine we are waiting the full 8 weeks to ensure it fully heals and the bone is completely bonded so it won't snap when he runs, jumps or lands on it weird. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if after a few days she starts acting normally. But I tend to be more on the line of its better to not risk that it is minor and get it checked out. I completely agree that appetite problems, lethargic behavior, vomiting, etc are signs she must see a vet. Also watch for seeping or blood in the area that would indicate an infection has formed under the skin. I still think it should get the peace of mind of an exam and xray though. But with money concerns, if I couldn't afford an xray to confirm it isn't broken I would assume it is and keep her indoors for 8 weeks and try to limit jumping/running to make sure she fully heals and doesn't re-damage it. Assume and treat as if the worst case and prevent it from getting worse versus assuming it is the best case and treating it as such and then ending up in a worse situation. 
I don't want to give the impression that I know anything for a fact that's for sure, but am keeping in mind that the OP is not able to get the kitty to a vet for some time due to cost, so I gave the best advice I can based on what is more likely than an actual break. 

Being female, I HIGHLY doubt it's due to a bite, as females won't fight like males will and cause abcesses.

There is a much better chance your girl strained or stretched it, happens easily outdoors, the way they will climb and hop fences, etc.

Watch and see how she does, but there's a very good chance she will heal herself with this as it's not uncommon.

Better safe than sorry, of course it is, but also not always necessary to run up a vet bill if her behavior is good/normal and she is eating the same as usual.

An actual break causes much bigger pain for them, which will cause hiding/napping in odd spots, possible decreased appetite, and so on.

Just as an FYI, I have a cat rescue group and have for many years now, so I think rescue-minded, being a non-profit we don't have an endless supply of funds, and I have most meds needed to treat for basic needs, so I tend not to rush a kitten or cat to the vet unless 1, it doesn't improve in a short time, or 2, I question an illness or injury, or the cat's behavior feels 'not quite right'. Or of course if something is a complete mystery to me, which isn't often, I've seen just about everything there is to see, rescues get the worst cases....

I don't blame you thinking it might be broken since your cat recently has had this too!
 

frajude

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Oct 19, 2015
Messages
72
Purraise
12
Are you able to look at the paw and see if there is anything there. Also compare one paw to the other to check for swelling (one may be a tad larger than the other).    Did you check to see if there are any non-profits in your area that rescue and neuter strays. They often have the ability to check animals out.
 
Top