Pushkin is Limping :(

zoggy

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Ok, I decided to make a scratching post.
Basically, Pushkin and Mishka jumped on it and caused it to fall over.
Now today I see Pushkin is limping.
I feel so bad, is there anything I can do?
His leg is raised up to his body, but his foot is pointed down to the floor.
___
/

In that shape.
I remember when I broke my finger I had this metallic rod.
My dad cut it up and placed it on the cat's foot and wrapped it with bandage.
Now he walks with this big rod in his foot on his 3 legs.
I just feel so bad. Is there someplace I can go to get the proper bandage or something? I don't want his leg to grow in the wrong way. What do I do in this case?
 

bumpy

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Err, please take your cat to the vet as soon as possible. You should not just use a splint if you are not certain of the injury and in any case if you are not certain with how to use a splint you may end up tying too tight and cutting of circulation. A splint is to ensure the bones are held in place but before a splint is used the medical staff would ensure that the bones are in the correct place.

In short, take the cat to the vet.
 

silverbook

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You need to take him to a vet. He needs to be examined, and have the proper treatment applied. It is the weekend, so you may have to go to an emergency vet depending on how vet hours are in your area.
 
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zoggy

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What are the procedures that are normally done and are they expensive?
 

pushylady

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It might be expensive, but you could compromise his health by not taking him. A splint really needs to be done by a vet.
My Pushkin sends your Pushkin some get well vibes {}.
 
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zoggy

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You mean I "can't" compromise his health by taking him to the vet?
Anyway.
The problem is that the vet would want an x-ray, subscribes medication, bandages things up, all these things could run my parents like 300$.
The x-ray definitely needs to be done, and I do not think it will be cheap.
Hopefully its just a sprain.
 

silverbook

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It may be expensive. I've never had this problem with my cat, so I don't know how much it could cost. The only thing I can really suggest is calling the vet explaining what is going on, and ask for a price quote. If you have low cost vets in your area, and meet the criteria to see one, that could be another option.
 

kluchetta

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Personally, I think it would be good to take the splint off, if it is still on. The cat could 1) have hurt it a bit and not wanted to walk on it for a while, but now that the splint is on he CAN'T walk on it, or 2) have hurt it a lot, and you can't tell the extent BECAUSE of the splint. It's entirely possible that the vet can figure it out without xrays, but you should be prepared for them. Call the vet first, and find out how much they are. By applying the splint, you've sort of impeded the natural process of healing for the cat, IMO. Let us know how it all goes, poor baby.
 

gardenandcats

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You really need to have the cat seen by a vet. if indeed the leg is broken. And the bone is not set in the proper alingment then the leg will heal incorrectly.The catwill limp all its life if it is not set correctly.
 
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zoggy

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We took off the splint today to let the blood circulate in his leg.
He is doing everything he would normally do. Its quite weird.

Update: Its been a few hours, the circulation is back in Pushkin's leg and he is actually using his leg now. He is running and everything. He is alot more active than he was yesterday. I think its just a sprain. We'll see how he is by tomorrow.
 

kluchetta

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Originally Posted by Zoggy

We took off the splint today to let the blood circulate in his leg.
He is doing everything he would normally do. Its quite weird.

Update: Its been a few hours, the circulation is back in Pushkin's leg and he is actually using his leg now. He is running and everything. He is alot more active than he was yesterday. I think its just a sprain. We'll see how he is by tomorrow.
I kind of thought that would be the case. They have remarkable powers of healing, and usually seem to know what to do to heal.
 

semiferal

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In general, unless there is an outward sign of trauma to the leg (an open wound or a broken bone that you can feel by running your hand over the leg), you can just leave it alone and keep an eye on it. Splinting it yourself won't help if there isn't a compound fracture. Most injuries like you described are sprains and bruises that heal in a few days on their own. Pain medication is possible but actually not a great idea in this case since it's better for him to feel the pain and know that he is injured so he stays off the foot and allows it to heal.

If there *is* a sign of a serious injury, though, such as a bone poking through the skin or if the leg is bent at an unnatural angle, that requires immediate vet attention and probably surgery to fix it. If there is no such sign but he doesn't improve in a few days, then it would also be necessary to see a vet.
 
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zoggy

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Originally Posted by semiferal

In general, unless there is an outward sign of trauma to the leg (an open wound or a broken bone that you can feel by running your hand over the leg), you can just leave it alone and keep an eye on it. Splinting it yourself won't help if there isn't a compound fracture. Most injuries like you described are sprains and bruises that heal in a few days on their own. Pain medication is possible but actually not a great idea in this case since it's better for him to feel the pain and know that he is injured so he stays off the foot and allows it to heal.

If there *is* a sign of a serious injury, though, such as a bone poking through the skin or if the leg is bent at an unnatural angle, that requires immediate vet attention and probably surgery to fix it. If there is no such sign but he doesn't improve in a few days, then it would also be necessary to see a vet.
Touche.

His leg doesn't show any physical wounds or fractures.
I remember when I fractured my finger I could NOT move it, it was swollen, and any pressure applied to it would hurt like a b...blast.
Pushkin is recovering pretty fast in my opinion.
I guess we'll have to wait and see by the next couple of days.
 
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