Need some advice of injured Kitten leg

Yesterday (August 5) afternoon my kitten (about 13-14 weeks old) climbed onto a Ms. Pac-Man arcade machine in my house and accidentaly fell off the side while playing. When it landed awkwardly, it hissed and made a very disturbing 'meow' for about a minute, then ran under my bed. Upon inspection, I noticed that it was nursing its rear-left leg, and wouldn't step on it while walking.

I let him sleep for about an hour, and when he woke, he didn't seem to be in any pain whatsoever, even when I touch various parts of his leg. He even wanted to play when I was testing his leg. I decided that it would be best to see how he is, and take him to the vet on Monday if the problem persists.

Today he seems to be slightly improving. He uses his leg on the ground now, but when he runs he keeps it up, and when he walks on it, it is very tenderly, and it looks very awkward, much like a limp.

It doesn't appear to be broke, but then again, I am not veterinarian. I would assume if it is broken, he would be in pain if I touched it. My roommate suggested it could be dislocated, but it doesn't appear that the bone is unhinged, it just looks extremely awkward for him to walk on it.

What should I do? I asked my mom, because she had a few cats while growing up, and said that her cats would hurt their legs often from jumping from things, and it woudl take 4-5 days for them to heal. Currently if he doesn't get better, I think I would take him to the vet on tuesday or wednesday, but should I treat this as an emergency? This is my first kitten, and I would be more than happy to take it to the vet if needed, but please understand that I am a college student, and would like to avoid paying any unneccissary bills if possible.

Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Matt

Matt....welcome to TCS...if you are concerned...I would take him into the vet. I realize that you would like to avoid unnecessary bills...but sometimes an ounce of prevention is worth a lot. You may even want to post your question here:

http://65.205.160.196/idealbb/forum.asp?forumID=12&sessionID={4E117292-7F09-4876-B8D5-83BF84330094}

(copy the whole link and post it in a new window)

because there is a vet who answers the questions. Again...if you are concerned..I'd get him into be seen.

Is he current on all his shots?? (he should have received dewormer and a set of 3 immunization shots). If he isn't up to date on shots..you can use the vet visit to make sure he has all his shots.

You also may want to invest in pet insurance to assist with medical bills.

Katie

definatly get him to the vets as soon as you can. we had a cat come in a month ago that was left to 'heal' and had a dislocated hip. it healed.. but the wrong way. we had break off pieces of the cartilage and slide the bones back in place. it wasn't pleasant and it was a long surgery (i.e. expensive) best to get it sorted straight away. keep you and your kitty's mind at rest.

Cats do hide pain well - I would at least call the vet for advice on whether to come in.

Thank you for the advice. If he doesn't appear to be getting significantly better by the morning, I will find some way to get him to the vet that afternoon.

Thanks again,
Matt

Originally Posted by mhedges

Thank you for the advice. If he doesn't appear to be getting significantly better by the morning, I will find some way to get him to the vet that afternoon.

Thanks again,
Matt

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Good luck - I'm sorry it was a worry that brought you here, but welcome to TCS!

Please let us know how it goes.