Cat limping – how long does a sprain last?

Cats usually hide it well when they are not feeling well due to illness or pain. For this reason, a limping cat should always be considered a serious problem. Various diseases can be behind it that require veterinary clarification.

In this article, we have compiled possible reasons for a cat limping or lameness and provide tips on how to behave in an emergency.

Possible causes of limping

If a cat is limping, many causes are possible. In addition to more harmless triggers such as a strain or sprain, injuries, bite wounds or serious illnesses are also possible.

That a cat is limping can have many causes. However, not all of them are harmless. Lameness often occurs as a result of trauma, such as a fall, bump, blow, bite, or getting limbs caught or squeezed. An important factor in determining the cause is whether the limping appears suddenly or develops over a longer period.

Injury

Especially when a cat is regularly let outside, it is exposed to certain dangers. These, in turn, promote various types of injuries. For example, the cat may be limping because it sustained a cut or developed skin tears after getting caught somewhere.

Bruises, contusions, and torn tendons are also possible consequences of their adventures. The injury does not always have to be in the lower and visible part of a leg. Problems with the shoulder, hip, or back can also cause sudden limping, but are not always immediately recognized.

If a cat suffers from pain in its sensitive paw pads, this also often manifests as lameness or limping. This can be caused by torn or broken claws, or those that have grown into the pads. It can also be that the cat is limping because it is struggling with a foreign body, such as glass shards, wood splinters, or plant thorns in its paw.

Bite

Especially during mating season, male cats often get into fights with neighborhood cats. They then fiercely compete for females or simply defend their territory. It is not uncommon for cats to return with minor injuries or bite wounds. It is therefore not surprising that cats sometimes limp.

If you notice that the wounds are bleeding heavily or the cat is in severe pain, it should be examined by a vet immediately. Even small wounds must be disinfected and observed, as cat bites can quickly become infected and this, in turn, can cause severe discomfort in the cat.

Diseases

In some cases, a cat limping indicates a serious illness such as osteoarthritis. This is a joint wear syndrome that particularly affects older and overweight house cats. Although osteoarthritis is unfortunately not curable, it can be alleviated with painkillers and food supplements. In addition to limping, symptoms may also include swollen joints or changes in the cat's behavior.

If a cat has a nervous system disorder, it can also limp. This is usually due to a lack of function in the nerves that normally control a leg. This happens, for example, due to nerve injuries from bone fractures, falls, or accidents. In rare cases, a tumor is also the cause.

In addition, there are some infectious diseases and metabolic disorders that can damage nerves, causing the cat to limp or show other gait abnormalities. For example, if a cat has diabetes, it often walks plantigrade, meaning it walks on the entire lower part of its leg instead of just its paws.

Strain/Sprain

Cats love to move and romp around playfully. Especially when their play drive kicks in, they are hard to stop. That's why it can happen that the furry friends get a strain or sprain. In such cases, the joints and bones are always affected. Often, strains and sprains heal on their own and only require a little rest. However, a veterinarian should take an X-ray to rule out bone fractures.

A sprain or strain in cats usually only lasts a few weeks and is often completely healed afterwards.

Symptoms

Whether a cat is lame can usually be determined by several signs simultaneously. Typical signs include an unloaded leg, an unsteady gait, and clear pain reactions.

Lameness in a cat can be identified by observing various symptoms. These include:

• Relieving pressure on a leg
• Stiff, unsteady gait
• Avoiding certain movements
• Swelling, redness, warmth, and tenderness of a limb
• Abnormal angulation of a limb
• General pain symptoms
• Increased resting behavior
• Fever

Provide first aid

In some cases, you can provide first aid if your cat is limping. First, it should be moved to a quiet room where it can sleep and not be encouraged to play by other animals or people.

After that, it is important to be aware of the causes of the pain. You should find out whether the front or hind leg is affected or if there are any injuries. This can often be determined by careful palpation. If you touch the affected area, many cats will hiss, growl, or make painful sounds.

Foreign bodies, such as small stones or plant thorns and insect stings, can be carefully removed from the paw with tweezers. If the cat's skin is injured, it must then be cleaned and disinfected. It is important that the cat does not lick the area intensely afterwards. It should also not go outside until the skin has healed.

However, if there is an internal injury, you should consult a vet after at least 24 hours. Such injuries often cannot be reliably identified by yourself and must be clarified by a vet.

Diagnosis by the vet

To find the cause of the limping, the vet first takes a history and then examines the cat specifically orthopedically or neurologically.

Before the actual examination begins, the veterinarian will take a so-called anamnesis. This is a preliminary report with which experts ascertain how long symptoms have existed, whether they appeared acutely or gradually, and whether an accident could be observed or not. Other signs of illness also play a role. Only after this does the actual diagnostic process begin, which includes the following steps:

• Assessment of the wound
• Evaluation of the gait
• Neurological or orthopedic examination
• Diagnosis by X-ray

If there is neither a foreign body nor an open injury in the cat, the doctor will proceed to examine the cat's gait. Here, especially with anxious cats, it can be helpful to take a video at home if the cat is limping. If the animal does not want to leave its carrier in the vet's office, the doctor can still get a good idea of the problem.

Further examinations

If a precise diagnosis cannot be made immediately by the veterinarian, further examinations are initiated to find out why the cat is limping:

• X-ray examinations: for imaging tissues such as bones, internal organs, and vessels of the cat
• Ultrasound: imaging various body tissues based on their differing densities using ultrasound waves
• Computed tomography (CT): X-ray procedure for imaging the cat's body in cross-sectional images
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): examination of body areas that could not previously be examined with other imaging techniques
• Joint puncture: searching for joint inflammation by taking joint fluid
• Bone biopsy: taking a bone sample while the cat is under anesthesia

Treatment options

The necessary treatment depends entirely on the cause of the limping. Depending on the diagnosis, wound care and pain medication, as well as physiotherapy or surgery, may be considered.

To initiate helpful therapy for the cat, the diagnosis result is crucial. For injuries, these things may be considered:

• Wound care
• Immobilization of the limb
• Surgical intervention
• Painkillers
• Antibiotics

If, on the other hand, a chronic illness is present, the following measures are possible to alleviate symptoms or delay the course of the disease:

• Medication administration
• Painkillers
• Osteopathy
• Weight reduction
• Physiotherapy
• Surgical intervention

Prevention and Support

Problems with the musculoskeletal system in cats cannot always be prevented. Nevertheless, diet, weight control, and appropriate exercise can significantly reduce the risk.

If a cat develops problems with its musculoskeletal system, a trip to the vet is often necessary. However, as a cat owner, you can already do some things in advance to prevent health damage of this kind.

• Proper food, especially during growth: The food should contain many important nutrients.
• Food supplements for joints: These are usually available in powder form, which can be mixed with the food. Natural ingredients support the cat's joints.
• Avoidance of obesity: Old and overweight cats are particularly prone to osteoarthritis, which in turn can cause the cat to limp.
• Ensure sufficient exercise: Exercise can particularly prevent diseases such as osteoarthritis. Therefore, as a cat owner, you should play frequently with your feline friend. However, large jumps and tight turns should be avoided, as these put particular strain on a cat's joints.