My cat has brachial plexus avulsion. Is leg pain a sign of healing?

The only way to better determine Snit's prognosis of regaining use of the affected limb is through repeated neurologic exams. Based on your description, it sounds possible that Snit may be experiencing either radial nerve paralysis or a brachial plexus avulsion. While function of the affected limb may return, this is not the case for every cat and amputation may be considered in some cases. I recommend taking Snit to his vet regularly for neurologic exams to determine if there are any changes. If there is no improvement after 6 or more weeks, it may be best to discuss amputation as an option with your veterinarian. I hope that all goes well!

Poor Pepe! He could be limping because he is in pain, but he could be limping due to decreased feeling to the leg from the nerve damage. It does take a long time for nerves to fully regrow, so hopefully there still may be a chance that he could regain function in his leg. If you are concerned that Pepe is in pain, then I would speak to your vet about pain medications for him. Do not give him any human pain medications, many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. It's only been six weeks since surgery, and it can take up to a couple of months for full recovery to occur. I would speak to your vet about possibly putting him on pain medications, and give him a little more time to see if he does regain full function in his leg.

Poor cat! If there is no deep pain present in the back legs then chances are kidding you won't regain function unfortunately. We use the pain is an indicator whether the pet will walk again. However if deep pain is present (kitty moves twitches or flinches when you pinch the back toes), then there is a chance that Katie can regain function of the limbs. However you won't know the extent of the injury without an x-ray. And without an x-ray he won't really know what treatment kitty needs. I unfortunately don't see a good solution here without proper diagnostics. Kittie may be a lost cause at this point without proper medical care for such a traumatic injury like this which undoubtedly involves the spinal cord and/or pelvis. I would highly consider Humane euthanasia for this kittie because the outcome looks bleak.

Sounds like Garth is still experiencing quite a bit of pain. While there may not be any clear fractures, other injuries involving soft tissue structures such as ligaments, tendons, and muscles can be equally painful. There are also injuries to nerves that can result in pretty severe pain. Lastly, dislocations can also occur (particularly in the hip) that are extremely painful. However, that should have showed up clearly on the x-ray assuming they shot all the way up to hip joint. I would continue to give him his medication as prescribed and make sure he is rested and confined. However, if matters are not any better by the time the prescribed course of meds is complete, he will need to be brought back in to the veterinarian for reassessment.

Please keep this area clean so the skin will heal. I use hydrogen peroxide as it doesn't sting. You can then apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. Luckily cats heal very well so as long as he is moving normally, is not in pain and the area doesn't get infected you do not need to him take him in. If he stops eating or the wound becomes infected or smells or he stops using the leg then take him in for an exam. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Yes, he will continue to improve over time. Luckily cats heal well with orthopedic injuries. Let him rest if he wants to and I would discourage jumping for another month so he won't injury the area again since it's not fully healed. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Chippy.

Hello, its difficult to assess if he will recover from this injury as there are no x-rays to evaluate. If his does have a fractured back, and currently is unable to move legs then his prognosis for recovery may not be great without surgery. Buprenorphine is great pain medication for cats. Sorry to hear about Little bit, I hope he recovers well!!