My cat has a broken leg. Is vomiting and not eating a sign of pain?

It's hard to know what's going on with him without seeing the xrays and knowing which pain medications your cat is on. Hopefully there is an opiate on-board like a long-acting buprenorphine injection to help appropriately with the pain. Usually with adequate pain medication cats will start eating after an injury if there is no other issue like kidney disease or a ruptured bladder (like from trauma). If he has not had bloodwork and a urine test done, I recommend these tests to make sure there isn't something else going on besides the fracture. Appetite stimulants like Mirtazapine may help him to start eating on his own, or you may have to force-feed him with a syringe and canned cat food. Hope that helps!

I am so very sorry Willow broke her leg! I certainly understand being distraught and upset over this, it is an upsetting situation. Kittens have a great blood supply to their bones due to their growth, and broken bones tend to heal very well; in fact, cage rest is sometimes all that is needed. And yes, splints are often not needed! It can heal without a splint. Kittens can be good at hiding their pain, but one way to tell is if she is eating and drinking. A kitten in pain will not eat or drink, and if she is eating and drinking, that means she is feeling good, so she won't be in pain. If you do have concerns, however, you can give your vet a call to discuss things. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Eevee! How do you know her leg is broken? Sadly cats are special, unique creatures that can not metabolize human medications like we can or even dogs (some medications). They are missing an enzyme needed to break down drugs like aspirin, Tylenol and advil. Giving them those drugs will cause them to become very sick and even die. There is no safe drug you can give Eevee that will not cause more harm than good. She needs to see a vet to be diagnosed with the fracture and be prescribed medications for pain that is safe to give a cat (onsior, buprenorphine or gabapentin). She needs to be crated in a large dog crate for 6-8 weeks for the fracture to heal. Letting her walk around and go outside will not allow for healing if her leg is broken. At a minimum confine her and see how she heals. Cats are amazing in that way. Good luck!

Poor kitty. I’m assuming the leg was splinted already? If not the vet needs to splint the leg so that it is stabilized and has a chance to heal. Also kitty ness to be on oral pain medication in addition to the injection the vet gave him, which usually only lasts for about a day or two. If he is in pain then he will continue to refuse food. Additionally I would check with the vet to see if the the anti internal bleeding injections have a side effect of inappetance. He may need to reduce the dosage or stop it altogether. Consult with your veterinarian on this since legally they are the ones who need to change any prescribed medications for kitty. I would also recommend bloodwork analysis to check for internal damage to kitty’s kidneys or liver. I hope this helps and that your kitty gets well soon. Best wishes and take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. My guess would be pain. Any little tweak or trying to move too fast could be exruciating. I'm sure it goes without saying but a fractured pelvis is extremely painful and he should be on probably at least two pain medications given 2-3 times daily. If he is on less than that, talk to your vet about adding something on. (Even if he is on two, ask if another might be indicated.) Best wishes to you and the little guy.

It sounds like Kara may be pretty unwell. There are so many potential causes for her to act this way - it can be very concerning when a cat stops eating, sometimes it is due to a fever. Please take her for a veterinary exam as soon as possible to try to determine what could be wrong. Your vet may suggest tests like blood work and xrays to determine the cause of her illness. They will be able to ask you more questions to narrow down a diagnosis. Hope Kara feels better soon!

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.