My cat can't walk on its leg. Will a cat leg fracture heal naturally?

The answer is a bit of a catch 22. Yes, fractures can heal on their own, however they don't always heal in a good position naturally, so letting it heal on his own could lead to greater issues long term. However, money doesn't grow on trees, and if you can't afford x-rays and surgery, I'd recommend talking to your vet about what your budget is and what the best plan will be within that budget. That is something that vets are very familiar with and can work around.

I would take your cat into a vet immediately. This will be extremely painful for him, and he needs treatment for the broken leg. Leaving it untreated can lead it to heal incorrectly affecting his ability to walk. It can also cause nerve damage. Unfortunately you cannot give him any human pain medications, as many human ones are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. He absolutely needs veterinary treatment for it, please take him into a vet now. Good luck!

Poor Kitter! It depends on the severity of the break. If it's something like a hairline fracture, it can heal on it's own without surgical intervention. It would be very important, however, that he's on pain medication to prevent him from being painful. It sounds like you aren't happy with the vet's assessment, and without seeing him in person, I can't say if this fracture needs further treatment. I recommend taking him into another vet for a second opinion. This may help you feel better about the course of treatment for him. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Yikes. I'm concerned from your description that his leg could be dislocated or fractured. I would highly, highly recommend a vet visit so you know what's wrong, can formulate the best plan to treat him, and perhaps most importantly get him started on pain meds! In the meantime, keep him confined so he's using that leg as little as possible. Put him in a room with nothing to jump on, with his litterbox, food, and water all there, and a bed or soft blanket on the floor. If that's not possible, a large dog kennel can also work for confinement, if you can fit his food/water/litterbox and a blanket inside. A dislocation will not fix itself without vet attention, and some types of fractures require surgery to improve. However, soft tissue injuries (such as sprains), and even some fractures can heal with rest and time. Cats can be amazing healers. Do *not* give him anything for pain. There are no human medications that are safe or effective for him, and anything you give him could be dangerous, and could get in the way of more effective medications your vet might prescribe. Additionally, don't try to wrap or splint the leg, as you may do more harm than good. I would also discourage you from trying to massage it, since that will only cause further pain for him if he does have a traumatic injury. Hope that helps.

Ploffie is quite handsome. This could potentially heal on its own if it is a minor soft tissue injury or a minor fracture, but he needs to be confined and not allowed to roam or jump. My concern is that if it is secondary to an abscess or some type of infection or a large displaced fracture then it may not heal. If he isn't improving, I would try to figure a way to catch him and take him to your vet. Your vet will be able to determine the cause and get him started on the proper meds. I hope this helps!

It's a little difficult to see in your copy of the x-ray, but it looks like the left femur might be fractured. If the broken bone is above the knee then a cast won't help because it's not possible to stabilize the fracture. If they have recommended pain medication and rest I think that probably is the best option with a broken hip - kittens can heal quickly and it's possible that he will have decent function in the leg. If not, then a surgery called a femoral head osteotomy might be an option once he's big enough for surgery.

Great question! The only way to tell is by having an x-ray done by your veterinarian - this will show exactly what is wrong with the bone, and will also give the information needed to determine whether it can be fixed or not. I would recommend taking the kitten to your vet for an exam and x-rays as soon as you are able to - he/she will be able to advise you further on what can be done to help the kitten, depending on what the x-rays show.