My cat's front paw is limp after a car accident. What to do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Unfortunately, it is difficult to know what kind of injury he has sustained and what kind of therapy he needs. This could be as severe as a fracture or something more mild like a soft tissue injury. The fact that he is crying when the leg is manipulated indicates that he is quite painful requiring pain control medications at least. If he does have a fracture, he may actually require surgery. For this reason it is crucial that he is indeed evaluated by a veterinarian. You could consider taking him to your local humane society as often times they offer less expensive veterinary care. I hope you are able to get him some help. Good luck!

Oh no, poor Jim! Unfortunately if he did break his leg, he could still put weight on it when needed so that fact does not rule out a broken leg. The only way to rule it out is with x-rays at the vet clinic. It is concerning that he won't put any pressure on his paw at all, and I don't feel this can wait for another week. I will give you some resources that may help you afford a vet sooner. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Carefree Credit online. http://www.carefreecredit.co.uk https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/vetcare http://www.easipetcare.com

How old is he? If he is past 1 year old, I would be concerned that he may have a fracture of the tibial crest. That is the large bone below the knee. The hips also don't look 100% normal. Without doing an exam on him myself and knowing exactly where he is painful, it is difficult for me to just look at the radiographs and give you a diagnosis. Also, every veterinary surgeon charges differently for different procedures and it is also very depending on location and cost of living. My advice to you would be to go in for the consultation with the surgeon so they can give you more details on what is wrong with him and the best course of treatment. Be sure to ask for estimates for the procedure and if you cannot afford what they are recommending, simply ask what the next best, more affordable option would be. Cats are quite resilient and sometimes they can heal with strict confinement, but I would see what the surgeon thinks. I hope this helps and he starts to feel better soon.

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!

This looks like a luxated metatarsal joint. We do not usually put a cast on this or do surgery. You may want to adopt this kitty and give her a loving home with regular food and lots of lovings. This foot should come alright by itself, however she will be in more danger of being attacked by dogs or even other cats while injured.

Without having an xray done it is almost always impossible to determine if it can be repaired surgically or if amputation is needed, i strongly recommend having the leg xrayed before getting to such a conclusion.

It is impossible to know what is causing him to be lame without an examination. The best thing would be to have a vet take a look at him to do an orthopedic examination and take an xray, if needed, to determine the exact cause. He could have an infection, fracture, or strain/sprain. Once diagnsed, your vet can decide the best way to treat his problem. He may just need an antibiotic and/or an anti-inflammatory/pain medications. I hope Smokey feels better soon!