My cat is limping after slipping on a wet floor. What should I do?

I am sorry to hear about Luna. If Luna is limping there are many different possible causes, including soft tissue injury (such as a muscle sprain/strain, torn ligament), a fracture (it isn't always obvious when a pet breaks a bone if the fracture is not displaced), a torn or sore toenail, a skin infection of the toenails or bottom of the foot, nerve disorders, or in older pets tumors of the muscle or bone. I would recommend examination by a vet if the issue has been present since Sunday with no improvement. Unfortunately there are no safe pain medications available over the counter for cats, so I would just try to keep her quiet/restrict her activity/keep her indoors until she can be seen.

A clot that causes limping is VERY painful. We do not expect cats that have thrown clots to recover without significant treatment. So, that certainly makes it less likely that Luna had a clot. However, I would strongly recommend having her examined to see what is going on. It certainly is not normal for a 6 year old cat to be limping. If Luna does not do well at the vet, maybe a house call vet would be a good option for her. I'm not sure if there is one in your area, but this might be a good place to look for one. http://www.homevets.org/Find_A_Mobile_Vet.html Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Luna feels better soon. Thanks for using PetCoach.

I think it's likely something recent. Limping means Lily is in pain, and unfortunately there are no OTC pain medications you can give her. Many human ones are toxic to cats, and are fatal if given. I would take her into the vet in the morning for this problem. Rest her tonight as much as possible. No running, jumping, or playing.

Pickle could have injured her leg outside. I recommend resting her for the next 48 hours. No running, jumping, or playing. Keep her indoors at all times during this time. If she still appears painful after this time, then I would take her into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose where the pain is coming from, and can dictate a treatment plan for it. She may also benefit from some pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give her any human pain medications, as many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given.

If it just started you can let her rest for a few days with minimal walking and minimal physical exercise, if it does not improve within 3-4 days you will have to take her to the vet in order to get it checked and treated, she might need pain killers for a few days. if the vet think it's something more serious such as a fracture, joint injury or foreign body, he might recommend to have an xray done as well.

Poor Oreo! It sounds like she has injured herself, and it could be due to a strain. I recommend resting her for the next 48 hours. No running, jumping, or playing. Keep her confined to a small room to limit movement, and do not allow her outside if she is allowed outdoors. If she still appears painful after this time, then I would take her into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose where the pain is coming from, and can dictate a treatment plan for it. She may also benefit from some pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given.

Since it has only been going on a few hours and she does put some weight on it when jumping I think you could monitor her today. I would try to keep her indoors and confined to small room so she stays quiet and rests the leg as much as possible. If swelling starts, she starts acting lethargic, or the limping doesn't resolve in the next 24 hours I would have her evaluated by a veterinarian so they can assess her for wounds or more serious injuries. Hope she feels better asap !