My cat is limping. Could it be a clot, and what about the vet?

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.

I'm sorry Luna is in pain and limping! Yes, you are correct she could have slipped on the wet floor causing the limping. I would rest her for the next couple of days. Keep her confined to a small room (be sure to put a litter box, food, and water in with her) so she doesn't move as much, and do not allow her outside if she is normally allowed outside. Monitor her, and if she is still limping by Monday, I would take her into the vet for a health check. It's very important not to give her any human pain medications. Many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. The vet can prescribe her pain medication as needed.

The chance that there is a blood clot contributing to these clinical signs is very unlikely. Typically, when something like this happens, your cat would be in absolutely uncontrollable pain, screaming and crying like nothing you have every heard. You might also notice that the feet and limbs are noticeable cold. This doesn't sound like the case. In all likelihood, Autumn simply sprained or strained something and is now experiencing some discomfort as a result. One other cause of shifting or sporadic lameness in the limbs are tick borne diseases such as Lyme disease. While these are far more common in dogs, they can definitely occur in cats as well. Depending on your geographic region, the type of tick borne diseases that are most common will vary considerably. Hope this makes sense. Get Autumn into the vet for some examination if the symptoms don't subside in the next day or so. Just don't try and give any over the counter pain medication at home as there are none that are safe for cats.

The picture is not very clear and it is not possible to diagnose from that but the fact she is no longer limping is positive and I would monitor for any recurrence. There does appear to be some hard/damaged skin at the edge of the paw pad which might respond to vaseline/paw balm (as long as all ingredients are cat safe). I would recommend scheduling a visit to your vet if it relapses - a video can be very helpful for them as she may not be lame during the visit.

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.

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!

I'm sorry Shadow is limping! No, it's not likely the vet injured her during the first visit. When we do a lameness exam, yes we do manipulate the legs but not enough to cause injury. If she does have spinal issues, it does make sense that she will show varying degrees of limping at times. I'd recommend having x-rays done on her spine to see if she is suffering from spinal problems. Unfortunately, kidney failure is very common in senior cats. It can be managed symptomatically, but it cannot be cured.