My cat jumped, now limping and won't put weight on his front leg.

Poor Sagan! I'm glad to hear that he's bearing weight on his right front leg. Since he's a young and presumably active cat, limping occurs most commonly from injuries. As you'd mentioned, it's possible that he has a soft tissue injury of the muscles, tendons or ligaments, or a fracture. Unfortunately, there are no safe over the counter pain medications for cats, as all cause serious toxic side effects. It would be ideal for Sagan to go to his vet for an exam. The vet may recommend x-rays right away, or may offer a trial of prescription pain medications and rest. If you aren't able to take him to a vet right away, then be sure to restrict his activity to a dog crate or small room where he is unable to run, jump or play for a few days. (Easier said than done, I realize.) If this is a mild soft tissue injury, he may just need some time to rest and heal. If the limping continues or worsens, then he will certainly need veterinary attention. I hope this helps and that Sagan is on the mend soon!

Hello Anisa! Limping means he is in pain, and pain could make him lethargic as well. Unfortunately there are no OTC pain medications you can give him, as many human ones are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. I think you should take him into the vet first thing in the morning. The vet can diagnose why he is in pain, and can treat him. I hope this helps!

Hi. Poor Moose. He most likely has a sprain or strain of a muscle, tendon, or ligament. This can happen if your dog stretches too far, too much, slips, falls, or jumps during normal play. Strains and sprains can be sudden, or older and worsening. They can range from mild to severe.  Dogs can overdo it, and these injuries are very common occurrences. The main treatment for these is to have your pet examined, xrays taken, and then yout veterinarian will most likely prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to ease inflammation.  REST will be the most important part of the healing process.  No running. No jumping, no crazy play for 4-6 weeks.  Your first step will be to rest him and th4n call your veterinarian in the morning.

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 !

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Oscar. If he is acting normally and not limping, he should be fine. However, you will want to monitor him closely. If the lameness recurs, this indicates that he is still painful. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medication as these can be toxic to cats. If he acts sore again, he will need to see his veterinarian!

Poor Socks! It does sound like he may have strained a muscle or ligament. It would be best to rest him for the next 48 hours. I know it's hard to keep him from jumping on things, and I would keep trying to prevent him from doing that. You may consider putting him in a small room or a large crate to keep him quiet. If he's allowed outside, I would keep him inside for the next 48 hours. If after 48 hours he's still limping, then I would take him into the vet to have him examined. He may benefit from some pain meds, and the vet can prescribe him some. Do not give him any human pain medications, many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given.

Hi and thanks for posting. If you feel Jasper is experiencing pain in one of his legs, the best thing to do would be to have him evaluated by a veterinarian. Your vet will need to do an exam and may recommend taking x-rays to check for fractures or other injuries to the legs so he can be appropriately treated.