Why is my cat limping and meowing when I touch her back leg?

I am sorry to hear your cat is having lameness. Cats are masters at hiding pain and illness so they don't typically scream out unless there is substantial pain there. But limping and a pet not willing to place a foot down is an indicator of a certain level of pain there or else they would put entire weight on the limb and paw. This most likely is not a fracture because that pain would be very evident with her not allowing you to touch it and there would be a substantial amount of swelling there. So that leaves a muscle sprain or ligament partial/complete tear. The key is to localize where on the leg the pain is coming from, look for obvious swelling, and then treat the pet with anti-inflammatory medication if sprain is suspected or do an x-ray if the knee or joint is suspected as the source of the pain to rule out a ligament rupture. Unfortunately there are no safe over the counter pain meds available for cats but your vet has safe products to prescribe for your cat for conservative treatment at the very least to see if this will improve her condition.

Oh no, poor Belis! It is certainly possible that her leg is broken, but it could also be sprained or infected from an animal bite if she's allowed outside. She has to see a vet for this, so I would bring her into one right away. Given that it's really swollen and she's been walking around with a limp limb for three to four days, medical attention is required now. Please bring her into an ER vet or find a vet on call to see her now.

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.

Poor Sophie! It is possible that she developed a soft tissue injury or fracture in your absence or developed a blood clot in one of her hind legs (saddle thrombus). Since she is unwilling to bear any weight on this leg, she is likely in quite a bit of pain and should go to the vet immediately for evaluation. She may need to have x-rays and pain medication. I hope that all goes well!

You didn't mention if it was a hind leg or a front leg. There are different possibilities for injuries based on which leg is injured. She may just sprained the leg but if she is holding the leg completely up and not putting any weight on it then it could be broken and she needs to see a vet. If she is putting weight on it but just limping slightly then just watch her for a few days. If it doesn't resolve then she should see a vet.

Hello. It is impossible to say exactly what might be going on, but we should rule out the possibility of a bruised rib or small fracture. Your veterinarian may need to clip some hair down to the skin to see what things look like. It is good that everything else is well with her so it does not sound like there is anything serious. But if your vet suggests an x-ray, this might be a good idea. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If you think Tinkerbell is having back leg problems and she appears to be in pain, I am concerned that this could be what we call a Saddle Thrombus. This is a condition in which a clot breaks free and travels through the aorta down to the saddle (where the femoral arteries branch off of the aorta). This causes paralysis and severe pain. This is typically related to heart disease. I would recommend having Tinkerbell examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.