My cat won't put weight on his front paw. Could it be a sprain?

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. While it's *possible* that Ernie has a mild injury like a sprain, in all truthfulness a minor sprain wouldn't usually cause a cat to act as lethargic as you described with Ernie. Cats are pretty good at getting around on 3 legs, so usually with a sprain or similar minor injury, they're just as active as ever but simply put less weight on the sore leg. If he's sleeping an unusually large amount, and eating less than usual, that sounds to me like he's feeling ill. My biggest concern in a kitty who spends time outside and is now lethargic and has a sore leg, would be a bite wound, usually from another cat - they can be very sneaky and hard to find until the resulting infection flares up. It would be worth having Ernie seen by your vet if he doesn't seem back to his usual self tomorrow. Hope this helps!

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.

Restrict Spaghetti's activity as much as you can. No excessive running, jumping or rough play. If the lameness does not begin to resolve in the next 24-48 hours, have her seen by your vet. Go sooner if you notice any swelling or if the lameness worsens.

It certainly could be a sprain, but he would need an examination and x-rays to be sure. I would recommend that you have Ziggy checked out by the vet. They may want to do x-rays all the way up the leg to the hip and spine to make sure there are no fractures.

If the lameness has persisted for 3 weeks and you notice that there is a difference in the shape of the shoulder area and leg position, I fear that the injury could be more serious than a sprain. Muscle injuries normally recover in 4-5 days of rest and antinflammatories. I would recommend to have him reassessed, there is a medication that can be given at home prior to the visit to help with the stress, I would ask your vet. Hope this helps !

You can try resting Mickey for the next 72 hours. No running, jumping, or playing. I'd keep him confined to a small room or a large crate. Keep him indoors if he's allowed outdoors. It's very important to not give him any human pain medications. Many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. Should he still be limping at 72 hours, then he will need to see a vet.

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.