My cat has a swollen leg and is acting tired. What should I do?

Hello. I would have this looked at by your vet tomorrow. The most common thing we see in cats are bite abscesses & it is really amazing how hard it is to sometimes find a bite wound. A cat's bite can leave a tiny needle like puncture & an abscess can begin to develop within hours. It can be very painful & make Buddy feel sick. Your vet can quickly determine if this is the cause of his lump, lance & treat it & Buddy will be feeling better very soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If you cat goes outdoors, this is very likely the result of a cat bite. It is amazing how small a cat bite wound can be, but under the skin, infection is building up. Have Coco evaluated tomorrow by your vet because if this is a bite wound, the sooner antibiotics are started, the sooner she will start feeling better. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This is most likely an infection, a parasite under the skin or a cancer. These conditions all need medical care. I recommend to have your kitty examined by the veterinarian for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. She will need antibiotics, the area cleaned, possibly pain medication, possibly antiparasitics and an elizabethan collar. The vet may also recommend additional treatment. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It probably is an infection affecting most of the leg. It is an emergency. Please, try and call your local emergency service if your regular vets don't have any appointments.

Hi, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The kitten needs medication, I recommend taking it to a veterinarian as it sounds like it needs antibiotics and possibly pain medication as well. Do not give any human medications as many are toxic to cats. Depending on exam findings, the vet may recommend xrays as well if they suspect significant trauma to the leg. Best of luck, I hope she recovers quickly.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is indeed most likely due to the abscess. I would be suspicious that some of that pus and inflammation has migrated to the leg and is causing pain as well. At this point I think this may be require more investigation into the underlying cause of the abscess. I would be suspicious of foreign material that has migrated and is underneath the skin. If that is the case, surgery and possibly further diagnostics like a CT scan as well as long courses of antibiotics may be needed to treat this appropriately. A culture of this wound should be obtained if that has not been done to make sure that the correct antibiotic is used. I recommend that you have Spock reevaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

Poor Harley! You are correct in suspecting an abscessed wound from possible bites as a likely cause of Harley's sudden swelling. Bite wounds can be very difficult to identify, even to a trained eye at times. In most cases, look for a small scab or tiny hole in the region of the swelling. That said, avoid direct contact with an open wound caused from an unknown source to prevent disease to yourself. Other possible causes of a very sudden swelling include a fracture or severe soft tissue injury to the leg. In any case, Harley needs to be seen by his vet. If the swelling is due to an abscess, the wound will need to be lanced/drained, flushed, and prescribed a course of antibiotics. X-rays may be needed to rule out a fracture.