My kitten is stiff, head-tilting, and paralyzed after injury. Can he recover?

Often young kittens recover well from injuries given enough time. I would let him do what he wants as long as he’s getting around now. I expect him to improve and not become worse or paralyzed. He may never be perfect but if he’s able to walk and run an isn’t painful then he can live a normal life. Having an exam would be good when you can. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your kitten.

That does sound very worrisome. Unfortunately an injury to the spine is not something that we can diagnose by hearing the clinical signs. As you know, a back injury can be very serious. I recommend to get mittens in to see the veterinarian quickly. The doctor will be able to palpate the back and should get an idea as to if a back injury is likely. Pets can also get soft tissue muscle pulls, hip pain and a variety of other ailments that are not as serious as a spinal injury. The first step though is to get her checked out. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It sounds like Meeko could have seriously hurt himself jumping, and I'm concerned he has trouble keeping his head up. I think he needs to see a vet now. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck.

That is very concerning and he needs to be examined by a vet to determine the extent of his injuries and determine the best way to treat. Please call your vet or take him to an emergency clinic so he can be examined right away. He may need an anti-inflammatory and other medications to treat the trauma.

Poor cat! If there is no deep pain present in the back legs then chances are kidding you won't regain function unfortunately. We use the pain is an indicator whether the pet will walk again. However if deep pain is present (kitty moves twitches or flinches when you pinch the back toes), then there is a chance that Katie can regain function of the limbs. However you won't know the extent of the injury without an x-ray. And without an x-ray he won't really know what treatment kitty needs. I unfortunately don't see a good solution here without proper diagnostics. Kittie may be a lost cause at this point without proper medical care for such a traumatic injury like this which undoubtedly involves the spinal cord and/or pelvis. I would highly consider Humane euthanasia for this kittie because the outcome looks bleak.

Poor kitty! Your pet sounds like he needs to be hospitalized and properly diagnosed to find out the underlying cause of his illness. They will likely need to run some tests (bloodwork, x-rays, etc) in order to diagnose what's wrong. Whether that be an internal musculoskeletal injury, heart condition, stroke, etc. I am not sure what injections your pet was given, but it definitely doesn't seem like it is enough treatment for your very ill pet. He is in critical condition so I would advise to making him in right away! Best of luck with your kitty.

He may have injured himself jumping down and should be seen by your vet right away with those symptoms. He may have pinched a nerve or fractured something, though not being painful makes this less likely. The only way to know for sure is to get him seen by your vet or at an emergency clinic right away. Your vet will do an exam and x-rays, possibly other imaging or diagnostics as their findings call for. Based on these results, they will be better able to tell you what is going on and how best to treat it.