My kitten has a swollen, red leg and can't walk. What should I do?

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.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If you are able to get to a veterinarian right now, I would do so. Waiting until the morning would mean that she is in a lot of pain until then. If you get her seen right now, she can receive appropriate pain medication to help relieve this discomfort. This may be a fractured bone and not having any pain medications until the morning would mean that she is in extreme discomfort until then. I would recommend having her seen as soon as possible so that she is not in pain. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like there is severe swelling of the soft tissues along the injured leg. If the swelling is great-often times it is harder to feel the specific structures below the skin. It would be best to have an x ray of the limb to make sure there are no fractures inducing more swelling. Hope this helps

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. Without any additional information, it is impossible to make a diagnosis, but is it possible that Dexter may have gotten into a fight with another cat & was bitten? Abscesses on the leg are very common & will often blow up like this before rupturing. If you can have Dexter seen by your veterinarian, they can determine if this is an abscess & will put him on antibiotics. Until you can have him see, you can apply warm compresses to the swelling to help with the healing. 5-10 minutes a couple of times a day is sufficient. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor kitten! I'm sorry that its leg is injured - since it has swelling, drainage, and a foul odor, it sounds like it's probably infected as well. Tiny kittens like this can actually be treated with antibiotics when needed, so I would definitely recommend having the baby checked by a vet as soon as you can. He/she can prescribe antibiotics for the infection if needed, or even advise on other options such as amputation if the damage is severe. It's not ideal to do things like this in very young babies, but it's certainly possible to do them when needed.