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Will a newborn kitten's broken leg heal naturally and correctly?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Longhair | Female

My newborn kitten ( 4 days old ) was bitten by the mother for some reason and her leg was broken so i took her to the vet but he told me there is nothing he can do other than cleaning the wound and that the bone will form naturally. Will the bone form the right way ?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on August 4th, 2019

It depends on the type of break and where it occurred on the bone. Kittens heal really quickly, and a 4 day old kitten doesn't have much actual bone formation quite this early. It may heal funny or it may heal perfectly normal. There isn't a good way to splint a leg in such a tiny kitten that won't affect the normal growth of the surrounding bones. In the worse case, if the bone heals oddly, amputation is an option.

3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Davis
Veterinarian
Published on November 23rd, 2018
Generally in a young kitten such as LB the bone will heal fine with a splint if it’s a simple fracture. After a day or so it will start to heal and no surgery should be done then. If it doesn’t heal well, and he is a lot of pain then you could consider amputation. He looks comfortable in the photo so I’d let it heal with the splint. Make sure the splint doesn’t cause pain and that there is no odor or swelling. If there are complications during the healing process the need for surgery or amputation goes up. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for LB.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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