My senior cat won't put weight on his back leg. Is it broken or sprained?

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.

Oh no, poor Jim! Unfortunately if he did break his leg, he could still put weight on it when needed so that fact does not rule out a broken leg. The only way to rule it out is with x-rays at the vet clinic. It is concerning that he won't put any pressure on his paw at all, and I don't feel this can wait for another week. I will give you some resources that may help you afford a vet sooner. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Carefree Credit online. http://www.carefreecredit.co.uk https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/vetcare http://www.easipetcare.com

Poor Spooky! I would be very concerned that he has done something serious to his leg if he has been limping for a couple of days, there's swelling, and jumps on three legs. Cats can be very good at hiding their pain, so he is likely in more pain than he lets on. He could have a broken bone, but he could also have a sprain or a torn ligament. He does have to see a vet for this as soon as possible, so take Spooky in first thing Tuesday. Keep him as quiet as possible, and do NOT give him any human pain medications. Many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. The vet can prescribe him safe pain medications as needed.

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!

Chip seems to be in severe pain on that leg, it could be broken or severely injured, you need to take him to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked and treated, he will possibly need to have an xray done on that leg.

Poor Tyr! My cat is also named Tyr! You can't rule out his leg being broken without an x-ray. He is in a lot of pain if he won't walk on the leg, and unfortunately there are no OTC pain medications you can give him. Many human ones are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. You need to take him into a vet today to get this diagnosed and treated. I strongly urge you to take him into a vet now. Best of luck.

Ploffie is quite handsome. This could potentially heal on its own if it is a minor soft tissue injury or a minor fracture, but he needs to be confined and not allowed to roam or jump. My concern is that if it is secondary to an abscess or some type of infection or a large displaced fracture then it may not heal. If he isn't improving, I would try to figure a way to catch him and take him to your vet. Your vet will be able to determine the cause and get him started on the proper meds. I hope this helps!