Emergency - Cat w/ Broken Leg?

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Billy - 22 Jan 2004 05:57 GMT

I don't know how to determine if his paw or leg is broken......

I tried to get our cat into the carrier tonight to transport him but he is
very skittish. He ran and finally I cornered him in a closet, scruffed him
hard and pushed him into the carrier forcefully as we've had to do in the
past.

He still escaped and ran before I could get the door closed. When I finally
looked for him in the house, he was hiding in a corner (as he does during
these events) and continued to run from me. However, he appeared to be
holding one paw off the ground just slightly as he ran. He did run very
fast....as he usually does.

I have been evicted from entering my house to care for him because my wife
made up stories to get a restraining order because she wants a divorce. I'm
not allowed to enter the house to care for them. She is not living there
either. I was allowed only 20 minutes to enter the house to get my
belongings and my pets if I could, but couldn't. I think that she is
visiting the home and feeding them. However, I am barred from communicating
with her and may not be able to ask her to check him.

Do you think his leg is broken by just showing the symptoms above, and what
if he is not cared for with this condition until days later?

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DMW - 22 Jan 2004 07:39 GMT

> I don't know how to determine if his paw or leg is broken......
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> Do you think his leg is broken by just showing the symptoms above, and what
> if he is not cared for with this condition until days later?

Impossible to say without an exam +/- an x-ray. If there is a break and
it's not looked after, it could do anything from healing fairly well on its
own, to healing poorly with complications, to never healing at all. If he
was running on the leg there likely isn't a major, displaced break in a leg
bone, but that doesn't rule out hairline fractures (that could get worse
with the cat moving and jumping around) or breaks in bones in the paw.
I've seen pets with broken limbs and dislocated joints actually trying to
walk on them without showing much discomfort (stoicism and adrenaline at
work) -- or at least as much discomfort as most humans would show in the
same situation -- it all depends on location and stability of the fracture
as to whether or not they could functionally use the leg, or just feel pain
in it.

DMW

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minerva nine - 22 Jan 2004 18:47 GMT

Call your wife's lawyer or someone who can contact her and let her know the cat
is injured and needs medical attention. M9

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Pet Forum / Miscellaneous / Animal Health / January 2004

Emergency - Cat w/ Broken Leg?