Cat Limping: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Pets play an important role, especially in the lives of pet adorers. We treat pets no less than our kids which is why it can be so worrisome when our pet gets hurt or injured. The unfortunate part is that they can’t tell us what’s their problem. 

Have you ever observed your cat limping suddenly? If you ever had such an experience with your cat, you would be very much worried about its problem. A myriad of queries arouse in your mind and the major query is ‘Why Is My Cat Limping?’

Cat Limping is an indication of pain in cats. There could be various reasons behind Cat Limping. Few of them seem to be painless while some others need immediate medical assistance. Many of the cases require veterinary care especially when the cat is limping due to some injury. 

Before taking your cat to the vet, find out the underlying reason behind the cat limping. By examining thoroughly, you can get some vital clues to diagnose the cause of cat limping. 

Let’s take a glance at the causes of cat limping, home remedies to treat cat limping, and most importantly when to take a limping cat to the vet!

What Is Cat Limping?

Cat Limping is a turmoil of bodily function that majorly affects the walking ability of a cat. Cat Limping also affects the cat’s ability to jump, walk, and run like a normal healthy cat. Limping is also referred to as Lameness. It is a symptom of an ailment or injury caused in the cat.

Many cats have the power to conceal the truth that they’re suffering from some pain. Cat Limping can be caused either on the front leg or back leg. Sometimes, your cat may limp when something is stuck in their leg. 

Cat Limping may also be caused due to a broken bone or sprain in the cat’s leg. When a thorn is pricked in a cat’s paw, it can also cause limping. You can simply remove the thorn or splinter from the paw. Limping is an act of walking with a stiff limb or a lifted leg. When your cat is struggling a lot to lift its leg or paw then, it’s nothing but Cat Limping.

Read the in-depth article to figure out why is your cat limping suddenly. 

Why Is My Cat Limping Suddenly?

Wondering ‘Why Is My Cat Limping?’ A cat may limp for various reasons. Whether your cat is limping suddenly on its front leg or back leg, it could be because of its pain. There are a plethora of potential causes behind cat limping. 

Cats may limp when some infection is spread around the wounds on the cat’s leg. Sometimes, wounds are caused by bites. Such wounds could eventually lead to infections causing pain, limbing, swelling, etc.

Cat Limping causes could be different in indoor cats and outdoor cats. Indoor or pet cats may suffer from cat limping due to injuries caused while playing, jumping, climbing, etc. 

On the other hand, limping in outdoor cats is a different thing. Outdoor cats usually fight with their fellow cats and other wild animals. As a result, they have all the possibilities to get injured, bites, etc.

Sometimes, a tiny foreign body like a thorn or a piece of glass may be stuck in the paws or toes of the cat. This could also lead to the cat limping. When you find such a thing in your cat’s toes, gently remove it. 

Other potential reasons behind Why Is My Cat Limping but not in pain include fractured bone, arthritis, injuries, foreign objects, and more. Determine the reason or cause of the cat limping and treat it accordingly. 

Symptoms of Cat Limping

To know whether your cat is limping or something else, you need to look at the symptoms. Your cat may exhibit some symptoms so that you will be able to understand that your cat is having some pain and suffering from an injury. 

As cats are extremely smart at hiding their pain, it could be slightly difficult to figure out that the cat is limping. Once you start noticing the symptoms, you will be able to understand that your cat is limping. The major symptoms include reluctance to walk like before, being unexcited to jump, climbing stairs, and more. 

• Difficulty to walk
• Less Appetite
• Not willing to be touched on its legs and paws
• Becomes Aggressive
• Stiffness
• Starts Yowling
• Increased Vocalization
• Reduces its movements
• Walking manners may change
• Swelling of Limbs

Causes of Cat Limping

Cat Limping is caused by various reasons. Limping is a reaction to a wound or illness that eventually causes pain in a cat. Sometimes, cats may fall from high places which could eventually cause an injury or wound to the legs. This results in the inability to walk, and lift the leg or paw. We have gathered some of the major causes of Cat Limping in this post. 

1. Painful Wound

If your cat has got some cuts, scratches, burns, abrasions, or bites on the leg or paw, it becomes a painful wound. This will result in the cat limping. These wounds may cause infections which is why your cat is limping. 

When two cats fight with each other, they try to bite one another. These bites may cause inflammation and swelling leading to cat limping. Due to increased pain, your cat may struggle to walk and lessen its movements.

2. Foreign Object Stuck in the Paw

When some foreign object is lodged on the cat’s paw, foot, or toes, it may get embedded into the skin or induced into the deeper tissues. Due to the foreign material present in the toes, it results in toe pain. 

Your cat may start licking its toes or other places where the foreign object gets stuck. By observing that, you need to understand that something is disturbing your cat. 

3. Broken Bone/Fractures

Unfortunately, when your cat’s bone is broken or fractured, it turns out to become very painful. Cats can’t bear the pain when their body weight is pressured on the broken leg. 

Cat’s bones may be broken due to accidents, trauma, and malnutrition. Sometimes, cats suffering from cancer make their bones delicate and tend to break easily. 

4. Joint Dislocation

If your cat is hit by a vehicle, they experience a critical physical trauma. In some cases, the cat’s shoulder or hip joints could be dislocated. When the cat falls from a top surface, it results in dislocated joints.

5. Arthritis

Arthritis is a kind of joint condition that causes severe joint pains. This could be worsening in cats who are obese. The maximum number of cats whose age is above 10 may get affected by feline arthritis. Arthritis leads to critical pain that makes the cat quite difficult to move. This may cause the cat to limp.

6. Cancer

Cats that are attacked by a chronic disease like bone cancer or nerve cancer may cause severe pain. This pain may affect either the left leg or right leg of the cat resulting in the cat limping.

Osteosarcoma or bone cancer in cats is another major cause of limping in cats. Other types of cancers like lung-digit syndrome, injection site sarcoma, etc., are other causes of cat limping.

7. Blood Clot

When a cat is suffering from paralysis of the legs, it leads to the cat limping. Paralysis in the legs is caused because of a specific type of blood clot namely saddle thrombus. This type of blood clot is life-threatening. It may attack the cats suddenly making them experience so much pain.

8. Nerves Damage

If your cat isn’t suffering from any kind of chronic disease then, your cat may limp because of neurological disorders. In general, older or aged cats may experience neurological injuries resulting in an inability to move. 

Sometimes, it may compress the nerves in the spinal cord. IVDD [Intervertebral Disc Disease] is the type of disease caused in cats when there is spinal nerve damage.

9. Walking on a Hot Surface

During the summer season, when your cat goes out and walks on a hot surface, it can also cause the cat to limp. However, this kind of cat limping can be ignored. 

10. Ingrown or Broken Nail

In general, cat nails grow in curls. in some rare conditions, cat nails grow into their paw pads. When cat nails grow into their feet, it causes cats to limp.

11. Strained/Torn Muscles

When the cat’s muscle is strained or sprained, it makes the cat limp. 

What to Do If My Cat Is Limping?

Wondering what to do if your cat is limping? To find out what course of action to take, you need to confirm that your cat is limping. Though the cause of the cat limping cannot be recognized easily, you can understand that your cat is limping just by looking at it.

By looking at the obvious signs of injury and other indications such as a lifted paw, swelling of the limb that is affected, unstable gait, etc., you can understand that your cat is limping. Once you get to know that your cat has started limping, just wait until the cat calms down before inspecting its leg.

Gently take the cat into your hands and look for any swellings, redness, painful wounds, and sensitivity down their legs and paws. Also, check whether your cat’s claws are grown into its paws or if any foreign object like a thorn is stuck in the leg. If you find any of these, just remove them by pulling them out from the leg using tweezers.

Cut your cat’s nails evenly. Even after doing all these, if your cat is still limping in the next 24 hours, consider consulting a vet. If you need to wait until you get an appointment at the vet, you can lessen your cat’s movement and let it rest so that your cat’s situation doesn’t get worse.

The veterinarian will examine your cat physically and check for any sign of abnormality. If the vet doesn’t find any signs of burns, injuries, foreign material, etc, the vet will recommend an x-ray. 

If there are any broken bones or joint dislocations, X-rays will help detect the same. If required, your vet may suggest an MRI scan or CT Scan for in-depth diagnostic imaging. By taking the necessary scans, your vet can identify the reason for the cat limping.

Home Remedies for Cat Limping

If cat limping is caused because of some minor issues, you can simply treat it using specific home remedies. Sometimes, cage rest would be sufficient to cure cat limping. 

Stop your cat from climbing, running, and jumping so that it takes less time to cure cat limping. Limiting the cat activities can help reduce cat limping. Most cats hide their pain from their owners and try to treat their wounds by licking them frequently. 

For Cat Swollen Paw Limping, you can simply immerse the cat’s feet in warm water. If there is any swelling in the affected area, just soak the cat’s feet in warm water by mixing Epsom salt in it. It gives some relief to the cat and reduces swelling. Further, apply an antibiotic ointment such as Polysporin. 

Monitor your cat’s situation closely to make sure that its condition doesn’t get worse and that they’re able to eat, drink, and access the litter box like a healthy cat. If you don’t find a reduction of swelling and cat limping, you can take it to the vet and give proper treatment.

When to Take My Limping Cat to the Vet?

As mentioned earlier, there are copious causes of cat limping. Few of them get better on their own while some others need veterinary treatment. Some cat limpings require true emergencies. 

Whether the cat limping cause is minor or major, it’s a good idea to consult a vet or take your cat to the veterinarian for proper diagnosis and treatment. However, before taking your cat to the vet immediately after noticing the cat limping, you need to wait for some time and see what happens.

If your cat has been limping only for some time, you can wait for a few days until it gets recovered on its own. We have listed some of the situations to consider when you should take your cat to the vet. Check it out!

• If you’re unable to find the cause of your cat limping, you can take your cat to the vet.
• If the affected area is swollen, consider taking your cat to the vet.
• If your cat is limping in a bizarre position then, it’s time to consult a vet.
• If your cat is limping for more than 24 hours, consult your vet immediately.
• In case, there is an open wound, take the cat to the vet.
• If you find that your cat’s limb is broken or fractured, make an appointment with your vet.
• If your cat’s vocalization is changed and howling continuously, it indicates that the cat is in pain.
• Your cat doesn’t wish to put much weight on its leg.
• When your cat is displaying signs of immense pain like crying, trembling, howling, inability to move, showing aggression, etc., it’s considered a potential emergency to see a vet.
• If you notice some terrifying symptoms in your cat such as bleeding, trouble breathing, lethargy, etc., then, take your cat to the vet.

Diagnosis for Lameness in Cats

After taking your cat to the vet for cat limping, the vet will try to diagnose the problem. To diagnose the major cause of cat limping, the vet will ask you a plethora of questions related to your cat’s lifestyle, food habits, health, behaviors, and more. The vet will ask you about the symptoms you’ve observed in your cat to confirm that it’s cat limping.

Make sure you discuss the medications and supplements you give to your cat daily with your vet. After hearing about your cat’s mobility issues, previous wounds, health history, and more, your vet will be able to diagnose the problem. An overall examination will be performed by the vet to figure out the precise location of the illness.

The vet will also examine the cat’s soft tissues, joints, and bones for any fractures. The veterinarian will also check whether there is any swelling, crackling sound, or instability in the cat. In the examination room, your vet will see the cat’s movements, and how it moves and performs necessary physical tests.

After the overall examination, your vet will ask you to conduct necessary tests like X-rays, ultrasounds, and other imaging tests. Sometimes, the vet needs to perform some advanced diagnostic tests like tissue biopsy, joint fluid analysis, MRI scans, CT scans, neurological tests, etc. Through these tests, your vet will be able to diagnose the problem behind your cat’s limping.

Treatment for Cat Limping

If there is a Cat Paw Injury, your vet will give the necessary treatment. The treatment for cat limping depends on the actual cause behind the lameness. Considering the diagnosis performed by the vet and the overall health of the cat, the veterinarian will give the necessary treatment. 

Initially, the vet will give a less invasive treatment to manage the pain in the cat. Later, they enhance it to more invasive pain treatment if the cat responds to the treatment. The possibilities of treatment for limping in cats will include the following:

• Pain Relief Medications
• To treat infections caused by wounds or injuries, the vet will give antibiotics or other relevant drugs
• To reduce inflammation, anti-inflammatory medications are given to the cat
• In case, the cat is suffering from a chronic disease like cancer, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or immunotherapy are performed as part of the treatment.
• To remove tumors, treat spinal and nerve diseases, and repair joint injuries and wounds, surgery will be required.
• For nutritional deficiencies, nutritional supplements are suggested. It includes glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and omega-3 fatty acids.
• If your cat is limping due to obesity, the vet will provide weight loss treatment.
• To manage pain in the cats and get back your cat to its normal function, your vet will provide complementary therapies such as cold laser treatments, CBD, physical therapy, and acupuncture
• Other emerging treatments include stem cell therapy

How Can I Help My Cat Recover From Limping At Home?

Depending on the cause of the cat limping and its seriousness, the treatment plan implemented and the care to be taken, you can help your cat recover from limping at home. If your cat is suffering from Arthritis and also overweight, you need to make some changes in its food habits after consulting the veterinarian. 

Alter your cat’s food so that it helps in losing additional weight. This helps in reducing lameness and pain in the cats. Despite your vet giving medication to treat arthritis, those medicines might show progress in the recovery of the disease.

Provide necessary rest to the cat so that its pain can be reduced while in rest mode. Make sure you take your cat to the vet for frequent follow-ups. This helps in enhancing the quality of life of your feline friend. Ask your vet regarding the type of food to give to your cat to reduce its pain and diminish lameness.

FAQs

Here are some of the frequently asked questions related to Cat Limping, and the causes and symptoms of cat limping either in the front leg or back leg. Check it out!

Conclusion

That’s all! This is everything you need to know about Cat Limping. Through this article, we have explained the causes of cat limping, its symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and more. 

If you notice your cat limping or showing some signs of discomfort, don’t hesitate to contact your veterinarian as early as possible to figure out the underlying cause and provide the necessary treatment. We hope this article has given you adequate information about Cat Limping and its potential causes. 

If you have any doubts regarding this topic, feel free to ask us in the comments section. Stay tuned to our website TheCrazyCats.Net to learn more about a cat’s life. Be a part of your feline friend’s happy and healthy life journey.