Why Is My Senior Russian Blue Limping and Avoiding Putting Weight on Her... (Vet Answered)
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Small Animal Veterinarian
Dr. Karyn is a small animal veterinarian originally from Australia, now based in the UK. She holds degrees in Veterinary Science (2010) and Zoology. When not helping pets, she tends to her 5 cats and garden!
The Question
She is currently limping, she won’t put weight on her paw, other than that she’s completely normal, she will jump off things even though I try to limit it, it’s nothing I’m super worried about because she will occasionally put her paw on the ground and walk with a limp but she does try to avoid it and will just keep that paw in the air
Quick Info about Luna
Hi Kayla,
Thanks for writing in.
The trouble with lameness is that it's not always easy to tell what part of the limb is painful - it could be something wrong with the paw, the carpus (wrist), elbow, or shoulder; and it could be the bone, joint, or soft tissue that's the problem. Cats are exceptional at masking pain, but if she's not putting weight on the leg, she's definitely in pain, so she'll need to be examined by a vet to determine exactly what's causing the lameness and what needs to be done.
She may need x-rays, or the vet may just prescribe some anti-inflammatory pain relief. In the meantime, try to confine her, but don't give her any medication unless prescribed by the vet - cats are very sensitive to human medications, and even a low dose of drugs like acetaminophen can be deadly.
Hopefully it's nothing too serious, and Luna will soon be on the mend.
All the best,
Dr Karyn