My cat's limping returned after NSAID. What pain do NSAIDs treat best?

After a physical exam, your veterinarian may recommend x-rays to rule out or diagnose any fractures. A medication such as Metacam (meloxicam), which is a non steroidal anti-inflammatory, may be dispensed for pain management along with some exercise restriction.

Poor Sagan! I'm glad to hear that he's bearing weight on his right front leg. Since he's a young and presumably active cat, limping occurs most commonly from injuries. As you'd mentioned, it's possible that he has a soft tissue injury of the muscles, tendons or ligaments, or a fracture. Unfortunately, there are no safe over the counter pain medications for cats, as all cause serious toxic side effects. It would be ideal for Sagan to go to his vet for an exam. The vet may recommend x-rays right away, or may offer a trial of prescription pain medications and rest. If you aren't able to take him to a vet right away, then be sure to restrict his activity to a dog crate or small room where he is unable to run, jump or play for a few days. (Easier said than done, I realize.) If this is a mild soft tissue injury, he may just need some time to rest and heal. If the limping continues or worsens, then he will certainly need veterinary attention. I hope this helps and that Sagan is on the mend soon!

I'm sorry to hear that Elijah is limping and painful! Unfortunately, I don't think it's advisable to give him the Onsior that you have on hand without having first checked his bloodwork to assess his kidney values. Cats are very sensitive to pain medications, particularly NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like Onsior, so they should only be given when specifically prescribed for the incident at hand. Aspirin (like Bufferin) is highly toxic to cats and should not be given under any circumstances. Since he seems so uncomfortable, it would be ideal to take him to an ER this weekend for more urgent evaluation. The ER vet will be able to prescribe pain medication for him. I hope that he feels better soon!

If the lameness has persisted for 3 weeks and you notice that there is a difference in the shape of the shoulder area and leg position, I fear that the injury could be more serious than a sprain. Muscle injuries normally recover in 4-5 days of rest and antinflammatories. I would recommend to have him reassessed, there is a medication that can be given at home prior to the visit to help with the stress, I would ask your vet. Hope this helps !

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Wall-W It sounds like you all have been through a lot! I do not think the limp has or had anything to do with his urinary problems. Causes for limping are: torn ligament, luxating knee cap, fracture, abscess, hip dysplasia, back or neck pain and many other things. I'd try to call your Vet to discuss that he is worse with the leg and see if they at least will prescribe pain medications. He does likely need to be recheck and maybe X-rays taken to help determine what is wrong. Cats are very sensitive to medications and can not tolerate human pain medications. I hope this helps and I wish Wall-W the best!

I am sorry to hear your cat is having lameness. Cats are masters at hiding pain and illness so they don't typically scream out unless there is substantial pain there. But limping and a pet not willing to place a foot down is an indicator of a certain level of pain there or else they would put entire weight on the limb and paw. This most likely is not a fracture because that pain would be very evident with her not allowing you to touch it and there would be a substantial amount of swelling there. So that leaves a muscle sprain or ligament partial/complete tear. The key is to localize where on the leg the pain is coming from, look for obvious swelling, and then treat the pet with anti-inflammatory medication if sprain is suspected or do an x-ray if the knee or joint is suspected as the source of the pain to rule out a ligament rupture. Unfortunately there are no safe over the counter pain meds available for cats but your vet has safe products to prescribe for your cat for conservative treatment at the very least to see if this will improve her condition.

I am sorry to hear about Luna. If Luna is limping there are many different possible causes, including soft tissue injury (such as a muscle sprain/strain, torn ligament), a fracture (it isn't always obvious when a pet breaks a bone if the fracture is not displaced), a torn or sore toenail, a skin infection of the toenails or bottom of the foot, nerve disorders, or in older pets tumors of the muscle or bone. I would recommend examination by a vet if the issue has been present since Sunday with no improvement. Unfortunately there are no safe pain medications available over the counter for cats, so I would just try to keep her quiet/restrict her activity/keep her indoors until she can be seen.