My cat has a swollen leg, hip pain, and can't walk. What's wrong?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like there is severe swelling of the soft tissues along the injured leg. If the swelling is great-often times it is harder to feel the specific structures below the skin. It would be best to have an x ray of the limb to make sure there are no fractures inducing more swelling. Hope this helps

If you cat goes outdoors, this is very likely the result of a cat bite. It is amazing how small a cat bite wound can be, but under the skin, infection is building up. Have Coco evaluated tomorrow by your vet because if this is a bite wound, the sooner antibiotics are started, the sooner she will start feeling better. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It probably is an infection affecting most of the leg. It is an emergency. Please, try and call your local emergency service if your regular vets don't have any appointments.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would strongly recommend having him seen by a veterinarian sooner rather than later. I am worried that he may have thrown a blood clot to his back legs causing paralysis. This is known as a saddle thrombus and can be quite painful and serious. This is typically due to heart disease. The sooner he is seen the better. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

So sorry that he is having this problem. You could try a joint supplement, like Dasuquin or Cosequin for cats, and see if that helps. If not, he should be examined by a vet to determine the cause. Your vet can take an x-ray to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat. He may need an anti-inflammatory and pain medications and your vet can prescribe.

It could be that Percy has injured himself leading to the limping and swelling. Limping means he is in pain, and unfortunately there are no OTC pain medications you can give him. Many human ones are toxic to cats, and are fatal if given. I would take him into a vet now for treatment. Best of luck.

Poor Cleopatra! There appears to be a wound on the leg and the swelling is likely related to that. Concerns are an abscess, fracture, cellulitis or puncture wound. All of these require care by the veterinarian. At home you can restrict her activity since the more she walks on it, the worse it may get. You may also try applying a cool (not cold) compress but this is unlikely to fix the problem but may give some temporary relief of pain. Cleopatra needs to see her veterinarian today ideally for pain medication and treatment. I hope she starts feeling better quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.