My stray cat has a swollen leg but seems fine. What should I do?

This is most likely an infection, a parasite under the skin or a cancer. These conditions all need medical care. I recommend to have your kitty examined by the veterinarian for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. She will need antibiotics, the area cleaned, possibly pain medication, possibly antiparasitics and an elizabethan collar. The vet may also recommend additional treatment. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is indeed most likely due to the abscess. I would be suspicious that some of that pus and inflammation has migrated to the leg and is causing pain as well. At this point I think this may be require more investigation into the underlying cause of the abscess. I would be suspicious of foreign material that has migrated and is underneath the skin. If that is the case, surgery and possibly further diagnostics like a CT scan as well as long courses of antibiotics may be needed to treat this appropriately. A culture of this wound should be obtained if that has not been done to make sure that the correct antibiotic is used. I recommend that you have Spock reevaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

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.

Poor Harley! You are correct in suspecting an abscessed wound from possible bites as a likely cause of Harley's sudden swelling. Bite wounds can be very difficult to identify, even to a trained eye at times. In most cases, look for a small scab or tiny hole in the region of the swelling. That said, avoid direct contact with an open wound caused from an unknown source to prevent disease to yourself. Other possible causes of a very sudden swelling include a fracture or severe soft tissue injury to the leg. In any case, Harley needs to be seen by his vet. If the swelling is due to an abscess, the wound will need to be lanced/drained, flushed, and prescribed a course of antibiotics. X-rays may be needed to rule out a fracture.

It sounds like this is a feral cat, so the best way to catch her is to use a trap cage. Often cat rescue organizations or shelters will let you borrow them. You put food inside and the cat enters, then the door closes. Then you can take her in the cage to the vet, where they can safely administer drugs to anesthetize her so that she can be properly examined. At that point, the best thing to do is x-ray the leg. It may not appear to bother her, but an x-ray is needed to fully assess that. If there is pain, amputation may be indicated to help her be pain-free. At that point I would recommend making her an indoor cat for life, to keep her safe for good.

It is probably an abscess. You can try soaking the foot in warm epsom salt water for 5 minutes 3 times per day. That may help draw the infection out. Honestly though, most of the time oral antibiotics are also needed to get this to heal up completely. She definitely looks like she does not feel well so if you can eventually get her to a vet that would be really great.

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.