Cats may be rumoured to have nine lives, but broken limbs are not uncommon in this mischievous species. The treatment options are varied; would you know what the options are? If you’ve ever broken a leg yourself, or know a friend, family member or colleague who has, you may well be picturing a hospital bed, a plaster-cast or crutches. The treatment options for cats with broken limbs depend on many factors, so here are some explanations.
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How do I know if my cat has broken its leg?
Curiosity may not kill the cat, but it can lead it into trouble! Cats are playful and sometimes accidents happen. If you notice that your cat is hurt, it can be difficult to know how serious it is. Twists and sprains can cause similar symptoms as a broken leg (a fracture).
Look out for:
- Severe limping, including not putting any weight on the leg, or just touching the toes down briefly as they walk
- Wounds, swellings, bruising
- Crying, howling, vocalising
- Unwillingness to be touched, or reacting badly to you approaching
- Hiding away, not eating
If you notice any of these symptoms, or are concerned that your cat is not acting normally or is in pain, seek veterinary attention. As with most illnesses or injuries, the more prompt the treatment for broken limbs, the better the outcome often is. Try to keep your cat contained in a room or cage and as still as possible whilst you get an appointment.
What will happen at the vets?
The veterinary surgeon will give an initial examination. This will include looking for any other injuries, signs of shock or internal bleeding as well as examining the affected leg. Once your cat has been assessed, the vet will talk to you about options.
Often, an x-ray is needed. This determines if a fracture is present, what type of break it is and to decide on the best treatment plan. Your cat may require pain relief and intravenous fluids to stabilise them before an x-ray can be taken, especially if there are any other injuries, or if your cat is in shock.
Are all fractures the same?
Not at all! Broken bones are all different, and range from small hairline, stable fractures to complete open breaks. Fractures can be uncomplicated, with a clean fracture line, to complicated comminuted breaks where there are multiple pieces of bone. The fracture can also be ‘open’, where there is a wound that exposes the bone to the outside, or ‘closed’.
Then there is the issue of displacement. This tells you if the bones have maintained their alignment or been knocked out of their usual orientation.
How can they be fixed?
The aim of treating a broken leg is to help the body heal the fracture as quickly as possible, and to return your cat to being able to use their limbs naturally and painlessly as before. All cats with broken limbs will require pain relief and rest, but the specific nature of the treatment will depend on various factors. These include:
- The type of fracture obtained by your cat is the biggest deciding factor as to which type of fix is needed
- Other injuries or illnesses may make a difference to which procedures are suitable
- The equipment your vet has available: some fractures may require a specialist
- The age and temperament of your cat
- Financial considerations
Treating uncomplicated breaks
Uncomplicated, closed and stable fractures may not require surgery. Plaster casts are not commonly used in cats, but a splint and heavy bandage may be applied. This will keep the limb in the correct and stable position whilst the bone heals. Your cat usually will need to rest (indoors, usually in a pen or cage) and be checked regularly by the veterinary team to ensure good healing.
Treating complicated and severe breaks
More complicated, and open fractures will require surgery. Here, options include:
- Pinning: a strong metal pin is placed down the centre of the bone (the marrow) and holds the broken pieces of bone together
- Plating: the bone is placed in position and a thin metal plate is screwed to the pieces to hold them together
- External fixator: several short metal pins are pushed through the skin into the fragments of bone, and are connected on the outside of the leg by bars and clamps.
Severe fractures will certainly need surgery. But if this is not possible or there are other factors to consider, there is a further option.
- Amputation. Cats often do extremely well on three limbs, and the recovery from surgery is generally quicker than with a fracture repair.
What happens next?
Your cat will usually remain at the vets for a few days once the broken bone has been mended, especially if surgery was required. They will be given pain relief, antibiotics if needed and careful monitoring of the affected limb to make sure the fracture remains stable, comfortable and not infected. Once your vet is happy with progress, your cat will be discharged home! Fractures generally take 4 – 6 weeks to heal, so prepare for a long convalescence and a lot of TLC!
Aftercare
Broken bones take time and rest to heal. Your cat will likely need cage rest to start off with, in a cage that is large enough for food, water, litter tray and bed. Some cats cope better with confinement than others, but it is very important to keep them as still as possible in those early days. Gradually, they will progress to being allowed into one room, and then gradually return to normal life. Further x-rays may well be taken to ensure good healing.
Some cats may benefit from some extra help in recovery to give them the best chance of returning to an active and athletic life. Physiotherapy is becoming more widely used in veterinary medicine and can have a very positive effect on return to function after limb injury. Hydrotherapy is popular with dogs and their owners, but although most cats will not tolerate it, there are a few feline characters who may find it useful – and enjoy it!
It’s always hard to see a much-loved pet injured, but there are many excellent treatments for treating broken limbs. Your vet will always talk through the options with you, to ensure the optimum plan of action for both your cat and you.
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Discussion
My cat has legs proken from two weeks, the vet applied a splint for him
How long it should last until he bwill be recovered
It depends on how old the cat is, how healthy they are, what bones were broken, and what sort of break it was. – simple, spiral, greenstick, comminuted?
Overall, the average recovery time is about 4-6 weeks, but it’s very variable depending on all those other factors!
We have a kitten- 14 weeks old- found her limping earlier.. on examining her front left leg it obviously hurts her.. she gets very spicy if I try to feel it . I can’t feel anything sticking out and vets appointment made for early tomorrow.. as vets today aren’t able to x Ray? I’ve given metacam.. she’s keeping still herself and can lay on that side. It seems to be either the elbow or shoulder.. not flinching if I touch the wrist or paw… what you thinking? Break or sprain? Have also done hot and cold compresses. Anything else I can do? I feel sick for her 😢 I think she must have fallen?
Unfortunately, very hard to tell without imaging! Could also be a bite wound, especially in a kitten that age… Splints and casts are likely to make things worse if it’s that high up the limb, so keep her as comfortable as possible, ideally in a confined space to minimise further injury, and hopefully all goes well with the X-rays – good luck!
Thank you for this article! It’s been very reassuring and informative.
My elder rescued cat (estimated 21 years old, maybe 24 based on when onset of iris atrophy started) jumped from my arms onto the floor but landed awkwardly. She could not walk more than a step and her right rear leg seemed to cross over in front of her left rear leg tripping her. My initial guess was a dislocated hip. I could not sense any protruding bones. And my cat is not prone to make noise when hurt, her pre-rescue life was semi-feral. ER vet was a 4-5 hour wait which would put us past midnight, so we contained her to a small area, placed absorbent pads under her and a towel next to her, gave her water & food, but withdrew food at about 11 p.m. in case a general anesthetic was needed the following day. Brought her in to her regular vet who knows long her medical history. It wasn’t hip luxation, she has fractured her right femur, closed, offset, clean/uncomplicated/single break at roughly a 30 degree angle of long axis of the bone. Surgery, while an option, comes with risks at her advanced age, so we opted for a splint. She’s doing well, soaking up all the attention offered, drinking water and eating food, showing a will to live. She is on an oral pain med right now, Prior to this she had started Solensia injections back in May, but we’re stopping these while the fracture heals. She is also on maintenance doses of Amlodepine for blood pressure and prednesolone for arthritis. We’re looking at an estimated 12 weeks or so for recovery. She’s a petit cat, around 7-9 lbs.
My concerns at the moment are:
1) Muscle atrophy, what can we do to keep her muscles strong while her bones heal?
2) She seems to have constipation, and the last BM was dramatic and appeared to be difficult.. We were already adding benefiber to her moist food diet. I’m thinking of adding some to her water.
3) She’s mostly laying on her non-fractured rear leg, I’ve occasionally flipped her over so she can clean that leg, but not sure if this is the right thing to do.
I’m happy to give general advice here, but just remember that I do not know her full medical history, or the full fracture configuration, and nor have I examined her, so definitely follow your vet’s specific instructions!
That said, I appreciate your concerns. So
(1) Muscle atrophy – yes, this may be a problem, but getting the limb to heal is the first priority. Once it’s healed, you can get the vet to give you some specific physiotherapy exercises to do at home (or even get a visiting physio) to build up muscle mass, but minimising the healing time is the priority right now.
(2) Adding fibre is a good idea, but I’d go further – have a chat with the vet about a cat-safe laxative, while she’s not moving around much.
(3) If she’s able to turn herself over, that’s fine, but I’d definitely get as think a padded foam mattress as you can, to prevent pressure sores. I wouldn’t turn her over without vet clearance though – because you could destabilise the fracture site.
It sounds like you’re doing a great job – good luck with her!
My daughter kitten fell from a height, she had a bloody nose and a slight limp, we took her straight to a vet who checked her over gave her pain meds but sent us home after 4 hours observation. After 4 days she would not put her front leg down and was holding it under her all the time. We took her back to the vets who said there was a calous on the bone so it must have been broken on the initial visit. She asked if we had caged her & stopped her walking about after we first went, we didn’t know we had too. The original vet didn’t tell us any of this. She gave us pain meds to take home and administer our selves to last 3 days. Shes been in a cage since but we’re worried it won’t heal without a cast or splint. Why would they not xray it? And fix it.? She said it was pointless now as it had been 6 days. We are so angry it was missed but mostly what can we do to ensure her leg heals properly? should we take her back to a different vets? Her pain relief has ended now. Shes never cried in pain, shes eating ok. Shes only 10 weeks old
There’s obviously been a horrible communications mix up here, for whatever reason. I agree it sounds like it’s time for a second opinion from another vet – you should tell your current vet that you are seeking a second opinion, and they are then obliged to send all their notes on her over to the other vet.
I think my cat was attacked by my dogs and cannot walk on one its legs. There are no vets open except about an hour and a half away, that will cost a lot of money he is resting right now but keeps waking up in a panic and keeps trying to get up, only to fall back down. What should I do?
If he can’t put weight on one leg after serious trauma he definitely needs a vet ASAP
My cat fell from the eighth floor onto a tree and then onto the ground. Thankfully she’s alive but x-rays show that both her legs are broken. Her left leg is an open fracture with part of her knee sticking out as well as having little fragments of bone and the other leg is also fractured but not as bad. I took her to the vet and he told me that surgery will be very difficult because my country we don’t have enough resources to insure that everything will go smoothly. So I don’t know what will happen now. She is there under some meds until tomorrow till they figure out what must be done. I’m very scared and I really hope it doesn’t come to amputation at the end.
Our cat was playing with our dog and walked away hissing. He has since been hissing and limping on his back leg. He still lets us pick him up and touch the bad leg. It has only been a few hours but not sure how serious this may be or what to do next. Any help/suggestions!!
If he’s able to take some weight on it, it’s probably just a strain or a sprain, if he’s letting you touch it; however, if he’s still sore on it by the morning, definitely time for a vet check!
My 3 month old kitten was playing outside then she had gone missing for a few hours when she had come back I noticed she was dragging her back legs and couldn’t walk what can i give for pain until I’m able to take her to a vet
There’s nothing in a human medicine cabinet I would ever advise giving to a cat – and very little that’s likely to be effective, as the most likely cause is either a spinal fracture or a blood clot.
Vet ASAP – do not wait, do not delay, get her seen as soon as you can; to delay is cruel in these situations.
We have a farrel cat that comes up to our back porch, he disappeared for 4 weeks and showed back up last night. It appears his legg is broken our out of place. He holds it up when he attempts to walk. What can I do?
Find a local shelter or charity ASAP – he needs veterinary attention, or, sadly, an end to his pain.
My cat was shot three times in the leg with a pellet gun. I took him to vet. The impact broke his leg. He also had infection that they cleaned out. Was able to remove two pellets but could not get to the other one. He was sent home day after surgery. I dont have a cafe to put him in I sleep on the floor with him and I watch his every move. I felt sorry and put him in his favorite chair. He loved it and was snoring time is priceless so I took advantage to go to bathroom . My back door blew open and freaked him out he jumped off the chair. I am a bottle of nerves.! I’m trying to do my very best taking care of him and not let him jump on things and giving him his antibiotics. I just hope I am doing good enough job and don’t cost him his leg. Overwhelming stress in Oklahoma. I need reassurance I am doing ok and he will be ok.
It sounds like you’re doing a great job – and I hope he makes a full recovery! Fortunately, cats tend to heal quite quickly – a lot faster than our nerves with what they put us through!
Our cat’s leg has a major break from a wall picture falling on him at night. First day hid in basement. Second day eating and using litter box but dragging rear leg. Third day bit better and took to vet. Vet says too old to attempt to surgery and only option is to put down. They wanted to do it right then. We took cat home with pain killers on condition we have vet come to home to euthanize within 24hr.
Unfortunately, in a geriatric cat, an untreated fracture that’s 3 days old is really difficult to manage appropriately. Sometimes they do improve, but they can be an animal welfare nightmare to deal with.
My cat broke his leg yesterday and only today we found out because he couldn’t walk 😭 took him to the vet that gave him some painkillers and saline solution through IV but in the facility they didn’t have te equipment for X-Rays and sent him home with us for the night. Tomorrow at noon the x rays will be taken but for tonight I’m desperate with him. I will not stand still, I kept him in his crate but he’s screaming and I cannot let him out because he starts jumping around! Maybe I don’t need advice, just space to vent.
There’s no easy answer – I am so sorry! Feel free to vent away…
My son had his cat for a kitten. He did not want him to go outside. What does seem like he always going to say it, and you just fall off the tree and broke his leg now my son is mad to what happened to him
And vet is so much expensive
Unfortunately, he really does need a vet if he has a broken leg!
My kitten was taken to the emergency vet clinic near me. She has an oblique tibial broken bone. She is in a splint. She has been a cage for the past two day and will be in for 6-8 weeks. Is there any recommendations you would suggest? Is the splint successful?
A splint is rarely used in adult cats, but in kittens it has been used for non-displaced or partial fractures. It’s difficult to say how well she will cope, but bones in young cats usually heal really well: the risk is cast sores and other complications.
Bear in mind, though, that whatever technique was used to manage the fracture (casting, pinning, or external skeletal fixators), the 4-8 weeks of cage rest is likely to be needed!
I would be inclined to make an appointment with your regular vet and get a check up, taking with you the notes and history from the emergency vet, and see what your vet who knows you and her feels, then you cna talk about how she’s doing and what the options are.
My cat broke her foot over two weeks ago. Was splinted. She was checked and resplinted two days ago. It just fell off. Vet is closed till Monday. She is confined in a room so she can’t jump but can get food. Will she be ok if we wait till Monday to get splint back on. I don’t want to pay emergency room for splint that should have stayed on.
Without knowing the exact configuration of the fractures, the bones involved, and the history, I can’t tell you if it will be stable or not after 2 weeks! It’s pretty unusual to use a splint for treating a fracture in a cat, so I don’t have any personal experience with this, although as a general rule, the fractured bones will still be pretty vulnerable to further injury at this stage.
My 6 year old cat broke his back leg femur in two places,, we had the surgery with external fixator hardware,,, but im unalble to find a shroud or sleeve to go over his leg to help protect it, after a cast type covering for 2 weeks the vet took it off and put a plastic bag type over it which is horrible.. it was for a dog, and it has to be cuffed so many times and it does nothing to protect his fixators can you help me.
I’m not aware of any fixator covers that are made for cats – if the small dog ones didn’t work, it might be worth having a chat with your vet about a half-cast, or even a bandage over the top that you can cover with a waterproof layer if needed?
My cat broke two bones in her feet and it has been recommended to us that she be crated for 4 to 6 weeks. It’s only been two days and she is so stressed out and won’t take calming treats. I put on a calming collar but she still seems agitated. Is this normal, and how do I make the process easier for her, especially when everyone in my household will need to go to work and leave her alone for hours at a time. Is it possible that she won’t need to be crated so long?
Its not “normal”, but it’s not that uncommon either! I’d suggest calling your vets and explaining the issues you’re having – she might need something stronger than a collar to help her relax…
(I’m a 14 year old) Earlier today I was walking around the house and I was angry and I had my cat in my room, I thought she was still on the bed but I kicked the door open and I looked down and see her right there and she ran out the door to be let outside and I panicked because I have hurt her by accident once and she had to get surgery for it, so as I was panicking because I saw her limping and I didn’t call my mom and tell her what happened, I don’t know why, but I brought her to my room and got her to sleep for most of the day but the vet is not closed and we can’t bring her to the vet until Monday, what should I do to help her? Do I try and bandage it up for now so then the broken bone is in place or should I keep her on the bed trying to keep her off the leg? if she puts pressure on the leg would it worsen the injury? I need to know ASAP so please respond to me.
Without knowing what the injury is, it’s impossible to say, I’m afraid! She really does need veterinary attention as soon as possible. These accidents happen, but I would not recommend putting a splint on it, as unless you are trained in how to do this in a cat, it can make it worse.
I hope she’s OK!
4 days ago My cat ran under me while I was walking. I stepped on her leg. She seemed fine at first. She Was running around and acting normal. A few hours passed and I notice a bump on her leg. The next day her paw and leg were swollen but she was walking fine and eating. She even let’s me check her leg with no problem. Me and my gf are going through a bad time financially so I thought I could let her heal up without going to the vet. But last night she isolated herself and keeps licking her leg. She will come out when she hears food or when we call her but looks like she rather be alone. She is walking fine and let’s us touch her leg and paw but it’s still swollen. Is this a emergency
It’s not an emergency (as in drop everything and go now), but I do think it really needs to be seen by a vet – cats are very good at hiding what’s wrong with them so there might be some significant injury there that needs a bit more attention than just time.
My kitten’s waist and legs are broken and I don’t have money to take her to the vet….. what should I do??
I’m so sorry to hear that, but I think you need to think of her – find a charity or someone who can humanely end her suffering.
My 2yr large cat started limping, he limped around for a week or so and jumped off a low to the floor box and collapsed. More limping before I co7ld get him into a vet. Long story short he had surgery 9/8/22. On the following Monday at his it’s laser treatment the vet explained what was done. Apparently his leg was cut open, the ends of the bone were cut even and left as they were and his leg was closed up again. They did not attach the femur to the bone coming off the hip joint. I was told that the muscles of the leg would hold the femur in place. He should stay in his large carrier that night and be let out the next morning to start walking as much as he can, as much as possible. He has been prescribed onsior for inflammation and gabapentin for pain. He will walk a few steps then lays down for awhile. When I mentioned that a tech had raised the option of amputation I was told ‘we are not going to amputate the leg…he’s only 2 years old’. I have not found any mention of this type of treatment and I am extremely worried about what’s in store for my big boy Max. Can you please help me understand this treatment? I fear we have a much worse situation now.
Without knowing the full history, I can’t really comment on Max’s specific case. However, a femoral head and neck excision arthroplasty (which is what it sounds like the surgery was) is a well recognised treatment for certain injuries of the top part (the neck and head) of the femur; and as you were told, it involves removing the top part of the femur where it joins the hip socket. In this situation, the muscles do indeed hold the limb, especially in a small dog or a cat.
If you think this isn’t the surgery that was performed, or you’re concerned, I think the best thing to do is to chat to the vet who performed the surgery and ask them why this option was chosen. They should be able to explain to you the pros and cons of this option, and why they felt it was the best surgical approach, rather than any alternatives.
I hope that helps – and I’m sorry that, without more information, I can’t give a more specific answer to the question!
My cat got hit by a car last night and they’ve said he’s best to have it amputated as it’s broke in 4places if you think your cat has a broken leg please get them checked right away
So sorry to hear that – fortunately, cats usually cope really well on three legs, but I really hope he pulls through OK.
He’s had his front leg off now but I can’t get him to eat any tips, I’ve tried tuna I’ve tried his meat pouches I’ve tried chicken nothing…..
First, check in with your vet that his pain medication is adequate, and that it isn’t causing nausea: a lot of painkillers can make cats lose their appetite. If his pain is well controlled, as are any side effects from the meds, then its a case of tempting… good luck!
My 3 months old kitten got fracture on her left leg. It had a surgery two weeks ago. The vet asked me to keep the cat in a cage as her moving should be very limited. Unfortunately My cat kept crying whenever I put her in the cage .. because of jumping and moving I noticed a swelling right under her neck ( very top area ) of her left leg . Should I be worried ?and what can I do ? She’s eating and sleeping fine . And she’s not in pain even if I press on the tumor.
Definitely go back to the vet! The lump is probably scar tissue or bony callus from where she over-exerted herself, which meant that the break didn’t heal as cleanly as it might have done, but that really needs to be confirmed by a vet who can physically examine her and who has all her clinical notes.
Hello. A friend of mine has a kitten with two back legs broken. No vets are around his area, and he doesn’t want to lose this kitten at all. What should he do? Is there any way to save it?
It depends on the fracture configuration, the age of the kitten, and the degree of soft tissue damage. That’s not something that can be assessed by anyone who doesn’t have veterinary training.
Hi, my cat fell from Height and is now limping on the right side rear leg, not resting on the floor. But he is sleeping on the right side without any disturbance. Can will sleep on the side which was broken or dislocated?
Yes they can, especially if it’s dislocated rather than broken: it’s definitely time to get that checked over by a vet.
I’M brother has a cat with a broken leg him and his wife both are work and have 3 children,they are up and past their limit of costs and cannot afford pet fees …what is the best thing for them to do ?
The best bet is to find a local charity or charity clinic who can support him – while broken bones in cats will fuse on their own, they won’t usually heal right, and this usually leads at best to chronic pain, ongoing lameness and other complications. The Cats Protection and PDSA would be my first port of call; and the RSPCA as another option. Good luck!
Would it be better for a 10 week old kitten with a complicated fracture to have their leg surgically repaired, amputated or euthanised?
It would depend where in the leg the fracture was; personally, I would be leaning towards amputation or surgical repair – cats of that age heal really well, and also adapt incredibly easily to being on three legs, and generally go on to have a very good life.