Mary Allen
Cats can break bones as a result of falls or accidents. You can find out here what symptoms you can use to tell whether your animal may have broken something and what the treatment looks like.
Like humans, a cat can break a bone if the bone is stressed beyond its natural flexibility. This usually happens in accidents or falls from great heights. You usually notice quite quickly whether your cat has broken something. Because the symptoms are striking.
How to Recognize Broken Bones in Cats
Fractures in cats are quite varied in nature and can occur on different limbs. The symptoms are nevertheless very similar: each fracture is usually associated with severe pain for your four-legged friend.
A basic distinction is made between an open and a closed fracture. The open fracture can be recognized at first glance. Because in addition to the bone itself, the surrounding tissue is also injured.
The situation is different from the closed fracture. When a bone breaks like this, the surrounding skin remains intact. There are other symptoms to look out for – and these mainly concern the cat’s movement and posture.
Movements & Posture Provide Information
Cats usually move very smoothly. But not in the case of pain caused by a broken bone. In order to relieve the injured body part, the animal’s posture and movement deviate significantly from the normal state.
When a cat breaks a bone, its elegance is reversed: it becomes paralyzed and drags one of its legs behind it. If the hip is broken, as in tilt window syndrome, cats may even pull both hind legs.
Even at rest, you can spot broken bones in cats. The posture is not as relaxed as usual. A broken leg is either pulled unnaturally close to the body or noticeably relieved, for example in the upright sitting position. Also, note if the affected part of the body swells.
Broken Bones in Cats: Quickly to the Vet
If you recognize these symptoms, it is essential that the broken bone be treated by a veterinarian. Keep in mind that broken bones in cats rarely heal on their own without permanent damage.
First of all, keep calm and prepare everything for a visit to the veterinarian. Do not frantically grab the injured pet, you could cause them more pain than they are already suffering.
Prepare everything and put your injured darling as comfortably as possible in the transport box just before departure. There should be enough space in it to be able to relieve the broken limbs.
To prevent your cat from moving and further injuring yourself, you can gently wrap them in a blanket up to their necks. This provides warmth and security at the same time. In the case of bleeding wounds, the blanket must be clean to avoid infection. Better yet, they place a sterile cloth over the wound.
Then you should go to the vet immediately. Make sure that you transport your darling with as little vibration as possible.
Treating Broken Bones: What Does the Vet Do?
In practice, the veterinarian can use x-rays to determine where the fracture is and what type it is. Depending on this, he can treat broken bones correctly. In some cases, stabilization with a splint or plastic cast is sufficient.
In order for the bones to grow back together in such a way that your cat can then romp around without pain, an operation is often necessary.
Surgery in Cats as in Humans
If a broken bone makes an operation in the cat unavoidable, this is not too different from that of a human. Depending on the severity and type of fracture, the bones are stabilized with nails, screws, wires, or metal plates. Painkillers ensure that the cat does not suffer more pain than necessary during the healing period.
This is a strenuous time for owners and velvet paws, which demands a lot of discipline and endurance: the cat should not move if possible so that the broken bones can heal. You may even have to temporarily lock your four-legged friend in a cage for his own protection.