New kitten is limping

[Oliver's Human]

We have a ten week old kitten, Oliver, that we just brought home last Tuesday. He was getting along famously until Saturday evening. He was on the couch sleeping next to my wife. She left the room and I looked over and he was gone. A few minutes later he appeared from going to the litter box. He decided to head to the kitchen to eat when I noticed he was limping, favoring his right front paw. We took him to an emergency vet who x-rayed the leg and said there were no breaks. It is not swollen either. Today he is still limping and holding the paw off the floor when he walks. I will take him to our regular vet Monday morning.

He has been very active up until now, but last night and today he just lays around and sleeps. He is eating and drinking and using the litter box. I am worrying myself sick about this so I was wondering if anyone has had any similar experiences with their kitties. I am hoping he just landed wrong when jumping from the couch and has a sprain. Thanks for any replies.

[Traci]

What type flooring is under the couch? Carpet, for example, should have softened the landing from the couch.

Is he putting pressure on the paw and leg at all?

Are you sure he didn't take a fall from elsewhere onto a hard surface? (like from kitchen or bathroom countertop to hard floor, or from a dresser, or from something downstairs onto concrete etc. Did you check the paws for anything embedded? Did the vet check the paws all the way up to the shoulder? Did he check Oliver's nails for signs of a curled or inward nail?

Didn't break any glass lately did you?

Do you have other pets? One who could have been too rambunctious with your kitten? Same applies to young children, do you have young children who could have played too rough with your kitten?

Also, could he have gotten hung up in something, twisted, contorted fitting behind an appliance, etc?

There's a million things kittens could get into, make sure your home is kitten-proof, just as you would a toddler.

If it's not swollen anywhere from paws to shoulder, chances are, it could be just a sprain (from a fall or twisted from something). You said Oliver is drinking and using the litterbox, but is he eating??? If so, you can get a followup with your vet first thing in the morning, he can palpate the paw and leg and look for bites, punctures, foreign body embedded, etc. Make darn sure your vet checks Oliver's temperature, if it's alittle high, he could have an infection brewing, possibly from a bite, bug bite, etc.

[Oliver's Human]

We have been watching him like a hawk all week. He was fine until he jumped from the couch. The couch seat is only about 18" from the floor which is carpeted. He had been up and down from the couch without incident the last couple of days. I didn't see him actually jump but he was fine all day before that. No broken glass, and his older brother was sleeping at the time. He either hurt it jumping down or somewhere on the way to or from the litter box which is on the same floor.

He is eating and drinking. I was not impressed with the emergency vet, I thought he was extremely rough and basically all we got is an x-ray that looks OK. I will have our regular vet give a thorough exam tomorrow.

If it is just a sprain, *crosses fingers* how long might it take to heal?

[Traci]

It doesn't necessarily mean the sprain occured at the time he jumped from the couch, it could have happened days earlier and any certain movement or pressure could have worsened in time.

If it isn't swollen, hot to the touch, if he's not lethargic or any other symptoms, hopefully it's just a sprain. Again, make sure your vet checks Oliver's temperature. The vet will want to part the fur in various areas along the leg to check for insect bites, or scabs, etc.

Sprains usually resolve in a couple weeks. Remember that he's only 10 weeks old and still growing and developing, he is still fragile at this point.

[Auntie Debbie]

I had a cat with a sprain years ago. At first she had a hard time getting up and walking on it. Once she got going she was somewhat okay...limped, but could move about alright. When I took her to the vet, he took xrays and determined it was a sprain. She had no marks like bites or wounds on her. After a few weeks of her still limping I was concerned that she wasn't getting over this "sprain" and I was planning on taking her back to the vets...until....I saw her walking just fine, with no limp. She didn't see me watching her. Once she saw me, she got a "Oops" look on her face and lifted the "bad" leg. I said, "Busted!" and that was the end of that. She liked the attention. Just how long her sprain really lasted, I'll never know. I just hope your little one doesn't have something more serious going on!

[Oliver's Human]

I am happy to report that he is much better this morning. He is walking on the bad leg. My wife and I took turns watching him all night the last two nights so it was relief to see him walk to the kitchen to eat and drink. He used the litter box once then later returned a second time but did not do anything so that has me a bit concerned, perhaps I worry too much. He is still rather lethargic and is sleeping beside me on my recliner. I called the vet and have an appointment for later today. But I think he is going to be fine. He is a cream tabby Exotic Shorthair, the third Exotic we have had. We saw one at a cat show once and fell in love with the breed. Here is a picture of Oliver.

[Traci]

Did you get Oliver from a breeder?

Did the breeder test him for PKD? (polycystic kidney disease)? This is a common health trait in persians and exotic shorthairs.

If you did not get him from a breeder, have your vet test him promptly. An ultrasound is the gold standard for testing, but the PKD test/DNA analysis is also warranted, ask your vet about this. Testing can be done anytime in kittens and adult cats, the sooner the better, especially in kittens.

If you did get him from a breeder, have your vet talk to the breeder and find out if her cats are PKD-positive and their histories, and provide health records to your vet.

You say he is lethargic, do you mean he really IS lethargic? Lethargy is generally not eating, reluctance to get up and move about, depression, withdrawal, overall feeling of malaise and illness, make sure your vet gives Oliver a complete and thorough exam, and talk about the PKD testing.

[Oliver's Human]

Yes the breeder tests for PKD. When I say he is lethargic, I mean he just sleeps all the time. He has been sleeping now for close to six hours. I realize that cats sleep a significant portion of the day. Our adult cat Max is almost seven and he will sleep eight hours at a time sometimes. But up until Oliver hurt himself he ran around and played until he was tuckered, then he went to sleep. Obviously he couldn't do that with his leg bothering him. I guess he still doesn't feel well despite the leg being better. We'll see what the vet says. Thanks for all your comments and suggestions it has helped me greatly.

[Traci]

Despite the breeder having testing, I'd get it done with your OWN vet ASAP.

Also, talk to your vet about testing for FELV/FIV. 10 weeks old is generally too young and might produce an inaccurate result. 12 weeks of age is ideal to test, but talk to your vet.

Limping does not usually cause lethargy. In a kitten this young, even despite the limp, he should be active and energetic.

Please let us know how the vet visit goes, ok?

[momPaws]

He is beautiful! Hope all goes well at the vets.