Why does a cat limp on its front leg? Patella luxation. The effect of feline calicivirus infection on joints

Cats are distinguished by their activity, which sometimes causes them to suffer. There are too many of them increased mobility may cause injury of different origins. If you notice that your cat is limping on its front leg, then you need to contact a veterinarian and undergo an examination.

Cat lameness can be caused by many things and can cause the animal significant discomfort and pain. The disease can be permanent or occur periodically, for example, only in the morning or evening. Causes of lameness in cats associated with injury are as follows:

• dislocation of the paw during games;
• splinter in the fingertips;
• sprain;
• fracture;
• claw damage.

An animal may also limp due to a specific disease:

• osteochondrosis. Occurs mainly in old cats. In this case, pinching of the spinal cord roots occurs. Touching upon cervical region, pinching leads to lameness of one front paw or both. The older the pet, the more severe osteochondrosis will manifest itself;
• elbow dysplasia. Mainly affects purebred cats. The disease manifests itself in youth and only intensifies over the years. In this case, the lameness affects either one of the front legs or both at once;
• arthritis or arthrosis. Occurs in older cats and leads to inflammation of the joints. With this disease, the cat limps on its front or hind legs. The animal begins to limp gradually. Osteoarthritis can affect older animals and overweight cats;
• osteomyelitis. Characterized by partial destruction bone tissue. The disease can affect any of the four limbs. It mainly affects cats under two years of age. Osteomyelitis is typical for Persians and related breeds;
• infections, such as calcivirus. In addition to limping, the animal has nasal discharge, ulcers in oral cavity, temperature increase.

Your pet may not be able to step on his front paw due to damaged nails. This happens as a result of falling from high altitude or upon impact. The claw can break if someone steps on the paw. This causes the animal great discomfort and pain.

There is another reason for lameness related to the disposition of the animal. For example, if you accidentally stepped on its paw and crushed it under a door, the animal will begin to limp demonstratively, expressing its resentment. The main thing is not to pay attention to this, and after a couple of hours your pet will get tired of playing and stop pretending.

If you notice that the cat is really suffering, immediately take him to the veterinarian to eliminate the possibility of complications.

Symptoms of lameness

An animal can limp with to varying degrees expressiveness. Some slightly twist their paw when walking, others cannot step on it at all. Watch your pet, spend visual inspection and run to the doctor if you notice at least one of the following signs:

• the cat cannot walk at all or moves with difficulty;
• after touching the paw, the cat pulls it away and begins to whine;
• refuses to go outside, especially if you have to go up or down stairs;
• the animal does not stand on its paw;
• at fungal infection a trace of dermatophytes is visible on the paws.

In addition to physical signs, the cat may lose appetite, appear increased fatigue, lethargy or irritability. If you forcefully examine a painful limb, the cat may hiss and even claw you.

Diagnosis of cat lameness

What to do if you find a cat with lameness on the front or back leg? First of all, don’t delay your visit. veterinary clinic or office. If the cause is an infectious disease, then delay in treatment can cost not only the animal’s health, but also its life. During the visit, the veterinarian will perform the following diagnostic measures:

• will look at the patient's medical history (if any). Will conduct a survey of the owner, find out whether there have been any Lately the animal has injuries, will find out if there is accompanying symptoms, in addition to lameness;
• visual inspection of a limping cat. It is necessary to understand how serious the lameness is, the location of the most painful area of ​​the limb, and the presence of abnormal places in the structure of the joints. The doctor will look at how the animal moves, runs, stands;
• neurological examination. Carried out to avoid damage to the central nervous system, muscles, brain or spinal cord, because lameness is not always caused by orthopedic problems;
• radiograph. It will help you see the presence of cracks, tumors, growths and other problems inside the limb.

You may also need to take tests synovial fluid, general blood and biopsy, urine. Research is carried out with the introduction of dye spinal canal- myelography. Contrast radiography or arthrography (injection of dye into the joint) is done using the same method. Ultrasound, MRI and CT may be prescribed.

Treatment of lameness in cats

When you have decided on the causes of lameness in the front paw, it’s time to start treatment. It can be simple and done at home with the help of medications, for example for a minor sprain or dislocation. More serious illnesses are treated in a hospital, surgical intervention is possible.

Drug therapy

In the case when lameness is associated with a splinter or other foreign body, treatment consists of treating the wound with a simple antiseptic. But first the splinter is pulled out so that swelling and inflammation do not occur. As a rule, no complications arise, the wound heals within 2-3 days. Along with painful sensations, lameness will disappear. Fractures are not uncommon in active cats. If the animal breaks its paw, you should try to immobilize it before arriving at the clinic. At the hospital, the cat will be examined and a bandage or cast will be applied.

Treatment degenerative changes in limbs and arthritis in cats is carried out with the help of drugs that restore the elasticity of cartilage, for example, Ketofen. It is prescribed both in tablet form (1 tablet once a day) and in the form of injections (1% solution). Medicines can only be prescribed by a veterinarian, after the necessary diagnostic measures. If pathological changes in the joints caused overweight and impaired metabolism, the animal is prescribed a diet to reduce body weight.

There are cases. When it is impossible to determine the exact cause of lameness. In this case, the animal is prescribed to minimize physical activity and prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs. Painful sensations stopped by No-shpa, Papaverine, etc.

If lameness is caused by an infectious disease, then the root cause is eliminated first. Diseases like calcivirosis are treated with antibiotics wide range actions in combination with immunostimulants, anti-inflammatory drugs and vitamins. This is necessary to protect the animal’s body, which is already weakened by the disease. The doctor may prescribe a weekly course of Flemoxin at a dosage of 12.5 -22 mg per kilogram of weight.

Surgical intervention

The duration and intensity of treatment depend on the type of disease and its advanced stage. For example, osteomyelitis disappears with age, but osteochondrosis, arthritis and arthrosis can develop into chronic form. In this case, constant dulling of painful outbreaks with anti-inflammatory and painkillers will be required.

When lameness turns into severe form, required surgical intervention. Depending on the situation, the doctor may decide to replace the affected joint with a prosthesis.

In case of dislocation kneecap, if not carried out timely treatment and the disease progresses to stages 3 and 4, surgery is prescribed. The same applies to osteochondrosis. At the beginning of the development of the disease, medications are prescribed. If the lameness does not go away, but only progresses, surgery will be prescribed to eliminate the pinched nerve.

Prevention of lameness

Some cats, due to their natural predisposition, may suffer from lameness. You can avoid its occurrence or at least reduce the intensity of its manifestations correct content cat: protect from injury, adjust the diet by adding more products with calcium and vitamins.

If you want to know whether a kitten will limp in the future, study its pedigree. Perhaps this is due to heredity and does not pose a danger to the health and life of the animal.

Cats that have crossed the border of old age, as a rule, move little and therefore begin to limp due to atrophy of the limbs. Play with them more often, provoking them to take active actions.

To prevent splinters from getting into your paws, do not be lazy to clean the room as thoroughly as possible, making sure that there are no objects lying on the floor that are potentially dangerous to the animal.

Lameness in cats is not that uncommon. If nothing else bothers your pet other than this, then it is quite possible that in a couple of days the situation will return to normal. If you see that the cat has become restless and has been limping for a long time, then professional help is required.

Lameness - A cat is considered lame if it is unable to walk normally or cannot support itself on one or more paws.

Lameness in cats. Causes.

Lameness is most likely not independent disease, but symptoms of other hidden diseases, most of which cause pain to the cat.

Often, lameness is caused by foreign bodies (grass seeds, plant thorns) that dig into the paw pads, and these can also be cuts or wounds received in a fight with other cats. Another cause of lameness may be a disease of the claws or nerves that affect the sensitivity of the paws.

Lameness in cats. General symptoms.

Common symptoms depend on your cat's health status, as well as the severity of each individual case, but among them are the following:

♦ The cat does not step on the sore paw and tries to transfer its weight to the healthy one.

♦ The gait is uneven, slow.

♦ External changes sore paw (swelling, redness).

♦ The cat does not allow you to touch the sore paw.

♦ The cat constantly licks its sore paw.

Your actions.

If your cat suddenly starts limping suddenly, contact your veterinary center immediately.
If your cat is limping slightly, try to determine which paw she is not stepping on. If the lameness is sudden, in most cases only one limb will be affected. If you cannot immediately determine which limb is damaged, and the cat does not allow you to touch itself, then just watch the cat for a while.

Once you determine which limb is damaged, try to examine it, starting with the claws. If the reason is not visible, then lightly press different places and watch the cat's reaction.

Lameness in cats. If the reason:

♦ Foreign body. In this case, simply remove it with tweezers and treat the wound.

♦ A cut or other wound. Look on the cat's body to see if there are any other bites or puncture wounds. If you find them, treat the wounds.

♦ Painful or swollen joint. Attach it to cold compress or a container with ice.

If you find no visible cause for lameness.

Leave the cat to rest for 24 hours and then observe her. If lameness does not go away, contact a veterinarian.

Removing a foreign body from a cat's paws.

Have someone hold the cat. Using tweezers, remove the foreign body, then soak the affected paw in warm salt water for a few minutes, then rinse it with a veterinary disinfectant solution, and then dry it thoroughly.

Health to you and your pets.

Many people love cats. Due to their unpretentiousness in living conditions, they are equally common among both apartment residents and owners of private houses. However, it is worth remembering that a cat is a living creature, and therefore diseases are inherent in it. One of the most dangerous diseases our furry pets Calcivirosis or calcivirus infection remains.

Feline calcivirosis (calcivirus infection) as a cause of cat lameness. Symptoms and development of the disease

Lameness in cats can develop due to infection with feline calicivirus (FCV), which is one of the main causes infectious diseases upper respiratory tract(colds) in cats.

Classical cat cold” includes a short incubation period(from three to five days) and manifests itself mainly in diseases of the upper respiratory tract (sneezing, runny nose, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, discharge from the eyes and mouth). These symptoms may be accompanied by fever and, less commonly, cough and pneumonia.

Already in the early stages of the disease, some cats may experience transient lameness, which can be considered as a clinical sign of FCV infection.

It is now believed to be relatively common clinical manifestation calcivirus infection of cats. Transient lameness associated with cat infection with calcivirus is called “limping syndrome.”

Calcivirus infection has been identified as a cause of lameness in observations of infected kittens in which lameness appeared within 2-3 days along with usual symptoms– hyperthermia, lethargy, loss of appetite. Over the course of several hours, as hyperthermia developed, the kittens also exhibited general or localized stiffness, manifesting as lameness in some and almost complete immobility in others.

Adult cats also reacted painfully to palpation and manipulation of joints, and general hyperesthesia (pain or increased sensitivity to touch). None of the cats had sneezing or eye discharge, but about a third of the kittens developed mouth ulcers (one of the classic signs of feline calcivirus upper respiratory tract infection). Clinical signs passed within a period of 48 to 72 hours without residual effects.

Further studies showed that in synovium(the membrane lining the surface of the articular cavity and the ligaments located in the joint) calcivirus proteins were detected in infected cats or vaccinated with live FCV vaccine. Since viral proteins are associated with antibodies, we can talk about the formation of an “immune complex” (a combination of a virus protein and specific antibodies produced against it), which can provoke an inflammatory reaction.

In some cases, it was possible to isolate the entire virus from the joints of cats with signs of calcivirus infection (lameness syndrome), which can be considered evidence that the virus provoked an acute inflammatory reaction.

Therefore, it is obvious that under the influence of calcivirus, at least in some situations, a systemic infection occurs, causing localization of the virus in the tissues of the joint, which can cause an inflammatory reaction due to local replication in these places. Lameness syndrome is a form of virally induced polyarthritis (inflammation affecting multiple joints).

Apparently, not all, but some strains of FCV carry increased danger the occurrence of lameness in a cat.

Vaccination against calcivirus infection and lameness syndrome in cats and kittens

Lameness syndrome associated with feline calcivirus infection most often occurs in kittens. It may develop even after the first vaccination of the kitten. Some vaccines may be more likely to cause claudication than others, but manufacturers are constantly improving their products to reduce the likelihood of such complications. Additionally, even if lameness occurs after vaccination, in some cases, the syndrome may be caused by an acquired infection rather than the vaccine itself.

What a cat owner needs to know about calcivirus infection

A fairly common manifestation of calcivirus infection, “lameness syndrome,” can cause temporary polyarthritis (inflammation affecting more than one joint) in cats, most often in small kittens. In the latter, this is associated with vaccination against FCV (especially live vaccines).

The severity of the syndrome ranges from subtle inflammation and mild limping to severe polyarthritis, where cats become reluctant to move, lose their appetite, and exhibit a painful reaction when touched. Affected cats gradually recover on their own, but if clinical symptoms are severe or persist for more than five days, you should definitely contact your veterinarian for evaluation. Anti-inflammatory drugs can be used for treatment.

Sometimes it happens that a cat that is absolutely healthy at first glance suddenly begins to limp in the front or hind leg. In such cases, many caring owners They will immediately begin an inspection for damage to the pad: they will look for a foreign body that causes the animal pain when walking, a scratch or a cut. Sometimes lameness in cats occurs precisely due to these reasons. But if, when examining your limping pet, you do not find anything like this, you should mandatory contact a veterinarian.

Before prescribing any treatment, the veterinarian must find out the reason why the cat is limping. There are a great many of them, but the most common of them are:

Various injuries - joint dislocation, ligament rupture, bone crack, etc.;

Infectious diseases - osteomyelitis (softening of bones), purulent mumps;

Neoplastic processes (for example, osteosarcoma);

Hereditary disorders of skeletal development, such as dysplasia;

Metabolic processes - osteodystrophy or nutritional hyperparathyroidism.

But this is not the entire list of diseases that cause this pathology in cats.

To diagnose lameness The following methods are used:

1) observation. IN in this case veterinarian visually assesses the severity of lameness (mild, moderate or severe), its sharpness, dislocation (the cat is limping on the hind leg or on the front leg, on the right or on the left), periodicity, etc.;

2) complete palpation examination of the spine from head to tail;

3) X-ray examination(the most common method);

4) computed and magnetic resonance imaging;

5) and others.

Only after full inspection, implementation diagnostic procedures and establishing the cause of the pathology, the cat is prescribed treatment. Treatment can be surgical or conservative. Both are quite effective in each specific case.

But don’t forget about another reason why a cat begins to limp. This is a lack of proper attention on the part of the owner. Don't underestimate the intelligence of these animals. Just yesterday your pet was completely healthy, but in the morning the cat is limping on its front leg? In this case, watch how she runs while playing or, for example, goes to a bowl of food. Perhaps the animal suffered from a disease of the musculoskeletal system, during which you gave it much more affection and devoted all your attention to free time. The cat remembered this and now uses lameness as a way of manipulation. What to do in this case? Ignore it, and then the “disease” will go away on its own after a while.

Veterinary center "Dobrovet"