Accepted Answer

Hello-

Thanks so much for that information.

 

Assuming this is a soft tissue injury like you think, you are already doing the most critical aspect correctly....that is getting him to stay off it. Cats are so difficult at doing things they don't want to do....just continue to do your best. Sometimes confining them to a single bedroom, where they only have the bed and carpet to be on can help. If he is walking around the house, he is using it more than he should.

 

Glucosamine works well only if this were a joint injury or arthritis. If it is a muscle or tendon injury, this supplement won't work very well.

 

There are some pain medications that would be really useful, not only to make him a bit more comfortable, but to maybe make him a bit sleepy too. This would probably require a trip to the vet since it has been over a year since he has been seen. You may be recommended to take xrays again, etc, but you can tell them you just want some pain medications. Ones to try would be buprenorphine, tramadol, fentanyl, or torbugesic. If your vet offers meloxicam (metacam), I would not use this as it can be really hard on their kidneys and cats are already so prone to kidney issues.

 

If he will let you, you could also try to hot pack it once or twice a day. You can either microwave some uncooked rice in a ziploc bag and hold this on the painful part of his leg for about 5 min. or as long as he will allow, or you can offer him a heating pad.

 

Acupuncture is a great pain relief modality and most cats do tolerate it. I prefer that over drugs when possible. There aren't too many vet certified in acupuncture, but you can try to find one in your area by looking in the phone book, calling clinics, or trying www.tcvm.com.

 

I hope this helps give you some options. Please let me know if you need anything else.

Expert:	purr doctor
Pos. Feedback:	100.0 %
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Answered:	12/28/2008

Cat Veterinarian

9 yrs in feline-only medicine/surgery/end of life care. Special interest-feline nutrition/geriatrics