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Ask the Veterinarian/Cat toe broken? dislocate? Urgent!
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Question
First of all, I know that a vet's help would be easiest. I am home alone, my parents won't be back til around midnight, but my cat appears to be in a lot of pain. I think he snagged his toe on something and broke or dislocated it. It is sticking up at an awkward angle and he appears to be in quite a bit of pain, crying and growling. He cannot put any weight on it and I know it must be pretty bad if even he is making a big deal out of it. It happened about an hour and a half ago (that's when I noticed it) and I am trying to leave him alone, but every time that I look for him he is in a different spot, so he is moving quite a bit.
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I attached a photo of how bad his toe is, if you could give me advice for what to do for the time being that'd be great, and I will take him to a vet first thing in the morning!
(His name is Milo)
thanks!
Melissa
Well I don't know if it's broken, probably not since it isn't swelling, but it most definitely is dislocated!!
There is nothing you can do right now Melissa but leave him alone. Do NOT give him any pain medication as most all of it is toxic to cats.
Don't wrap it or touch it. Just let him be but be very careful that he doesn't get out of the house!! If he does, he will go hide in the bushes or under that house and you won't be able to get him to the vets.
So leave it be for now. He probably caught it in something, a door bottom, a drawer, who knows. Cats get into things and have these 'incidents,' but not as often as dogs do!!
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Answers by Expert:
Jana Connell RVT, CVT
Expertise
PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!
Experience
I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina.
I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.
Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.
Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT.
Certified Veterinary Dental Technician
Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).
Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.
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