Before she was spayed, my cat used to run around and be very active in the house. It's been two days since her spay; she’s still tired, which is to be expected. However, when she walks, I've noticed she is limping on her back left leg. I thought maybe it was because of her incision, but her wound is on the right side and it’s the back left leg that she’s limping on...
It’s really strange because she can walk, sit on the leg, and even stretch it, but as soon as she starts walking, I see her limping and placing her paw down very gingerly as if it's painful or broken. I don't think she's done anything to it at home, as she hasn't been moving much, jumping, or running since the op, so I doubt she's broken her leg here.
Being quite worried, I did some research online and found several stories similar to mine. Limping after a cat is spayed can apparently be explained by the anaesthetic affecting the nerves in the leg, or it could be because the vet tied the leg too tightly during the procedure. Other than that, her behaviour is fine—she's eating and drinking normally.
Has anyone else experienced this with their cat after a spay?? Do you think this is normal?
Thanks in advance for your replies
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Hi, your situation sounds quite similar to mine. My cat was fine for about 2 DAYS after being neutered, but then he started throwing up everything he ate, so it was back to the vet who gave him an injection. I can't remember what it was, but the anaesthesia had caused some digestive issues. Mind you, what seems more likely to me is that he must have had a fall, because he was limping as well – so probably a tumble even though I'd kept him isolated after his op. The vet told me the groove that's supposed to hold his kneecap isn't deep enough, which caused a partial dislocation that keeps popping in and out, so he was limping quite a bit. The only thing to do in the future if it gets worse is an operation. He had that for about a fortnight, with some days where he limped a lot, but he's fine now and hardly ever limps. The vet offered to give him painkillers but as my cat is a nightmare to catch and the symptoms have cleared up, he rarely limps now. Maybe it's that? Does your cat limp all the time, all day long? I NOTICED AT THE TIME THAT HIS KNEECAP WOULD POP OUT WHENEVER HE STRETCHED. Anyway, I’d advise a check-up just to be sure what’s causing it, but the neutering itself can’t make a cat limp – it’s probably a fall because he wasn’t properly awake after the anaesthetic.
Thanks for sharing your experience. To be honest, she limps every time she walks... What did you do to get your pet to stop limping? And how many days did it take??
Hi there,
Your situation sounds very similar to mine.
After my cat was neutered, he was fine for about two days, but then he started throwing up everything he ate. I took him back to the vet and they gave him an injection—I can't remember what it was exactly—because the anaesthesia had caused some digestive upset. Or, what seems more likely to me, he must have had a fall, because he was also limping.
So it was probably a fall, even though I’d kept him isolated after his op.
The vet told me that the groove for his kneecap isn't deep enough, which caused a partial dislocation that keeps popping in and out, so he was limping quite a bit. The only thing to do in the future if it gets worse is surgery.
He had this for about a fortnight, with some days where he limped a lot, but he’s fine now and hardly ever limps.
The vet offered some pain relief, but since my cat is a nightmare to catch and the symptoms have mostly cleared up, he rarely limps now anyway.
Maybe it’s that? Does your cat limp all the time, all day long?
I NOTICED AT THE TIME THAT HIS KNEECAP WOULD POP OUT WHENEVER HE STRETCHED.
Otherwise, I’d recommend getting him checked out by the vet just to be sure what’s causing it.
But the neutering itself can’t cause a limp; it’s more likely he had a fall because he wasn’t fully with it after the anaesthesia.
Don't let her go out... just keep an eye on her and if she's eating, drinking and doesn't seem to be in pain, it might just be related to the anaesthesia (maybe a trapped nerve or she just landed awkwardly on her leg). The pain and discomfort might just gradually ease off... If she’s still struggling to put any weight on her paw tomorrow, give your vet a ring to have a chat about it.
Yeah, she doesn't go out anyway as she's an indoor cat. To be honest, I don't really get the impression she's in that much pain. She's eating and drinking well, and even when I touch her paw she doesn't react or meow at all.
Hi there, have you called the vet to see if it could be linked to the surgery? (I read somewhere that cats' legs are sometimes tied down during an operation – I'm not sure if that's true, but maybe it's related). Or perhaps she tried to jump shortly after coming home and landed awkwardly because she was still a bit groggy. Either way, definitely give your vet another ring; it should be covered as part of the post-op follow-up care. I hope it’s just a temporary thing and she’ll be feeling better soon.
No, not yet, I’m going to give them a call tomorrow. I’d be surprised if she’d jumped, though, as she’s done nothing but sleep since she got home. I’ve even had to bring her food to her. It’s only today that she’s started coming out of her "hiding spots" and moving around.
Don't let her out... Keep an eye on her and if she's eating, drinking, and doesn't seem to be in pain, it might just be related to the anaesthetic (maybe a trapped nerve or she landed awkwardly on her leg).
The pain and discomfort might gradually fade away...
If she's still having trouble putting weight on her leg tomorrow, give your vet a ring to have a chat about it.
Hi there, have you called the vet to see if this might be linked to the surgery? (I read somewhere that cats' legs are tied down during the op; I'm not sure if that's true, but it could be related.) Or perhaps she tried to jump shortly after the procedure and landed awkwardly because she wasn't fully awake yet. Either way, don't hesitate to get back in touch with your vet, as this should be part of the post-op follow-up. I hope it’s just a temporary thing and that she’ll be on the mend soon.
