34
votes
Accepted
Stepped on my kitten's paw
The way to see if the injury is serious is to observe your cat for a couple of hours: if your cat is still limping and tries to avoid using the paw when she walks, you can start thinking about taking ...
- 18.8k
32
votes
Dad accidentally sat on my cat
If she’s behaving completely normally (other than probably avoiding your dad) rather than hiding, walking funny or being lethargic, she’s probably fine. I’d keep an eye on her for the next couple days ...
- 4,059
24
votes
I kicked my dog in the back and now she's walking funny, what do I do?
Your only option at this point is to make sure she is taken to a vet. There has been some damage done, the real question is how much.
Not taking her to see a vet would be a bad decision.
I know you ...
- 15.5k
22
votes
Dad accidentally sat on my cat
Cats are surprisingly sturdy creatures. By your description, she doesn't appear to act anyway out of normal. She moves normally, eats normally, acts normally. You can keep eye on her for few days for ...
- 491
21
votes
Accepted
What happens if bite wound abscesses in cats left untreated?
In short
Untreated abscesses can heal on their own, but it's almost always a long, messy and painful process. Usually they heal without complications, but in bad cases they may lead to death, for ...
Elmy♦
- 28.8k
21
votes
My Indian flapshell turtle fell from 3rd floor. How to know there's any internal damage by his behaviour?
It's impossible to tell if an animal - especially a reptile like a turtle - has internal injuries from it's behavior, unless it's currently dying. A vet must examine the animal to find internal damage....
Elmy♦
- 28.8k
19
votes
I kicked my dog in the back and now she's walking funny, what do I do?
(Disclaimer. The following information is for general guidance on your responsibilities towards an animal and is not legal advice. Local laws may vary.)
Take the dog to a vet. If you can't afford a ...
17
votes
Accepted
How can I get my cat to let me study his wound?
In my experience the easiest way is to be sneaky about it and peek at the wound while the cat is eiher relaxed or sleeping. The best way to achieve that is by petting. You may have to invest some time ...
Elmy♦
- 28.8k
15
votes
How can I get my cat to let me study his wound?
As well as petting your cat to get him to lie down, use a clean wash cloth or rag that is dampened with warm water when you pet him. It should be about as damp and warm as being groomed by a cat ...
- 686
14
votes
Accepted
What can I do for my turtle that fell down three floors?
As covered in the other answers, your only option is to see a vet in order to have surgery done. Or in the worst case, have it humanely put to rest.
I want to stress how important it is that a ...
- 15.5k
14
votes
My dog's right eye is dislodged from the socket, do I need a second opinion?
I would second Yvette's advice for you to get a second opinion.
You should also be able to call your vet and ask for clarification, if the treatment plan they gave does not make sense.
Obviously we ...
- 5,598
13
votes
Accepted
Most humane way to emergency euthanize an injured cat?
Cats like humans, can survive a lot of injuries even if they appear to be lethal. You should take your pet to the vet for any type of euthanasia. The most humane way to euthanize a cat is through ...
- 645
11
votes
What can I do for my turtle that fell down three floors?
You should take this animal to a vet right away. Repairing the shell will require surgical skills to clean the wound and create a suitable patch. Otherwise the turtle will likely die of infection (...
- 708
11
votes
Accepted
I accidentally kicked my puppy in the mouth, help me please
These things ... happen, especially with puppies and smaller dogs.
The good news is its probably fine. He's acting normal, and there's no real lasting damage from what you said. He probably was ...
- 2,456
10
votes
What can I do for my turtle that fell down three floors?
This animal really MUST see a vet to assess the damage (if the tissue leaking out is vital organs or just muscle tissue).
Try calling some if the voicemails of local vets. In my area vets put ways to ...
- 20.1k
10
votes
Discovered feral kitten is bitten. Should I abandon it?
First of all, it is irresponsible to adopt any pet if your current financial situation is such that you cannot afford to provide for its needs, which includes regular veterinary checkups and the ...
- 15.4k
10
votes
Dad accidentally sat on my cat
If you've ever watched a cat squeeze through an impossibly small hole (of course you have), you can understand that cats have extremely deformable bodies.
This means their organs can move out of the ...
- 241
10
votes
Accepted
Why are so many horses put down when they break their leg?
As this source writes, there are some main issues, that horse's legs make special in cases of broken legs:
The leg bones are small in relation to the horse's body weight
Under the knee (which is not ...
- 5,657
10
votes
Accepted
Prevent injured cat from biting & scratching people during vet exam
I am a vet who sees a lot of cats each day.
To examine a cat who tends to bite or scratch, there are a few things I do commonly:
Go slow and gentle. Cats don't like sudden movement. Let the cat ...
- 5,598
9
votes
Accepted
Are dog leg braces an acceptable alternative to prohibitively expensive knee surgery?
Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital has a handout on Treatment options for cranial cruciate ligament injury/disease of the dog knee which states:
There is ample evidence that ...
- 20.1k
9
votes
How can I protect my dogs from my neighbor's two pitbulls without shooting them?
TL;DR
You have a conflict where your neighbor's self-interest and yours don't seem to align. You also have a moral responsibility to take preventive action before your dogs are hurt, rather than ...
- 1,103
9
votes
Accepted
My rabbit just lost a claw. Should I be concerned or not?
Rabbits lose toe nails when they are torn off. It is not normal, but neither is it rare. The two biggest contributors to this painful occurrence are untrimmed nails and places for the nails to get ...
- 29.3k
9
votes
What happens if bite wound abscesses in cats left untreated?
This is what might happen.
Your cat gets sepsis (blood poisoning) and dies.
The abscess ruptures, and your cat's immune system fights the infection.
This is Lillepus, a feral cat I had a couple of ...
- 18.8k
9
votes
How can I get my cat to let me study his wound?
Your cat is not going to let you "study his wound". He's a cat and it's going to be difficult to accomplish such a task if he won't let you already.
What I suggest is taking a video using a ...
8
votes
Should I take my cat to the vet after a big fall/jump?
Cats don't like admitting that they're hurt. Observe, and if there's significant behavior change, the vet is probably a good idea.
Cats in good condition can survive some surprising falls -- if you ...
- 10k
8
votes
Accepted
Cat fell from window on his side
We have the existing question Should I take my cat to the vet after a big fall/jump? as indicated in one of the answers there, cats mostly land on their feet automatically.
If you cat fell and ...
- 29.3k
8
votes
Accepted
Male cat in heat came home injured on legs
The ONLY responsible thing to do is to get your cats SPAYED AND NEUTERED.
Intact male cats will fight and get hurt. You will save yourself a lot of money and problems by getting the cat(s) neutered.
...
- 18.8k
8
votes
Male cat in heat came home injured on legs
Male cats do not go into heat — this is a term referring to estrus which only females go through.
There may be some seasonality to male cat sexual activity but in general a sexually mature male cat ...
- 5,598
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible