Foot injury

[fionasmom]

Spock is a TNRed feral who lives on my property. He is an older boy and allows me to touch and scratch the top of his head but no more. He has had a couple of episodes of what appear to be either a hurt foot or a pulled muscle in which he starts to limp on left front leg. The last time was in March. Just as I try to decide how to retrap him, he suddenly makes a complete recovery. In March there was a tiny bit of red between the toes, but otherwise there is nothing remarkable like wounds, swollen feet, something stuck in his foot.

Yesterday he was limping again, same this morning, then returned with what appears to be a red spot and missing fur on the foot but walking about 90% better than a few hours ago. I continue to try to trap him and would call this an emergency just to get him into the vet quickly, but wondered if there were any ideas.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Any correlation to weather changes, as in perhaps a flare-up of arthritis that causes him to step on things he may not otherwise?

 

[fionasmom]

I think that is part of it, or he might be making jumps that he is not up to. He eats and lives around my house most of the time, has a great coat, but is thin and I suspect an old age condition which I am watching. Today the sore was not red or raw looking and he is walking just fine....for which I am very happy.

 

[neely]

Is it possible he got part of his foot caught on something, e.g. a jagged stone, piece of glass or metal, even a thorn or shrub? Just trying to brainstorm possibilities. Poor guy, thank you for looking after him.

 

[fionasmom]

He is fine today and this has happened before. I agree that he catches it on something. The irony is that he eats exclusively in my back porch area and has beds and shelter available, along with a yard, so he really is not being put at risk because he needs to find food, etc. But cats are cats....