Kitten May Have Broke/bruised Rib...

[Binxandlily]

My 8 month old manx kitten, Lilith, just started showing discomfort in her chest area yesterday.

She's a very social and playful girl. I got home from work, she ran up to me as she always does. I picked her up and she immediately meowed at me as if she was in pain and squirmed to get out of my arms. I put her down. As soon as I did, she was fine again, and started rubbing my legs and purring like nothing happened.

I'm a worry wart when it comes to my babies so I flipped her on her back and touched different parts of her belly to try and find out what was hurting her. Every time, it seemed like it was right in the center of her chest. She tenses and growls when I apply pressure to it but is absolutely fine when it's not touched. She still runs around, plays with her toys, eats, uses the litter box, and allows me to pet her. She doesn't seem to be in any pain at all unless I touch her.

She does play pretty roughly with Binx, my two year old. He is about 12 pounds while she is around 7, so I could see how he could accidentally hurt her. I'm thinking that's what happened.

I did call a friend who is a vet tech and she said that she may not need to be taken into a vet, since there's not much they can do for a rib fracture anyway. All they can do is treat the pain, which she doesn't seem to be in.

Does that seem right? I'm keeping a close eye on her at the moment and she's not showing any signs at all of being in pain. No limping or anything. I'm concerned of course, but I don't want to waste a few hundreds dollars on a vet trip if I don't have to.

Thank you for any advice

 

[abyeb]

They can't put a cast on a cat with a broken rib because they need flexibility to breathe in or out. An external splint I think is only used when the broken rib is hurting the cat's ability to breathe. I think it would probably be good to take your cat to the vet, just in case, but another poster with more experience might be able to tell you more, I don't know exactly what the treatment for a bruised or broken rib looks like. Sorry I couldn't be of more help, hopefully by bumping this up, you'll get more answers.

 

[Geoffrey]

I am a human doctor, not a vet. Some years ago I had a fall and I diagnosed myself as having broken at least two ribs in my side. My diagnosis was made very much in the way that you diagnosed Lilith was diagnosed by you. X-Rays are difficult, My daughter, also a doctor, insisted that I have an X-Ray but I could not see any fracture. However, having had trauma to the part and having local tenderness and pain on the side when pressing on my sternum and pain on the side when deep breathing, I was pretty sure that broken ribs were the diagnosis.

The pain persisted for at least four to five weeks and was quite severe, keeping me awake at night, It is for this reason alone that you should take Lilith to the vet. Having satisfied himself on your diagnosis, the vet can give you a prescription for a feline pain killer. Cats often suffer pain without showing it and I can assure you that the pain, in humans, warrants analgesics. Your friend, the vet technician is quite wrong. Cats may not show pain but they do suffer it and only a vet can prescribe adequate pain killers.

With all best wishes to Lilith and you,
Geoffrey

 

[Binxandlily]

I am a human doctor, not a vet. Some years ago I had a fall and I diagnosed myself as having broken at least two ribs in my side. My diagnosis was made very much in the way that you diagnosed Lilith was diagnosed by you. X-Rays are difficult, My daughter, also a doctor, insisted that I have an X-Ray but I could not see any fracture. However, having had trauma to the part and having local tenderness and pain on the side when pressing on my sternum and pain on the side when deep breathing, I was pretty sure that broken ribs were the diagnosis.

The pain persisted for at least four to five weeks and was quite severe, keeping me awake at night, It is for this reason alone that you should take Lilith to the vet. Having satisfied himself on your diagnosis, the vet can give you a prescription for a feline pain killer. Cats often suffer pain without showing it and I can assure you that the pain, in humans, warrants analgesics. Your friend, the vet technician is quite wrong. Cats may not show pain but they do suffer it and only a vet can prescribe adequate pain killers.

With all best wishes to Lilith and you,
Geoffrey

Thank you so much. I'll take her into the vet today for some pain meds.

 

[foxxycat]

What did your vet say? Hoping for a fast recovery!