Safest pain killers for cats?

[bugmankeith]

This is continuation from my other thread but I'm having a difficult time getting the answer I need.

My cats back leg is in pain from falling off a fence and landing on the ground badly, she is 12.

She went to the vet and had an x ray and all that was said is some swelling but no injury. She got a cortisone shot to reduce swelling because I will not give Medacam.

It doesn't appear to be helping its been 2 days and she can't walk up the stairs of jump, she is hiding most of the day in dark places and looks depressed and walks a few steps then lays down, assuming its because of pain, my cat is not herself and I'm upset!

My usual vet does not offer any other pain meds but cortisone or medicam so im trying to find a new vet to take her to get a 2nd opinion and something for her pain.

She has a sensitive stomach and injections or pills are out of the question. But even liquid meds are so-so as she isn't very hungry and if she won't eat medication in food that's not good.

I'm thinking an injection by the vet of something that will last a few days might be good, if I can find something I know won't harm her.

Tramadol and buprenex sounded good until I read they are opiates and can cause digestive problems, hallucinations, restlessness, depression, and must be weaned off cat slowly, which is probably giving orally which I can't do. So long as nothing is serious I'm hoping the medication won't have to be too strong, just enough for a few days so her pain will slowly go away.

But I need to know ahead what meds she can have, as vets vary what they give and I don't want to bring her in and find out again what the vet offers she can't have or won't be practical.'

I have bad anxiety and in literally flipping out because as of now I can't find a place I trust to bring her so she will be out of pain.

My first cat died as a result from malpractice by our first vet so after that I question everything and what I see from alot of vet appauls me especially when others here have had dog or cats die of problems because the vets don't seem to know the safe way to help.

 

[violet]

Please ask your vet to refer you to a board certified orthopedic specialist for an exam.

If he/she won't, you can find one on your own.  But it's absolutely essential that you get this done ASAP.

For temporary help, rest in a large dog crate with litter box and other essentials (food and water) is the best thing you can do for your kitty.  Movement must be restricted to give the injured body part a rest, an opportunity to heal.  Pain killers are not the answer.

These kind of injuries can take a very long time to heal until all the pain is gone and the body is fully recovered.   You'll have to think about several weeks.  And I can't emphasize strongly enough, restricting movement is more important than you can imagine.

Pain medications are not the answer because by masking the pain they allow movement that prevents healing.

So please, do whatever you have to, to get an appointment with a board certified orthopedic specialist without delay for an exam and professional advice.  .

 

[bugmankeith]

Please ask your vet to refer you to a board certified orthopedic specialist for an exam.
If he/she won't, you can find one on your own.  But it's absolutely essential that you get this done ASAP.
 
For temporary help, rest in a large dog crate with litter box and other essentials (food and water) is the best thing you can do for your kitty.  Movement must be restricted to give the injured body part a rest, an opportunity to heal.  Pain killers are not the answer.
 
These kind of injuries can take a very long time to heal until all the pain is gone and the body is fully recovered.   You'll have to think about several weeks.  And I can't emphasize strongly enough, restricting movement is more important than you can imagine.
 
Pain medications are not the answer because by masking the pain they allow movement that prevents healing.
 
So please, do whatever you have to, to get an appointment with a board certified orthopedic specialist without delay for an exam and professional advice.  .
 

I need to ask, what would they do for my cat to help her pain and also fix the problem. Also, I know of dogs going and getting water therapy, natural additives to water for joint health, and saying good excersise like daily walks help. However cats aren't dogs and I don't know what they would do without stressing my cat she hates doctor visits if I had to go weekly I'm not sure if stress wise she can handle it. I was curious if this happened because of arthritis of joint problems due to age, our other cat is 10 so if there is something I can add to water to help mobility for them, that is natural and safe that is also something I would like to know about too.

 

[violet]

They can't "fix" problems that need time to heal.   That's the reason why  restricting movement is so incredibly important in many of these situations.   Also the reason why a correct diagnosis  is so very important.  There might be a problem a regular vet with no special training might miss.

With any kind of injury the important thing is to diagnose the problem correctly to make sure that with the proper treatment the injury will heal and not lead to more serious problems down the road.   

Don't look for a "quick fix".  Look for a precise diagnosis and the best way to make sure it will heal without causing serious problems down the road.

 

[catpack]

I would check with an Orthopedic vet to see if there are animal rehab specialist in your area that do alternative therapy. Yes, you will have to take her in to have these done. She may benefit from laser therapy or even acupuncture.

I have used Buprenex for several cats (some short term, some longer.) They all handled the medication well. However, it is not something you mix with their food. You syringe it into the side of their mouth, not down their throat. It is absorbed via the gums into the bloodstream.

 

[stephanietx]

I have used Burprenex instead of Metacam previously.  How crazy that your vet doesn't know what to prescribe if not Metacam!  I think I'd look for a second opinion.

 

[bugmankeith]

I found one vet in my area that does laser treatment and also supplements for joint health or arthritis. Trouble is after reading price in the thousands and doing that weekly I don't think I can afford that, we live in a poor area so that's why only one vet even offers it.

If its not affordable I'm clueless as to what to do?

 

[stephanietx]

You could try Cosequin.  It's for joint pain, though.  http://www.nutramaxlabs.com/cat/cat-joint-bone-health/cosequin-for-cats   I have given it for arthritis discomfort previously.  You might be able to find it at Wal-Mart, PetCo, or PetsMart.  However, it may take awhile to kick in and for the effects to be felt. 

Also in the past, I have gotten medication in pet treats for my cats.  They LOVE them and never balk at having to take their meds!  This is the place that my vet has sent Rxs to for us.  http://www.bcpvetpharm.com/   Those things work like a charm!  My vet sent the Rx in and then the med was delivered to me in a couple of days.  You might want to talk to your vet about that possibility.  I'm not sure every medication can be compounded into a treat, but it's worth a shot.

 

[bugmankeith]

I went to a specialty vet for a second opinion. The vet looked at her x ray and didnt see anything, but felt her legs and still felt swelling. He said she tore a ligament and it could heal on its own but takes months and her leg is slightly shorter from it so she will have a permanent limp but could easily re injure it just by jumping off a chair. Or she could get surgery on the ligament, have rods in her bones and wrapped in casting to keep leg restricted as it heals but she can use the other 3 legs normally no restrictions, but she will need pain meds and at home I doubt I can get in her mouth so shed get surgery with no pain meds at home which is torture. I asked why not do surgery and just put a regular cast on, no rods in bones, he said casts fall off cats and something about cast won't allow healing, I was hoping for a cast not the bone rods it looks very painful not to mention very expensive. I don't have proof of any injury just his word, and our other vet said nothing was wrong but that didnt explain swelling for 5 days. I don't know what to do I'm really upset now.