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What is Muscle Tear?
If your cat is limping, moving slowly, having difficulty getting up and down, or calling out in pain, your cat may have injured its soft muscular tissue. You should make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible. In severe cases, visit an emergency veterinary hospital, as your cat may be in a significant amount of pain and your vet will attempt to rule out more serious injuries such as broken bones or wounds that might become infected.
A muscle tear, often called a strained muscle, can occur in a cat when the cat moves too quickly, in an awkward way, or attempts to make a movement that is too strenuous for the strength of that particular animal. When this happens, the muscle may sustain a small tear or multiple small tears in the muscle fibers. This injury can range from slightly uncomfortable for your cat to extremely painful and debilitating depending upon the severity of the injury and the length of time between the injury and when you seek treatment for your cat at a veterinary office or hospital.
Muscle Tear Average Cost
From 452 quotes ranging from $200 - $2,000
Average Cost
$850
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Symptoms of Muscle Tear in Cats
The symptoms of a muscle tear in cats are similar to the symptoms in any other animal with a muscle injury, including humans. Since your cat cannot communicate its pain to you in the same way you could communicate it to your doctor, you will need to be intentional about noticing and acting on any changes in your cat’s behavior that serve as signs that your cat has hurt itself. The following symptoms often accompany a muscle tear:
- Limping
- Restlessness and trouble getting comfortable
- Abnormal withdrawal and hiding
- Unwillingness to be petted or picked up
- Difficulty positioning for grooming, which may cause matting in fur
- Refusal to put any weight on one or more limbs
- Difficulty lying down or getting up
- Inability to run or jump
- Muscle spasms
- Swelling
- Painful vocalization at the time of injury or when trying to move
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Causes of Muscle Tear in Cats
Cats tend to be very athletic animals, which causes muscle injuries to be very common in cats. There are a number of ways these injuries occur in cats just as there are in other animals and humans. In addition, the muscles may weaken as your cat ages, making your cat more susceptible to soft tissue injuries. The following actions, when they go even slightly wrong, can cause a muscle tear.
- Energetic or rough play
- Jumping and landing, especially from significant heights
- Fighting with other cats or animals
- Fleeing from another animal or loud noise
- Blunt injury such as being hit, kicked, pushed, or bumped
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Diagnosis of Muscle Tear in Cats
As is typical during any visit to your veterinarian, the vet will likely begin the visit by asking you to describe the symptoms you have observed and by doing a thorough physical examination of your cat. In order to make a diagnosis, the vet may also:
- Observe the cat’s movements
- Search for a wound on the cat’s paw or legs
- Use his or her hands to put light pressure on muscles to locate where the cat is hurt
- Feel for arthritic swelling at the joints
- Prescribe seven days of rest to see if the injury resolves itself; if not, this helps the vet diagnose the injury as, perhaps, something more serious
- Order X-rays to rule out broken bones, torn ligaments, muscle tumors, joint dislocation, and arthritis
- Order an extensive orthopedic exam to be conducted while your cat is under anesthesia
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Treatment of Muscle Tear in Cats
Muscle tears are very common injuries in cats. Treatment for muscle tears are usually quite simple and mirror treatments for humans with the same injury, although with medications designed specifically for cats. These treatments are:
- Rest
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications by pill or injection
- Pain medication
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Recovery of Muscle Tear in Cats
If there is not a recurrence of the injury, most muscle tears will heal in one to two weeks, especially with anti-inflammatories, pain management, and rest. During recovery your cat may need to be kept inside and away from other pets and small children, sometimes even in a crate. An overweight cat will be more susceptible to injury than a cat at a healthy weight, so weight management is important to help in the prevention of future injuries. If there is a certain activity that your cat often engages in that is causing repeated injury, the vet will likely encourage you to find a way to help your cat to avoid this activity. After a particular muscle has been injured once, it is not uncommon for a cat to re-injure the same tissue in the future. Your vet will likely schedule a follow-up appointment to check your cat’s progress toward normal painless movement. The majority of cats make a full recovery from even a severe muscle tear.
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Muscle Tear Average Cost
From 452 quotes ranging from $200 - $2,000
Average Cost
$850
Protect yourself and your pet. Compare top pet insurance plans.
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Muscle Tear Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Need pet health advice? Ask a vet
Ask a Vet
Hercules
Orange tabby
1 Year
Moderate severity
0 found helpful
Moderate severity
Has Symptoms
Lethargic
Discomfort
Not Eating/Drinking
Cries/Hisses When Picked Up
Hi. Something attacked my cats last night, I didn't get to see what (they're outdoor cats, we own a large farm). Hercules wasn't here until almost noon, when he came walking very slowly home from the woods. He cries and hisses if you pick him up (but he does not claw; he is very gentle), he seems to be in general discomfort/pain. His gums don't look pale, but I have a hard time telling. He will not eat or drink. He sits very tensely and occasionally will lay down. I have a vet appointment scheduled for the morning, but I'm really worried about him lasting the rest of the day. :( Could this be a muscle tear, or is it something more serious?
June 26, 2018
Hercules' Owner
0 Recommendations
You asked your question a few hours ago, so I think by now it is already morning and you have visited your Veterinarian; however without examining him I cannot determine the severity of any injury, however if you haven’t visited your Veterinarian yet you should keep a close eye on him for the time being and try to encourage drinking to maintain hydration. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
June 27, 2018
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Magnolia
Domestic shorthair
1 Year
Fair severity
1 found helpful
Fair severity
Has Symptoms
Limping
My cat is limping a bit. Allows me to pet her. Pick her up. Allows me to touch her leg that seems to bother her and has even laid on that side. No excessive meowing. Could this go away? Maybe she landed wrong on her leg? I came home from work to find her like this. She was indoors.
June 1, 2018
Magnolia's Owner
1 Recommendations
If Magnolia isn’t showing any other symptoms of pain, you should keep an eye on her during the weekend and restrict her movement to prevent further injury; if there is no improvement by Monday or Tuesday you should visit your Veterinarian. However, if pain presents in the meantime or any other symptoms you should visit a Veterinarian immediately. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
June 1, 2018
*Update*After taking her to the vet, it was discovered that she had a swollen toe which went away after they had given her anti-inflammatory meds for three days. Happy to know that's all it was. She is back to her normal self.
June 13, 2018
Magnolia's Owner
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Maggie
Cat
7 Years
Moderate severity
0 found helpful
Moderate severity
Has Symptoms
Dog Attack, Pain
My cat was attacked by a dog and we took her to an emergency vet after she was panting and limp. They stabilized her and observed her for 4 hours and nothing else showed. During exam they noted she had not peed blood when she went. Also they said due to her fat and grumpiness they could not do a good exam. She suffers from obesity. They gave her 24 hour anti inflammatory and 72 hour pain med injections. It’s now day 3 and she seems to be very slowly getting better but still cannot put any weight on back legs. She has moved around quite a bit by crawling at night I’ve noticed. She has been eating and drinking. She is unable however to pee in the litter we set out and has gone on the ground where she is laying. She is in a confined room and has been very affectionate and not grumpy. Basically her normal self but not able to move. My question is how long do you think it will take her to heal and do I need to go back to the vet, I ask this because I’m worried she will endure pain during transit.
May 15, 2018
Maggie's Owner
0 Recommendations
Trauma from a dog attack may take a while to recover from, without examining Maggie I cannot determine the severity of Maggie’s injury or make an opinion on prognosis; you should continue to keep her confined and follow your Veterinarian’s instructions. If there is no improvement by the end of the week I would take her in again to be examined and a review of treatment. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
May 16, 2018
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Poppet
Not pedagree
5 Years
Serious severity
0 found helpful
Serious severity
Has Symptoms
Dog Attack
My cat was attacked by a dog. Took it to the vet, x rays was done. Nothing appeared broken . My cat still isn't using her leg, walks funny and hardly moves. Drinks alot of water but isn't eating. But 3 holes in the leg. 2 of which is right through the muscle front and back. 3rd isn't serious said the vet.
May 6, 2018
Poppet's Owner
Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
I'm not sure what medications Poppet is on, but that sounds like a very traumatic injury for her, and it may take time for her to get the use of her leg back, if it does return. Until she has full use of her legs, it is important that she stay inside. If you are not sure that she is getting better, it would be a good idea to have her rechecked by your veterinarian. I hope that she is okay.
May 6, 2018
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Chichi
Cat
5 Years
Mild severity
0 found helpful
Mild severity
Has Symptoms
Limping
My cat just started limping last night. Shes eating fine, not playing much. She usually is very playful. She meows when i start to rub her back leg. She isnt holding it up any.
May 1, 2018
Chichi's Owner
Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
WIthout seeing Chichi, I can't comment on what might be going on, but common injuries in cats include strains, sprains, abscesses, and hairline fractures. If she continues to limp over the next 24 hours or becomes lethargic or stops eating, it would be best to have her examined by a veterinarian to determine what happened and what treatment that she may need.
May 1, 2018
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Neo
tabby
16 Years
Mild severity
0 found helpful
Mild severity
Has Symptoms
Soreness
I recently picked up my 16 year old male cat and he twisted slightly as I picked him up. He seems to have some discomfort around his chest/stomach area. Could I have injured him? I've put him down to rest and will keep an eye on him but due to his age I'm worried what I might have done to him
Muscle Tear Average Cost
From 452 quotes ranging from $200 - $2,000
Average Cost
$850
Protect yourself and your pet. Compare top pet insurance plans.
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