Dr. Dan Christian specializes in small animal medicine, with special interests in behavior and nutrition. He has been instrumental in establishing animal behavior residencies for veterinarians at leading veterinary schools and developing innovative programs with veterinary organizations in the United States. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, and the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association. During his professional career, Dr. Christian earned the American Association of Feline Practitioners Award. He has also appeared as a guest on television and radio pet health programs nationwide, and to has authored numerous articles for pet health magazines.

Q: We recently took Violet to the vet because she started limping and the vet diagnosed her as having blown out her knee. Is there anything we can do to lessen her pain? The vet suggested that we give her a half a baby aspirin every three days, but she still seems to be in such pain. Any suggestions on what we can do to make her more comfortable. Also, how long will she take to recuperate?

A: The description you give as "blown out her knee" indicates to me that perhaps your cat's anterior cruciate ligament has torn. This torn ligament, similar to the injury many of us encounter as a skiing or running injury, is far more common in dogs than in cats, but it certainly does happen to cats as well.

When the ligament or meniscus tears, it produces swelling and discomfort in the knee joint. If it is a torn ligament or meniscus, the most likely remedy for this is surgery. With proper surgical repair, your cat can regain full use of her leg function, and will no longer have discomfort or pain.

You should be careful about long-term administration of aspirin, which cats do not tolerate well. If your cat's leg has not improved within the week of injury, ask your veterinarian for additional treatment options. Ask him or her to take X-rays or refer you to a veterinary surgeon for repair of the injury. With the high quality of veterinary medicine today, there is no reason your cat should continue to be in pain.