Buttercup is holding his front leg up

He's hopping around, and eating, but he's holding his front left paw off the ground when he is sitting resting.

Dan managed to climb over 2 gates to get into Butter & Blackies side of the run, and there was obviously a bit of a scuffle (a new really high gate is being made as I type!). There's no blood anywhere, but bits of fur round an about. Blackie & Dan seem fine, but Butter has hurt his leg somehow.

I'll take him to the vets if necessary, but just wondered if it was best to leave him today as he hates going to the vets and it would stress him further.

He's moving about just fine, eating happily etc.

Anyone got any useful advice please.....

Funnily enough Nino did this to hind leg a few days ago so I know what you mean about not sure whether to leave or take to the vet. Nino's thread is in health but he has a history of arthritis and after closely checking his paw, toes, knee, hip joints and all of his fur/skin on his leg, we managed to work out it was a sudden flare up of his arthritis in that particular hip, either through over straining it, hurting it somehow or just spontaneous due to weather etc.

I would suggest you pick butter up and check him very closely all over, especially around the paw if he does not want to weight bear on it. Sometimes a thorn or a prickle can go in and come out again and leave the paw sore, or it could still be in there, or he may have hurt his leg further up towards his shoulder. Because Nino is on daily anti-inflammatories/pain relief anyway and I know his history I was able to avoid the vet and treat him at home with high dose NSAID and like Butter he was still eating/drinking fine. However, Butter probably does need to be checked by a vet if it has not improved by this afternoon, he may need some NSAID's for the pain and inflammation more importantly, and someone qualified to make sure he has not broken or strained anything, or find a thorn that could be in there. Best to get him checked really if he won't put his weight on it. Good luck x