4 exams so far.. don't know what's wrong with my cat (can't walk & swollen paws)

[dimplz]

Good day everyone!

My indoor cat, who is 6 years old, has trouble walking and his paws get swollen from time to time. This trouble began in November 2003 when he stopped walking on his back leg. Then a few weeks later, he stopped walking on both back legs. We took him to the vet for an examation and a series of tests. They determined that it wasn't an injury and weren't really sure what the problem was. They gave our cat a needle (cortozone - spelling?) in his back leg and told us to keep him quiet for a week, which we did. He improved for few days, but he started to limp again. We took him back to the vet and they did more tests, xrays, blood work, etc. and gave him another cortozone needle, and still found nothing. A week or two later, he couldn't even walk on all fours. He would pull himself around on the carpet to get where he wanted to go. Eventually, he would walk again, but it was very difficult for him.

However, on New Year's day he marched through the house like there was nothing wrong with him, and he washed his feet for about 2 hours because he hadn't been able to do that since November (as they were too sore to touch). But, the next day.. he started limping again. We took him back to the vet again... and they still couldn't find out what's wrong with him. They sent his xrays to a well respected vet school, and they couldn't find anything. The vet also took a sample of his back leg, not the pad on his paw, for testing. Still nothing. The vet gave us antibiotics in case of infection. That wasn't the problem. Then we resorted to giving our cat anti-inflamatory drops (Metacam) for the last couple of months. We thought this was helping him, but after we stopped giving the medication to him, we seen no improvement.

In February we took him to a different vet (who's been a vet for 60 years) for another opinion and still nothing. Some vets thought that when the weather got warm we would see an improvement in him, because they thought he might have tiny blot clots in his feet and with the warmth, they would work themselves out. But, this didn't work either. It's been 30 degrees and he's still no better.

The last couple of months, he's been getting around the house, but only to eat and go to the litter box. He is able to walk on his back legs now, but has much difficultly with his front legs. Usually he will hold his left paw up one day, and the next day he'll hold up his right paw. It's very strange, but it appears to jump from paw to paw. And, sometimes his paws are swollen, but not all the time.

And, just last week we decided to take him for a 4th opinion from another vet. They examined him too and are not sure either. They did say that his claws (nails) were a bit abnormal and his knee caps moved quite a bit. But other than that the cat is healthy. (All vets said that cat is in very good health and don't know why he's having problems with his paws and they have definitetly ruled out Arthritis.) The last vet did take a sample of the "pad" on his paw and they are sending it for testing. However, if the "pad" comes back with nothing... then we are still in the dark and no farther ahead.

We do everything we can to make our cat comfortable and make sure he knows he's loved. He was a very active indoor cat, but now he just lays around. We just want to see him get better and run around the house like he used to.

My husband and I will never give up on trying to find out what's wrong with our precious kitty. I thought that if I made a post that someone out there might have experienced the problem with their cat and can offer some help or suggestions. Thank you!

[badger]

What happened on New Year's day, when he suddenly recovered? Or was it a fluke? Has anyone suggested allergies?

[dimplz]

We don't know what happened on New Year's Day? It was like a miracle. We are not sure why he was doing so good that day, and bad the next. I believe the vets ruled out allergies. They also thought it might have been a problem with his spine, but xrays ruled that out too.

[chico2]

The first thing that came to my mind was that the cat had been de-clawed at an early age and is now suffering from it,but that is obviously not the case...
I commend you for not giving up on him,where many others would have,your heart is in the right place
I have had many cats in my life,but have never heard of this condition..
I looked it up in my "cat-book"all it says is calcium deficiency(Sp?),but of course if it was that easy,all your vets should have known.
Or Allergies,maybe you use a carpet cleaner,or some other strong cleaning-stuff that is absorbed through his soft paws?
Someone else might have experienced the same,so don't give up,where there is love,there is hope

[badger]

I posted an article entitled "Alternatives for Chronically Ill Pets" on the "Newspaper Articles of Interest" thread this morning. You may find it of interest. Good luck! I admire your devotion.

[Luba]

Pain in the paws that tender has either something I would think to be a genetic nerve damage or as simple as an allergic reaction.

Maybe a solvent u use on carpets/floors or even something in the litter.
Change to a natural organic litter and do not clean ur floors/carpet with anything strong/solvent wise.

Do you use anything like mr clean, febreeze, oust, swiffer, anything like that?

If you have carpets, I would rent a steam cleaner and steam them and the sofa/chairs with hot water and NOTHING else maybe just some baking soda.

Wash your floors with warm water and dry them. Dont use anything else on them. Some form of toxin may be the cause???

[pug lover]

I am no vet..........but sounds to me like a pinched nerve somewhere. He probably has pins and needle sensation (like when your foot falls asleep) all of the time.Has the vet checked it's reflexes in the legs??my guess is that they are minimal if any. I dont' know what else to tell you other than it will probably take some time to work its self out.........good luck

[dimplz]

First of all I want to thank everyone for their kind words and helpful suggestions. badger, I will check out the post of Alternative for Chronically Ill Pets as you suggested. Luba, you asked if I use detergents such as Mr. Clean, Febreeze, etc. Well, we have hard wood floors, so I use to use a swiffer to clean the floors, but I don't anymore. I just use a broom. I only use Mr. Clean in the bathroom, and my cat doesn't go in there. I will change the litter we use to see if that helps. Currently we use a clumping litter, usually no-name brand. And, puglover, I would imagine you are correct in saying that he has the "pin & needles" feeling in his paws.

Thanks again everyone, and keep the suggestions coming. We have to evetually find out what is the problem. I'll change the litter and keep you all posted.

[Luba]

It may be your swiffer ???

[Cactus Flower]

I have nothing insightful to offer, just wanted to say BLESS YOU for not giving up on that poor kitty.

[dimplz]

Thanks again for the suggestions... keep them coming! A few of you mentioned allergies. Do you think a spray deodorizer or a Glade Scented Plug-In could be the culprit? My cats paws are not in direct contact with these things, but I've been trying to rack my brain for ideas.

Luba, you mentioned about getting a Natural Organic Litter... I was just wondering if you have any suggestions in mind? Any certain brand?

Thanks again everyone! We will evetually find out what is wrong with my cat, Fritz, with the help of all the nice people on this forum.

[Luba]

I don't have a cat myself but I have seen organic litter at the store I shop at some times. I don't remember what it's called (sorry)

BUT here is something I did find for you:
http://www.petwebsite.com/products_read.asp?id=118&title=From%20Corn%20to%20 Cat%20Litter!

[dimplz]

Here's the latest update on my cat, Fritz....

Well, the vet called me to tell me that she received the results back from the pathologist. (They had taken a sample of the "pad" on his paw for testing.) She told me that she did not have any exciting news, because the pathologist didn't find anything wrong and could not explain what the problem is with dear little Fritz. So.. I am waiting to speak with the vet again for other suggestions, if any.

I did look into the Organic Litter and was lucky enough to find a distributor in my town, not far from home. And, it's the same brand as the link that Luba had suggested in the post above. (World's Best Cat Litter) Thanks Luba! Hopefully it's my old (non-organic / no-name brand) kitty litter that is the culprit, but in a few days I'm sure I will find out. I stopped using quite a few different cleaning products in the house, and have stuck to good ol' old fashioned soap and water. I have noticed a small improvement in Fritz, but not sure if that's the reason for it yet. Time will tell. But, the last couple of days he's been getting around a bit more, not much though. Last night he tried to play with his catnip toy, but I think he may have found it painful because he stopped and layed down. He still holds up his left paw when he sits and sometimes it's his right paw, but he is able to walk on all 4's. (When this problem began in November, he couldn't walk on his paws.)

That's our update for now... I'll be back in a few days to let you know how the new kitty litter is doing and what the vet suggested. Thanks again everyone for your suggestions and kind words.

[Cactus Flower]

THANK YOU for the update on Fritz!

I hope the organic litter helps!

[Stripes00]

Its sounds like the same thing - The paws get inexplicably raw and swollen and have a unpleasant odour, obviously infected - even the paws on the forearms (I am a new cat-owner, so bear with me) but I am determined to solve this prob. for Stripes - he's 4 months old, we found him in a disposal bin - abandoned along with his 2 siblings - my hubby brought him home for the kids as a pet - we've treated him like a King (we hope) and love him dearly and want him to be well. The vet has charged me twice $180.00 for cleaning & antibiotics for the same problem which occurs randomly on different paws - and this started when he was much younger - the vet thinks it's a stove burn (he can't get on the counter), or a chem. burn (someone mentioned Febreeze? - we use the PetFriendly one - could this cause this on his paws? I am going nuts - we've restricted him to a small part of the house. The only other thing that may have been a cause is he escapes sometimes and climbs our large trees, one is Pine and one a Maple HEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP PLEASE!!!!!!!!! Is this the same as yours?

[SSAC]

For Stripes, maybe it's the sap on the trees?

[dimplz]

I have never noticed a foul smell coming from Fritz's paws and he is strictly an indoor cat. But, like your cat, his feet get swollen from time to time. Also, it swtiches from one paw to the next. He finds it hard to walk and sometimes looks at us for a "boost" to get on all 4's. Once he is up, he can get around, but slowly.

We did notice when he was a kitten, that his back legs shook quite a bit. A few of our friends noticed it as well. We just figured his back legs were really long and that's why they shook. (We don't know if this is related to the problem that Fritz has now.) Fritz never had a problem getting around, in fact, he was always more active then our other cat. We did confine Fritz to our spare bedroom for a while because we thought his activity might be causing the problem. (Too much jumping, etc.) But, it wasn't. We also stopped him from going down in our basement because we thought the dampness and the concrete dust might be bothering him. But, Fritz hasn't been down the basement since November 2003, and he hasn't got any better.

I am so glad that you rescued Stripes from the disposal bin. I am sure he thanks you every day for that. It's nice to hear stories of kindness. Hopefully, we will both be able to find out what is wrong with our dear little kitties and they can lead a normal "kitty" life once again.

[chico2]

If I were you,I would eliminate any chemicals on carpets,floors or bedding..I used to do all the airfreshener things,thinking my house smelled cat,but it really does you no good anyway.
Feebreeze is nothing but an overly expensive airfreshener,never once did I think it would hurt my cats,the same for Swiffer Wet....but after joining pets.ca,I have changed my ways.
Now,my cats have never had these symptoms,but they all have different sensitivitys,just like people.
I know the sap from pinetrees really bothers my skin and I am sure it would a cat,pesticide on the lawn(I don't use anymore!)can also cause allergic reactions.

[dimplz]

I think I may be on to something...but I am not sure yet. It's too soon to find out if the litter is working yet, but something else crossed my mind. We have always fed Fritz Fancy Feast Whitefish and Tuna, Salmon and Trout. (He loves his fish.) Fancy Feast use to be made by "Friskies". Sometime in the last year, I noticed the cans looked a bit different and Fritz wouldn't always eat the Fancy Feast. My husband and I noticed that the texture was a bit different, and noticed that the cans had "Purina" on them instead of "Friskies."

If I could find out approximately when Purina started making this product (perhaps November 2003) this could be the culprit. They may have changed the way the food is made which could be causing Fritz's problem. I am trying the organic litter for now and have stopped using different cleaners, airfresheners, etc., but if that doesn't work I am going to change his food and see what happens.

[krdahmer]

Just a question....is this cat declawed? I know we had this problem with one of my cats, the tortie, and she is 6, and I had her declawed (something I never plan to do again!) so that we could live at my mom's and just suddenly this spring she started to limp and seemed to be in a lot of pain. It ended up being a growth that had formed due to the "glue" they use after declawing them. They said it was strange to have that after so many years but that it does happen. Oh and ya, I heard that swiffer products are really dangerous for animals.

[chico2]

Dimplz.It's funny you should mention Fancy Feast,My cats eat mostly good quality dry food,but have for years eaten 1tbsp of Fancy Feast morn and night.The three cats share one little can.
Lately however,they don't like it,only my youngest,Vinnie,who eats anything
I too have noticed the texture of the food is definetly different,it's almost creamy and kind of disgusting.I doubt however your cats allergies(if that's what it is)has anything to do with that.
If you suspect the food,change it,there are plenty of good canned foods in the Pet-supply store.Wellness,Nutro and all the better foods also make canned. I've tried them all and I am going to try again,since my cats no longer like Fancy Feast.

[dimplz]

krdahmer, thanks for your post... but my cat Fritz was never declawed. His symptoms are almost the same as a cat with arthritis, but once again, the vet has ruled that out completely.

And chico2, I am glad that I'm not the only one that noticed a change in the Fancy Feast Food. I still have one of the old cans made by "Friskies" before they changed to "Purina." I was comparing the ingredients and the new cans has less protein and fibre. The vet and the lady at the food store said that Fancy Feast is a low grade food (even though it's expensive) and that we should try a "better" canned food, like you said, Nutro, Wellness, etc.

However, I am determined to find a solution and I won't give up until I do!! Thanks again everyone for your support and your interest in our dear little, Fritz. I'll definitely keep updating everyone.

[Cactus Flower]

You actually might be onto something with the change in Fancy Feast. Maybe your cat is allergic to any of the new ingredients? I don't see why it couldn't be that. I admit that I don't know much about cats, but if a dog is allergic to a certain food, it can cause skin reactions , including sensitivity in the pads or in between the toes. Why not with cats, too? Who knows what Fritz is actually feeling when he holds his leg up, etc. Maybe itching/ burning in the skin, maybe a prickly sensation. Any of that could be food-allergy related, couldn't it?

Again, bless you for not giving up! Whatever it is, I'm guessing you are going to be the one to find out.

[Stripes00]

I think I've almost solved Stripes problem (yippeeee) - I have had his food dish on top of a colourful cardboard hat box - (something I bought at Winners) - I read that cats like to be elevated when they eat - to feel more secure & safe.

The other day I was watching Stripes while he was eating, trying to figure out what the heck was destroying his paws & causing the odour which was a fishy smell - I put 2 & 2 together - his food + water + the hat box could be causing the reaction on his paws (perhaps there is acid in the cardboard from printing? or it's just the food & water?) I covered the hatbox lid with a plastic laminated placemat & since then his hind paws and 1 front paw have healed completely, and he just has a small bit of redness & swelling on the right paw (which incidently is the side his food bowl is on - the left side is his water!)

Maybe Fritz is coming into contact with his food? Is his feeding area dry? It's got to be something he is coming into contact on a daily basis? Hope something here helps poor Fritz! Good Luck!

[dimplz]

Thank you for your suggestion. Your right, it could be the food. Anything is worth a try. (Fritz is a messy eater.) His food area is always dry, but sometimes there are bits of cat food around his dish. However, we did change his litter a few weeks ago and have noticed a "slight" improvement in him. He has been alot more active, but he's not running or jumping around. He appears to be walking much better though. However, every couple of days, he has trouble getting around and will hold up his front paw. But, we have definitely seen a tiny improvement in Fritz, which is very nice to see. The next thing we are going to do is change his food to an organic food made with lamb and cranberries. And as you mentioned, I will make sure that Fritz's eating area is kept really really clean. Hopefully this will finally do the trick.

And, I'm so happy to hear that Stripes is improving. Good luck and give Stripes a kiss for me!

[BamaRama]

Wow, Dimplz, I've been following this thread for a few days now and I'm so glad that things are improving even if just a little bit with Fritz. It's obvious how much you love your furbaby, as we all love our furbabies here! I know that I would be devestated and would do anything for my kitties if something like this happened to them.

Hopefully the organic food will solve the problem! Keep us updated, and give Fritz a big ol' scritch under the chin for us.

[weimaraner]

Hi Dimplz,
Firstly I think you are doing a good job trying to find out what is wrong with your cat. You have actually made me think about food changes in our dog. I posted a thread about my Weimaraner having Hypoparathyroidism, we have like you spent a lot of time at the vets since October last year and had many tests done. The vet did a full blood test and it came back with a very low calcium level. After everything else was ruled out the vet suggested he has Hypoparathyroidism, he is on medication for this and probably will be for the rest of his life. However all the symptoms he was having, excessive drinking and urinating and skin eye infections and also holding up his back right leg and limping on it haven't changed after almost 8 weeks.
When we first got him he was on a different brand of food Eukanuba for Senior dogs, over a period of time I changed to the Hills Science Diet which is the food we buy for our other dog. I might change back to see if he improves a little bit.
You might try to boil up liver or chicken for your cat, I know our dog loves this and it has more protein in it.
I know what you are going through as we are really confused and don't know what else to do really.
Hope everything works out and you see an improvement in him.

[Stripes00]

Hi:
I wonder how Dimplz is doing? Stripes is a little better now...his paws have dried up for the time being - I have also changed his food from Iams (I know - it's crap!) to the Paul Newman Organic - his paws have gotten better (plus he's been declawed since a month) & I am also keeping his food area clean & dry - my cat likes water & likes to dip his paws in his water, he will also jump in the shower when we are in! - (I wonder if it comforts him when they are sore? Or if it helps him clean them?) Anyhow, he has now developed a lesion on his upper lip - I am taking him to the vet tomorrrow - we'll see what he says - it could be a transfer from his paws? It's so challenging - Stripes has become another one of my children - and I'm soooo determined to figure it out so he can be normal & happy!

Hope Dimplz is better - let me know.

Take care

[marciecat]

I went to 2 emergency rooms last night after finding our Sylvester(male 2.5 years old, nearly 18 lbs, large, beautiful and healthy we thought. I first saw him limping with one front leg, then a night later, he was unable to walk on his rear legs. Dragged himself out of under our bed and barely made it 12 feet away to the potty box in the bathroom. After exiting, he would lay right outside of the box, drag himself another few feet and go lie down again, eventually to crawl back under the bed. He had Xrays, no broken feet, pelvis, or spine. No reason for the inability to walk. Last night I was sent to a different pet trauma center where he had blood work done with another exam. Blood work is normal, no kidney, liver problems, showed possible stress. We are now told to take him back for an echo cardiogram - to show if the heart is ok or not , they think a blood clot may have gone from the heart to the foot causing this. If this comes back normal, then a mri scan of the spine is next, to see a more thorough detail if any discs are pushing against the spine. As far as stress goes, he is afraid of my elderly Moms dog, both of whom came to live with us 1 1/2 month ago. The dog is gated in the kitchen. Kitty grew up with this dog, but forgot him. This kitty can no longer go out to the back yard because of being fearful of hearing the dog, even if the dog is in another room. So Sylvester now more than ever resorted to hiding under our bed upstairs. So we are very sad about him not walking. He was active, loved to jump on top of the pole climber, wrestled with our older kitty, was basically very shy and quiet and wonderful.

[dimplz]

I am sorry to hear about Sylvester. I sincerely hope that he improves soon. We had all the tests done too, but every vet has told us that Fritz is perfectly healthy. We thought perhaps that Fritz had a blood clot too, or heart problems. But, the vet ruled that out too. It's been over a year and Fritz has had many up's and down's. However, I am pleased to say that he's had more "up's" lately thanks to all the helpful suggestions I've been getting in my post. Since changing his litter and food, he's been a bit better and there have been days when he walks around the house like there was nothing wrong. But, then a few days later he'll have trouble walking again. We now feed Fritz a dry organic food that contains real Salmon which is pretty pricey. (We can't get him off the fish.) We are still using the organic kitty litter. And we are still not using cleansers, swiffers, etc. on the floor.

I have noticed that he doesn't really try to scratch anymore (hasn't in a long time, but I just picked up on that). However, when I put him on the kitchen chair, he tries to scratch it, but he just can't. He goes through the motions, but doesn't actually scratch the chair.

My husband and I were really happy though, on Christmas Day. Fritz was a playful kitty! He stuck his head in his stocking, and played with his scrunchy ball he got for Christmas. It was so nice to see. It didn't last long, but he had fun.

Anyway, please let me know how Sylvester makes out and if they find anything. My thoughts are with you.