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Old January 16th, 2008, 03:16 PM
Breeee123 Breeee123 is offline
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Help! Cat suddenly has weak hind legs - X-Rays not showing Anything wrong

Hi,

I just noticed late last night that my cat was having a hard time pulling her hind quarters up into a standing position, and she seems to have a difficult time walking or jumping. She'll walk a couple feet and then sit down to rest, and she's extremely reluctant to get up again. I took her to the Emergency clinic last night and they checked her pulse in her hind legs to make sure it wasn't a blood clot, and she had a strong pulse in both hind legs. They took X-rays, which showed no damage that would explain the limping. They basically just gave her a shot for the pain and said to watch her for a few days and bring her back in if the symptoms persist. This morning she was the same.

She's an indoor cat, so I doubt if there was any serious trauma. She's 10 years old and has always been in fantastic shape - always energetic and running around the house. This is the first time I've ever had a medical problem with her.

She did have a dental appointment a week ago, and they gave her anasthesia. I called my normal vet and asked them if it could have been the anasthesia, and they said probably not because it's been a week. They also did a routine blood test right before the dental, and they said everything came back normal and her glucose levels were fine so it's not diabetes.

Any help would be very much appreciated!

Thanks,

Briana
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Old January 16th, 2008, 04:02 PM
SARAH SARAH is offline
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Sounds strange. I would still think of the anesthesia even if it's been a week, could be a delayed reaction to the nerves or something, - I'm totally guessing here, have no idea - I think I'd take her back to your regular vet if there is no change by tomorrow. 10 years isn't old for a cat.
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Old January 18th, 2008, 07:16 AM
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Love4himies Love4himies is offline
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Did they check her for possible blood clots? How about any heart issues? Ask your vet if anything unusual happened during the procedure. Here is a link that I found about a cat who seems to have the same reaction as your cat:

http://www.vetinfo4cats.com/canesthe...s%20recovering
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Old February 10th, 2008, 10:58 PM
Remy21 Remy21 is offline
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Hi,

Have you figured out anything new since you posted? My cat is having the exact same problem. He is only 10 months old and he has been healthy until the last week. At first I thought he was just imbalanced because he seemed to be swaying when he walked, he tipped over if I pet him, he tried to jump up on the table, missed, and fell on his back, etc. I thought maybe it was an inner ear problem so I brought him to the vet as soon as I noticed the problem.

The doctors at the clinic were stumped as they could not figure out what was wrong with him. They tested his glucose levels and said he doesn't have diabetes which oftentimes causes a cat's hind legs to be weak. They took x-rays and there were no bony abnormalities. He also did not have a heart murmur, his lungs were fine, and she checked out his ears, nose, and mouth which all looked fine. She said the pieces weren't fitting together and they just didn't know what was wrong with him. She said the next step would be to do a blood workup.

Right when I got home from the vet I placed my cat in his litter box because he'd been gone for a few hours and I figured he'd need to use it. After I put him in the litter box he started eating the kitty litter! He was eating mouthfulls. I pulled him out of there and put him by his food dish and he just went right back to the cat box and started to eat the litter.

The next morning I found out online that clumping cat litter contains something called sodium bentonite, and when ingested it causes cats to be weak and lethargic. For sure I thought this must be what was wrong with him. Then I started to wonder if he's sick because he's eating his cat litter or he's eating his cat litter because he's sick.

I went to the store and got the Cat's Pride brand of litter which states on the container it contains no sodium bentonite and is able to be flushed down the toilet. I read somewhere online that since sodium bentonite clogs pipes, imagine what it does to your kitty's intestines.

As soon as I filled the litter box with the new litter, my cat proceeded to eat the litter again. Since it didn't contain the sodium bentonite I wasn't AS worried, but I decided to go back to the store and get the Feline Pine brand, which is supposed to be completely safe and 100% pine, so it's okay if they ingest it, and it's able to be flushed down the toilet, etc. I haven't put the new litter in the box yet but I plan on doing so tonight.

I've read online that cats might eat their litter because they are lacking something in their diet. One source I found said that cats might eat their cat litter if they are calcium deficient or if they are anemic. I haven't had the blood test done yet so I don't know if it's either of these things. Another thing I read is that being anemic is probably caused by an underlying issue. I'm really hoping there isn't a serious problem with my kitty. I've only had him 6 months and he and my dog are best friends. I would be devastated.

I wasn't able to call the vet today and tell them about him eating his litter because they are closed. I left a message for the vet to call me back so I will be able to talk to her tomorrow.

One more thing I want to add that sounds completely crazy is that when we moved into this house 6 months ago, for some reason there was a small cinder block sitting on the floor in between the washer and dryer and nobody picked it up. I'm not sure why we just left it there but my boyfriend noticed, I'm not sure how long ago it started, that our cat was licking the cinder block. I'm wondering if maybe he does have some sort of deficiency and his eating the litter and licking the cinder block were giving him something he needs. We just threw the block outside recently and soon after is when he got sick. I'm not sure if he just started eating the kitty litter right after we threw the block outside but I've never noticed him doing it in the past. I have no idea if that makes any sense but I don't want to completely throw out that detail in case there's something important about it. I haven't told the vet about this yet because I feel kind of stupid saying I let my cat lick this cinder block for who knows long and didn't bother to throw it out.

Briana, have you ever noticed your cat eating litter? Even though his legs seem weak does he still seem alert and like everything is functioning properly except his legs, or does he appear sick overall?

Sorry this was so long but I wanted to give you as much information as possible. Maybe we can help each other along and let each other know if we find anything else out. Is there anything else you can share about your cat that might be helpful? Any similarities to my story?

Thanks!

Last edited by Remy21; February 14th, 2008 at 09:38 AM.
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Old February 11th, 2008, 07:42 AM
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Love4himies Love4himies is offline
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I have never heard of adult cats eating litter before. Here is a link to a story that seems similar to yours:

http://www.manhattancats.com/Articles/PICA.htm
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Jasper RIP (2001-2018)
Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014)
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Snowball RIP (1991-2005)

In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.-English Proverb

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Old February 11th, 2010, 04:56 AM
Kit Kat Kit Kat is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Remy21 View Post
Hi,

Have you figured out anything new since you posted? My cat is having the exact same problem. He is only 10 months old and he has been healthy until the last week. At first I thought he was just imbalanced because he seemed to be swaying when he walked, he tipped over if I pet him, he tried to jump up on the table, missed, and fell on his back, etc. I thought maybe it was an inner ear problem so I brought him to the vet as soon as I noticed the problem.

The doctors at the clinic were stumped as they could not figure out what was wrong with him. They tested his glucose levels and said he doesn't have diabetes which oftentimes causes a cat's hind legs to be weak. They took x-rays and there were no bony abnormalities. He also did not have a heart murmur, his lungs were fine, and she checked out his ears, nose, and mouth which all looked fine. She said the pieces weren't fitting together and they just didn't know what was wrong with him. She said the next step would be to do a blood workup.

Right when I got home from the vet I placed my cat in his litter box because he'd been gone for a few hours and I figured he'd need to use it. After I put him in the litter box he started eating the kitty litter! He was eating mouthfulls. I pulled him out of there and put him by his food dish and he just went right back to the cat box and started to eat the litter.

The next morning I found out online that clumping cat litter contains something called sodium bentonite, and when ingested it causes cats to be weak and lethargic. For sure I thought this must be what was wrong with him. Then I started to wonder if he's sick because he's eating his cat litter or he's eating his cat litter because he's sick.

I went to the store and got the Cat's Pride brand of litter which states on the container it contains no sodium bentonite and is able to be flushed down the toilet. I read somewhere online that since sodium bentonite clogs pipes, imagine what it does to your kitty's intestines.

As soon as I filled the litter box with the new litter, my cat proceeded to eat the litter again. Since it didn't contain the sodium bentonite I wasn't AS worried, but I decided to go back to the store and get the Feline Pine brand, which is supposed to be completely safe and 100% pine, so it's okay if they ingest it, and it's able to be flushed down the toilet, etc. I haven't put the new litter in the box yet but I plan on doing so tonight.

I've read online that cats might eat their litter because they are lacking something in their diet. One source I found said that cats might eat their cat litter if they are calcium deficient or if they are anemic. I haven't had the blood test done yet so I don't know if it's either of these things. Another thing I read is that being anemic is probably caused by an underlying issue. I'm really hoping there isn't a serious problem with my kitty. I've only had him 6 months and he and my dog are best friends. I would be devastated.

I wasn't able to call the vet today and tell them about him eating his litter because they are closed. I left a message for the vet to call me back so I will be able to talk to her tomorrow.

One more thing I want to add that sounds completely crazy is that when we moved into this house 6 months ago, for some reason there was a small cinder block sitting on the floor in between the washer and dryer and nobody picked it up. I'm not sure why we just left it there but my boyfriend noticed, I'm not sure how long ago it started, that our cat was licking the cinder block. I'm wondering if maybe he does have some sort of deficiency and his eating the litter and licking the cinder block were giving him something he needs. We just threw the block outside recently and soon after is when he got sick. I'm not sure if he just started eating the kitty litter right after we threw the block outside but I've never noticed him doing it in the past. I have no idea if that makes any sense but I don't want to completely throw out that detail in case there's something important about it. I haven't told the vet about this yet because I feel kind of stupid saying I let my cat lick this cinder block for who knows long and didn't bother to throw it out.

Briana, have you ever noticed your cat eating litter? Even though his legs seem weak does he still seem alert and like everything is functioning properly except his legs, or does he appear sick overall?

Sorry this was so long but I wanted to give you as much information as possible. Maybe we can help each other along and let each other know if we find anything else out. Is there anything else you can share about your cat that might be helpful? Any similarities to my story?

Thanks!
I know this might not be any help at all, and I know it's a while since you posted, and I've only just joined, but I had a very similar problem with one of my cats. When you said you'd found of cinder block this struck a cord with me. About 5 years ago my British Blue girl - Dimples started acting strangely she didn't eat her cat litter but kept licking the fireplace where I have a woodburning stove, and also she started to come out in terrible spots on her head and her coat and muscels seemed to be withering. Anyway she had every test imaginable and nothing came up even biopsy on the sores on her head was clear - the Vets didn't know what was causing it and prescribed steroids which didn't do a thing. Until one day I was in the bathroom, and I found her licking a lump of soap which was on the bath, I kept it because it was a pretty colour, and noticed that it was well and truly 'used' but not by me. I realised that Dimples had been eating it for some time. I removed it immediately and threw it out - it was Coal Tar soap (I now know very poisonous). Dimples made an almost lightening recovery, she stopped licking the fireplace and went on for another 5 years (died this Autumn). I'd recommend getting rid entirely of that cinder block, check there aren't any more or anything like it in the house. Don't think it's the cat litter think that's a symptom. It could be an allergy. Hope this helps a bit, sorry to hear your baby is in ill.

Last edited by Kit Kat; February 11th, 2010 at 05:03 AM.
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Old February 11th, 2010, 05:06 AM
Kit Kat Kit Kat is offline
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[QUOTE=Kit Kat;883376]Hi, I'm new to this, but something similar happened to my cat.I know this might not be any help at all, and I know it's a while since you posted, and I've only just joined, but I had a very similar problem with one of my cats. When you said you'd found of cinder block this struck a cord with me. About 5 years ago my British Blue girl - Dimples started acting strangely she didn't eat her cat litter but kept licking the fireplace where I have a woodburning stove, and also she started to come out in terrible spots on her head and her coat and muscels seemed to be withering. Anyway she had every test imaginable and nothing came up even biopsy on the sores on her head was clear - the Vets didn't know what was causing it and prescribed steroids which didn't do a thing. Until one day I was in the bathroom, and I found her licking a lump of soap which was on the bath, I kept it because it was a pretty colour, and noticed that it was well and truly 'used' but not by me. I realised that Dimples had been eating it for some time. I removed it immediately and threw it out - it was Coal Tar soap (I now know very poisonous). Dimples made an almost lightening recovery, she stopped licking the fireplace and went on for another 5 years (died this Autumn). I'd recommend getting rid entirely of that cinder block, check there aren't any more or anything like it in the house. Don't think it's the cat litter think that's a symptom. It could be an allergy. Ask your Vet to check Hope this helps a bit, sorry to hear your baby is in ill:cloud9]
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Old July 6th, 2013, 06:39 AM
goldilockks goldilockks is offline
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Urgent

Quote:
Originally Posted by Remy21 View Post
Hi,

Have you figured out anything new since you posted? My cat is having the exact same problem. He is only 10 months old and he has been healthy until the last week. At first I thought he was just imbalanced because he seemed to be swaying when he walked, he tipped over if I pet him, he tried to jump up on the table, missed, and fell on his back, etc. I thought maybe it was an inner ear problem so I brought him to the vet as soon as I noticed the problem.

The doctors at the clinic were stumped as they could not figure out what was wrong with him. They tested his glucose levels and said he doesn't have diabetes which oftentimes causes a cat's hind legs to be weak. They took x-rays and there were no bony abnormalities. He also did not have a heart murmur, his lungs were fine, and she checked out his ears, nose, and mouth which all looked fine. She said the pieces weren't fitting together and they just didn't know what was wrong with him. She said the next step would be to do a blood workup.

Right when I got home from the vet I placed my cat in his litter box because he'd been gone for a few hours and I figured he'd need to use it. After I put him in the litter box he started eating the kitty litter! He was eating mouthfulls. I pulled him out of there and put him by his food dish and he just went right back to the cat box and started to eat the litter.

The next morning I found out online that clumping cat litter contains something called sodium bentonite, and when ingested it causes cats to be weak and lethargic. For sure I thought this must be what was wrong with him. Then I started to wonder if he's sick because he's eating his cat litter or he's eating his cat litter because he's sick.

I went to the store and got the Cat's Pride brand of litter which states on the container it contains no sodium bentonite and is able to be flushed down the toilet. I read somewhere online that since sodium bentonite clogs pipes, imagine what it does to your kitty's intestines.

As soon as I filled the litter box with the new litter, my cat proceeded to eat the litter again. Since it didn't contain the sodium bentonite I wasn't AS worried, but I decided to go back to the store and get the Feline Pine brand, which is supposed to be completely safe and 100% pine, so it's okay if they ingest it, and it's able to be flushed down the toilet, etc. I haven't put the new litter in the box yet but I plan on doing so tonight.

I've read online that cats might eat their litter because they are lacking something in their diet. One source I found said that cats might eat their cat litter if they are calcium deficient or if they are anemic. I haven't had the blood test done yet so I don't know if it's either of these things. Another thing I read is that being anemic is probably caused by an underlying issue. I'm really hoping there isn't a serious problem with my kitty. I've only had him 6 months and he and my dog are best friends. I would be devastated.

I wasn't able to call the vet today and tell them about him eating his litter because they are closed. I left a message for the vet to call me back so I will be able to talk to her tomorrow.

One more thing I want to add that sounds completely crazy is that when we moved into this house 6 months ago, for some reason there was a small cinder block sitting on the floor in between the washer and dryer and nobody picked it up. I'm not sure why we just left it there but my boyfriend noticed, I'm not sure how long ago it started, that our cat was licking the cinder block. I'm wondering if maybe he does have some sort of deficiency and his eating the litter and licking the cinder block were giving him something he needs. We just threw the block outside recently and soon after is when he got sick. I'm not sure if he just started eating the kitty litter right after we threw the block outside but I've never noticed him doing it in the past. I have no idea if that makes any sense but I don't want to completely throw out that detail in case there's something important about it. I haven't told the vet about this yet because I feel kind of stupid saying I let my cat lick this cinder block for who knows long and didn't bother to throw it out.

Briana, have you ever noticed your cat eating litter? Even though his legs seem weak does he still seem alert and like everything is functioning properly except his legs, or does he appear sick overall?

Sorry this was so long but I wanted to give you as much information as possible. Maybe we can help each other along and let each other know if we find anything else out. Is there anything else you can share about your cat that might be helpful? Any similarities to my story?

Thanks!
My cat is going throught the exact same thing ( eating litter, walls etc.) lost balance and is now almost paralyzed in the front legs, can you please tell me what happened with your cat?
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Old July 6th, 2013, 11:05 AM
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RUSTYcat RUSTYcat is offline
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Originally Posted by goldilockks View Post
My cat is going throught the exact same thing ( eating litter, walls etc.) lost balance and is now almost paralyzed in the front legs, can you please tell me what happened with your cat?
Hi goldilocks and welcome to the forum.

I believe that you are probably frantically searching for an answer to a so-far-undiagnosed issue with your kitty.....

Please read carefully what I'm going to say........

First of all, the answer to what happened to Remy21's cat is found within this thread.....a more careful read would have revealed it to you...I'm NOT criticizing YOU, though.....I've been in the same position as you, and, more than once. From those experiences, I would say to you that it's very dangerous to draw any conclusions from other cats' outcomes. Now, read that again: "from conclusions from other...outcomes".

So, you should not draw any conclusions about your cat's health from what may/may not have happened to another person's cat.

What could be helpful and beneficial is pinpointing and listing your cat's specific symptoms - and
  1. pursuing each for potential causations
  1. looking for "clusters" among that list which could be indicative of a disease/condition


Sometimes there are clues from other cases which may help - most other times, similar symptoms are purely coincidental.

So, if you want, we could engage with you - NOT to play 'amateur Vet' - but to help you consider possible issues which you could then bring forward to the people treating your cat.

Do you want to first tell us your cat's story (age, breed, medical history, first symptoms of the current problem, treatment to date)?

That would be a good starting point.

Just as a BTW.....is there a Vet University/teaching school where you are? Can you find out where your Vets are trained?
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Old February 11th, 2008, 08:15 AM
Remy21 Remy21 is offline
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Hmm, thanks for the info. I'll be sure to ask the vet about that. I left a message for the vet to call me today. They open at 8. I wish they would call me right away!

Briana, my cat sounds exactly like yours. He's having trouble pulling his hind legs up into a stance position and he'll only walk a little distance before sitting down to rest. He's also having trouble staying upright while walking; he's tipping over. Also a hard time getting into his cat box. Basically when he walks he looks like he's drunk, very wobbly (I don't think he has gotten into anything that could have poisoned him though, except for maybe eating the litter, if that is poisonous).

I don't think I mentioned this before but he's still urinating in his cat box, but he won't deficate in it. He's doing that on the floor next to the cat box. I think it's because his legs are weak and he's having trouble squatting so he does it on the floor where it's easier for him. When he urinates he squats a different way so he's still able to do that in the cat box.

I switched his litter to Feline Pine. He was hesitant to go in there and seemed scared of the pine pellets, so I put a layer of Cat's Pride (the kind without sodium bentonite) over the Feline Pine, and he urinated in the box, so when he covered it up he mixed the two litters together. Maybe in a couple days I can empty it out and fill it completely with Feline Pine (supposed to be 100% pine, natural, safe).

I feel so bad for him and I don't know what to do!

Last edited by Remy21; February 14th, 2008 at 09:41 AM.
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Old February 12th, 2008, 01:26 AM
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growler~GateKeeper growler~GateKeeper is offline
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Take him in for a full blood panel & a urinalysis......honestly this should have been done before the vet did the xrays.

You need to have the vet keep a close eye on the hemocrit/PCV - Packed Cell Volume on the blood test - this will determine the amount of red blood cells your cat is producing, if not enough the cat is suffering from anemia.

Anemia will show signs of weakness in the legs esp the back legs as well as the spine, pale gums, litter eating & concrete licking among other symptoms

Another cause of litter eating is mineral esp iron or calcium deficiencies: http://www.pets.ca/forum/showpost.ph...3&postcount=16

A fecal test should also be done to determine if there are any parasites such as tapeworm that could be causing anemia
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Old February 12th, 2008, 08:03 AM
Remy21 Remy21 is offline
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I was really, really convinced before I went back in yesterday that he was either anemic and/or he had a calcium deficiency. His blood work was all normal. The globulin was slightly elevated but she didn't seem worried about it.

They have absolutely no idea what's wrong with my cat. They've done x-rays, glucose test, complete blood workup, and a fecal exam.

Either he's worse this morning or he's having more trouble because he just woke up, but he can barely walk. He falls down every few seconds and has a hard time getting up.

For the last 2 days he's also been deficating while he's lying on his side after he falls down. I'm not sure if this means anything but he's done this a couple times. He's no longer doing it in his litter box. He just randonly does it while he's lying on the floor after he falls down.

I have no idea what to do.

Is it safe to give my cat Methyl B12 even though the vet said he's not diabetic? Should I have the glucose test re-done? His glucose was 92 when they tested it the first time.

Last edited by Remy21; February 14th, 2008 at 09:42 AM.
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Old February 12th, 2008, 08:26 AM
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Quote:
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Is it safe to give my cat Methyl B12 even though the vet said he's not diabetic? Should I have the glucose test re-done? His glucose was 92 when they tested it the first time.
Methyl B12 is very safe and any excess just gets peed out, but it probably won't have any effect in your case. By the time a diabetic cat shows signs of neuropathy, you'll also be seeing other signs of diabetes like excessive drinking and peeing, ravenous appetite, weight loss. Since his glucose tested normal and (I'm assuming) there aren't any other signs, I really doubt you're dealing with neuropathy. Is it possible he got into some kind of toxin? Maybe there's a nerve problem that wouldn't show up on x-rays? I have no idea how you'd find out. The only other suggestion I have is to try accupuncture or talk to a veterinary chiropractor about what's going on.
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Old February 12th, 2008, 08:43 AM
Remy21 Remy21 is offline
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No, he doesn't have any other signs of diabetes. He actually hasn't urinated since Sunday. He has been drinking water though. Usually when they have a UTI, they urinate, or try to, a lot instead of not at all, correct? He hasn't used his litter box at all since Sunday and when he does go in there, he just eats the litter out of the box.

The vet I was seeing actually said she didn't think the leg weakness and the litter eating were related. I don't see why they wouldn't be if they both started at the same time. It's just really odd that I read online that concrete licking and litter eating are signs of anemia and/or calcium deficiency, but she told me he doesn't have either of those.

Does anyone think it might be helpful to get a urine test? She said his kidneys were fine from the blood test. The urine test is another $50. I've spent $270 already and I know nothing...
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Old March 5th, 2008, 03:04 AM
Deda Brada Deda Brada is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Breeee123 View Post
Hi,

I just noticed late last night that my cat was having a hard time pulling her hind quarters up into a standing position, and she seems to have a difficult time walking or jumping. She'll walk a couple feet and then sit down to rest, and she's extremely reluctant to get up again. I took her to the Emergency clinic last night and they checked her pulse in her hind legs to make sure it wasn't a blood clot, and she had a strong pulse in both hind legs. They took X-rays, which showed no damage that would explain the limping. They basically just gave her a shot for the pain and said to watch her for a few days and bring her back in if the symptoms persist. This morning she was the same.

She's an indoor cat, so I doubt if there was any serious trauma. She's 10 years old and has always been in fantastic shape - always energetic and running around the house. This is the first time I've ever had a medical problem with her.

She did have a dental appointment a week ago, and they gave her anasthesia. I called my normal vet and asked them if it could have been the anasthesia, and they said probably not because it's been a week. They also did a routine blood test right before the dental, and they said everything came back normal and her glucose levels were fine so it's not diabetes.

Any help would be very much appreciated!

Thanks,

Briana
Hi Briana!

Many years ago I read a letter from one cat lover whose young male (I still remember his name, it is Tazz) had the same problem and, after all, it was discovered that he had FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis)! It was of so-called dry form so Tazz managed to survive! But, if your cat is strictly indoor, it is hard to believe that she acquired that virus. Maybe it's worth checking your cat for the presence of retro-viruses? I really hope her disease is not so horrible.

Many regards from Deda Brada.
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Old March 5th, 2008, 03:06 AM
Deda Brada Deda Brada is offline
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Hi Briana!

Many years ago I read a letter from one cat lover whose young male (I still remember his name, it is Tazz) had the same problem and, after all, it was discovered that he had FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis)! It was of so-called dry form so Tazz managed to survive! But, if your cat is strictly indoor, it is hard to believe that she acquired that virus. Maybe it's worth checking your cat for the presence of retro-viruses? I really hope her disease is not so horrible.

Many regards from Deda Brada.
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  #17  
Old June 26th, 2008, 02:39 PM
plmgifford plmgifford is offline
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My Cat Just Started the Same Symptoms

This started about two days ago that I noticed. Sam is an 8 year old - and very fat - 24lb - cat. A few weeks ago, one of my other cats was coughing - either asthma or acute bronchitis. Treated, but also stool sample revealed roundworms - so all three treated for roundworms. A week ago Monday, they all received their 2nd dose of roundworm treatment. This past Monday, I noticed Sam didn't really want to get up from the couch. Tuesday I noticed the same thing, but when he did get up, his hind legs are wobbly and they just don't seem to be working properly.

Took him to the vet yesterday. Xrays normal, CBC came back normal. No signs of infection, no diabetes. She's instructed me to keep a close eye on him, try to get a urine sample over the next week. Also, if he doesn't get better, more blood work to see if perhaps a clot.

I just had to put my 11 year old Simon to sleep in April after a 2 week stay in 24 hour care that cost me $5800 just to find out he had liver cancer and needed to be put to sleep.

Can anyone please offer some help with what might be going on with my Sam?

Thanks
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  #18  
Old October 21st, 2008, 11:28 AM
Duchess08 Duchess08 is offline
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Originally Posted by Breeee123 View Post
Hi,

I just noticed late last night that my cat was having a hard time pulling her hind quarters up into a standing position, and she seems to have a difficult time walking or jumping. She'll walk a couple feet and then sit down to rest, and she's extremely reluctant to get up again. I took her to the Emergency clinic last night and they checked her pulse in her hind legs to make sure it wasn't a blood clot, and she had a strong pulse in both hind legs. They took X-rays, which showed no damage that would explain the limping. They basically just gave her a shot for the pain and said to watch her for a few days and bring her back in if the symptoms persist. This morning she was the same.

She's an indoor cat, so I doubt if there was any serious trauma. She's 10 years old and has always been in fantastic shape - always energetic and running around the house. This is the first time I've ever had a medical problem with her.

She did have a dental appointment a week ago, and they gave her anasthesia. I called my normal vet and asked them if it could have been the anasthesia, and they said probably not because it's been a week. They also did a routine blood test right before the dental, and they said everything came back normal and her glucose levels were fine so it's not diabetes.

Any help would be very much appreciated!

Thanks,

Briana
My sisters persian had that happen, he died of heart problems... hope that is not it.
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  #19  
Old October 22nd, 2008, 09:13 AM
JennyD JennyD is offline
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We received most of the lab results which were negative for any viruses. The only notable results were an elevated white blood cell count and I guess something that indicated muscle inflammation. We are still waiting for some of the labs to come back ( I believe they are related to neurological tests).

Radley seems to be progressing in spite of the fact that we have not really treated her. I am just trying to keep her active by playing with her and trying to get her to stand up and walk around. She is able to stand and walk for longer distances, but still needs some help. She is also jumping up and down from furniture again, even though she is a little awkward/ off-balance when she does. She has still not been drinking much and has not gone to the litterbox as much as she used to.

We may take her back to the Vet again tomorrow for further observation.
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  #20  
Old November 15th, 2008, 04:03 PM
JennyD JennyD is offline
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Smile Radley's recovery

Well, we have given it some time and it looks as though our kitty has fully recovered!

The Vet never found the cause to her trouble walking, but he did find low levels of Potassium and Vitamin B, and gave her a vitamin shot on her last visit. He also wondered if the low white blood counts could have been due to an infection of some kind. So he prescribed Marbofloxin to treat the possible infection and Mirtazapine to stimulate her appetite, since she had managed to lose some weight.

Radley is back to her old self, running around and jumping on things. We still are not sure what may have been the cause of her trouble, but we are thankful that she has recovered.

-JennyD
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  #21  
Old November 15th, 2008, 04:09 PM
CaptainOlimar CaptainOlimar is offline
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Wow, now that's good news! I'm glad for you and Radley.
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  #22  
Old November 15th, 2008, 04:20 PM
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Thanks for the update JennyD, glad to here she made a full recovery. Sure would love to see some pics of Radley
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  #23  
Old December 29th, 2009, 09:41 PM
Mer Mer is offline
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Exclamation Kitty recovered, now the other kitty has symptoms

Hi all,
New to the forum but was seeking a solution for the exact same symptoms.
Took my baby girl kitty to the emergency (xrays, bloodwork, nothing found) then to a cat specialist (extra extra bloodwork, nothing found). Specialists suggested a neuromuscular specialist or accupuncture and prescribed light steroids. I switched food, held off on the steroids hoping she'd "snap out of it".
I switched to envelope soft food instead of canned. Stuck with chicken only.
And - in a week or two, she gradually started being her frisky, jumping self! This lead me to believe the problem was ingestion or exposure related. Though, I'm still uncertain.

Now...the boy kitty has slightly weakened back legs!

I will attend to the kitty litter - that one is news to me and worth a shot.

Also - I found I have poison house plants. Philodendron and Croton and Aloe Vera. All lovely but toxic - so I'll be passing those along to friends/family. (I grew up with outdoor farm cats so the whole indoor kitty care is an entirely new learning experience).

It is distressing. I'm open to learning as much as possible to get this resolved. I hate not being able to help or fix it. So please keep posting as you try and learn anything related!
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  #24  
Old November 4th, 2011, 06:29 PM
Cat Woman 77 Cat Woman 77 is offline
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One of my cats had a problem with her legs, she could not stand up. This happened approximately one week after her vaccination. For 10 days she was so sick that I was afraid we would lose her. I had to leave the country during that period and my mother was doing everything to help her, including calling a naturopathic doctor. The doc prescribed my cat a cleansing/detoxification drops. It helped. I will never again vaccinate my pets for anything other than rabies - and only ONCE.

Now, my other cat has a problem with his hind legs. He was given Revolution. I wonder if it had anything to do with his condition.
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  #25  
Old November 14th, 2011, 06:04 AM
Melissalc Melissalc is offline
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I have a 4 year old Bengal who is also experiencing weak hindquarters . We had noticed that he was kind of clumbsy for a while, but we didn't think much of it and chalked it up to his long slender body. Suddenly one day his back legs became very stiff and he began walking rather like an iguana. This has gotten increasing worse. If you even touch his hindquarters he falls over and has to drag himself up by his front legs when he attempts to jump. We took him to our regular vet who x-rayed him and found some hip displasia which he said shouldn't cause the weakness he was exhibiting. Next it was on to our local veterinary school , UC Davis, where they sent him to the neurological department where he spent the night and had a battery of tests including a complete head to toe MRI, a spinal tap, a blood panel and and exploratory surgery to his inner ear. Basically we make a large donation to UC Davis because they came up with nothing. My vet tried him on a course of steroids and latter pain meds for the hips. Benny is the sweetest best natured cat I have ever seen and this is killing me. It has been about 4 months now and there has been no improvement. I have been reading some of the other symptoms that you have described and have noticed that he did start marking a lot. He has been strictly on a raw diet of chicken and rabbit since he was a kitten and the vet tried some vitamin injections to see if that was lacking. I have not noticed him licking anything but he has developed a voracious appetite in the last week or so and will lay by his bowl and scream for more after I feed him. Since he was a kitten he has always had a thing for chewing leather an has destroyed a few shoes in his time. I don't know if whatever they cure the leather with could have something to do with it. I'm desperate to figure this out and hope someone here has an answer. Thanks for listening.
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  #26  
Old November 14th, 2011, 08:18 AM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Melissalc View Post
He has been strictly on a raw diet of chicken and rabbit since he was a kitten
What's in the raw diet? Is it whole prey model? Ground? With or without supplements? Where do you source your meat from?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Melissalc View Post
he has developed a voracious appetite in the last week or so and will lay by his bowl and scream for more after I feed him.
I'm imagine he's been tested for diabetes. Has he lost any weight? How are his energy levels?
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  #27  
Old March 2nd, 2012, 05:05 PM
Medea Medea is offline
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I have been searching the internet for answers as my FurBee has alot of these same symptoms. We have done all the blood tests etc and come up normal. Two months ago this was a healthy, vital young cat, now he has lost alot of muscle tone, no appetite, just lays around. The vet is stumped.
I've tried everything I can think of. He's been on canned food with small amounts of dry food, now even raw food doesn't interest him. The vet put him on a course of prednisone but so far ( 2 days) there is no change. Things are looking grim for him and I am at my wits end. This is a cat who had a voracious appetite for food and life and to see him weak and lethargic is heartbreaking. I thank you for this forum as a place that I can spout off and get my concerns out in the open, I will keep you informed as to our outcome.
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  #28  
Old March 28th, 2012, 02:55 PM
NWMoomin NWMoomin is offline
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Smile THANK YOU Ryebread! -- Great news for kitty with hind leg weakness

I found this forum after hours of Googling the same symptoms others have discussed. My then-7 mo. old rescue cat, Ponchik, developed weak hindquarters -- first just sort of clumsy, then losing all muscle tone. He'd jump down from a sofa and his hind end would just collapse. He began sleeping more, lost his appetite, and instead of raising his rump when pet, he would seem to "melt" under the slightest touch. He'd had a severe ear mite case leading to infection, so we originally thought it might be neurological damage. (Switched vets during the course of the issue, and turned out he was also allergic to that antibiotic ... new vet was *far* better & cat specialist.) Nothing helped him improve -- not antibiotics, not prednisolone, not anti-inflammatories, nothing. He continued to grow weaker. His hind legs just weren't working.

Our vet ran tests after tests. Nothing showed up. Then I found this thread, read the posts by Ryebread, and I looked more closely at my cat. After some research into traits and characteristics, and looking at pictures, I realized Ponchik was obviously part-Burmese. I went back to my vet with some of this information, but he said that my cat didn't look Burmese (except for his coat), that his potassium and CK serum levels were normal, and that he had no cervical ventroflexion (dropping his head/neck, which is supposedly the classic symptom of hypokalemia). So I kept researching, while my cat kept declining -- and by now, he had a major eye inflammation that wasn't responding to treatment, & it was getting redder and more closed. He also started peeing outside the litter box around the house because he'd wake from sleep & be too weak to get himself to the box in time.

I found another link to an article on vet site that discussed how hypokalemia could occur with or *without* the cervical ventroflexion (http://www.thecatclinic.com.au/category/info-for-vets/). At the end of my rope, I took that to my vet, who said we could try a low dose of potassium as a last ditch effort. (My cat was now 10 mo. old, and she thought he was declining too rapidly and we might have to discuss "other options," i.e., euthanasia.)

It's now been less than two weeks, and like Ryebread's posts, my cat is improving drastically. He gets 1/2 tablet of potassium 2x/day. His back legs are gaining strength fast, and while he's still a touch clumsy, he climbed up into my child's top bunk yesterday, and he's been playing again (chasing a string down the hall). His appetite is back & he's gaining weight. He'd stopped talking, and now won't shut up -- and his voice is stronger (talkiness is also a main Burmese trait). He follows us everywhere and simply seems SO much happier. Our other two cats, who had started ignoring him, are now interacting with him again. His recovery is absolutely amazing. Ryebread talked about the major improvement of her Burmese kitten in 3 and 6 weeks. I feel as though if mine has improved this much in less than 2 weeks, I have real hope that he's going to be "normal" again.

I am so thankful that I pursued this course of treatment, and that I found these resources through Google and kept searching. If not, my cat would probably be dead by now. I don't know if this will help anyone else. But if you suspect your cat is even part Burmese, and he/she shows any weakening, weight loss, etc. (do a search on Ryebread's posts for a great description of symptoms), talk to your vet about potassium supplements -- EVEN if your cat isn't dropping its head/neck, and EVEN if the potassium level, white blood count, CK level are all normal. The bottom line is that a low dose won't hurt, and it's meant the difference between life and death for my kitty. We are so, so happy!
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  #29  
Old August 7th, 2013, 02:23 AM
Twocents Twocents is offline
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Exclamation Other possible causes

Other possible causes for hind end weakness when diabetes has first been ruled out (I apologize if these have already been mentioned. If they have, I overlooked them):

1. Flea products - even if they came from another pet, especially a dog. Cross contamination or direct application of over-the-counter flea products have been know to cause all kinds of issues, including neurological ones. To prevent, do not use OTC products on any pets in household, only ones from vet clinic. Let vet know if this might be a cause.

- More info, emergency what to do, how to report... - http://www.hartzvictims.org/

- Neurological issues developed after OTC flea products used - www.TinyTimmy.org

2. Convenia injectable antibiotic (or generic equivalent) - has been shown to cause problems like anemia and death in some pets, even those who have had it before. It's not even an appropriate antibiotic to use for dental procedures. See Dr. Pierson's info - http://catinfo.org/?link=convenia

- Also see FB page - "Convenia adverse reactions in cats/felines and dogs/canines" - http://on.fb.me/174b1Sz

- Avoid Convenia by telling vet before any procedure & put it in pet's chart since some will give it without consulting you first (College of Veterinarians of Ontario disciplined a vet and noted they should not give it without a consent and for using it for off-label reason - on a Guinea pig. The pet died.)

- FDA notes what Convenia is not suitable to treat - http://noconvenia.com/#Uses
- Emergency - What to do if Convenia is Used by Your Veterinarian for an Off-Label Purpose - http://noconvenia.com/#ACT

3. Steroid use can cause cats to become diabetic with symptoms of hind leg weakness, so it's good to re check that. Ideally your vet should also have a blood glucose meter in the clinic. Even a hand held one (they normally read slightly lower than the lab test).
- Example of such a cat - http://www.mypawsitivelypets.com/201...l#.UgHuYZK1GSo

Note - Diabetic cats can often be made well again and go into remission (get off insulin), but it's easier to prevent it in the first place by feeding low carb canned foods. Our cat vet confirmed that many vets are not familiar with how to achieve diabetic remission. Dr. Pierson's Diabetes info - http://catinfo.org/?link=felinediabetes

- Low carb or a balanced raw diet can reduce or eliminate inflammation so steroids may never be needed. http://feline-nutrition.org/one-page-guides

- Short article by Dr. Gaskin why so many cats end up diabetic - http://msvets.com/FelineDiabetes.html

- Diabetic Cats in Need can assist people in Canada and the USA with diabetic cats and help prevent cats from being euthanized. Financial and other assistance may be available. - http://fdmb-cin.blogspot.ca/
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  #30  
Old August 19th, 2013, 05:44 AM
lovekitties lovekitties is offline
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weak hind legs, dizziness, lethargy, bloodwork fine, baffled!

Hi all,
this is my first time posting here although i have followed many threads on various occasions. One of my cats is showing symptoms which are similar to many posted in this thread. I have outlined symptoms below.
Beekeeps seems to have the same issue too with her cat, I wonder whether there has been any development?

Our vet is stumped and cannot suggest anything constructive. We should be doing a test for Thyroid soon to check for that too.

SYMPTOMS AND INFO:
My cat has been very weak on the hind legs, walking as though his is dizzy. He loses his balance easily. He is lethargic most of the time and barely has the strength to walk around. He eats reluctantly most of the time and i have to hand feed him to entice him to eat. He kind of 'stares' very often with a dead gaze...
He moans when i pick him up. He does enjoy being brushed... I suspect he doesn't have the energy to groom himself. He seems to have dandruff too now.

He has just started shaking today... hind legs and also his head I cannot comment about his litter usage as I have 3 cats.

His bloodwork is all fine, no sign of diabetes either. Thyroid hasn't been tested yet.
He eats wet food, mostly canned Whiskas as he doesn't like much else. Sometimes he accepts to eat the raw food that I feed my other cats. Now he is eating canned tuna sometimes.
He has lost quit a bit of weight too

We can't determine his age as he was adopted as an older cat. He is definitely older than 5yrs. He does go out, but not very far, mostly in surrounding gardens or small field next door.

We vaccinated him a few months ago [vet thinks this might be a cause] and recently had to sedate him to take his blood to be tested. The sedation had a very strong impact on him - it knocked him out very much.

He had one good day last week - more energy and he even jumped onto a low wall! That was the only day and after that, back to usual.

We are in constant contact with out vet who is baffled by this.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Thank you!
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