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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / June 2005Help
Hi-- I have a 12/13 year old cat that's always been in perfect health. Not overweight, neutered, very healthy. Our of nowhere last night, he seems to have developed a slight weakness in his back legs. He can jump on the couch, but walking is slow. He's also drinking water, but it appears he wet himself on the couch last night -- something he's never done. He also wants to eat, but won't --it appears that it's uncomfortable for him to swallow. The vet can't see him until early this afternoon, so I'm desperate to know if anyone has any ideas what's going on. Thanks. Jennifer > Hi-- > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Jennifer Jennifer--I know you must be scared to death right now, I would be. Cats are so stoic--usually by the time they show symptoms a condition has progressed pretty far. I am wondering if he has arthritis that has advanced to the point that walking is painful to him. What is most troubling is the fact that he was incontinent last night, because it suggests that he has lost some muscle control. Sometimes a blood clot will do this. (I was warned about it with my hyperthyroid cat, as they sometimes do this.) Thinking back before last night, had you noticed any other odd behaviors lately? Has be been abnormally vocal? Thank you for responding. I feel sick. He's been fine -- always my healthiest cat since I also have a diabetic. Whatever happened did so in the middle of the night. If you look at him right now, it would be hard pressed to see anything wrong until he gets up to walk or eat. > Thank you for responding. I feel sick. He's been fine -- always my > healthiest cat since I also have a diabetic. Whatever happened did so > in the middle of the night. If you look at him right now, it would be > hard pressed to see anything wrong until he gets up to walk or eat. My first thought was a spider byte. Where arthritis wouldn't make him want more water (overnight) Or he ingested something toxic Hope is is fine! Meant to say that he's completely indoors too. No bugs or plants around for him to eat. > Thank you for responding. I feel sick. He's been fine -- always my > healthiest cat since I also have a diabetic. Whatever happened did so > in the middle of the night. If you look at him right now, it would be > hard pressed to see anything wrong until he gets up to walk or eat. Oh, Jen. I tried a Google search to maybe find a site that discusses what these symptoms could be, but I am limited this minute because I am working. Cornell used to have a great site but it looks like it has become a pay site now. The trouble swallowing is very distressing. I had missed that on the first read through. My instincts tell me it might have been a little stroke, but I am not equipped to speculate. Please let us know how it goes at the vet--and hang in there. I and many others will send good thoughts your way for your little guy. He is not too terribly old so he has a better chance of recovery than an older cat might. I wish I could help. > Hi-- > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Jennifer Are his paw pads cold? Not that I can tell. Defintiely some weakness in the back legs and difficulty swallowing. Poor thing wants to eat and can't. Just got him to the vet who's going to look at him between his surgery schedule. > Not that I can tell. Defintiely some weakness in the back legs and > difficulty swallowing. Poor thing wants to eat and can't. Just got him > to the vet who's going to look at him between his surgery schedule. Are on a wireless device? Looks like you posting from the vets office if soo...I'd like a live streaming cam! Just kidding. I'll let everyone know what's going on as soon as I hear. Thanks to all of you for being so kind. > Hi-- > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Jennifer Sending get well purrs for what sounds like a stroke. Sincere wishes the Vet can help. MLB I sure hope otherwise but if he were hoomin it would indeed sound like a CVA (stroke or blood clot where it don't belong). Vet will determine cause of these distressing symptoms (upbeat note: the eating problem eliminates, in my mind, spinal tumor, which we've experienced long ago; that cat had the leg/bladder symptoms but was eating fine). Meatloaf meditations for your boy's health and recovery; please let us know what vet discloses. >> Hi-- >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > Sending get well purrs for what sounds like a stroke. Sincere wishes the > Vet can help. MLB Looks like kidney failure. Vet said it doesn't look good. He's on an IV now -- so we have to wait and see. I keep looking for answers, but the vet said this is common in older cats. I didn't think 13 was old, but he's never been outside or anything. There was also no sign this was going on -- he's been eating and drinking normally. Please hold a good thought -- maybe he can bounce back by morning. Thanks again for all of your support. > Looks like kidney failure. Vet said it doesn't look good. He's on an IV > now -- so we have to wait and see. I keep looking for answers, but the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > thought -- maybe he can bounce back by morning. Thanks again for all of > your support. Jen, I am so sorry it looks so serious. I had no idea kidney failure could cause those symptoms. Sending prayers and all good thoughts to you and your little cat. So sorry to hear the news. Fingers and paws crossed that the poor little mite gets well soon. The Hermit. --- Visit http://thehovel.com/bb for friendly chatter with cat minded people. The Hovel - Feline Friendly Internet. I"m so sorry to hear this :( I hope he responds to treatment. Sometimes they can go on quite a while with forced fluid support and a new diet. 13 is definitely geriatric. Cats are like that. You can't tell they are sick until it's well along. Purrs and good thoughts to you and your family :( > Looks like kidney failure. Vet said it doesn't look good. He's on an IV > now -- so we have to wait and see. I keep looking for answers, but the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > thought -- maybe he can bounce back by morning. Thanks again for all of > your support. "Jen" <jkijek@yahoo.com> wrote : >I didn't think 13 was old, Jen, I just wanted to say that I don't think of 13 as old either, but I guess anything over 10 or so is considered, as Karen said, "geriatric." (I guess we go into a kind of denial too, I remember feeling annoyed when I took my cat to the vet at age 17 and the vet said, "Oh, we have a senior citizen here." She didn't look old to me at all! Later I looked at older photos and I could see it. When we are with them every day we just don't notice, I guess, as the changes are gradual.) I had a cat that showed no signs of any sort of illness until she was nearly 20 years old. In any case, It does not matter how old your boy is, it is heartwrecking for him to be so sick. I surely hope he can bounce back and have many more good years. I can't thank you all enough. What gets me is that I also have a 16-year-old diabetic cat that's been getting insulin for years. I would have expected this from him. The one going through this has never been sick for even a day -- just a beautiful, healthy, perfectly normal cat. I haven't given up at all. I think he knows he's young too and has a lot of fight in him. I'll keep the updates coming. >I'll keep the updates coming. Yes, please keep us updated. A neighbor's cat once had kidney failure and pulled through with flying colors, after hearing that could never happen. I'm sending good thoughts your way to you and your kitty. Stacia >I can't thank you all enough. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >beautiful, healthy, perfectly normal cat. I haven't given up at all. I >think he knows he's young too and has a lot of fight in him. Yes. I was much more worried about my dog. She younger, but not as healthy. Maynard was not on my radar screen for health problems. In his 19 years, he had one minor respiratory infection, a "tumor" that turned out to be an unusually located fat deposit, and an abcess where somebody bit him in the butt. Hardly a health issue with him. I've only had my dog 8 years, and she has been diagnosed with an enlarged heart, she's always had poor vision, now losing her vison (peripheral already gone), hearing is going down, weight is harder to manage, mange a couple years ago, and arthritis is kicking in. She's the one I was worried about.  Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com I can't thank you all enough. I'll keep the updates coming. *** I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty. I'm not a vet, but it might not* be renal failure that has caused her kidney failure. Any type of Poison can cause that too. Or an underlying condition, she hasn't been or pregnisoze-(SP) or another steroid by chance, has she? Or maybe, just like bigbadbarry said, a spider bit her, or maybe she ate a toxic plant in or around your house somewhere. ? I'll certainly be praying for her to pull through and be fine. Age 13 is old, but she still should have plenty of year's left with proper care, food and lots of TLC. Please do keep us posted, and God bless! ML >Jen, I just wanted to say that I don't think of 13 as old either, >but I guess anything over 10 or so is considered, as Karen said, [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >we are with them every day we just don't notice, I guess, as the >changes are gradual.) Yes, I remember a few years ago when I took in Maynard for an abcess. (Somebody bit him in the butt, and I think I know who, the little twit). Everybody got all excited about how old he was and how everything need to be checked. Yes, it was a good idea to check. But I was the only one not surprised by the bloodwork results. Elevated white cell count for the infection. Everything else looked great. (Even his kidneys). And then last month, I took Kira in for a split claw. Didn't seem bad, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't getting infected. They made a big deal about her looking good for her age. Dang. I never thought of her as old. She's only 10 1/2. Geez. She may not play as much, but that's because her choices for playmate were elderly cat who doesn't run, and Chase, he forgets to stop running. Shake a string, and she's there. She sure ain't old, in my opinion. >I had a cat that showed no signs of any sort of illness >until she was nearly 20 years old. In any case, It does not matter >how old your boy is, it is heartwrecking for him to be so sick. I surely >hope he can bounce back and have many more good years. Maynard was great until his ears turned yellow. I was actually planning his 19th birthday party the evening I discovered the yellow tint. If you had asked me then, I would have said he was doing fine. Yes, underweight, but that's been an issue for a couple years. He was hard to keep weight on. It is unfotunate for us that they really do mask the symptoms, and we really just can't see it coming on. Wouldn't it be nice if they could just tell us these things as they come on so that we could get the right care as early as possible. I'm praying that your kitty responds to treatment and does well. Please keep us updated. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > >Jen, I just wanted to say that I don't think of 13 as old either, > >but I guess anything over 10 or so is considered, as Karen said, [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > (Somebody bit him in the butt, and I think I know who, the little > twit). LOL! Who was it? >Everybody got all excited about how old he was and how > everything need to be checked. Yes, it was a good idea to check. But I > was the only one not surprised by the bloodwork results. Elevated > white cell count for the infection. Everything else looked great. > (Even his kidneys). Some cats really do seem to be genetically blessed. Plus you took very good care of Maynard, the lucky boy. > And then last month, I took Kira in for a split claw. Didn't seem bad, > but I wanted to make sure it wasn't getting infected. They made a big [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Chase, he forgets to stop running. Shake a string, and she's there. > She sure ain't old, in my opinion. Yeah, that's how I felt about Gnarly. She certainly gave the vet and vet techs a hard enough time. She was so vocal, did that high-pitched growl/whine thing until it escalated into a howl--before they even touched her. They were always sweating by the time they handed her over. > Maynard was great until his ears turned yellow. I was actually > planning his 19th birthday party the evening I discovered the yellow > tint. If you had asked me then, I would have said he was doing fine. > Yes, underweight, but that's been an issue for a couple years. He was > hard to keep weight on. They are so stoic, part of their built-in natural defense system, as you know. He who does not look sick or weak may not get eaten. > It is unfotunate for us that they really do mask the symptoms, and we > really just can't see it coming on. Wouldn't it be nice if they could > just tell us these things as they come on so that we could get the > right care as early as possible. That is true. But also, much as I believe in good vet care and doing everything we can, I also believe that when it is your time to go, cat, dog, human or whatever--it is your time to go. And it is always hard to let go. But think of all the kitties that live and die without ever being as loved as Maynard. > I'm praying that your kitty responds to treatment and does well. > Please keep us updated. I hope we hear good things from Jen soon. > Yeah, that's how I felt about Gnarly. She certainly gave the vet and > vet techs a hard enough time. She was so vocal, did that high-pitched > growl/whine thing until it escalated into a howl--before they even > touched her. They were always sweating by the time they handed > her over. LOL. Bandit sounds *just* like a cougar when she "screams" at the vet and vet techs. The last time I picked her up from the vet she was laying in her litter box in the cage and the tech just threw a large towel over the entire box and held it at arm's length as she brought her into the exam room. She put the box down on the exam table and *RAN* backwards until she was as far across the room as possible. She and the other tech looked on in amazement as I took the towel off, picked Bandit up, and flipped her over so I could look at her boo-boo. Bandit was still doing her cougar imitation the whole while and I swear there were vet-tech-shaped impressions in the opposite wall after they scuttled out of the room. Most vets put a large red "X" on the folders of their "difficult" patients, I think Bandit's file is marked with a skull and crossbones! ;> Hugs, CatNipped >Most vets put a large red "X" on the folders of their "difficult" patients, >I think Bandit's file is marked with a skull and crossbones! ;> Too funny. Your cougar sounds reminded me of an incident a few years ago. My nieces were visiting. And one of them had a huge tantrum in the living room, right above my bedroom. It sounded like a cougar getting killed. It really sounded like a huge cat in the fight of her life. Well, I looked at my own cats, and they were terrified. I guess it sounded like a wild cat to them too, and if something was killing a huge cat in the living room, it could certainly get them next! Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > Your cougar sounds reminded me of an incident a few years ago. My > nieces were visiting. And one of them had a huge tantrum in the living [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > sounded like a wild cat to them too, and if something was killing a > huge cat in the living room, it could certainly get them next! That's pretty funny > >Most vets put a large red "X" on the folders of their "difficult" patients, > >I think Bandit's file is marked with a skull and crossbones! ;> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > sounded like a wild cat to them too, and if something was killing a > huge cat in the living room, it could certainly get them next! LOL - poor babies! But justifiably terrified os a toddler having a tantrum anyway! ;> Hugs, CatNipped > -- > Meghan & the Zoo Crew > Equine and Pet Photography > http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > Most vets put a large red "X" on the folders of their "difficult" patients, > I think Bandit's file is marked with a skull and crossbones! ;> > > Hugs, > > CatNipped I remember seeing Cherokee's file and the word "fractious" written in red ink at the top. I remember this specifically because I had to go home and look it up in the dictionary. Sherry > > Most vets put a large red "X" on the folders of their "difficult" patients, > > I think Bandit's file is marked with a skull and crossbones! ;> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Sherry LOL! "Fractious" would be a *mild* description of Bandit - she' not nicknamed B*tch Cat From H*ll for nothing! ;> Hugs, CatNipped Finally got a computer back. Here's the latest. Budha has been on an IV, antibiotics and an appetite booster over the weekend. As of Saturday, his kidney functionals had improved slightly, but not as much as the vet would have liked. That said, Budha wants to eat and has been nibbling at the office. So we kept him on the IV all weekend. He's being retested today, so hope for the best! Jen > Finally got a computer back. > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Jen Oh, Jen, I am glad he is showing a little improvement. It is GREAT that he wants to eat! I'll keep my fingers crossed that today's tests go well. Is he walking better, and can he swallow? Talked to the vet an hour ago. Things are not good. Budha's creatinine level is 7.5 and his BUN is 100. After lamost four days days on an IV, the small improvement we saw didn't improve past that and the prognosis is there's not much more we can do medically. My options are to put him to sleep or maybe just take him home for now and see if we can get him to eat at home and maintain his body weight. Sounds like a short-term proposition, but that's the route we're going for now because you just never know. I won't let him suffer, but I won't give up on him without giving him a chance. Wish I had better news -- thank you for showing such support. > Talked to the vet an hour ago. Things are not good. Budha's creatinine > level is 7.5 and his BUN is 100. After lamost four days days on an IV, [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Wish I had better news -- thank you for showing such support. I'm really sorry, Jen. I know your heart is breaking. I'm really glad you are giving him time with you at home now. So sorry to hear this :( > Talked to the vet an hour ago. Things are not good. Budha's creatinine > level is 7.5 and his BUN is 100. After lamost four days days on an IV, [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Wish I had better news -- thank you for showing such support. > Talked to the vet an hour ago. Things are not good. Budha's creatinine > level is 7.5 and his BUN is 100. After lamost four days days on an IV, [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Wish I had better news -- thank you for showing such support. I'm so sorry to hear this, Jen. I think I would want a little time with him at home also, just to say a proper goodbye (as long as he is not suffering) - and, as you said, there might be some improvement, cats' recuperative powers are sometimes amazing. Hugs, CatNipped >> Yes, I remember a few years ago when I took in Maynard for an abcess. >> (Somebody bit him in the butt, and I think I know who, the little >> twit). > >LOL! Who was it? Well, Chase goes at with claws and Kira prefers to bite. So, while Chase would normally be the more likely culprit, the fact that bites are more likely to cause an abcess, I have to go with Kira. >Some cats really do seem to be genetically blessed. Plus you >took very good care of Maynard, the lucky boy. Yes, I have been fortunate too. I can't complain. >Yeah, that's how I felt about Gnarly. She certainly gave the vet and >vet techs a hard enough time. She was so vocal, did that high-pitched >growl/whine thing until it escalated into a howl--before they even >touched her. They were always sweating by the time they handed >her over. I was quite surprised at how well behaved Kira was at the vet. Her nickname is "Miss Attitude" and she bites. (when she's happy, when she's playing, and really hard when she's mad). And She doesn't release. You have to pull her off with your other hand. But I think she knows when I am getting help for her. She seems to be more affectunate, and better behaved. When she had a really bad time a few years, she was sitting there growling. She let me feel her all over even though it was obviously hurting her. I took her to the emergency vet, and he did a full exam, really massaging her as he felt. He determined that she might have something blocking her system, or it could just be some bad constipation. His massage seemed to unblock or loosen whatever was the problem. She went home feeling a lot better and seemed very happy with me. >> Maynard was great until his ears turned yellow. I was actually >> planning his 19th birthday party the evening I discovered the yellow [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >They are so stoic, part of their built-in natural defense system, as you >know. He who does not look sick or weak may not get eaten. Yes, and considering that the younger boy loves to attack, I would see how this instinct would remain strong. >That is true. But also, much as I believe in good vet care and doing >everything we can, I also believe that when it is your time to go, >cat, dog, human or whatever--it is your time to go. And it is always >hard to let go. But think of all the kitties that live and die without ever >being as loved as Maynard. Yes, I doubt any of his littermates lived this long or had such a good life. They mostly went to farmers as barn cats. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com >he's been eating and drinking normally. Please hold a good > thought -- maybe he can bounce back by morning. Thanks again for all of > your support. Hello, I am sorry to hear this, I know it's a suprise. For what's it's worth, Me and Ruprecht willi be thinking of you and your buddy. It'll be alright. >Looks like kidney failure. Vet said it doesn't look good. He's on an IV >now -- so we have to wait and see. I keep looking for answers, but the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >thought -- maybe he can bounce back by morning. Thanks again for all of >your support. Have they done bloodwork yet? 13 is old for some, but still young for many. Maynard just died with liver failure at almost 19. But his kidney values in the bloodwork were all within normal ranges. I know they typically assume kidney problems, but it isn't guaranateed. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > Hi-- > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Jennifer Vet... ASAP! |
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