Cat Struggling To Walk For 10 Months

[LuluM]

Update: I have been keeping track of Lily for the past 4 days and his stool is still very small. I have been using the Assisi Loop everyday as well and unfortunately, Lily’s hind legs are beginning to stick outwards once again. I noticed this yesterday when he struggled to get up under the blanket and I saw that his back feet is struggling to bend forward to push himself up. He is still eating and drinking as usual however he has been laying on my bed all day today. He is still able to walk slowly once he is up but I can tell that his back legs are starting to lose strength. I’m afraid that his symptoms are coming back again and I plan to speak with my vet tomorrow. My vet did say that she wanted Lily to be on steroids longer until he is fully healed but I was hesitant about doing so because of the side effects that would occur with long term steroids. As much as I would like to have a permanent cure for Lily, it may be likely that steroids are the only choice for Lily.

 

[nunnc84]

Update: I have been keeping track of Lily for the past 4 days and his stool is still very small. I have been using the Assisi Loop everyday as well and unfortunately, Lily’s hind legs are beginning to stick outwards once again. I noticed this yesterday when he struggled to get up under the blanket and I saw that his back feet is struggling to bend forward to push himself up. He is still eating and drinking as usual however he has been laying on my bed all day today. He is still able to walk slowly once he is up but I can tell that his back legs are starting to lose strength. I’m afraid that his symptoms are coming back again and I plan to speak with my vet tomorrow. My vet did say that she wanted Lily to be on steroids longer until he is fully healed but I was hesitant about doing so because of the side effects that would occur with long term steroids. As much as I would like to have a permanent cure for Lily, it may be likely that steroids are the only choice for Lily.

I’m sorry it hear it’s getting worse.
My cat has the same symptoms
Has constipation
I’ve tried to change food
Finically going to get hills science diet for gastric and skin
The dr wants her back to do x rays
I’m scared for her, I refused to give her steroid as well
Canned pumpkin has been a bandage for the symptoms
I can’t believe I did this to her
She is on boiled chicken until the food from online gets here
You are not the only one
Stay strong

 

[Kflowers]

Sometimes in the absence of the perfect cure we have to take the imperfect one. At least there is something that can be done.

 

[nunnc84]

Sometimes in the absence of the perfect cure we have to take the imperfect one. At least there is something that can be done.

ok. I got the hills science diet gastro and skin. this is the first food she has tried that didn't make her have a "blow" out... she is no longer getting canned pumpkin regularly.
She still limps. I saw a site https://feline-nutrition.org/answers/answers-what-dry-food-does-to-your-cats-gut
I love it!
there are recipes for raw food. I have tried before. I just don't want too because i am scared to mess her up anymore than I have already.
I saw her laying in the letterbox today. I was so scared I sent the vet chat a video of her walk and her sleeping in the letterbox. They said they would pass it on to the vet. We have another appt in a week to check the gimp, ears, and wound site for healing.
My vet pretty much wants a x ray of the leg. She mentioned surgery, it's out of the question..
I found a helpful website Why Is My Cat Limping? | petMD it explained everything my vet did about the knee cap

 

[nunnc84]

Sometimes in the absence of the perfect cure we have to take the imperfect one. At least there is something that can be done.

Hindlimb Lameness in the Cat - What if it's not a Fracture or an Abscess? - WSAVA 2015 Congress - VIN

 

[nunnc84]

Sometimes in the absence of the perfect cure we have to take the imperfect one. At least there is something that can be done.

I just checked her foot, there is nothing inside her toes. And her ankle joint is squishy and tender. So, I think the vet knows what she is talking about. I think that is called the knee, the joint in the middle. I'll let you know what the x ray says next week. GTG. Tell me what happens to your kitty as well...

 

[nunnc84]

Update: I have been keeping track of Lily for the past 4 days and his stool is still very small. I have been using the Assisi Loop everyday as well and unfortunately, Lily’s hind legs are beginning to stick outwards once again. I noticed this yesterday when he struggled to get up under the blanket and I saw that his back feet is struggling to bend forward to push himself up. He is still eating and drinking as usual however he has been laying on my bed all day today. He is still able to walk slowly once he is up but I can tell that his back legs are starting to lose strength. I’m afraid that his symptoms are coming back again and I plan to speak with my vet tomorrow. My vet did say that she wanted Lily to be on steroids longer until he is fully healed but I was hesitant about doing so because of the side effects that would occur with long term steroids. As much as I would like to have a permanent cure for Lily, it may be likely that steroids are the only choice for Lily.

how did the vet visit go?

 

[LuluM]

I plan to visit the vet sometime during the weekday since the vet I go to is closed on the weekend. Lily is still doing okay, I’m not too worried as long as he is still eating and drinking.

 

[Libby.]

Update: I have been keeping track of Lily for the past 4 days and his stool is still very small. I have been using the Assisi Loop everyday as well and unfortunately, Lily’s hind legs are beginning to stick outwards once again. I noticed this yesterday when he struggled to get up under the blanket and I saw that his back feet is struggling to bend forward to push himself up. He is still eating and drinking as usual however he has been laying on my bed all day today. He is still able to walk slowly once he is up but I can tell that his back legs are starting to lose strength. I’m afraid that his symptoms are coming back again and I plan to speak with my vet tomorrow. My vet did say that she wanted Lily to be on steroids longer until he is fully healed but I was hesitant about doing so because of the side effects that would occur with long term steroids. As much as I would like to have a permanent cure for Lily, it may be likely that steroids are the only choice for Lily.

My vet says that cats handle steroids a lot better than we do and can take quite a bit for quite a while without harm. My Patches has been on pred for the last 3 weeks for inflammation in her liver. She's got another couple of weeks to go. I've stepped her down to 2.5mg daily from the 5mg she was on previously. The vet initially prescribed 10mg a day but that was too much for her and she was peeing on the floor. But she was fine on the 5mg. It'll help Lily's appetite too.

 

[Libby.]

You’re right, his stool looks just like number 1 on the chart. Occasionally it will look like number 2. When his stool looked normal (like number 3) he was on steroids, which I believe greatly improved his condition overall. However, I didn’t want him to be on steroids long term because of the risk of side effects so I decided to get him off the steroids and see how he is without him (while still using the Assisi Loop). I do consider having him back on steroids if his symptoms got worse again but as of now he is doing fine (except for his stool). Right now I only feed him dry food (Fancy Feast and diet kibble) about 1/2 cup daily and from what I’ve seen, he drinks about 1 cup of water daily as well. His daily intake of water and kibble isn’t different from my other cat (who has a normal stool) so I was confused as to why his stool is like that. You may know already but previously I used to feed him baby food mixed with pancreas supplement daily but that didn’t change his stool at all. I did think he was constipated due to lack of water intake but as of now he drinks just as much as my other cat.

Although I haven’t kept record of his daily behavior, I will try and document it from now on to keep you updated. I’m not sure what could help him but I hope to find a solution soon. Thanks

Is his pancreas better? Can he handle lecithin granules? I know with my cats the 1/4tsp I put in their food in the morning has helped with hairballs and constipation. I bought it initially for Patches who has been having liver issues and I'd read that the phosphatidylcholine would increase the effectiveness of the milk thistle I was giving her. And I have 4 long haired cats and hairball season had hit so I pulled out the hairball remedy I had and noticed that lecithin was one of the ingredients. The company no longer make it (Excel Kitty Malt) so I was searching around looking for homemade hairball remedies and found out that lecithin all by itself is an excellent hairball remedy. And quite by accident I discovered it was good for constipation when I was dosing everyone twice a day and I was finding loose stools in the litter box.

 

[nunnc84]

I plan to visit the vet sometime during the weekday since the vet I go to is closed on the weekend. Lily is still doing okay, I’m not too worried as long as he is still eating and drinking.

I’m trying to send you a video of her walking it won’t let me

 

[LuluM]

This morning after going to the litter box, Lily’s tail was really bushy like when a cat gets scared. I’m not sure what’s causing that but I’m guessing he is constipated and is straining? I have fed pumpkin to him before but his stool didn’t change much in size. Either way I plan to talk with my vet tomorrow

 

[LuluM]

Update: I spoke with my vet today and she said that Lily’s diagnosis is still uncertain, but since he responded well with the steroids she suggested that Lily be on it long term. She told me to restart the steroid medication with 1 tablet twice daily for 3 days then 1 tablet daily for 3-4 weeks then lower to 1 tablet every other day for long term care.

Potentially, Lily’s condition may be a nerve issue but that can’t be certain without MRI which isn’t something I want to do plus the cost of it is major. My vet did suggest gabapentin and pain meds as another choice of medication although she said they may not work well enough like steroids.

 

[LuluM]

I got more steroid medication for Lily and I have started giving him the first dose. As much as there may be risks for long term steroids, I don’t really have any other choice of medication that would help with nerve pain. I’m hoping Lily will respond well with the steroids and that it will keep him alive.

 

[Kflowers]

praying they help and work for him.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

L LuluM - My cat has been on a lower dose of long-term steroids (Prednisolone) for few years, and I just make sure to get regular blood work and labs taken about every 6-8 months to check on things. She gets 2.5-3.75 mg Pred pretty much daily. I also do what I can to not enable potential diabetes by feeding canned food only, 4-5 small meals per day (1-2 ounces per meal), keep a lot of water dishes and a fountain around, and make sure she gets a ton of daily exercise. There are other things that could develop health-wise long-term too, but she's only four and still in good shape. She had her last blood work and labs about 2 weeks ago. She is on it for asthma/allergies.

I'm hoping your kitty has the same success (knock on wood, so far all is relatively okay with Milly)!

 

[nunnc84]

Well, Luna's gait has significantly improved. I took her off gabapentin and meloxicam. Now she knows what hurts, and is beginning to use her whole leg. She get's plenty of rest. I switched to Hill's Science diet stomach and skin. She is getting regular bowel movements! I'm excited for her. I give her petprobiotics also, because of the recent antibiotics.
I pushed back her vet visit, because I got pet insurance that has a 14 day hold on claims. I'm glad I did because her gait is getting a lot better, she probley won't need $10,000 surgery after all. The table told me to feed her 2 1/3 cans. I put one can down, it takes her forever to eat it. I only give her a can in the am and one in the pm. A few treats of shrimp, chicken, etc.. I'm going to talk to the vet about it.
Glucosamine supplements, Luna hates hers. Does anyone recommend another one?? Possibly in treat form?

 

[Libby.]

Well, Luna's gait has significantly improved. I took her off gabapentin and meloxicam. Now she knows what hurts, and is beginning to use her whole leg. She get's plenty of rest. I switched to Hill's Science diet stomach and skin. She is getting regular bowel movements! I'm excited for her. I give her petprobiotics also, because of the recent antibiotics.
I pushed back her vet visit, because I got pet insurance that has a 14 day hold on claims. I'm glad I did because her gait is getting a lot better, she probley won't need $10,000 surgery after all. The table told me to feed her 2 1/3 cans. I put one can down, it takes her forever to eat it. I only give her a can in the am and one in the pm. A few treats of shrimp, chicken, etc.. I'm going to talk to the vet about it.
Glucosamine supplements, Luna hates hers. Does anyone recommend another one?? Possibly in treat form?

Get some New Zealand Antler Velvet. It has glucosamine in it along with lots of other healing ingredients and growth factors that help with healing. I take it for a really bad arthritic knee and it helps a lot. I recommend New Zealand Antler Velvet because New Zealand doesn't have any cases of chronic wasting disease (aka mad cow) in their deer and elk like the US and Canada does. This article suggests not using antler velvet from the US and Canada for that reason.
Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Elk Antler Velvet

You can find New Zealand Antler Velvet capsules on ebay. Glucosamine supplements were hard on my stomach, but the antler velvet capsules are not.

 

[nunnc84]

Get some New Zealand Antler Velvet. It has glucosamine in it along with lots of other healing ingredients and growth factors that help with healing. I take it for a really bad arthritic knee and it helps a lot. I recommend New Zealand Antler Velvet because New Zealand doesn't have any cases of chronic wasting disease (aka mad cow) in their deer and elk like the US and Canada does. This article suggests not using antler velvet from the US and Canada for that reason.
Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Elk Antler Velvet

You can find New Zealand Antler Velvet capsules on ebay. Glucosamine supplements were hard on my stomach, but the antler velvet capsules are not.

I found some online:
Is this the stuff?
I read the reviews, it said rub on gums to decrease tartar. It didn't say arthritis.
This is the liquid, for dogs and cats..

 

[nunnc84]

Get some New Zealand Antler Velvet. It has glucosamine in it along with lots of other healing ingredients and growth factors that help with healing. I take it for a really bad arthritic knee and it helps a lot. I recommend New Zealand Antler Velvet because New Zealand doesn't have any cases of chronic wasting disease (aka mad cow) in their deer and elk like the US and Canada does. This article suggests not using antler velvet from the US and Canada for that reason.
Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Elk Antler Velvet

You can find New Zealand Antler Velvet capsules on ebay. Glucosamine supplements were hard on my stomach, but the antler velvet capsules are not.

Because I also have colloidal sliver which has natural antibiotic properties. Occasionally, I put it on toilet paper and clean under her eyes during drainage.