Feral Cat Hind Muscle Loss and Balance Issues

[agenteclaire]

Hello,

my husband and I take care of some ferals in our town and 2 weeks ago one (we call her Pepper) went missing for a few days. We of course were super worried because she was one of the more friendly ones, always showing up for breakfast and dinners on time and sitting close by (we could never pet her or touch her but she seemed to like when we talked to her and sat near by while she ate)

A week a little over a week ago she showed back up but she was having issues with her hind end, unable To run without falling over and if she walked in measured steps she could walk away but it seemed to take a lot of strength and coolness from her. We we’re trying to catch her but she just won’t go into the trap and we weren’t sure what to do.

5 days ago I was able to grab her (with my heavy leather gloves on) while she was in one of our sleeping stations and bring her inside to a large dog crate we have set up with food, water, bedding and a litter pan. She was terrified of course and her hind end seemed to be getting worse.

Friday we got her in to the vet and they were able to exam her (she was very well behaved and surprisingly let them work with her without sedation, I had been slowly trying to gain her trust more and food really has helped especially baby food)

she doesn’t have any outward injuries and she let the vet manipulate her legs and spine freely without pain and appears to have feeling in all her lower extremities as she tucks them when you touch them. Her blood work revealed she has a massive infection, was covered in fleas and ticks and had a heavy parasite load. so we are on medication to deal with everything and it already seems to be helping her alertness and over all comfort

she has been letting me massage her back legs and do some water and may therapy with her, but it really looks like she has lost a ton of muscle mass in her hind end. I don’t believe she’s incontinent as she completely emptying her bowels and bladder once and not leaking however she gotten messy a few times because I don’t think it’s easy to get to the box. I have since ordered her some diapers and have gotten her a low pan kitten box to help.

has anyone ever experienced something like this with the muscle loss and lower imbalance? I’m hoping all the medication and vet care will help and hopefully me helping her with building the muscles back up will help? She’s become quite sweet in such a short span of time and has a very good appetite so I’m hoping we can help her.

any insight would be

 

[iPappy]

Hi, I am so glad you managed to catch her and she let the vet examine her. What a good girl!
I don't have much experience with this, but, if the infection and/or parasitic load was enough to make her weak, it's possible her muscles simply atrophied? I'm not sure. I'm wondering if she's weak from the parasites and fleas, etc., and that's what's making her so wobbly. My Mom took in a cat that showed up at her house and she was VERY wobbly, we thought she wouldn't survive, but she was just very thin and very weak. With time, food, and the ability to move around on her own terms to build her muscles back up, she lived to be a very old girl. Are you able to keep her inside?

 

[agenteclaire]

Hi, I am so glad you managed to catch her and she let the vet examine her. What a good girl!
I don't have much experience with this, but, if the infection and/or parasitic load was enough to make her weak, it's possible her muscles simply atrophied? I'm not sure. I'm wondering if she's weak from the parasites and fleas, etc., and that's what's making her so wobbly. My Mom took in a cat that showed up at her house and she was VERY wobbly, we thought she wouldn't survive, but she was just very thin and very weak. With time, food, and the ability to move around on her own terms to build her muscles back up, she lived to be a very old girl. Are you able to keep her inside?

Yes we still have her inside in the dog crate, she seems happy to be inside and lets me handle her without issue so 3x a day I’ve been working with her walking, aiding her on the carpet and helping her stand on her own with me supporting her if she gets off balance. Food has been a big motivator for her and I’ll have her walk/crawl towards her food or some treats/baby food to get her working her muscles more, her upper body is fine and she seems to have full strength and control there. She was only 4lbs at the vet and they said at around 9months old she should be 8lbs so she is mostly skin and bones right now, but hopefully her good appetite will continue! It’s amazing how cats can heal from some pretty bad situations, I’m hoping she’ll heal as well.

even if she loses mobility in her hind legs permanently as long as she’s happy and healthy we’ll care for her and just have her wear kitty diapers.

 

[iPappy]

Yes we still have her inside in the dog crate, she seems happy to be inside and lets me handle her without issue so 3x a day I’ve been working with her walking, aiding her on the carpet and helping her stand on her own with me supporting her if she gets off balance. Food has been a big motivator for her and I’ll have her walk/crawl towards her food or some treats/baby food to get her working her muscles more, her upper body is fine and she seems to have full strength and control there. She was only 4lbs at the vet and they said at around 9months old she should be 8lbs so she is mostly skin and bones right now, but hopefully her good appetite will continue! It’s amazing how cats can heal from some pretty bad situations, I’m hoping she’ll heal as well.

even if she loses mobility in her hind legs permanently as long as she’s happy and healthy we’ll care for her and just have her wear kitty diapers.

I'm very hopeful that the lost mobility/weakness is just from being in bad shape and with your TLC she will get back to normal. I am so glad she has you! The big appetite is very encouraging, not only that she will willingly be mobile for some treats but that she's willingly eating at such a low body weight. I'm anxious to hear how she progresses!!!

 

[agenteclaire]

I'm very hopeful that the lost mobility/weakness is just from being in bad shape and with your TLC she will get back to normal. I am so glad she has you! The big appetite is very encouraging, not only that she will willingly be mobile for some treats but that she's willingly eating at such a low body weight. I'm anxious to hear how she progresses!!!

My husband and I have our fingers crossed for her! She had a follow up in a week and a half to check her blood levels again and weight and see if she’s healthy enough to get her vaccines. Then we’ll schedule her spay once all that is cared for and she is in a better state health wise. She’ll be an indoor kitty from now on and won’t have to worry about fending for herself anymore.

 

[agenteclaire]

Quick update, she is still having difficulty with her balancing and can’t really stand up without assistance and she doesn’t want to put too much weight on her legs. She also mostly wants to lay on her side and cat really even balance with her legs tucked under herself. She hardly has any muscle in her legs or along her spine so maybe that a big contributor. Her her gums and ears are still pale (tho all the the ticks are finally gone and I haven’t found a live flea on her in a day or two) I’ve been propping her up against my thighs so she’s in a sitting position and massaging her back legs and paws and having her kick my hands to get her back legs moving more. She seems like she can move them more than she used to be able to with more strength than before. Her appetite is still amazing and she’s eating well. We have the diapers for her now and her poops and pee appear to be normal. I’m wondering if the loss on balance and muscle loss was from how bad the fleas and ticks were? That and the major infection which caused her to have orange nasal and eye discharge, her breathing already sounds much clearer but I’m still so worried, I know she has a long way to go… the first picture is when I first grabbed her and the second 2 are from tonight

 

[DreamerRose]

You are treating her so well. I don't have any advice to add; just wish you all well. You are helping her so well.