Is my cat having leg cramps?

Raeohmar

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Hey all.
My cat Blaze is an indoor only but very active 4 year old cat. About 3 weeks ago I was laying on the bed and noticed her standing on her hind legs peeking into a box. Next thing I know (I can’t see her anymore, just hear her) I hear what sounds like her playing with her toys. I eventually got out of bed and noticed that she was what appeared to be unable to walk forward so started trying to walk backwards. She let out two cries and I started petting her and she laid down and was immediately fine. About 4 days later we were laying in bed and she got up to talk down the bed and it looked as though either her right front or back leg gave out. I think it scared her and she took a step back and let out a cry and I immediately started petting her and she was fine. The first episode lasted about 10 seconds max, and the second about 5 seconds. Even though the following days she was acting normal and didn’t have any more episodes I took her to the vet.

The vet did a full body exam on her and she said she assumed she has probably pulled something or sprained something in her leg or arm. She said it’s hard to tell in cats, but she prescribed her some pain meds to take for 3 days and told me to try to keep her from jumping and playing to a minimum so she can heal if she did hurt herself. She told me if it keeps happening to bring her back in and they’ll get another set of hands on her to do another exam and possibly an X-ray.

Its been over a week and nothing. Then today after work, she was in the liter box and when she jumped out, she was holding her right back leg up and wouldn’t put it down. She started meowing and I went over and started petting her. She then started walking like everything was fine and was able to put her leg back down.

She is eating, drinking, playing and everything like normal minus these 3 weird episodes. I’ve looked up symptoms of seizures and strokes and watched many videos, but this does not appear to be it from what I’ve seen. Does anyone have any similar experiences or know what might be going on? I was thinking possible cramps, or maybe the vet is right about her pulling something. It just seems odd to me that she isn’t limping or anything.
Any advice is much appreciated!!!
 

white shadow

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Hi Raeohmar.

That would concern me greatly. I would pursue it until at least heart disease had been definitively ruled out.

Now, I don't know at what point those pain meds were prescribed but, if it was after the fact and when the cat had 'recovered', I can't understand any rationale for <that> decision/treatment at all.

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Raeohmar

Cat mamma to Blaze.
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Hi Raeohmar.

That would concern me greatly. I would pursue it until at least heart disease had been definitively ruled out.

Now, I don't know at what point those pain meds were prescribed but, if it was after the fact and when the cat had 'recovered', I can't understand any rationale for <that> decision/treatment at all.

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I have been doing a lot of research on heart disease in cats, and how saddle thrombus is a symptom of this. It doesn’t sound like this to me at all. It’s happened three times in the past few weeks and it only lasts a few seconds then she’s back to normal, walking just fine. Never have both back legs given out to where she appeared paralyzed. Could this be the beginning signs of saddle thrombus or does that usually happen all at once and very suddenly?
 
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Raeohmar

Cat mamma to Blaze.
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Hi Raeohmar.

That would concern me greatly. I would pursue it until at least heart disease had been definitively ruled out.

Now, I don't know at what point those pain meds were prescribed but, if it was after the fact and when the cat had 'recovered', I can't understand any rationale for <that> decision/treatment at all.

<> added
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Also, I took her to the vet the day after her second episode. The vet said the pain meds were given in case she had pulled/sprained her leg or arm and that’s what was causing her slight pain when going to walk.
 

white shadow

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Well, first of all, yes, a saddle thrombosis is a symptom of existing heart disease....often the first, only and last symptom - most often the final symptom, because the cat doesn't survive. And, these can be partial, involving one leg only.

But, behind these is the heart disease itself.....if that's present, then it's a ticking time bomb. And, that's why I said that personally, I would want to first definitively determine whether/not the heart was healthy. I've seen a sufficient number of physical examinations to know they're not equally performed, especially in young 'healthy' cats, where heart disease wouldn't be expected. In fact, in all my time, I've only seen one Veterinarian who really focused on the heart. She was a 'veteran' and spent a full couple of minutes on hearts - an eternity in a silent exam room, in a usually fast-paced 'routine' yearly exam appointment. She was good.

If resources are not an impediment, then requesting a cardiology consult would make for the best/most definitive conclusion.

Here's a reliable and comprehensive coverage of Saddle Thrombosis: Saddle Thrombosis - VeterinaryPartner.vin.com.

Other causes, a pulled muscle, a pinched nerve, even a minor seizure, none of those have the potential to be fatal and therefore there's time available for possible diagnosis.


Just on the pain meds, it still makes no sense to me....not only was there no pain present to treat but, in a situation where you need to determine what (if any) condition might be recurring, it would be counterproductive to administer something that could/would mask/hide the symptom.

Now, none of this is "advice".......it's 'simply' how I'd proceed.
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