Kitty Is Acting Stiff And Lethargic

[Calypsocookie]

Hi guys, thanks for taking the time to read my post.

Sylvester is 10 years old and is a male tuxedo kitty. For the past 2 days he has been acting very lethargic and like he has extreme stiffness in his hind end. He eats, poops, and pees just fine. But he will not go more than 2 feet without laying down.

Because he suffered an extreme case of gastroenteritis last year which required me to give him an IV of fluids and force feed, I am extremely concerned. He fell ill after I brought home an adopted kitty from my local shelter. He recovered from that sickness and has been fine up until 2 days ago when his started.

We just got back from his vet. She did an exam and took his temp and everything came back normal. She commented on his stiffness while he walked around the exam room but it wasn't anything too pronounced. If he's not recovered by Monday I will take him back for Xrays. She said if he had anything broken she would be able to tell though.

Have any of you dealt with this behavior in your kitties? Any help or advice would be very welcome. I love Sylvester more than words can say.

Thank you

 

[Calypsocookie]

I also forgot to mention she prescribed him an anti inflammatory called Onsior.

 

[Margret]

Sounds rather like arthritis; that would probably be what the anti-inflammatory is for.

Onsior is an NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug), which is what all the over-the-counter human pain meds are also called. So it should both fight inflammation directly, which is likely the cause of the pain, and fight the pain directly.

What is Onsior?
Onsior is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that relieves pain and reduces inflammation associated with orthopedic and soft tissue surgery. The small, flavored tablets are favored by cats and dogs and are easy to administer. Onsior for Cats is available in a 3-pack of 6 mg tablets in a blister packet. Onsior for Dogs is available in a 3-pack of 10 mg, 20 mg, and 40 mg tablets. Onsior for Cats and Dogs requires a prescription from your veterinarian.

Benefits:

• Single dose quickly alleviates acute pain for 24 hours
• Relieves pain associated with orthopedic and soft tissue surgery

from: Onsior | NSAID Pain Reliever for Pets - 1800PetMeds

Margret

 

[silkenpaw]

It does sound like arthritis except for the laying down. The stiffness and pain from arthritis actually get a little better once you get moving, up to a point. Is that happening with Sylvester? Or instead, does he look short of breath? Is his mouth open, are his nostrils moving with each breath? Is he pale? Did he have a heart murmur? What did his lungs sound like? I don’t know when was the last time he got blood work done but if he doesn’t improve with Onsior, I would get at least a CBC and a basic metabolic panel. And a chest X-ray, along with the X-rays of his back legs.

I hope that it’s something simple and easily fixable. Sending Sylvester get better vibes. Do let us know what happens.

 

[Calypsocookie]

It does sound like arthritis except for the laying down. The stiffness and pain from arthritis actually get a little better once you get moving, up to a point. Is that happening with Sylvester? Or instead, does he look short of breath? Is his mouth open, are his nostrils moving with each breath? Is he pale? Did he have a heart murmur? What did his lungs sound like? I don’t know when was the last time he got blood work done but if he doesn’t improve with Onsior, I would get at least a CBC and a basic metabolic panel. And a chest X-ray, along with the X-rays of his back legs.

I hope that it’s something simple and easily fixable. Sending Sylvester get better vibes. Do let us know what happens.

His vet said his heart and lungs sounded perfect. He had all of the blood work you mentioned when he was in for the gastroenteritis last year and everything came back clear. She said that if he hadn't put on weight she would want to do it again but since he has she wasn't worried about it. Unless things don't improve by Monday that is. He is well hydrated and no difficulty breathing.

We also discussed arthritis but this seems to have come on too suddenly to be that don't you think? It is monsoon season here in Vegas so would a change in weather bring it on more suddenly? He seems to be moving a little easier since we got home although it took him 2 trips to get up the stairs. He did one flight laid down for a minute and then laid down at the top of the next flight. He is now sleeping in my closet.

I wish I had gotten a concrete answer at his vet but right now it's a guessing game and detective work. I saw this website after googling when I got home and thought there may be someone here who has dealt with these same symptoms. Thanks so much for responding!

 

[silkenpaw]

Sounds like your vet covered all the bases. I’m glad, some don’t. Arthritis certainly seems to get worse with stormy weather, so maybe that’s it. Hope Sylvester gets better.

 

[Calypsocookie]

Thanks I'll keep you all updated

 

[Daisy6]

Welcome to TCS! I am glad you found us.

Even if the symptoms seemed to start suddenly, Sylvester could have been hiding pain in his joints for a while and had his first flare-up. I read arthritis is affected by bad weather, but have no idea why. If I was a vet I would have taken leg x-rays at the first appointment to confirm or rule out arthritis.

 

[Calypsocookie]

Welcome to TCS! I am glad you found us.

Even if the symptoms seemed to start suddenly, Sylvester could have been hiding pain in his joints for a while and had his first flare-up. I read arthritis is affected by bad weather, but have no idea why. If I was a vet I would have taken leg x-rays at the first appointment to confirm or rule out arthritis.

I asked his vet if she would wait until Monday because that's when I get paid. She wanted to.

Have you had a cat with arthritis before?

 

[1 bruce 1]

What stinks with cats is that they are stoic...REALLY stoic...and rarely show pain and hide is so very well, and when they do it's pretty painful already.
Worse yet, when we get them to the vets they're like "LOL I'm fine" and waltz along the exam room like they're just dandy which leaves us and the vets scratching our heads.
Is there any slight possibility that he could have taken a fall from something like a coffee table or a book shelf when you were away that would explain this sudden onset?
I have a girlie here that was left alone with the other cats when we went to visit some friends. We were gone for about 4 hours. When we got back, we noticed she was tiptoeing through the house like the demons of Hell were around every turn. We noticed that some books had been knocked off the shelf and some of the music was knocked off the piano bench, but didn't really think much of it.
Later this progressed to serious pain for her and she was impossible to handle (from the pain.)
I can't pinpoint what happened exactly, but the books knocked to the floor and the music knocked aside makes me think she was playing Monkey-Cat, climbed something, took a fall, and hurt herself.
If you notice anything around your home that was amiss, even slightly, take note of it!

Wishing the best for you and your little kitty =)

 

[Calypsocookie]

What stinks with cats is that they are stoic...REALLY stoic...and rarely show pain and hide is so very well, and when they do it's pretty painful already.
Worse yet, when we get them to the vets they're like "LOL I'm fine" and waltz along the exam room like they're just dandy which leaves us and the vets scratching our heads.
Is there any slight possibility that he could have taken a fall from something like a coffee table or a book shelf when you were away that would explain this sudden onset?
I have a girlie here that was left alone with the other cats when we went to visit some friends. We were gone for about 4 hours. When we got back, we noticed she was tiptoeing through the house like the demons of Hell were around every turn. We noticed that some books had been knocked off the shelf and some of the music was knocked off the piano bench, but didn't really think much of it.
Later this progressed to serious pain for her and she was impossible to handle (from the pain.)
I can't pinpoint what happened exactly, but the books knocked to the floor and the music knocked aside makes me think she was playing Monkey-Cat, climbed something, took a fall, and hurt herself.
If you notice anything around your home that was amiss, even slightly, take note of it!

Wishing the best for you and your little kitty =)

I've been a life long cat owner and love so I know they don't like to show they're in pain. Especially my Sylvester. I used to get so mad because he wouldn't make a peep if I accidently stepped on his paw or tail.

The new kitty I got from the shelter last year has earned the nickname of the Flying Furball. He turned 1 in May so he still has that kitten energy. So it's entirely possible they were chasing eachother and Sylvester was injured.

Since we've gotten home from the vet he has slept on and if and moved very slowly from one area to another. I got him to eat a salmon filet and he used his litter box. He's currently sleeping.

Again thank you all for your responses!

 

[1 bruce 1]

I've been a life long cat owner and love so I know they don't like to show they're in pain. Especially my Sylvester. I used to get so mad because he wouldn't make a peep if I accidently stepped on his paw or tail.

The new kitty I got from the shelter last year has earned the nickname of the Flying Furball. He turned 1 in May so he still has that kitten energy. So it's entirely possible they were chasing eachother and Sylvester was injured.

Since we've gotten home from the vet he has slept on and if and moved very slowly from one area to another. I got him to eat a salmon filet and he used his litter box. He's currently sleeping.

Again thank you all for your responses!

I'm laughing at "Flying Furball"! Great nicname =)
If he's eating, and using his litter box, I'd let him be for now but certainly monitor him as I'm sure you will.

Please keep us updated. Most people at TCS love updates and are kind of distressed when we never hear back from an owner of a cat not doing well.
We worry because we care!

Our girl was VERY reluctant to use the box (I think climbing the 4 inch sides made her go "nah, bruh"... as her back was hurt. Back injuires SUCK and make you pretty much immobile) and did not want food which made us slam on the brakes.
When this girl won't eat, it's like saying a 10 week old Labrador puppy refuses to chew up your entire house. We considered this an emergency, as she's our top cat for food inhalation and is kind of a black hole for all things edible. When she doesn't eat, something is wrong!
Best wishes. Please keep in touch on how he's doing if you can.

 

[Calypsocookie]

I'm laughing at "Flying Furball"! Great nicname =)
If he's eating, and using his litter box, I'd let him be for now but certainly monitor him as I'm sure you will.

Please keep us updated. Most people at TCS love updates and are kind of distressed when we never hear back from an owner of a cat not doing well.
We worry because we care!

Our girl was VERY reluctant to use the box (I think climbing the 4 inch sides made her go "nah, bruh"... as her back was hurt. Back injuires SUCK and make you pretty much immobile) and did not want food which made us slam on the brakes.
When this girl won't eat, it's like saying a 10 week old Labrador puppy refuses to chew up your entire house. We considered this an emergency, as she's our top cat for food inhalation and is kind of a black hole for all things edible. When she doesn't eat, something is wrong!
Best wishes. Please keep in touch on how he's doing if you can.

I'll have to get video of him coming down the stairs some day, he really does fly! And I mispoke we're not cat owners we're cat slaves.

I'm currently playing with Sylvester making him chase some rawhide straps. He won't move from his position but he's all about catching them if they're in his face. So his attitude is good. I will definitely keep you all updated, the care is evident!
Thanks for sharing your stories with me too, would love to hear more.

 

[Daisy6]

I asked his vet if she would wait until Monday because that's when I get paid. She wanted to.

Have you had a cat with arthritis before?

I had a cat who was diagnosed with arthritis when he was limping on his left leg. The vet even showed me the two x-rays of his knee. The cat was fine after that and never limped again.

 

[Calypsocookie]

I had a cat who was diagnosed with arthritis when I took him to the vet for a limp on his left knee.

Thanks Daisy. In all honesty I hope that's what this is.

 

[Daisy6]

I edited my post a little bit too late . . .

 

[Calypsocookie]

Hi guys just wanted to give a quick update this morning. No improvement slept with me in our bed all night. Ate another salmon filet this morning. Seems comfortable but still isn't mobile.

I work 10 hours today which always turns in to 12 so I will update again when I get home from work. I want to thank all that responded to me yesterday

 

[Calypsocookie]

Home from work. He's no better but no worse either. Eating and drinking fine but isn't mobile... Sigh. I hope he shakes this off.

 

[Daisy6]

A steroid shot might help next time he goes to.the vet, depending on what causes it.

 

[Calypsocookie]

A steroid shot might help next time he goes to.the vet, depending on what causes it.

He has an appointment Monday so we'll see what the blood work and Xrays say. They better give us some answers!