Sam Can't Walk

[weebeasties]

Sam has lost partial use of his back legs. He will be walking and then they just seem to give out and he collapses. When this happens he cries out in pain and hisses.
In a panic I took him to the nearest vet emergency. I did not like the vet at all and he admitted he usually works with dogs. Anyway he said Sam has luxating patella on both back legs and he must have over - done himself and now is sore. He gave him an anti-inflammatory injection and said to give him Metacam orally for a few days.
From reading about the condition online, I am unsure this is the real issue. Sam has tried to walk a few times since the visit, but it ends with him falling over and screaming in pain. He has now given up trying to walk and stays hiding under a chair. He hasn't peed or pooped in over 12 hours now. He is eating very little and not drinking.
I have an appointment with a different vet on Saturday, but that's a long way off.
The er vet did do an xray the showed the dislocation in the knees. Sam has never been much of a jumper, so maybe that explains that. It just seems like the amount of pain he is in now is more than a knee issue that he was apparently born with? Could it be something else?
We just lost his sister, Isabelle, on Wednesday due to a misdiagnosis. I can't lose another baby. I am so worried.

 

[tinydestroyer]

Oh no! I am way out of my depth of experience here, but I will keep my fingers crossed for Sam's speedy recovery. My only idea would be that IF he moves around again, to take a video of the collapse, so the vet can watch it and see the exact situation. And make sure you get the x Ray for your regular vet.
I'm so sorry to hear about your Isabelle, as well. Your family has had such a rough week, and I can't imagine how tough this must be for you. Sending you good vibes. Update us if you get the chance!

 

[weebeasties]

Sam is so frightened.I think he doesn't know what is causing the pain, so is terrified of everything. It's breaking my heart. He has always come running to me whenever he was scared, but after the stupid ER vet kept popping his kneecap in and out repeatedly for no reason other than to show me, he is now hiding from me too.
I picked him up and carried him to a litterbox, but he didn't go. I gave him wet food in his hiding spot under the chair, but he only ate about a teaspoon of it. As soon as the stores open, I will buy some canned tuna to see if he will at least drink the water.
I am supposed to give him his first dose of Metacam in a few hours. Don't know if it is safe. Have read conflicting reports online and prescribing doc was a "dog vet".

 

[tinydestroyer]

Sam is so frightened.I think he doesn't know what is causing the pain, so is terrified of everything. It's breaking my heart. He has always come running to me whenever he was scared, but after the stupid ER vet kept popping his kneecap in and out repeatedly for no reason other than to show me, he is now hiding from me too.
I picked him up and carried him to a litterbox, but he didn't go. I gave him wet food in his hiding spot under the chair, but he only ate about a teaspoon of it. As soon as the stores open, I will buy some canned tuna to see if he will at least drink the water.
I am supposed to give him his first dose of Metacam in a few hours. Don't know if it is safe. Have read conflicting reports online and prescribing doc was a "dog vet".

Poor Sam! I'd be scared, too, if I hurt that much and didn't know why. Chances are that he's enacting his instinctual urge to hide when he's in pain, and isn't associating it with you specifically, even though that vet put him through needless pain. This must be so hard for you both!
On that note: I, too, have heard of adverse reactions from Metacam. Is there any way you could talk to your regular cat vet tomorrow? Onisior is a drug that is like metacam, but supposed to be less likelihood of kidney failure, which was a rare but extreme reaction to metacam. My vet gave my cat consecutive doses of Onisior after surgery, (although it is approved for only three days at a time,) and I expressed concerns at the time. She explained the differences in full, assuaged my concerns, and said that although it had less anti inflamorory properties, it's great for short term acute pain. I felt so much better talking to my (trusted,) vet because my cat had to have surgery in the first place due to vet error. Maybe your cat vet could give Sam an Rx for Onisior, or explain to you that metacam is fine via phone when they open? Or maybe they could even bump up your appointment considering the developments in Sam's case, or at least call you if there are any cancellations? It doesn't hurt to try!

 

[tabbytom]

Oh dear, so sorry to hear about Isabelle and now Sam. I do hope he gets better. I cannot offer any medical advice but I’m just giving you and Sam moral support.

Sam!

 

[weebeasties]

Poor Sam! I'd be scared, too, if I hurt that much and didn't know why. Chances are that he's enacting his instinctual urge to hide when he's in pain, and isn't associating it with you specifically, even though that vet put him through needless pain. This must be so hard for you both!
On that note: I, too, have heard of adverse reactions from Metacam. Is there any way you could talk to your regular cat vet tomorrow? Onisior is a drug that is like metacam, but supposed to be less likelihood of kidney failure, which was a rare but extreme reaction to metacam. My vet gave my cat consecutive doses of Onisior after surgery, (although it is approved for only three days at a time,) and I expressed concerns at the time. She explained the differences in full, assuaged my concerns, and said that although it had less anti inflamorory properties, it's great for short term acute pain. I felt so much better talking to my (trusted,) vet because my cat had to have surgery in the first place due to vet error. Maybe your cat vet could give Sam an Rx for Onisior, or explain to you that metacam is fine via phone when they open? Or maybe they could even bump up your appointment considering the developments in Sam's case, or at least call you if there are any cancellations? It doesn't hurt to try!

Thanks for the ideas. I have two vets that I trust. The one I have the appointment with is off today, but I took your suggestion and got myself put on a call list for the other in case of a cancellation.
I was able to get Sam to eat a little more so he's eaten about 2oz. of wet food in the last 6 hours. Still no pee or poop.
He did try to walk again but I was unable to film it. He took a couple of steps then his leg gave out and then he sort of held it up and began limping backwards until he ran into the bed and fell over. He keeps turning his head like he's trying to see the invisible thing that's hurting him.
Still trying to get hold of the pharmacy staff at his regular vet to ask about Metacam.

 

[weebeasties]

Thank you tabbytom ,
Isabelle was such a huge part of our life and SO LOVED. She was so young and her death was completely unexpected. We got her and Sam from the shelter the same day and they were inseparable ever since. They had never been apart before we took her into the vet Tuesday and on Wednesday she was gone. Before his injury, Sam had spent all Wednesday evening walking around the house trilling for her. He must be so confused! His best buddy is gone and he's in pain and he doesn't know why.

 

[weebeasties]

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

weebeasties - How old is Sam? I am so very sorry to hear about your Isabelle.

If the ER vet was able to easily manually luxate both of Sam's knees, plus he was able to get xrays that actually picked a moment in time when the kneecaps were shown out of the trochlear grooves, I would say that, unfortunately, yes -- Sam's knee(s) are luxating (the kneecaps popping in and out of place). There are four Grades to luxating patellas, and it could be that Sam has moved into grades III-IV. He may not be able to move them back in place himself, just by extending one or the other of his back legs. It is not as common for kittens/cats to get luxating patellas, but many vets and surgeons familiar with a variety of dogs will usually recognize the signs, as some dog breeds do have a tendency to get these. Aging, overweight animals can also get luxated patellas.

I'm really hoping you can see a vet very soon! You see, I've spent the last few years dealing with my own cat Milly's congenital luxating patellas, and she has had two different surgeries (on each knee) spaced a year apart to correct the issue. I'm not sure if you've followed some of my postings here, but at times I have posted about all of this.

Once the knee cap has moved either in or out of the trochlear groove (this is where the knee cap/ patella should normally sit and "ride" through the smooth flow of a bending leg), it does not really hurt the cat. It is DURING the slide of the kneecap over the ligaments/ groove that it can cause some pain to the cat. And it causes a lot of inflammation, and so if this has been going on with Sam without notice on your part in a minor way for weeks, those area of his knees could be pretty inflamed. Do not blame yourself if you haven't noticed him stumbling at times when jumping or playing! or walking funny, or sticking his leg out to seemingly stretch it! I myself had NEVER heard of luxating patellas in cats prior to my Milly having the issue, and it took several vets and a surgeon for us to really diagnose it. With Milly, it was congenital (she'll only be 3 in April). The signs start to show up as the bones grow, and so sometimes one cannot even know what is happening until the kitten reaches a certain age. For my cat, she started stumbling and things around 11-14 months old (for her right knee), and then her left back knee began showing the same signs a whole year after that.

If you go to this thread of mine (this post here),
What Made Your "confined-to-crate-rest" Cat Relax? Offer Some Handy Tips...
look at the vimeo video showing some examples of Milly's knees luxating and how she attempted to extend the leg to get the knee back in place... or she simply just falls over, confused.
(plug in the password "luxations" to view the video)

The first snippet was her really bad right knee in 2016, she could barely walk... and near the end of the video, some more minor signs of luxating patellas, just as examples. I agree, it is really scary when you see your cat going through this! Poor Sam!


About using the NSAID metacam, if you are in the USA, I personally would discuss with the vet using buprenorphine instead as a pain med. It will be up to the two of you. Buprenorphine is what I used for Milly.

You'll likely want to look into surgery, if Sam is really experiencing grades III- grade IV luxations (when the knee cap is pretty much always out of position).



Milly's left knee surgery was nearly 6 months ago.

This is not an easy thing to go through, if Sam is beginning to go through this, per your vet(s). My heart goes out to you!! You can PM me, too, if you'd like.

 

[pushylady]

I'm so sorry you and Sam are going through this. He must be so confused and the mental image of him crying for his sister is heartbreaking.

 

[weebeasties]

PushPurrCatPaws
Thank you so much for the information. I watched Milly's videos (boy, was it hard - Milly looks quite a bit like Isabelle).
The very first video looks a bit like how Sam is walking now (when he does walk). I never saw him walk oddly before Thursday morning though. I have noticed that he was never much of a jumper. I think I even posted about it on here when he was still a kitten. I had mentioned it to the vet at his last visit about 6 months ago, but he didn't see anything to be concerned about.
Sam will be 2 years old in April. I've had him since he was about 8 weeks. Never seen him limp. Then I woke up early Thursday to hear screaming, hissing, growling. (In all the time I've had him, never heard a growl from him before) Found Sam under the couch. I finally convinced him to come out and he was walking up the cat steps and his legs gave out and he fell. Screaming, hissing again. I think he's in a lot of pain and not being a "drama queen" as the ER vet suggested.

I am so happy that Milly's surgeries were successful.
I hate the thought of Sam being operated on, but I will do anything to get him out of pain.

 

[tinydestroyer]

I'm so glad someone else who had a similar issue. Hopefully the vet will be able to fit you in today!

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

PushPurrCatPaws
Thank you so much for the information. I watched Milly's videos (boy, was it hard - Milly looks quite a bit like Isabelle).
The very first video looks a bit like how Sam is walking now (when he does walk). I never saw him walk oddly before Thursday morning though. I have noticed that he was never much of a jumper. I think I even posted about it on here when he was still a kitten. I had mentioned it to the vet at his last visit about 6 months ago, but he didn't see anything to be concerned about.
Sam will be 2 years old in April. I've had him since he was about 8 weeks. Never seen him limp. Then I woke up early Thursday to hear screaming, hissing, growling. (In all the time I've had him, never heard a growl from him before) Found Sam under the couch. I finally convinced him to come out and he was walking up the cat steps and his legs gave out and he fell. Screaming, hissing again. I think he's in a lot of pain and not being a "drama queen" as the ER vet suggested.

I am so happy that Milly's surgeries were successful.
I hate the thought of Sam being operated on, but I will do anything to get him out of pain.

The fact that it seemed to have come on so suddenly --and if you haven't really noticed anything before--, I wonder if that really points to sudden injury with the knees. Has he been really active the past month or so? If it is, however, also congenital with Sam (and he's never been a jumper for whatever reason), maybe the congenital issue is pretty minor (?) and just some recent physical activity "tweaked" both of his knees at the same time? It takes a few years for all the bones and muscles to grow and develop, and this is why --with more minor congenital issues-- you may not see anything amiss for a year or two. Some kittens with severe congenital issues have more obvious signs of luxating patellas when they are very young, like even at age 2-6 months. With my cat, her knee caps were huge, and her trochlear grooves very shallow and narrow... so, as she grew out of kittenhood, the bone growth really made her kneecaps pop out of place. It began to show up when she was about 10-11 months old. It would just get worse as time went on, so we opted for surgery -- so that she wouldn't get to the state of complete lameness.

Screaming, hissing, growling, in my experience, really does indicate "pain!" to me. Cats are NOT "drama queens"... they hide pain very well.

I'd recommend trying to find a veterinary orthopedic surgeon in your area, to really examine what is going on with Sam. Even if it is "just" a bad injury to both knees, a surgeon would at least be able to diagnose it accurately.

 

[weebeasties]

PushPurrCatPaws
That's what I was thinking. He may have problems with his knees, but it may not be THE problem he is having now.
The good news is WE HAVE PEE! He walked to the litterbox himself too! He did fall a couple of times, but he did it.
Since this all started I have been watching his feet when he walks. This time I watched his body and he is walking kind of hunched up like a racoon. Don't know if that is significant, but it is unusual for him.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

...
The good news is WE HAVE PEE! He walked to the litterbox himself too! He did fall a couple of times, but he did it.
...

I made him a smiley!

( WenPigsFly Smiley Sign Maker )

 

[weebeasties]

I made him a smiley!

View attachment 220934




( WenPigsFly Smiley Sign Maker )

 

[weebeasties]

I was unable to get Sam into the vet yesterday, but they did tell me to go ahead and give him the Metacam yesterday and we can discuss a different pain med at his appointment today.
There is some very good news to report. Since all of this started I have kept Sam isolated in our bedroom. He was so scared of everything- even the slightest sound-I didn't want our other cats to stress him. So he has been hiding under a chair in our bedroom most of the time. This morning when I opened the door to bring him some food, he walked out on his own and even gave Spike a friendly headbut! I think the pain meds worked and that has allowed him to calm down and not be so frightened. He also seemed a little steadier on his feet. I am so relieved!

 

[tabbytom]

PushPurrCatPaws
That's what I was thinking. He may have problems with his knees, but it may not be THE problem he is having now.
The good news is WE HAVE PEE! He walked to the litterbox himself too! He did fall a couple of times, but he did it.
Since this all started I have been watching his feet when he walks. This time I watched his body and he is walking kind of hunched up like a racoon. Don't know if that is significant, but it is unusual for him.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

I was unable to get Sam into the vet yesterday, but they did tell me to go ahead and give him the Metacam yesterday and we can discuss a different pain med at his appointment today.
There is some very good news to report. Since all of this started I have kept Sam isolated in our bedroom. He was so scared of everything- even the slightest sound-I didn't want our other cats to stress him. So he has been hiding under a chair in our bedroom most of the time. This morning when I opened the door to bring him some food, he walked out on his own and even gave Spike a friendly headbut! I think the pain meds worked and that has allowed him to calm down and not be so frightened. He also seemed a little steadier on his feet. I am so relieved!

This is good news, weebeasties.

 

[tinydestroyer]

I was unable to get Sam into the vet yesterday, but they did tell me to go ahead and give him the Metacam yesterday and we can discuss a different pain med at his appointment today.
There is some very good news to report. Since all of this started I have kept Sam isolated in our bedroom. He was so scared of everything- even the slightest sound-I didn't want our other cats to stress him. So he has been hiding under a chair in our bedroom most of the time. This morning when I opened the door to bring him some food, he walked out on his own and even gave Spike a friendly headbut! I think the pain meds worked and that has allowed him to calm down and not be so frightened. He also seemed a little steadier on his feet. I am so relieved!

Yay!!! I'm glad that the pain meds helped. Hopefully you get sone answers at your appointment!