Trouble standing to eat or weakness in legs/atrophy?

movinintime

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My former outdoor now indoor doesn't move around as much as the past since 3 months ago. Could this be leg muscle atrpophy from not being outdoors & moving, jumping, etc. much? He seems weak & lethargic. he is Fiv pos. & has a gene SDMA test marker for early CKD. Unknown his age as he was on the streets at least 5 yrs & I fed him past 3 yrs before getting him now forever inside.
 

daftcat75

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Please take this cat to a vet. Rear leg weakness can be anything from arthritis to organ failure and none of us can diagnose this here. He needs an exam and lab work (blood and urine.)
 
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movinintime

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TY! I will call a vet Monday. He eats well & can walk ok but I thought it is sedentary lifestyle now causing this. It is his arising from lying down then walking & holding himslef up seems to take awhile. It could be arthritis too! as his age could be older than we think. But I notice he does drink fair amount of water daily. Again the vet said in July, before we flew him back east w/ us in plane, that he was ok. His bloodwork in Dec. '19 was very good. So don't know what is up?

I know I've missed alot of workouts this year myself & I feel horrible. I'm tired & lethargic myself & after feeding my 2 cats I collapse. guess being just turned 60 is no fun. I wish I was 30 again. But him being unknown age scares me most. TY for your help.
 

daftcat75

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A lot can change since December. Especially if you don’t know how old he is. But lethargy and rear leg weakness are symptoms for conditions from mild to very serious. You just can’t know for sure without an exam and lab work. I’m glad you’re calling the vet tomorrow. 👍
 

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He does need to see the vet. I have never had a cat with legs that atrophied and have had some real house plants who basically sat down as soon as they were rescued and stood up only at meal time. I did have a dog with atrophied rear legs, but it was connected to a medical condition which was the cause, along with some medication used.
 
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movinintime

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TY all again! If Iose i-net for awhile don't worry I'll update as I can. After this huge cross USA move w/ 2 cats I'm broke & need cut costs to take better care of my cats.
 
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movinintime

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TY as I'm cuttting service asap this wk. But it'll also give me more quality time w/ my 2 cats if I do, thus a win win.

To save $, I never got a smart phone. Only always have a fliphone & yes it is a dumb phone, but I use the $ to save for my cats needs in a separate acct. They come 1st, my needs are basic to stay minimally well enough, not frivilous spending on novelties, but rather just to have $, if needed, to help them be ok.

It deserves no accolades whatsoever! period! & many many, including family, think I'm nuts re this but who cares what ppl think -- it is just what I think is the right! thing to do for THEM. I am not on earth to please myself & my needs while sacrificing at the expense of their needs. TY again.

I only hopes it inspires other ppl to do the same & think 2x re the care of their cats/pets.
 
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stephanietx

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It's possible that his potassium is low. Get a senior blood panel done to check his levels for CKD and also his potassium.
 
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movinintime

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He seems well. I haven't gotten appt yet as called my old vet in AZ to ask re him. If he continues he goes in. He is walking, eating, using box etc, very well. His eyes still have discharge drainage but we all knew this for several yrs. The FiV makes it hard to fight his URI is what old vet thinks. Been giving him 1000mg/day or in essence, 4 x 250mg VetriScience Lysine Immune Support chews daily for 2yrs.

He seems happier of late to be on a padded throw plush warm rug & snuggles up & seems ok, I see no reason to try to scare & trap via maybe using a med again -- as Gabapentin or the mistake of Ativan to get him in carrier. 2wks ago I made mistake trying 1st Ativan as had no Gaba -- & he was unable to be normal for 2 days.

So unless he shows definitive evidence of dire need, I'm saving his retrap via w/ meds again -- a real worry last month! when I messed him up for 2 days/or stressing him by grabbing/or scaring by cornering this former feral (turned semi-house cat in his room) til I know I'm moving out in month or so & then -- I'll need do then this -- if I need to retrap in hurry & have no alternative then only.

I'm letting him enjoy his feral street fighter-retirement, lol or so. My g/f is in hosp again! So... this is the stesssor now to our moveout--& unknown when she gets out. I can't plan the move out til then. So, til then I'm stalled & will monitor him closely til I think he seems normal -- or if not -- then he'll need go to a new vet here despite what I then think, if I see clinical signs of need.

I need to two-fold reduce stress on him w/ my own rampant over the top OCD -- & seeing things & over reacting -- & also, stop tossing $ away should I need it for the cats in a REAL emergency -- not just in my paranoid, fearful, alarmed mind -- that I push panic buttons all the time too fast.
 
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movinintime

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I'm only still online TY to good grace's a neighbor let me use his wifi password free til I move, & I offered him rides if he needs. It is up to g/f's hosp again, when'll be discharge then we leave here for good. So the trip was a bust $-wise but it allowed me get to a bigger apt & thus saved our feral after feeding outside for 3yrs. So not a total loss but a very sad move w/ g/f sick again. Hard to enjoy things when health probs come up. Older we get the more worry for us & our gettin older cats. TY all for your help. You see we're only here a few months now & will for sure leave & move -- as was to be a move to look for home buy but health probs got in the way. Blakie (feral) gobbled some more human Sockeye Salmon! So fish is no no for cats, sockeye will be heart healthy in small once in while eats.
 
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movinintime

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He SURE does! :)

I ate less salmon & lean beef -- than he did past 2 days! He ate my portion sorta, then today, my leftover portion! I don't care, haha, I'd eat rice/beans -- if my cats get THE healthiest food I can afford. Give to them, trust me -- I'll live forever or least outlive them no mattter what I do, I feel this strange phenomena. I may crackup & go nuts, but I'll still give all I can to them 1st. I know I serve a higher purpose & cats have -- in my older yrs -- become THAT purpose! ;)
 
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movinintime

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My feral seems to be peeing outside the box past 2 days. Unknown reason & so called his vet in AZ. Tech said it may be stress of moving. I will monitor this closely. I think I'm again panicky to any slight change but usually it is never really what I say. My vet has ben our older cat's vetfor 10yrs & knows me & her well. I was told to watch him closely & if it goes on more than few days to then make appt.

The sheer stress on him &, I trapping into a carrier even w/ Gabapentin, always worries me. I don't know how I endup w/ what other ppl ask me as, complications -- but I think my anxiety is being projected to him. W/ my g/f again in hospital for same as last yr in AZ,almost 13 months to the day of last yr's hosp. admission, that me feeling/being shellshocked is the problem.

Ok, I may be offline for period of time again as my neighbor needs travel out of state and WILL TEMPORARY PUT HIS INTERNET DOWN. SO UNTIL I GET ACCESS VIA HOTSPOT-LIBRARY- ETC- MY DUMB FLIPHONE CANT HANDLE ONLINE. SO BEAR W ME -- ILL UPDATE AGAIN AS CAN. TY FOR HELPING MY FERAL THRU THIS ALL -- ME TOO. OOPS HERE WE GO AGAIN W STUCK CAPS KEY. O MY.....
 
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