Wobbly Old Lad

IMPORTANT: If your cat is in any distress or discomfort, please consult your own vet as your first priority.
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Christopher13
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Wobbly Old Lad

Post by Christopher13 »

For the past 3 weeks my 12 year old has lost much of His athleticism. When walking (slowly) His back legs appear to be semi lame and he's nearly fallen over on a couple of occasions. He can no longer play, jump on the sofa, manage to walk up/down stairs. His appetite is still good and purrs as loudly as ever, He doesn't appear to be in any pain but is sleeping more than ever. I took Him to the Vets a week ago and was told that there seemed to be nothing broken. The Vet suggested an xray, the problem is that only a month ago I was charged hundreds of pounds to rectify a completely different ailment.
My Lad seems content enough with His lot but i feel so sad that He's now unable to have the adventures He enjoyed only a few weeks ago.
Any Suggestions/Advice would be extremely welcome.
Chris.
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bobbys girl
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Re: Wobbly Old Lad

Post by bobbys girl »

Hi Chris, sorry to hear about your 'wobbly' lad, poor old fella. Do you mind me asking what the other ailment was? I can't say I have the answer, but it might mean something to someone else. Hope there is someone here who can help you.
Christopher13
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Re: Wobbly Old Lad

Post by Christopher13 »

Hi Bobby's Girl. Previous problem was caused by a bad tooth. The primary investigation leading to that conclusion consisted of an overnight stay, an xray, medication and consultations cost just over £700,00. I do have insurance however but still received a large bill to pay for the excess. Since then I've changed Vets !!!
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Lilith
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Re: Wobbly Old Lad

Post by Lilith »

Hi there and welcome :)

I'm assuming the vet checked for obvious stuff like abscesses, strains, sprains...

Was arthritis mentioned at all? I too had a wobbly old lad (sadly no longer with us.) He wasn't so much Tonkinese as Wonkinese, bless him. He was put on Metacam (anti-inflammatory painkiller I think) which kept on top of it, but lately his (probable) daughter (14) has been becoming Wonkinese too and I decided to try a glucosamine/chondroitin joint supplement:-

http://www.catchat.org/felineforum/view ... =13&t=4976

The improvement was amazing. She ended up trialling sprinkle capsules and treats; didn't enjoy the treats so much but her cousin, 15 (they come from a family of ferals) has been getting a bit stiff in the joints too, and she WILL eat the treats.

Both cats have come on, if not by leaps and bounds, pretty well; they're a lot livelier and jumping and playing too :)

I quote costs in the thread, although these fluctuate, but for a few pounds it's much less than that hefty £700...whew! And if it does no good (it may not work for everyone) it shouldn't do any harm either.

Obviously if he's in any pain or discomfort or if you're worried in any way, your vet does need to be the first port of call. But I've mentioned the above as it's been worth trying for my two elderly ones. Hopefully there will be other people on here with more advice too.

Good luck with him and give him a love from me :)
Last edited by Lilith on Fri Sep 30, 2016 6:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Marla
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Re: Wobbly Old Lad

Post by Marla »

12 is senior but not really old. We have two 19 year old cats with hyperthyroidism and kidney disease - they're old!

Despite his good appetite, has he lost weight and/or been drinking lots of water? Having had several hyperthyroid cats, wobbly legs always makes me think of hyperthyroidism. Kidney disease or a low protein diet can also cause this, I think. 12 is when things like this start to crop up but these diseases are usually treatable and the cat can often improve and live many more years. It's great that you have insurance.

Did they do blood tests for kidney/liver function before his dental? If not, those need to be done as well as thyroid (T4) which they probably wouldn't have done.
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bobbys girl
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Re: Wobbly Old Lad

Post by bobbys girl »

Christopher13 wrote:Hi Bobby's Girl. Previous problem was caused by a bad tooth. The primary investigation leading to that conclusion consisted of an overnight stay, an xray, medication and consultations cost just over £700,00. I do have insurance however but still received a large bill to pay for the excess. Since then I've changed Vets !!!
£700.00 - yeowch!

Is anything ringing any bells yet?
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Re: Wobbly Old Lad

Post by alanc »

£700 is rather steep! Tilly only racked up a bill of £640 for three days in the Vet hospital over New Year. Regarding the wobbly legs, I would suspect Osteoarthritis. Symptoms seem the same as afflicted my old (15) girl Honey in the last few weeks of her life (she had to be PTS because of an accumulation of troubles, mainly lymph cancer and hyperthyroidism, but the arthritis was the last straw). On its own, though I believe it can be treated.
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Re: Wobbly Old Lad

Post by Christopher13 »

Thanks for your advice folks.....It's much appreciated. Will keep you informed. Chris.
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Re: Wobbly Old Lad

Post by Crewella »

I agree on Lilith's supplement suggestion, also the more rickety of my gang of elderly mogs really appreciate a heated bed - it really seems to help ease up stiff and painful arthritic joints. Even the cheap reflective pads seem to help.
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Re: Wobbly Old Lad

Post by Christopher13 »

Lilith...Where would I buy The glucosamine/ chordroitin ?
Thanks Chris.
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Lilith
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Re: Wobbly Old Lad

Post by Lilith »

Hi, Chris, the one I found to be the cheapest is 60 Yumove sprinkle capsules for £13.39, free delivery, via Amazon, but prices keep fluctuating and someone else might know where it's cheaper. I've been trying to post the link but every so often I can't get my pc to copy links and this is one of those days.

I give one a day on a small spoonful of something nice like Encore or Gourmet or tuna in spring water, so that the cat thinks she's getting a treat. You just untwist the capsule and mix the powder in; it smells VERY fishy - if your cat loves fish it's easy to dose like this; I've had no refusals from mine.

Hope it works for him, paws crossed :)
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Lilith
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Re: Wobbly Old Lad

Post by Lilith »

Quick update on supplement prices - I've discovered Zooplus do a 400g tub of 'Dibo' green-lipped mussel extract powder (said in product description to contain glucosamine as well as chondroitin) for £22.99 (1 capsule weighs 1gm, I'm calculating; the daily dose for the 'Dibo' is 1gm per 10lb body weight - so if anyone, like me, has a couple or more cats long-term on this jollop, the saving is evident.) Free delivery on orders over £29 and at present out of stock till 8/10 (shucks) but they have plenty of offers on; might try a couple of different dry food small packs like Applaws as a treat for my lot and get my free delivery; I have good experience of Zooplus and so I think have other members here :)
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Re: Wobbly Old Lad

Post by bobbys girl »

Just a thought, and it might not mean anything, but I can't take Glucosamine, it makes me feel queasy. It affects some folks that way. Don't know if it applies to cats as well?
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Lilith
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Re: Wobbly Old Lad

Post by Lilith »

That's interesting as Mouse HAS been sick occasionally, although so can most cats; however she's usually so well, and more lively and playful and cheeky than I've ever seen her (she was such a solemn little feral) that I'll continue for the time being. Emily seems to be fine (paws crossed.)

A friend of mine can't take glucosamine because it gives him the runs, and Cosequin (one of the brands of sprinkle capsules) does warn that it can cause diarrohea, but I've seen no sign of this in either cat; they do tend to be on the solid side though.

What a pity they can't tell us - if Mouse begins to be sick regularly I'll try a 'maintenance dose' of say three times a week, or else cut the supplement out altogether for a while. Definitely worth knowing :)
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Re: Wobbly Old Lad

Post by TedCatsMom »

Christoper13, any update on your Wobbly Old Lad?

I have a 13 year old boy Ted. He's been perfectly healthy, but now we are battling kidney failure. My vet recently changed his pain med to Metacam, and since then he's become frighteningly wobbly. Going from wobbly to hardly wanting to move. He definitely can't jump and falls over more than he stands up. He was rapidly deteriorating this week and I figured the end was very near. But today he perked up a bit and started walking better. I researched Metacam and there are many horror stories and warnings about its use in cats. I would bet Metacam was causing your lad's problems. I'm stopping Metacam and starting CBD oil. I'd love an update and hope he is doing better.
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