Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hello,

My cat Lily has been struggling to walk for about a year and after going to 2 different vets for a solution, we are still unable to find a definitive diagnosis. The closest we have figured out is that he may have a nerve issue in the spine. His hind legs are weak and he sometimes would struggle to pick himself up. He also can’t stretch his hind legs enough to scratch his ear. His stool is very small as well and pumpkin doesn’t seem to help. Currently I have him on steroids (prednisolone) for about 3 weeks now and plan to continue as the steroids seem to be the only thing preventing his symptoms from getting worse. The vet that I consult with suggested that Lily be on steroids long term and that really is the only option we have unfortunately. I’m not sure if I should go to another vet again for a third opinion as I’m struggling to find a good vet in my area. If anyone has similar experiences and have any possible solutions I would greatly appreciate it.

Hi Lulu, a boy cat called Lily, I love it.

My friend's cat came in one day dragging his rear end, he was 10 years old and had no issues before that. Vet exam revealed nothing broken and no sign of any trauma, so nerve damage didn't seem to answer anything. But vet said it was not unusual for a blood clot to cause this, not always as dramatically as hers. In her case she declined further tests as there was little chance of tests and operations actually doing anything to help him and the best for him was to let him go - but he couldn't walk at all.

Not to suggest this could be your Lily's problem but maybe not to assume it's a nerve issue.

My vet did a physical examination where she pinched Lily’s foot to see if his reflexes respond and he didn’t which was why she said it was a nerve issue. We did x-rays and blood tests but results were fine and he isn’t diabetic either. I know that there might not be a full cure for Lily since the only other option to find out what he may have is through MRI which I don’t really want to do. I know this is also part of his life/fate so I’ll accept it if it comes to a point where there is nothing I could do but just be there until his final moments. As of now he isn’t in pain or behaving strange. He’s his usual self and he does walk around the house on his own even if he’s slow. I like to believe he’s doing his best to live on even if he is permanently disabled.