Wobbly on back legs

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Pinkcat1771
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by Pinkcat1771 »

Thanks MarkB, yep hopefully he will be ok now. Thanks again for the food tip!
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by Cussypat1974 »

you are morethan welcome Pinkcat. Momo did have a murmur, but not a severe one, and all through the months when she was losing weight and having various other problems (ear infection, mild conjunctivitis in one eye, slightly runny pooh) her heart was monitored and checked by the vet and by myself. the murmur hadn't gotten any worse than it had always been. we had tests done for her thyroid, all the blood analysis and urinalysis done, and all along it was her heart.

I will say that I have dealt with many many cats with heart issues, and some were very severe, but I onlyever saw on saddle thrombus I am glad to say. I have had a LOT of cats die from congestive heart failure, which is generally a very peaceful passing. A few went on my pillow during the night, including a 24 year old darling.

I am still upset about Momo as she did suffer. Her back legs were cold, but not blue (but she was mainly black, so not easy to see). She had no pulse in her back limbs at all,and was completely paralysed. she had a very bad case as the front end of her seemed to be affected also. I wouldn't have tried to treat her and don't regret that, as chances are it would have happened again. the survival rate is very small, and most who survive go on to have the same thing again. I felt she had been trhough enough. she was only 8 years old, and ex-feral.

I am so glad your little man is feeling better, and it is never any harm to be aware of these things eh? (apart from the flipping worry for us humans of course!!!!!)
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by Pinkcat1771 »

Thanks Cussypat1974, all really useful info but I'm so sorry for your loss. Poor Momo bless her. I lost my other cat two years ago to a suspected brain tumour, it was so hard seeing her go downhill and I still miss her now. Just thankful I still have my little Dempsey, I just hope he will be ok.
Best wishes to you and thanks again for taking the time to help.
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by Lilith »

Update on the fibre response, which arrived recently, and my Mouse.

For two days now there has been a huge LOG :lol:

And by the looks of her she feels :lol: :lol: :lol:

Hey Pinkcat. hope Dempsey's going on ok :)
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by Crewella »

Oh hurrah for the log!! :D
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Lilith
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by Lilith »

Crewella wrote:Oh hurrah for the log!! :D
LOL! I think that's what Mousey's saying too!

I thought one of my royal pythons had escaped and was taking a rest in there! (Which no decent snake would do of course but you never know.) :lol:
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by MarkB »

It can be logged in the poo log :)

I remember the relief of seeing them in Laz's tray - not to mention the relief he must have felt :)

It was literally a life saver in his case. Bearing in mind that when I was fostering him, CP wouldn't let me officially adopt him for several months as he was regularly having manual evacuations under GA. It was tough for him with his megacolon. I was told that unless it could be kept under control, it wasn't fair on him and he would be PTS for his own sake. I joined the Yahoo feline Megacolon group, where most people use a regime of a drug (I forget the name) combined with laxatives. At the time, the drug was banned in the EU due to a side effect in humans of causing arrhythmia. My vet couldn't get hold of it. I saw the Fibre Response food mentioned on there, but the regular members shouted the poster down and said that they knew best basically. I had no choice but to try the food, combined with occasional Miralax and we never looked back :) - funnily enough, I also recommended it to other posters on the Megacolon group and I was also shouted down by people who knew better (in their opinion) Later on, my vet said he would be able to get the drug under license if I needed it, but it was under control by then. As many know, it was unrelated conditions that got the better of our boy.
Last edited by MarkB on Tue Jun 02, 2015 7:39 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by Lilith »

Poor old Laz - I take it his full name was Lazarus? He put up a brave fight by the sound.

Yeah I'd much rather control constipation with diet than drugs or even laxatives; the Fibre Response is spot on and certainly suits my Mouse. She says thank you very much for suggesting it :)
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by MarkB »

Yes - he was called Lazarus :) - Sharon at CP named him. Although he didn't quite come back from the dead, he was collected by CP from a vet in Faversham, where he had been left by his owner to be PTS for having diarrhea - she tried to justify it by saying that it was unhygienic with her having children, although refused to have any tests done to find out the cause. The vet charged her £50 for PTS and phoned Cats Protection to see if they could help. The money went towards his vet bill.

PS - I have corrected my many typos from last night's post :)
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by Lilith »

Ah that nasty owner! There's one like her near me...I despair and especially for her cats - the novelty has worn off...Good on that vet and glad Lazarus found you :)
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by Cussypat1974 »

Sorry it took so long to reply! Ad so glad your man is doing well! Yes, when Momo had the thrombus, her back feet were cold. But she was cold all over because I got up that morning and found her collapsed at the bottom of the stairs..... When I went to bed she was in the donut bed at the top of the stairs. The vet did say that her thrombus was VERY severe..... She wasn't very reactive on the front end either. It would have been cruel madness to try to save her..... I knew it was a thrombus when I found her, and it was a Sunday. I didn't cry (I never do) but my husband did. I think it was more of a shock to him when she had to be euthanised, while for me, I wante it done ASAP, because I knew she was in pain.......
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by Pinkcat1771 »

Sad news re Dempsey I'm afraid, you might see my other new post on here re request for info on nasal cancer in cats. He was diagnosed today after having an X-ray. He's had several URIs which we initially thought were more allergy like symptoms when we moved into our new house. I was concerned with it being brand new that maybe the carpet fibres and glues etc may be bothering him but it now seems it was a tumour growing!

He's good in himself at mo, eating and drinking as normal but has a runny nose and gets a bit snuffly. He's just on Metacam now and we will keep him going as long as he's happy and healthy!

I feel absolutely devastated as you can imagine.

Anyway we will continue to spoil him and treat him like a king! He can have anything he wants!
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by Lilith »

So very sorry to hear about Dempsey!

Big fusses to him and all the very best x
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

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Lilith wrote:So very sorry to hear about Dempsey!

Big fusses to him and all the very best x
Thank you Lileth, it's so hard but we just have to make the best of the time we have left with him.
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by Crewella »

I'm so very sorry to hear this, Take it day by day and do make the most of the precious time you have with him. (((hugs)))
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by lilynmitz »

I'm so sorry to hear this sad news, after your recent successes with Dempsey. I do hope you have a lot of quality time together, and he couldn't be in better hands to make his remaining time comfortable and full of love. It's tough on you thou. Take it a day at a time.
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

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Crewella wrote:I'm so very sorry to hear this, Take it day by day and do make the most of the precious time you have with him. (((hugs)))
Thank you, yep one day at a time and def lots of hugs! He's like a teddy bear and just loves cuddles!
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

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lilynmitz wrote:I'm so sorry to hear this sad news, after your recent successes with Dempsey. I do hope you have a lot of quality time together, and he couldn't be in better hands to make his remaining time comfortable and full of love. It's tough on you thou. Take it a day at a time.
Thanks for your kind words, I just keep asking myself what I could have done to prevent it. You know how it is, you beat yourself up over things. I wonder if we'd stayed in our old house and not moved here to a brand new house if he'd have been ok. Silly, I know but he was ok till we moved here!
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by Crewella »

Don't beat yourself up, there's absolutely nothing you did wrong or could have done to prevent it. It's just one of those things I'm afraid. It's clear that you love him very much and take good, careful, care of him - he couldn't ask any more of you. xx
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

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Crewella wrote:Don't beat yourself up, there's absolutely nothing you did wrong or could have done to prevent it. It's just one of those things I'm afraid. It's clear that you love him very much and take good, careful, care of him - he couldn't ask any more of you. xx
Thanks, I know. Just seems a coincidence it started not long after us moving into a new house. It's a brand new build and I just think the carpets and glues used in the floors were bad. Never again! We are only renting short term whilst we find a house to buy. I've read a lot online about nasal cancer in cats and indoor pollution. We don't smoke and I only use natural cleaning products. A few months ago the builders came and fitted a new kitchen island, they used lots of glues which stunk. He really started sneezing after that. I know I sound paranoid but it just seems too much of a coincidence. He was fit and healthy till we came here.
Thank you for your kind words, I will try not to beat myself up but I just keep asking why!
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by randall »

I don't think any thoughts are silly when you care profoundly, and it is good to think them through, but almost all cancers, especially the tumorous kind, are years in the making, which is why we (humans) invest so much in attempts at very early detection with invasive screenings, long before symptoms appear. It's just as possible that your cat had the tumor growing asymptomatically for some time, before your move, and it was only the sneezing caussed by the new environment that prompted an investigation sufficient to find it. As hard as it is to get such a diagnosis, you now know he needs special attention and can provide it. It is helpful to the cat that you know.

It is hard to get through any medical diagnosis without a definite explanation, but I tend to think that had you planned to move and then not done it, and then discovered the cat's tumor, you would have been pained by thoughts that maybe you should have moved. It is a human gift to be able to imagine alternate paths leading to a different future, but there is no guarantee that imagined happier future could have ever been reality.

Cancer is quite complex in its origins and there are very very few behaviorial or environmental changes doctors can advise to prevent its occurrence. We are all mostly helpless in protecting against cancer, just guessing, and in individual cases, it is just impossible to pinpoint why it developed and for how long it had been present undetected.

Your wisest thought is to join your cat in enjoying the immediate present, which is all we ever have anyway. I tend to think he is most happy to be with you.
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

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randall wrote:I don't think any thoughts are silly when you care profoundly, and it is good to think them through, but almost all cancers, especially the tumorous kind, are years in the making, which is why we (humans) invest so much in attempts at very early detection with invasive screenings, long before symptoms appear. It's just as possible that your cat had the tumor growing asymptomatically for some time, before your move, and it was only the sneezing caussed by the new environment that prompted an investigation sufficient to find it. As hard as it is to get such a diagnosis, you now know he needs special attention and can provide it. It is helpful to the cat that you know.

It is hard to get through any medical diagnosis without a definite explanation, but I tend to think that had you planned to move and then not done it, and then discovered the cat's tumor, you would have been pained by thoughts that maybe you should have moved. It is a human gift to be able to imagine alternate paths leading to a different future, but there is no guarantee that imagined happier future could have ever been reality.

Cancer is quite complex in its origins and there are very very few behaviorial or environmental changes doctors can advise to prevent its occurrence. We are all mostly helpless in protecting against cancer, just guessing, and in individual cases, it is just impossible to pinpoint why it developed and for how long it had been present undetected.

Your wisest thought is to join your cat in enjoying the immediate present, which is all we ever have anyway. I tend to think he is most happy to be with you.

Thanks Randall, I know what you mean, my husband keeps telling me that too. I guess it's just human nature to want to know why and what we could have done differently for him. Sadly we've been very affected by cancer in the last few years, my Mum, Aunt and best friend as well as my husband when he was younger so I just couldn't believe it when the vet told us Dempsey also has it!

I'm at home all day apart from popping out so get to spend lots of time with him thankfully. He's currently snuggled up on the bed fast asleep looking very cosy.

Thanks again for your reply, it's very much appreciated and I'm sure I will soon start beating myself up!
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by Pinkcat1771 »

The vet rang today re Dempseys test results. Whilst they got plenty of cells to test they all showed up as good cells however he still thinks this is cancer but it has not spread. He said to give him Metacam daily but at mo he doesn't seem very congested, just a runny nose so I'm going to leave it until he needs it. Don't want to give him drugs unnecessarily at this stage.

He thinks it's been growing for a long time slowly so maybe it had started before we moved into this flipping house after all! We will never know!

Has anyone ever tried turmeric on their cat? This may seem an odd question but we take it daily ourselves as its a great anti inflammatory and anti carcinogen. There's a lot on the net about its use in cats and dogs for arthritis and cancer, just thought I'd ask. I'm only giving him 50mg a day, it can't do any harm and who knows it might just help. I can live in hope! I'm a great believer in using natural and complimentary treatments.

He is a happy little boy, still loving his cuddles! He's having a duvet day today!!

Have a good weekend everyone. Will keep you posted!
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

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I'm sorry to hear the news is not better, but I'm pleased to hear he is still bright in himself. Long may that last.

I wish I'd known sooner about the cancer that took my Mo, and then Mitz 8 years later. In Mo's case, although we'd been treating him and monitoring him for general loss of condition (and my vet was only doing it to humour me, as she thought he looked ok), it was only the post mortem after he suddenly collapsed and died (burst tumour lead to internal bleeding) that found it, and with Mitz, it was two days before he died. I realised Mitz was subdued and he was losing weight, and I'd had him at the vets for tests etc and we were monitoring him. But then he went suddenly downhill, and the vet admitted him and put him on a drip. They said as soon as they put him on Metacam for pain relief, he was a different cat - brighter, livelier, and a slight interest in food. But then they sedated and scanned him, and found very advanced cancer, and we lost him two days later. With benefit of hindsight, I realise Mo was in pain as well, and it just tortures me that we didn't pick up on it and deal with it.

So, I would have had them both on Metacam for pain relief the moment I found out the diagnosis had I known sooner, with no qualms whatsoever. If the prognosis is only tragically short anyway, the long term side effects are totally irrelevant. It's all about end of life care, and in my view pain relief is top of the list, next to love and whatever they feel like eating. I wish I had been in a position to be able to make this decision for my two, but I will never make the same mistake again.

Check with your vet before giving him turmeric, and particularly if it can be used in conjunction with metacam. By all means use it as well, but in your position I wouldn't use it instead of Metacam. Metacam is scientifically tested and it's effects, and side effects, are proven, but the effectiveness of other remedies are less measurable. At this stage, when there isn't much time to "wait and see if it works", use the one that we know really will work.
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

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lilynmitz wrote:I'm sorry to hear the news is not better, but I'm pleased to hear he is still bright in himself. Long may that last.

I wish I'd known sooner about the cancer that took my Mo, and then Mitz 8 years later. In Mo's case, although we'd been treating him and monitoring him for general loss of condition (and my vet was only doing it to humour me, as she thought he looked ok), it was only the post mortem after he suddenly collapsed and died (burst tumour lead to internal bleeding) that found it, and with Mitz, it was two days before he died. I realised Mitz was subdued and he was losing weight, and I'd had him at the vets for tests etc and we were monitoring him. But then he went suddenly downhill, and the vet admitted him and put him on a drip. They said as soon as they put him on Metacam for pain relief, he was a different cat - brighter, livelier, and a slight interest in food. But then they sedated and scanned him, and found very advanced cancer, and we lost him two days later. With benefit of hindsight, I realise Mo was in pain as well, and it just tortures me that we didn't pick up on it and deal with it.

So, I would have had them both on Metacam for pain relief the moment I found out the diagnosis had I known sooner, with no qualms whatsoever. If the prognosis is only tragically short anyway, the long term side effects are totally irrelevant. It's all about end of life care, and in my view pain relief is top of the list, next to love and whatever they feel like eating. I wish I had been in a position to be able to make this decision for my two, but I will never make the same mistake again.

Check with your vet before giving him turmeric, and particularly if it can be used in conjunction with metacam. By all means use it as well, but in your position I wouldn't use it instead of Metacam. Metacam is scientifically tested and it's effects, and side effects, are proven, but the effectiveness of other remedies are less measurable. At this stage, when there isn't much time to "wait and see if it works", use the one that we know really will work.
Thanks, ok I will bear that in mind. I'm so sorry you lost both your babies like this. Life is so cruel isn't it! In recent years my mum, aunt and best friend have all had cancer but I'm pleased to say they all recovered. My husband was given three months to live when he was in his twenties but he's still here in his forties driving me mad haha! He actually was a great success story after two years of chemo, surgery, radio and transplant.

Dempsey definitely doesn't seem to be in any pain thankfully and the vet agreed at this stage he isn't showing any signs of discomfort. I just want to do what's best for him though. I can't give him both as they both have blood thinning effects so it is one or other.

Thanks again for your thoughts x
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by booktigger »

Personally, I would give him the metacam every day as it's a cox inhibitor which can slow cancer down.
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

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booktigger wrote:Personally, I would give him the metacam every day as it's a cox inhibitor which can slow cancer down.
Really, I didn't know that.
Thanks
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by Kay »

I tried adding curcumin to my Trigger's food when he had cancer, but the smell, and probably the taste, was too much for him

he did really well on daily Metacam though, for his last two months, and it had the additional benefit of improving immensely the gut irritation he had had for years, probably because it is an anti-inflammatory
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

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Kay wrote:I tried adding curcumin to my Trigger's food when he had cancer, but the smell, and probably the taste, was too much for him

he did really well on daily Metacam though, for his last two months, and it had the additional benefit of improving immensely the gut irritation he had had for years, probably because it is an anti-inflammatory
Yep I know he wouldn't eat it on his food, I found a great blog yesterday about a dog who has nasal cancer, diagnosed four years ago and still going strong! She started him off on the Metacam and added complimentary medicine such as the PetAlive C-caps, turmeric, Reishi mushroom, resveratrol, fish oils and flax seed oil. There are lots of success stories like this. I know all cancers and animals are different, just like people but it's worth a try! Also Im switching him to a grain free high protein dry food to accompany his wet food. I've always used high quality food like applaws but dry food wise he was on Royal canin ageing twelve but this has wheat in and is not so high in protein. Today I bought the Canagan chicken dry food, he loves it! I'd never heard of it before but it's great, all the meat is from free range chickens which I really approve of being a vegetarian! So it's good all round! Check out their website they offer a great range of cat and dog food.

So now I have an action plan, I feel I am doing everything I can to help him. This has stopped me feeling so tearful too as I feel I'm trying to take control, if I can buy him some more time that's all I can ask for!

thanks everyone for your kind words and help, it really does make me feel better!
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Re: Wobbly on back legs

Post by lilynmitz »

wow, that certainly is an action plan. A word of caution though, introduce all these changes slowly, or you'll find them all on the carpet 10 minutes later!
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