Sore cat??

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mlb18
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Sore cat??

Post by mlb18 »

**VIDEO BELOW**
Looking for opinions before she goes to the vets.My 8 year old cat has been to the vets a few times within the past 2 years over lameness problems. Vet never feels any heat, inflammation etc When I first noticed, she was really bad and she did used to hold her right paw up at times so I had her front 2 legs x-rayd and the vet couldnt see anything at all, then it either went away or was just wasn't noticeable to me but since yesterday she has been looking sore again (not sure if it has been the same thing all this time but it is possible) so looking for opinions on where to get x-rayd ?? not sure if she looks sore on her back or back legs ?? She does struggle to climb up onto the windowsill (just hangs a while trying to pull herself up) and doesn't tend to jump/climb very much and when she comes downstairs she basically bunny hops down them (not sure if that is due to pain ??

...On the video up until 1:30 is all from yesterday and from then the clips are when I first noticed she was sore (before her x-ray to front legs)

https://youtu.be/Vw79KILK8vE
Antonio
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Re: Sore cat??

Post by Antonio »

Hi, I have watched your video and saw that she seems to limp on the right front leg.

It could be an inflammation of a tendon or a joint and might not visible on X-rays. Have you tried a course of CondroStress?

Please, take no offence at my words, but I think that if your cat could lose some weight, it could be easier for her not to stress her joints and muscles.

As for the bunny hopping down or upstairs, I'd been told that is something related to overweight cats. My cat used to do the same thing.

Best wishes for you kitty ;)
mlb18
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Re: Sore cat??

Post by mlb18 »

Could see about trying her with more medication for inflammation before x-rays see how she gets on. No, never hear of it. Not offended at all. I know she is too heavy (a little over 5kg) been playing with her with toys more to get her moving. Have also only been giving her half a pouch of wet food a day and she does have biscuits sat out all day but doesn't actually eat a huge amount. Just thought cutting down on wet food would help but going to try the other way - more wet and less dry.Thanks
Antonio
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Re: Sore cat??

Post by Antonio »

Last night I was thinking of your cat, and I forgot to tell you that I had good results with a product, a supplement, called Alevica.
It works on the pain reception, so your kitty might feel a bette relief. It takes about two weeks to kick in.
You might ask your vet.
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Ruth B
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Re: Sore cat??

Post by Ruth B »

I've watched the video and there seems to be a little stiffness is the fight front shoulder, and as you have noticed at times she doesn't like to put her paw down, but it doesn't seem bad enough to stop her using that leg. I would suggest giving her paw and claws a good check over and make sure there is no swelling or heat there, make sure her claws aren't overgrown, including the dew claw and that there is no sign of anything like grit getting caught in there.

Alternatively if could be a bit of arthritis getting into her joints. I inherited my Mum's old cat earlier this year and she has had arthritis for years, at first it just showed as a limp in the front leg, now she obviously has a stiff gait through all her legs, but it doesn't stop her getting about. My parents actually arranged for the vets to try acupuncture on her as she wouldn't take the Metacam pain killer, and it did work for a few years, but it was every week or two and did get expensive.

As you already know she needs to lose a bit of weight (don't we all) and if she does, if it is arthritis is will help her movements a lot.
mlb18
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Re: Sore cat??

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Been to vets today. Vet felt her back legs and pretty much straight away felt that her knee caps were popping in and out of place which could cause secondary arthritis. To give metacam for a month but she might need surgery which would need to be done at a specialist vets so would cost thousands. Anyone's cat had this? How do they get on with it? Did you choose to have surgery for them and what did it cost?
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fjm
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Re: Sore cat??

Post by fjm »

I am more familiar with luxating patella (popping kneecap) in dogs than cats. If it is mild it can be helped by managing weight and building muscle - there is lots of advice on the internet, but again more for dogs than cats. I would discourage jumping, installing ramps or steps where possible, and ask your vet whether surgery is necessary at this stage, or whether conservative treatment (pain relief, exercise, etc) may be enough.
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Re: Sore cat??

Post by booktigger »

We suspect Lucy has luxating patellas, but also hip dysplasia, we operated on her hips but the knee is a more complex recovery.
mlb18
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Re: Sore cat??

Post by mlb18 »

Yeah definitely need to get weight off her. Luckily she isn't much of a jumper/climber, always been the same so not sure if it's related to her problem so have had little tables/stools that she can jump onto to get onto windowsills and cat trees etc She has enough metacam to last a month to see how she gets on and if no change will see where to go from there. Thanks will have a search see what I find out.
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Re: Sore cat??

Post by mlb18 »

booktigger wrote:We suspect Lucy has luxating patellas, but also hip dysplasia, we operated on her hips but the knee is a more complex recovery.
Forgot to ask.....How is your dog getting on without surgery..?? Does she seem to be sore or manage ok..??
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Re: Sore cat??

Post by booktigger »

Lucy is a cat, she does have regular acupuncture and arthritis supplements to help her knees and the arthritis her hips have caused. Funnily enough she had a funny moment on Sat so need the vet to check her tomorrow
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Jan
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Re: Sore cat??

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mlb18 wrote:Been to vets today. Vet felt her back legs and pretty much straight away felt that her knee caps were popping in and out of place which could cause secondary arthritis. To give metacam for a month but she might need surgery which would need to be done at a specialist vets so would cost thousands. Anyone's cat had this? How do they get on with it? Did you choose to have surgery for them and what did it cost?

Our Blackie was diagnosed after x-rays with a luxating patella in his right hind leg in August last year. We were referred to a specialist hospital - thankfully only 20 minute drive away. By the time we got the apt with the Professor of Orthopaedics, Blackie seemed to be moving better so instead of prepping him for surgery, she suggested Blackie be given '4 weeks grace' and during that time we try to get him slowly used to being caged in preparation for the 6 week cage rest after the op. (That was what scared me more than anything else. Blackie's theme tune song should be 'Don't Fence Me In).

She told us the op would cost slightly in excess of £2000 but consultations would be on top of that.

Meantime, he was given 5ml Metacam daily and a supplement called YuMove. Within a week or so of giving these to him, there seemed to be a lot of improvement. By the time we saw the Prof again, he wasn't limping at all. He showed his skills at jumping up + down a counter with no ill effects and I told her he'd been rushing up + down the stairs, skating along the wooden hall floor like a 2 year old. I think it was the joy of not being in pain anymore.

I asked the Prof's opinion on what to do for the best - her reply was that she didn't operate where she felt there was no need, but .... not operating could store up for more trouble in the future - ie as Blackie seemed to be able to handle his luxating patella by flicking his leg out to the side or behind him, this could eventually wear away the cartilage - making the operation much more difficult. (I rarely ever see him doing this but that doesn't mean he never does it).

Definitely the long term use of 2.5ml Metacam (local vet said it would be better to have Blackie on a long-term lower dose which can be increased in the future) and YuMove supplement has helped a lot. The Prof also suggested we get some weight off Blackie ... he weighed 5.4kg at the time and she thought 4.8kg would be a better weight.

I think if Blackie had been younger, I may have gone ahead with the op ... but its a decision in the end that only you can make with guidance from a specialist if you get to see one. Based on our experience, I would try conservative treatment first .... but if the problem had persisted with Blackie, I would have gone ahead. The Prof gave us 6 months 'grace' - we could have returned to see her at any time during that period without needing another referral.

Hope your cat improves as ours did. (At the mo, he is laying on the carpet in his 'I'm starving pose).
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Re: Sore cat??

Post by booktigger »

That's interesting - I didn't think they could be picked up on x-rays. After Lucy had her hip operation she did a lot of flicking her leg out, but seems to have stopped so that might have been her dealing with the muscle wastage. I'm very reluctant to do surgery, the room rest for her hip op was hard (I got bit or scratched every single day for 9 weeks, I dread to think how bad she'd be on cage rest - couldn't even leave her at the vets, she doesn't eat there!)
mlb18
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Re: Sore cat??

Post by mlb18 »

Oh sorry read the reply above yours and got a bit mixed up. Yeah going to look into supplements for mine.Hope Lucy is ok.

Been recommended yumove will need to try that. Definitely don't think mine could handle cage rest. She is used to being let in and out all day and most of the night whenever she wants and one night in she is pacing back and forward meowing and scratching at doors :/ Hopefully will see an improvement with mine on a supplement. Have never seen Tilly flick her leg or even see her knee caps popping in and out.

Never thought that she looked to be in pain either just walk different but since the vet appointment she has seemed quite sore even being on metacam (only been a few days on it so far) was wondering if it is possible that the way she walked was to prevent her knee caps popping in/out and because the vet did it to find out that was the cause that is why she is worse..??

Aw I am trying to get weight off mine (she is 5.5kg) so have stopped her biscuits, feel terrible cause she has mainly only been fed dry since she was a kitten, although she does seem happy enough with meat.
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Jan
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Re: Sore cat??

Post by Jan »

booktigger wrote:That's interesting - I didn't think they could be picked up on x-rays. After Lucy had her hip operation she did a lot of flicking her leg out, but seems to have stopped so that might have been her dealing with the muscle wastage. I'm very reluctant to do surgery, the room rest for her hip op was hard (I got bit or scratched every single day for 9 weeks, I dread to think how bad she'd be on cage rest - couldn't even leave her at the vets, she doesn't eat there!)
2 sets of x-rays were taken at 2 hospitals (the way the first one handled Blackie made me swear never to return there)They diagnosed him as having a squished spinal cord which was causing the luxating patella. Only way to confirm this diagnosis was by a myelogram which I declined when the risks were explained to me (they did not have a MRI scanner). So we ended up at Langfords Neurological Dept and when Blackie had another painful limping episode (through jumping up + down from a worktop), they said the problem was more than likely not the spinal cord at all but a luxating patella. They kept him overnight and took more x-rays - which we never saw. I assumed it was to confirm their diagnosis. They told me it was between Grade 2 and 3. We were then passed onto the Orthopaedic Dept, (No need to say how much all this cost us in the end!).

I asked the Prof about Blackie's spine and she said there was nothing to indicate that was the problem. His spine did have bone spurs but that was normal for a cat of 15 - especially one who has been active. (Not to mention the huge leaps he used to make out of my mother's bedroom every night onto the garage roof which probably didn't do him any favours). His hips were ok too.

If the Prof had said surgery was definitely indicated at the time, then I would have taken a deep breath and told her to go ahead - cage rest or not. When I expressed my concern about a cage, they said a small room would be ok as long as there was nothing he could jump up on. My OH offered to sleep in the small room with him at night. (And he was the one reluctant to take Blackie on 5 years ago).

A year later I cannot say that Blackie doesn't have pain at times - even with the medication and supplement. But at 15 I've read 90% of cats have arthritis to some degree and I can see that one of his front paws has an arthritic lump on it. Me and the cat have the same problem ... due to an injury to my back many years ago, I now have arthritis in my spine and manage it as best I can. Ho hum.
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Re: Sore cat??

Post by booktigger »

I didn't think spinal issues could cause luxating patellas? Lucy's initial x-rays that only showed hip dysplasia and arthritic spurs - come to think of it, only her arthritis showed up on the CT scan she had last year, so maybe she doesn't have them.
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Re: Sore cat??

Post by mlb18 »

Phoned the specialist vet in my area that could do the surgery for price and to find out more about the surgery and been advised against it due to the fact that it is more likely to cause more arthritic problems etc
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