Expert: Jana Connell RVT, CVT - 9/11/2011

Question
Hi, my cat who is about 6 years old or so has been healthy all of her life. She is 12 pounds and a little big for her stature (she has very short legs). One Morning she was stumbling down the steps when we realized that her arms in the front looked like they were broken, we figured she had jumped from the window upstairs and landed wrong or something like that. We took her to the vet immediately that morning and she said she has no broken bones. She said that she could have a pinched nerve or blood clot, and it would resolve in a few weeks. The vet gave us a steroid. I was wondering if you can think of anything else it would be, because I'm not completely sold on this idea. Her one paw goes out to the side and the other is completely bent down and she like walks on what would be her "elbow" it really looks broken but it is not because she moved it all around with range of motion and the cat didn't mind it at all.
Thanks,
Nicole



Answer:

A pinched nerve would be likely but if that is the case this cat needs some more immediate attention then a steroid. Did this vet xray the cat? She could have slipped a disc or damaged her spinal cord somehow.

If you are not seeing an improvement in a few days after being on these steroids it's time to get her in for some more involved treatment. The longer she walks like this the more chance she has of injuring one of her paws.

I think an xray is definitely in order here, but I am not a vet. I can only suggest that you ask your vet about it.

Thank you for your question! I hope I answered it to your satisfaction and that you understood it. If not, send me a follow-up.
Please feel free to leave me feedback and I hope, above all else, that your pets and you live a long, happy and healthy life!

***this was when we communicated from before- my cat was better for about a week. This Saturday evening she is laying around almost "paralyzed". When I pick her up and go to lay her back down she just completely flops down like she has no control. She also hasn't gone to the bathroom for almost two days that we know about. We found her lying in the cat litter box not being able to move. She was perfectly fine for a week and we were supposed to tapper down the steroids, now she is even worse. Not sure what to do, taking her to the vet tomorrow if at all possible if she makes it through the night.

Answer
I am really sorry to hear this Nicole. It doesn't sound good, especially if she hasn't urinated for two days. This is really an emergency situation, I don't know if you want to wait until tomorrow. You might want to call around or ask your vet's answering service if he will see emergencies. It's best to go see him if you can.

I can't tell you whether or not this is related to the first episode, but all over paralysis might be to a brain issue, either a tumor or even a stroke-like condition. It's just a guess, but in either case, it's not a good scenario.

I am really sorry she has taken a turn for the worse. Please let me know what happens tomorrow or tonight.

My prayers will be with her...