Expert: Jessica - 8/19/2009

Question
Hello, I have a female tabby cat named Daisy, and she's 9 years old now. She is an indoor cat, and occasionally goes out to the backyard, but not further than that. One evening, our family noticed that her tail was not up like always, and also her walks looked somewhat odd. We took Daisy to the vet, and took x-rays but the vet said she looks alright. She was given antibiotics for about a week, but there doesn't seem to be any sign of improvement. Also, she is a very friendly cat, and never used to hiss at any of us. Now, she looks sad, and hisses occasionally, and we don't know what is bothering her. She still eats and goes to potty, but eats less then before. What should we do?

Answer
Hi Min.  It sounds possible that this could be related to an injury besides a fracture that would show up on an x-ray.  Some nerve damage can occur without an actually break, and some of this can be uncomfortable.  But especially because of her standoffish attitude and tapered appetite, I would strongly encourage you to follow up with the vet on this one and have a blood work up done.

Blood tests will check her red and white blood cell counts to determine if she is anemic or if she may be mounting an immune response to something.  It can further indicate what sort of immune response it may be, such as to a bacterial infection (which may suggest she should try a different antibiotic) or just to some sort of great inflammation.  When it appears there is a severe inflammation problem, some vets will recommend cortisone or prednisone to help reduce all of this.

The tests will also check for liver and kidney function as well as a couple pancreatic enzymes.  These are all important to check any time a cat’s appetite begins to suffer for more than a couple days, since failure of these organs causes nausea.

Most blood panels test the blood sugar as well.  Diabetes can cause hind leg weakness due to nerve damage and might be something to consider whenever you notice a kitty’s walk has changed.  Diabetes is probably unlikely, since most diabetic cats will be eating exponentially more than usual, but it’s still a possibility.  

A thyroid test is typically not included in most panels but can easily be added in if you wanted to completely cover your bases.  Although most cats with overactive thyroid start eating more as well, grouchiness is actually a clinical sign of this disease, so it might be worth the extra money just to get the full picture.  This prevalent condition is the most common endocrine disorder in cats, closely followed by diabetes.

Some other tests included in the work up, such as globulin and albumin (proteins found in the blood), will help to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Best wishes, I hope you get to the bottom of it soon!

Jessica