I have an 18 y/o male Abby who suddenly got very stiff and weak in the rear legs and tail. He sleeps all day by the heat register and is not interested in playing. here's the situation, all his blookwork checked out fine, slightly anemic, but good for his age. Thyroid, liver, kidneys, all OK. X-rays show nothing. He is not complaining, but refuses to walk. I carry him to the litter box and he doe shis thing (so THAT"S OK) and then will take a step or tow after slowly getting out of the litterbox and either sit or mostly lay down right there. Vet can't seem to figure out what is wrong, I'm thinking a steroid shot might help that it's a muscle injury. He's alert, eating and drinking fine, just can't walk. He uses his front legs OK. Anyone heard of this that can help? It's been about 9 days and it happend overnight, it was not a slow onset.
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Sudden onset-unable/unwillign to use back legs
Replies (3)
Poor baby. There are several reasons why a cat might not be able to use his back legs, but I'm assuming the vet checked the cat out pretty thoroughly and ruled these causes out.
Throwing a clot, bladder or kidney infection, stroke, spinal injury or pinched nerve, or even muscle pain and degeneration can cause a cat to stop walking correctly. Talk to your vet about these possibilities if you don't think they've been covered.
I am sorry the cat is in such a bad state. I hope you will be able to find out what is wrong very soon.
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Hi There,
I am so sorry about what you and your baby are going through.
The most likely cause of sudden rear-leg paralysis is a blood clot. Check and see if the rear legs feel cold when compared to the front legs. Also try to tell if the rear feet pads have a bluish tint and gently pinch the toes to see if there is any response. If the feet are cold and pads are blue a blood clot is likely. The only treatment would be something to try to dissolve the clot, such as heparin.
A steroid shot can be very dangerous if a cat has a heart problem. Only if this has been ruled out 100% would it be safe.
I'll keep your baby in my prayers.
PHKitkat
THanks for your replies-his back legs are functional and ther eis no blood clot and no spinal injury that is noted on the x-rays. Perhaps the tiny amount of arthritis showing up in one hip is causing him a lot of pain, otherwise he is healthy and normal. He is eating, drinnking, using the literbox when I carry him there and sometimes he will get there on his own, though painfully slow, he is grooming himself and yesterday he actually was interest in play with the strings on my sweatshirt and I was hugging him. I will let ya'll know if soemthing changes and if I can figure out what is going on. I think the vet will suggest supplements/vitamins.
