Sick cat with something, but just can't figure out with what?

[Joanna824]

Hello, I am desperate and looking for any means for help in trying to figure out what is wrong with my cat. I have a 5 year old tabby mix, completely healthy all his life and then all of a sudden a week ago his movement and mobility is struggling. Literally it was an overnight thing where Friday night he was perfectly normal active cat, then Saturday morning he is struggling to walk.

His hind legs are unstable when walking and he is very very slow moving in general like each step is a struggle - he looks like a cat moving like he has arthritis basically. He cries when I try to move him so I stopped trying to move him and just let him sleep. I can't know if he hurt himself somehow during the night like if he fell or something, but it's unlikely because we've lived in the same place with the same layout for almost 4 years - but I'm not ruling out it still can be a possibility.

Took him to three ER/vet visits this week, two types of blood tests were done, a urinalysis, X-rays, and a toxicology all came back negative or within normal ranges. He does not have a cold or the flu. They are maybe suspecting something with the muscles, but unable to pin point where - maybe around the mid-back - but not convincing.

Can anyone please offer some advice on what could be wrong, or what I can do next? I have another follow up vet visit in two days but I am looking for anything to help at this point , please.

Thank you very much in advance!
Joanna

[Janey]

Hi Joanna, welcome. Sorry about your cat, I don’t have any advice I’m afraid but hopefully your vet will and I hope your cat is much better soon. Let us know how you get on.

[LittlePenBigHeart]

Hmm...that's a real mystery, and not one I imagine I can help with, sadly. Bubbles had something similar for the last few years of his life.The vet said it was osteoarthritis. Blood tests came back clear, x-rays showed nothing, and the only thing that suggested cause was Metacam worked really well. Since it's an anti-inflammatory medicine, they figured it must be the osteoarthritis. The weird thing was, it only played up in the colder months, and the colder it was, the more he suffered. He couldn't jump at all, and was very wobbly when walking. Then Spring would arrive and it was like he was a different cat! But when he started to suffer again it happened very fast, just as it has with your cat.

Has your vet given you anything to try to help ease his discomfort?

[TedCatsMom]

LittlePenBigHeart -

Are you saying the Metacam helped or that you think it caused it? My cat is doing the same type of thing and I'm convinced it is definitely BECAUSE of Metacam.

[LittlePenBigHeart]

Sorry, no, the Metacam helped significantly. It was the only way he had any strength in his legs when it happened.

How is he now?