Limping Cat

Hi all,

I am looking for some advice. My cat is 3 years old, and before this, she never had a single medical issue. She got conjunctivitis a few weeks ago, she jumped out the upstairs windows then she didn't come home for 3 days. When she returned her eyes were almost glued shut and she was very unwell. She was also limping on both her back legs. I brought her up to the vet straight away and they sorted her other problems and said that there didn't seem to be a break in the legs. After 1 week, she had recovered from her other infections and she started to move around more, her limping became much worse. She started to scream when she walked, one of her back legs in particular seemed to be especially painful now and she couldn't even make it a few metres to her water or food. I brought back to the vets and they said she was fine, I disagreed and they said they would do an xray, they found no problems in either of her back legs or hips. They gave me painkillers for 2 weeks and said that it can take up to six weeks to heal damage such as muscle or ligament damage but she should be okay. 

A week later, she only seems to be getting worse. She doesn't get off the bed. Today, she spent all morning moving her leg around trying to get comfortable and looking over to me crying in pain to me every minute, she is consistently in pain. She keeps trying to get up but she can't seem to move herself. I am heartbroken for her. The vets said they don't normally do anything further, and they normally heal fine once it isn't a break but I am not sure. She is in so much pain and has such limited mobility at the moment. The vets said they couldn't say what is wrong. Does any one have any idea what could be wrong or any advice on how to help her? I can't watch her like this. 

This doesn't sound right at all, getting more and more painful. Is there another vet you can take her to, preferably a feline specialist? Get a copy of the X-rays from your current vet and take her there today.

I agree, get a second opinion, and soon.

Soft tissue damage won't show up on an xray, but at the very least, she should be on paid meds (NOT metacam).

Has she been spayed?  Any sign of bites?

Is she peeing/pooping normally?  Eating?

She is on Metacam but it seems to do absolutely nothing!! She is eating loads, drinking loads, using the litter tray fine and normal. No wounds or signs of bites. No sign of swelling. She is spayed. She is in a good mood, her eyes are bright, and she is alert etc. just seems to be very sore.

I really care about my cats, I foster a lot and I've already spend about 1000 euro on vet bills the past few months for my cats, I'm a student and I had to take a bank loan to pay for it all. I will borrow whatever I have to get to her sorted. The vets I go to are usually great, I've been going here for 20 years with my cats (since I was 5!!) and they have always been fantastic. But I wasn't seen either time by the main vet there, it used to be only him and now he has other vets working with him which I don't are as good. So first, I may go back and ask him to look at her more closely. You see, when I bring her to the vets she acts like she is okay, she barely limps and doesn't respond much when you touch it, for whatever reason, she isn't showing how much pain she is in in the vets and they didn't seem to believe me that she was as bad as I said. So I took some videos of how bad she is at home this morning and I'll show them these. 

Thanks so much for the help.

Also, it seems like maybe it worse in the mornings after she has slept for the night, maybe stiffness sets in? 

Hi hazyyy and welcome to TCS!

I'm not surprised that your kitty isn't showing any pain symptoms at the Vet clinic. We know that cats are 'hard-wired' to hide pain - and, that this natural instinct is exacerbated when they feel more vulnerable (as in, at the clinic). She feels very safe at home with you, so she can 'let her hair down' there! (IMO, that's a real testament of your mutual bonding!) Good on you for thinking of getting video evidence!

I want to strongly advise you to reconsider giving her the Metacam...for two reasons. First, obviously, it's doing no good, it's not helping relieve her pain. Second, we know that Metacam is nephrotoxic - it kills kidney cells. Yes, I know that it is approved for cats in the EU and by individual countries' regulatory authorities. That does not detract from the otherwise incontrovertible evidence of its toxicity.

There is one additional tidbit about Metacam I want to give you for future reference. This is something which is either unknown to many Vets, or. perhaps, gets overlooked in the rush to provide treatments. I have seen it played out in several cases - one, on this forum recently. It's in red within this product insert approved by The European Medicines Agency:

4.8 Interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction

Other NSAIDs, diuretics, anticoagulants, aminoglycoside antibiotics and substances with high protein binding may compete for binding and thus lead to toxic effects. Metacam must not be administered in conjunction with other NSAIDs or glucocorticosteroids. Concurrent administration of potential nephrotoxic drugs should be avoided. In animals at anaesthetic risk (e.g. aged animals) intravenous or subcutaneous fluid therapy during anaesthesia should be taken into consideration. When anaesthesia and NSAID are concomitantly administered, a risk for renal function cannot be excluded.

Pre-treatment with anti-inflammatory substances may result in additional or increased adverse effects and accordingly a treatment-free period with such veterinary medicinal products should be observed for at least 24 hours before commencement of treatment. The treatment-free period, however, should take into account the pharmacological properties of the products used previously.

http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB...Information/veterinary/000033/WC500065777.pdf   (page 13)

Click to expand...

(The other drug which I have seen given simultaneously with Metacam is "Convenia", a long-acting antibiotic injectable, high protein binding product with the same contraindication on its product insert....that combination in the several cases I've seen has been lethal.)

There are several alternative pain medications - all safe for use in cats. Buprenorphine (Vetergesic) is easiest as an orally administered med. You'll find info on it and two others right here: http://www.felinecrf.org/treatments_antibiotics_painkillers.htm#opiates

Hope some of that helps!

- you know, after 2 posts, you have an obligation to both show us a pic of her....and tell us her name

Good that you took a video, it will help the vet a lot.  And prove to the vet it's a serious situation.

Did something similar for a cat who had a limp, came and went, turned out to be arthritis.  And another cat who had twitching, turned out to be FHS.