10yo cat is limping

Hello, 

I came home from work today and my cat, Colby, was sleeping. When he woke up he began meowing very loudly and I noticed he was walking funny. It appears that he can't bend his left leg completely. He limps around and can't crouch down enough to eat comfortably. He is having a hard time sitting and laying and I think it is due to his leg. He is eating. He can walk and jump on and off the couch but I can tell he is uncomfortable. When he walks his back side is raised higher than his head. He is 10 years old so perhaps he is experiencing joint discomfort? He has always walked with a limp (as he gets older) and the vet prescribed him a supplement that he didn't like so we stopped that. I have never seen him act like this though. I am nervous and wondering what is going on with him. 

Any thoughts?

Thanks, 

Niki

It could be arthritis getting worse or he may have hurt himself somehow, the poor guy.
The best solution would be a trip to the vet so you know for sure. If it is arthritis, it sounds bad enough he may need a prescription for an anti-inflammatory and a pain reliever, or maybe even a steroid treatment like Prednisone. It sounds like he is in a lot of pain.
If it is an injury, it could get worse without treatment. Tail injuries, like getting the tail stuck and yanking it free, can cause this type of behavior as well. There is really no way to tell what is going on without veterinary advice. A warm compress may help to soothe his joints until you can get to the vet, as well as keeping him warm.
I hope he is okay and feeling better soon.

Thank you for the well wishes. Do you think he could be constipated?

I doubt constipation would cause a one-sided limp. Arthritis or a fall is more likely. AS a supplement, if he has arthritis, try Cosequin - it is a joint supplement with glucosamine, formulated for cats and comes as a tasteless powder. It has done wonders for my Dushka.

happybird said:

it sounds bad enough he may need a prescription for an anti-inflammatory

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That could be an extremely dangerous suggestion........

Unless the anti-inflammatory drug is a steroid.....it will have to be a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

Cats simply cannot metabolize non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Cats are unique insofar as their livers do not have the enzymes required to metabolize these substances. Consequently, it is the kidneys that eliminate these drugs from the blood - and these drugs destroy kidney cells. So slow is that elimination process that these drugs stay in the cat's body much longer than in humans/other animals.....as an example, aspirin is eliminated from a calf in an hour, whereas it takes 36 hours before it's cleared from a cat. So, it circulates through the kidneys over and over, with continuous "insult" to them.

While there are a few NSAIDs approved by the FDA for very specific conditions, it is well known that NSAIDS have an extremely small safety margin in cats, and such approvals are replete with cautions and warnings.

Kidney cells do not regenerate, unlike liver cells. Cats (like humans) "come" with an adequate number of kidney cells to last a lifetime.....who would want to destroy any of them?

There are numerous treatments for feline degenerative joint disease, supplements and treatments....the simplest being krill oil.

My caution is to never, allow the use of any NSAID in any cat....unless the cat should be under palliative care.

Here are a couple of earlier threads on treating arthritis:

• http://www.thecatsite.com/t/249063/natural-painkiller-for-cats-with-arthritis
• http://www.thecatsite.com/t/265881/best-remedy-for-feline-arthritis

Thank you for all the advice!

So we went to the vet and they did a full exam, X-rays and blood work. The X-rays showed he has arthritic hips so he is on pain meds (Onsior) for three days. I also have to give him a joint supplement (Dasuquin) twice a day in his food probably for the rest of his life. I will know more, if anything, when the blood work comes back. He is very uncomfortable so I have to watch him for the next couple days.

He is sleeping now but I think he knows something is wrong so he is restless, pacing the house and trying to move like nothing is wrong.

I forgot to mention on Sunday he was sleeping on the bed under a blanket and I think the dog may have tried to get under the blanket and pushed him off. I picked up the blanket not realizing he was under there, he just sat there for a moment. I wonder if this triggered all of this.

Does anyone know how long it takes for Dasuquin to kick in? I am nervous that he will be in pain once he runs out of pain meds, tomorrow.

Thanks!

nikbernier said:

Thank you for all the advice!

Does anyone know how long it takes for Dasuquin to kick in? I am nervous that he will be in pain once he runs out of pain meds, tomorrow.

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I am not sure how long it takes, but I do remember it was a couple weeks before noticing improvement in my lab, Maggie, after she started on joint supplements for arthritis and hip dysplasia. But when the improvement came, it was very obvious. I have heard people say they have noticed an immediate difference, so I imagine the amount of time is different in every case. I hope it works fast for your guy. :fingerscrossed:

White Shadow said:

That could be an extremely dangerous suggestion........

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Please note that I did not encourage the OP to administer an anti-inflammatory herself, I was simply listing some of the treatments a vet may prescribe. And please also note that a trip to the vet was mentioned twice, as well as the word 'prescription' before the word anti-inflammatory.
Many vets will prescribe a short steroid course for an acute case of osteoarthritis or allow other medications to be administered, under careful supervision, for a short period of time, especially if the cat is in a lot of pain. Joint supplements are usually always advised (and a great idea), but stronger measures are sometimes necessary for immediate pain relief and better mobility, if the case is bad enough.

It took a month before my Dushka really showed improvement on Cosequin. But she began to feel a bit better after a week or so.

Colby has been taken Tramadol since last Wednesday (2x per day) and he also took Onsior for 3 days. He is also taking Dasuquin twice a day. I spoke with the vet on Friday and he said to give it a few days. He rested comfortably over the weekend with barely any growling and/or moaning. Yesterday he started moaning and growling again. He doesn't do it all the time though. Perhaps he is moving too much?

So I called the vet today and told him he is still in pain and he said he wanted to send the Xrays to radiology to ensure they aren't missing anything. He also called in a Rx for more Tramadol. He said he will call me when he gets the Radiology results. If nothing comes back he wants me to bring him in so he can a look at him.

I wonder if this is just his hips or maybe his knee too? When Colby was examined the vet said something about his left knee but I can't remember what he said.

Any thoughts?