My Cats Hip??

rachelmfi

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Feb 26, 2015
Messages
12
Purraise
1
Location
Morayshire, Scotland
Hi There

I have posted before about my cat Sylvester having this unknown problem. No vets can diagnose him :(

We have narrowed the problem down to his right hind hip. Whenever he goes to the toilet for a poo, he collapses and his back right leg goes really really weak. He twitches and jerks through the day too and has tremors when he tries to sleep and also huge twitches when he drinks water.

Unfortunately we are unable to give him an X-Ray or MRI as no vet will give him one without anaesthetic. He does not do well under anaesthetic and has a bad reaction to it so his vet for 15 years and all the other vets we have seen refuse to put him through it. Even though he is the most gentle cat in the world, and never resists any vets prodding and poking at him, absolutely no vet will give him an x-ray without anaesthetic. We have tried our best to get an X-Ray without it but have had no luck.

We don't know what else to do. We have given him acupuncture and reiki and massages and we walk him a lot on his lead. He used to be an outdoor cat however since hes became really slow we don't let him outside and take him out on his lead instead. We put a warm heat pack on his hip when he sleeps, he is taking Loxicom and medication to help with the function of his nerves. We just don't know what else we can do as we have tried literally everything we can.

He's showing no signs of pain or discomfort, we just dont know what the problem is. He has had blood tests, all indepth. They have all came back clear and show he is a very very healthy cat. He still also has a very good appetite and drinks plenty water and some cat milk.

Has anyone else experienced this? with their cat?

Thanks

Rachel
 
Last edited:

cprcheetah

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
1,887
Purraise
149
Location
Bountiful, UTah
My cat Munchie has bad hips and bad knees.  He has had both knees/patellas surgically repaired.  Before his knees were repaired his legs would give out on him much like you are describing.  He was only about 8 months when it started.  He had to have his patellas fixed.  He also has severe hip dysplasia.  So he has issues with his hips giving out on him as well.  He needs to have surgery on them but he has a bad heart so we are just managing him with pain medication from the vet as well as natural treatments.  We did xrays on him while he was awake.  I'm wondering why the vets won't do xrays on him while he was awake, that is really odd if your cat isn't fractious or naughty at the vet.  I work for a vet and we do xrays on cats while they are awake all the time.  Maybe they are afraid of injuring him or something.  If you aren't already I would add glucosamine for your kitty, it works wonders to help lubricate the joints.  I use a brand called Cosequin for my cats, I'm not sure where you are at and if you can get Cosequin but I would give it a try.  Also with the Loxicam, I would recommend making sure your kitty has periodic blood work (every 4-6 months) as NSAIDS (the type if pain medication it is) can affect the kidneys in cats over time.  Another suggestion is the addition of Fish Oil, I use Krill Oil for my cats as it helps with inflammation in the joints. 

Here is an article about Arthritis, you said that your kitty has slowed down, that can be a sign of arthritis, I use a lot of these tips for both my 15 year old and my boy Munchie for their arthritis.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/arthritis-and-joint-pain-in-cats
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

rachelmfi

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Feb 26, 2015
Messages
12
Purraise
1
Location
Morayshire, Scotland
Thanks so much for getting back to me.

Yes I really do not know why ANY of the vets we have tried (we have tried around 6 vet practices here) will not do an X-Ray without anaesthetic. Apparently its not possible the vets have said, but clearly it is. Sylvester is the most gentle cat in the world, and would never ever lay a claw on anyone. So I do not know why they have such a problem with it. Our main vet has put it down to old age and arthritis, however, I know for certain this isn't just the problem :(

Thanks for the advice on the glucosamine, I live in Scotland so I will try look for this :) We have been giving him fish oil and he loves it! So we are giving both of our kitties this. And as for Loxicom we will be getting another blood test at the end of this month for him. We knew this wasn't great medication for cats, however its was all that we have been given for him.

Thanks again for your advice on this and we will keep pushing for an X-Ray!

Rachel x
 
Last edited:
Top