Suddenly unsteady on her hind legs

[Antonio65]

This morning, as usual, I prepared the breakfast for both my kitties. As usual they were dancing around me while I was putting their wet food in their dishes, and as usual they followed me to their dish places. All as usual.
Right after Giada finished her breakfast, I noticed she was weird, like she was distracted, and then I noticed she had left two morsels in her dish, so I called her to her duty, but she couldn't walk, and then she let herself go. I thought it was the hot weather, but then I saw her walking like she was drunk, and her hind legs were giving out.
So I immediately rushed her to the clinic, where they didn't find anything. Her temperature was right, her BP was 110, just a bit lower than the average, her heart rate was fine, she was breathing fine, but she was still walking like a drunk. A quick blood test was clear.

So they said I could monitor her at home and tell them what I was seeing in her own environment.

At home she ate a few times her dry food, she even used the litter box, but she's still wobbling when she walks, and when she tries to jump on the table, she misses the target and falls on the floor. Same when she jumps down from the chair.

Giada asked me to walk her out in the lawn with the leash and so I did. We stayed outside 10 minutes, she was walking much better, but the first thing she did was to run to a flower pot where we have a lily, and she tried to chew on a leaf, which I prohibited her to do.
Now, yesterday my wife told me Giada managed to sneak out for a few minutes. I think she ate some bits of those leaves while she was unattended (and this might explain why she knew where to go), but the vet, which I promptly informed, says the symptoms aren't those of a lily poisoning, especially because nearly 24 hours later the cat is still rather fine, is eating and using the litter box.
When we came back from the courtyard, her body temperature was 38.9°C / 102°F. The vet said that because it's hot outside, we shouldn't worry too much.

Right now, Giada is napping next to me, purring if I talk to her, and grooming. Her behavior is normal, but it's like she has ataxia in her hind legs, and front legs too.
What can be happened?

I'm attaching a video when she was climbing the wooden ladder to reach the window sill. You can see how she is unsteady and nearly plantigrade.

 

[Jem]

There are three things I have experienced with my cats and wobbly/weak legs. But first, how old is she? Has she lost any weight lately?

The first is hyperthyroid. My cat Fritz would suddenly and randomly lose function in his legs, primarily the hind legs, but he did lose some weight as well.
The second was with Toby who later would be diagnosed with CKD, do you find she has started to pee more?
And the third was with Hank who threw a blood clot (saddle thrombosis I think it's called??) but this was accompanied with severe pain and the evacuation of his bladder and bowels and judging by her demeanor, I highly doubt this happened in her case.
I wonder if there is such thing as a blood clot that's really small that perhaps continues to move causing only temporary pain and weakness???? Is the temperature and color in each of her paws normal?

I don't think a standard blood test checks for thyroid disease, so that might be something to look into.

Is it possible that in her excitement to eat she fell or landed funny jumping off something to get to you? Perhaps it's an injury? Have you (or the vet) palpated her around the spine or legs to see if there are any painful points?

I hope you figure it out.

 

[Jem]

Also, with "the quick blood test"...did that include kidney values?

 

[Jem]

How is her hydration? Did you or the vet do a tent test at all? I know dehydration (you mention hot weather) can cause wobbliness.

 

[neely]

Carleton sometimes walks up the stairs like that due to arthritis in his back end. Other times he's perfectly fine and can run up the stairs with no difficulty. I know what a devoted and dedicated cat parent you are so I don't have to mention keeping an eye on her. If she's not better in a day or two you may want to consider revisiting the vet or getting a second opinion. My other thought was whether it could possibly be something neurological. Please keep us updated, sending special thoughts and hugs to Giada.

 

[Kflowers]

You do realize that just walking by the lily and getting some of the pollen on herself then inhaling it or washing it off, can make a cat seriously ill or kill them, don't you?

Please note I'm not saying the lily is the cause of the current problem, I think your vet made that clear. What I am saying is that the lily is a fatal accident waiting to happen to any one of your cats.

It might be wise for your inside cats who go our and your yard cats to get rid of the lily. If you must have one get a silk one.

 

[fionasmom]

I am so sorry that this has happened to you when you take such excellent care of your babies. Any ideas that I might have had have already been mentioned for the most part. I have had two cats throw clots and it was much more dramatic, and fatal sadly, than what you are describing. This brings up the issue then of tiny clot, but who knows?

Keep watching her, as you will, and be prepared if this does not improve to get more help for her. I would get rid of the lilies. They are really lovely flowers but not worth it when your cat might be at risk.

 

[StanAndAlf]

It could be an inner ear infection. We currently have a 5 month old kitten we are treating at my vet clinic who has such a bad ear infection he can hardly walk, though he seems healthy and happy otherwise.

Ear infections are often subtle, and not all cats shake their head to indicate they have one. However, inner ear infections can cause severe balance issues due to the fluid build up.

Perhaps you can get your vet to take a swab of his ear, or have a look with an otiscope to rule that out as well. Beat of luck!

 

[Antonio65]

But first, how old is she? Has she lost any weight lately?

She's 22 months old, she'll be 2 yo at the end of August.
No weight loss. I weigh her every 7 days and she's steady around 3.7 kg (± 50 grams a week).

The first is hyperthyroid. My cat Fritz would suddenly and randomly lose function in his legs, primarily the hind legs, but he did lose some weight as well.

It might be, but she misses all the other symptoms. And her age isn't much in favor of this theory.

The second was with Toby who later would be diagnosed with CKD, do you find she has started to pee more?

She pees the usual, she drinks normally, I add extra water (bottled water) to her wet food every time.
The quick blood test the vets ran yesterday included the Creatinine and BUN and they were both fine. Again this morning, all clear.

And the third was with Hank who threw a blood clot (saddle thrombosis I think it's called??) but this was accompanied with severe pain and the evacuation of his bladder and bowels and judging by her demeanor, I highly doubt this happened in her case.

This was my first thought yesterday. I was in terror!
But Giada is hemophiliac, so the chances she can develop blood clots are minor.

Is the temperature and color in each of her paws normal?

Yes, they were. Yesterday I trimmed her claws (which she loves) and I had her paws in my hands and all was fine.

I don't think a standard blood test checks for thyroid disease, so that might be something to look into.

I might suggest the vets to do this too. Today they will run a toxo test.

Is it possible that in her excitement to eat she fell or landed funny jumping off something to get to you? Perhaps it's an injury? Have you (or the vet) palpated her around the spine or legs to see if there are any painful points?

Yes, I and they did check all her body, nothing wrong. They also did an x-ray, and of course it's clear.

 

[Antonio65]

How is her hydration? Did you or the vet do a tent test at all? I know dehydration (you mention hot weather) can cause wobbliness.

Yes, we checked that too, all is fine.

 

[Antonio65]

Carleton sometimes walks up the stairs like that due to arthritis in his back end.

I think that at 22 months of age she's should be a bit too young to think about arthritis, and until the day before she would run like a rocket.

If she's not better in a day or two you may want to consider revisiting the vet or getting a second opinion. My other thought was whether it could possibly be something neurological. Please keep us updated, sending special thoughts and hugs to Giada.

This is what I did yesterday. Because she wasn't improving after a good nap, I thought to take her to another clinic where they found nothing at all, apart from a slow response of the pupils to the light and a reduced menace reflex. At this second clinic Giada explored the room and walked rather fine.
They said they suspect a neurological issues of unknown origin, and out of respect for their colleagues, they said it was better to have Giada seen again at the first clinic.
Which I did. Half an hour later I was there again, and after a second visit, BP at 110, heart rate fine and body temperature alright, they thought to hold her at the clinic for the night. She was put on a line. Later on I took her usual food to the clinic so that she could eat what she knows.

This morning I called them, the blood test is still good, but her symptoms remain, she also has some tremors. She had them yesterday already, but I thought she was frightened by the vets.
I will see her later today, but I think she'll be held there for a couple of days more.

 

[Antonio65]

You do realize that just walking by the lily and getting some of the pollen on herself then inhaling it or washing it off, can make a cat seriously ill or kill them, don't you?

Yes, I do know that. That's the reason why I didn't let her go near the plant yesterday.

It might be wise for your inside cats who go our and your yard cats to get rid of the lily. If you must have one get a silk one.

The outdoor cats didn't have any issue with that plant, that is in a flower pot. One of them even sleeps in that pot, to the point that I thought the plant was gone, because I didn't see it for years. This year it's the first time I see the plant alive since a few years ago.

 

[Antonio65]

I am so sorry that this has happened to you when you take such excellent care of your babies. Any ideas that I might have had have already been mentioned for the most part. I have had two cats throw clots and it was much more dramatic, and fatal sadly, than what you are describing. This brings up the issue then of tiny clot, but who knows?

Giada has clotting issues, she's hemophiliac, so I doubt she could develop blood clots, but who knows.

 

[Antonio65]

It could be an inner ear infection. We currently have a 5 month old kitten we are treating at my vet clinic who has such a bad ear infection he can hardly walk, though he seems healthy and happy otherwise.

Ear infections are often subtle, and not all cats shake their head to indicate they have one. However, inner ear infections can cause severe balance issues due to the fluid build up.

Perhaps you can get your vet to take a swab of his ear, or have a look with an otiscope to rule that out as well. Beat of luck!

I thought of that too. That or a foreign object in her ear. The vets checked her inner ears and didn't see anything. Anyway, I will ask them again. Thanks!

 

[Antonio65]

UPDATE:

Yesterday at 5 pm I decided to have a second opinion, and I took Giada to a second clinic, where they didn't see anything apart from a slow reaction of her pupils to the light and a reduced response to the menace test. Anyway Giada was alert and lively at the clinic and did walk fine across the visit room.
I was sent back to the clinic where I was in the morning. The vets checked her BP again (110), her heart beat (fine) and her temperature (fine too). So they held her at the clinic for the night with a line for fluids.

I called this morning, Giada was just like yesterday. She ate her food, she peed, but she is a bit dazed and has some tremors. She had tremors yesterday too, during the first visit, but because they were intermittent, we thought she was stressed and scared by all those people around her.

The blood test they did this morning is good. I will be able to visit her later in the day.

It's so absurd, the home is missing something. And her friend Freya, too, is sad, and she would cry and yowl during the night.

 

[neely]

The blood test they did this morning is good. I will be able to visit her later in the day. It's so absurd, the home is missing something. And her friend Freya, too, is sad, and she would cry and yowl during the night.

I'm glad to hear Giada's blood test this morning was good. I hope the vet(s) will be able to diagnose the source of her tremors and weakness in her hind legs but most of all that she will be able to join Freya and you soon.

 

[Antonio65]

SUNDAY UPDATE:

In the afternoon of yesterday (Sunday), I went to visit Giada at the clinic. Upon my arrival, the vets told me that little had changed, Giada was still unsteady and had tremors. They let me stay with her in the emergency room for a few minutes, and what I saw was different from what they had just said. Giada was very attentive, was standing on her legs and wasn't shaking.
The vets allowed me to take Giada in another room where we let her roam and were able to observe how she was walking, and I have to say she was walking very fine. She didn't jump, though, but I think it was because she didn't know the place and had that needle in her front paw for the IV line.
She is eating and using the tray.
She was purring like crazy and wouldn't want to let me go.
Today they will run a few other tests, and in the afternoon they will let me know if and when she can come home.

Freya is feeling sad at home, she misses her friend, and she yowls at night and doesn't want to eat much. I hope she will restore her old habits as soon as Giada come back home.

Here she is in her cage, with the IV line in her front leg

 

[neely]

Today they will run a few other tests, and in the afternoon they will let me know if and when she can come home.

We'll be curious to hear the results of the other tests. Giada looks so sweet and gentle in her cage. Fingers crossed she can come home and join your family soon.

 

[Antonio65]

MONDAY UPDATE:

Yesterday (Monday) the vets told me Giada was doing fine and she was able to go home. So, after work, I went up to the clinic and they handed her to me right away, along with the first result of her blood tests, the chemistry, which was totally clear. The only value above the limit was the CK, but we all know that the CK moves up quickly in case of stress, especially in cats, and it is likely that she wasn't at ease when they took the blood from her without me on her side.
The other tests that we are waiting the results of are the toxoplasmosis test, the FCoV test and the electrophoresis, which should be in tomorrow in the afternoon.

When Giada came home she was happy to be here again. Of course I kept an eye on her every second, I watched her walk, jump, move, groom, eat, to make sure all she was doing was as it should be, and it was!
She ate all her dinner and the midnight snack. She snuggled close to me on the sofa, she purred a lot. She used the litter and produced a ton of poop, I think she didn't defecate at the clinic.

This morning she was very lethargic, she didn't want to wake up, and I think she has some sleep deficit because the clinic isn't exactly the best place to rest, with all those strangers moving around, noises, and all.
Anyway she ate all her breakfast, and went back to sleep. I will check on her during my lunch break, and through the surveillance camera while at work

Freya is happy too. Last night she was a bit concerned, probably because Giada was smelling different, but this morning she ate all her breakfast too

 

[Antonio65]

Giada looks so sweet and gentle in her cage.

She IS sweet and gentle. She never fights, bites or scratches. She lets me brush her, clean her teeth and trim her nails while she's purring loud. Never a problem with her. I always say it's a miracle she's like she is, because her mother is a little tiger, very wild, and her sister isn't docile either.
I realized she was a sweet kitten the first time I saw her, feral, along with her mother and siblings. She was the only one who didn't run away when I would approach them. Two day later she was with me

Giada, a little more than 3 months old, along with her siblings on a trash bin (Dec 11, 2019).