ElderCat Update

[lagilman]

Last week, I noticed that ElderCat was having real difficulty making her usual jumps (sofa-to-desk, floor-to-bed), so I rearranged the apartment to give her "intermediate" steps. because, hey, she's what, 15 now? Give the old lady some help.

A few days after that, she fell OFF the edge of the desk. Not mid-leap, just a mis-step. She was embarrassed, but hey, sometimes that happens. Except it happened again, and this time she lost part of a back claw. Ow, poor baby. But still, my desk is crowded, and she might have just misjudged the space...

But then on Saturday I realized that her left hind leg wasn't reacting properly at all. She was dragging, and hesitating, and it didn't seem to be bearing weight.

The leg didn't seem to hurt, and she let me handle it without objection, so I doubted she'd broken or sprained it when she fell, but when a cat actually shows weakness? It's past time to get her to the vet.

(plus, she'd also been showing other signs that were, combined with this, Most Worrying)

Sadly, they were already overbooked on Saturday, so we scheduled something for Sunday morning.

...$400 later....

We're ruled out a blot clot, which was a major relief.  No breaks or fractures, and her muscles are loose enough that it's not a sprain.  The vet also seemed pretty sure that we weren't looking at the onset of diabetes, but the bloodwork will confirm that.  There is the chance that it might be a tumor.  Again, the bloodwork will give us more info.

At this point, with the available info, we're probably looking at a neurologic cause (slipped disc, nerve damage, etc).  So she's been given a steroid shot and painkillers, with 48 hour of follow-up while we're waiting on the bloodwork.  If the tests come back clean and she shows improvement, yay.  If not.... well, we'll discuss that then.

*sighs*

With luck, steroids and painkillers will be all she has to face. But we'll know more on Tuesday.

In light of all this, the "clean out the storage closet" sale has officially become the "pay for ElderCat's medical bills" sale.


And now I'm going to go cuddle both cats, because we're all a bit traumatized by the ongoing drama...


EtA: some 10 hours after her steroid shot, and two doses of painkillers, and I may be making her slightly (more) neurotic by following her around to see if she's using her hind leg.... but she's up and moving, and not staggering like a drunk sailor, so there's that.  Yay!

Comments

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

Oh, *hugs*. For both you and ElderKitty.

[nycdeb.livejournal.com]

****hugs**** to you and to ElderCat.

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

Really hope things go as well as possible.

[otterdance.livejournal.com]

More good heal energy to you and your elder cat!

[ex-fashioni.livejournal.com]

*pets for both you and the Elder Cat*

MRI?

[hari rao (from livejournal.com)]

My female cat started a downslide a few years ago (she was only 9). We got an MRI but couldn't find the cause. Never did find it, but it was probably neurological.

Hope you can figure it out!

Re: MRI?

[lagilman]

The MRI is next on the list, along with a few other $$$ items. We're going to wait and see if the steroids have any effect, first.

(this falls under the category of 'least invasive treatments first, then and only then traumatize the kitty further." )

[mtlawson.livejournal.com]

/hugs

[goddesssaint.livejournal.com]

Oh, poor ElderCat. :( I hope it's nothing too serious and she responds to the steroids and painkillers. Give both cats skritches and cuddles from me.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Sigh.

I just posted about ElderCat in Book post. Getting older and distracted....

May all go well, and not be expensive.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Oh, poor Elder Cat. Very good luck to her, and good wishes to all three of you.

[jslinder.livejournal.com]

Both my boys send their feline hugs to their brother in fur..

Bo just went through some medical drama, thankfully he is doing well, and I hope Elder will be too.

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Sending good thoughts for ElderCat.

[irishkate.livejournal.com]

Poor you.. and poor elder cat.

Here's to you both.

[dsgood.livejournal.com]

Sending hopes for the best!

[goingferal.livejournal.com]

Poor girl--how old is she?

My Sienna was 19 and her back end stopped working--she was mad as hell and offended at her body's betrayal. :( If she'd been a few years younger, I would have gone much the same course as what you're doing with your girl. They do so hate when their body doesn't behave as they wish.

[lagilman]

Poor girl--how old is she?


Fifteen, near as we can figure out. She was a feral shelter rescue, so things have always been a bit hazy.

[shecky ex betai (from livejournal.com)]

Ugh. One of ours has been limping heavily for most of a year. Two trips to the vet have yielded absolutely zero that the vets can find (and they're sharp enough to have found a really rare issue in Rocky [RIP, Rockstar]). She's able to do her usual jumps and skitters when those particular brain cells decide to fire at random, and she hasn't taken exception to the vets' handling of the leg (as clingy as she is to me, she doesn't let either of US handle her), so we don't know what the hell is wrong. All the bloodwork, all the X-rays, all the examination, nothing shows but the limp, a VERY EXAGGERATED limp. Sometimes we're ready to swear that she's playing for sympathy. But we're lucky enough that she CAN use it.

Our thoughts to you and ElderCat. Fingers crossed for Tuesday.

[seachanges.livejournal.com]

You're both in my thoughts.

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

fingers & claws crossed its something relatively simple, and not expensive.

I got "cat steps" for my Newton when his mobility was declining (well, I couldnt buy my cat dog stairs now could I?) and he loved the ease of the steps.

[karistan.livejournal.com]

I hope you find out what's wrong with your girl and she's okay. :)

Our boy, Nowell, had something similar happen last year. Bloodwork, x-rays, and other tests showed nothing wrong with him. $1200 in tests later we still had no idea what was wrong, so we took him home and he's been fine ever since. He's going on fifteen now, so I know how it is to worry.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

(((hugs)))

[jperceval.livejournal.com]

I'm glad she's doing better. Fingers crossed that it stays this way!

[cailleuch.livejournal.com]

Oh sigh! Spent much of last year in the same situation. I made the house accessible for less abled kitty and gave her lots of love.

[jmward14.livejournal.com]

Sending good thoughts and the very best wishes to all of you.

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

"Sending good thoughts and the very best wishes to all of you" -- Ditto.

[deire.livejournal.com]

*hugs for you and gentle kitty scritches for the bitses* Poor Pandora!