Cat having back end problems.

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi there, and thanks for your question.

I have a few questions for you before I type out a full answer:

1. Is Moscow spayed?

2. You mentioned that her legs are warm. Can you tell if her paws, particularly the paw pads are significantly colder on the back feet as compared to the front, or are they the same temperature?

3. How is her appetite?

4. Does she go outside?


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

---

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Dr. Marie replied:

OK, thanks for that info.

This is a tough one to give you a concrete answer on, so I'll give you my thoughts and also some criteria that may help you determine whether you need to see an emergency vet.

The reason why I was asking if her feet were cold was because of the possibility of something called either saddle thrombus or the medical term is aortoiliac thrombosis. This is where a blood clot forms in the blood vessels that supply the back legs. If there was a clot then we would notice that the back feet are very cold because they are not getting blood circulation. This is a very serious condition. And it could definitely cause her to have trouble moving her back end properly. But, if you are not noticing the temperature difference then I think this is less likely. I should also mention that cats with this condition will usually be very painful in their hind limbs.

The next thing I think of when a cat is having some difficulties with walking is whether there is an infection somewhere. This is obviously much more common with an outdoor cat that could have been in a fight. I still occasionally see indoor cats that get a random wound from something inside, so this is possible, but less likely. If there was an infection then we would notice the symptoms getting less and less and her appetite getting worse. If this is happening then, yes, I would take her in.

It's also possible that she has injured something. Hind end injuries are hard to diagnose in cats. It could be something simple like she has slipped and strained a ligament. Or, it could be something much more serious like a pelvis fracture. I have seen many indoor cats for serious fractures because they have done something silly like fall off a staircase. I had one cat break his pelvis by falling off the top of the tv!

One other possibility is if there is a problem near or around her anus. Can you see any red, raw areas? If so she could have an anal sac infection or a skin infection in this area. If this is the case then I would recommend having her seen soon because these types of things are very uncomfortable for cats.

Here are my criteria that I would use in a case like this to help you to decide whether to see an emergency vet:

1. Appetite is important. If goes a full day without eating, or if her appetite is decreasing every day then she needs to be seen.

2. If she has shown no improvement in 48 hours then I would have her seen.

3. If she has any difficulties with her breathing then she needs to be seen right away. Respiratory problems can be a sign of heart disease which would fit with the saddle thrombus issue we talked about above.

4. Use your "gut". If you feel that something is really wrong, then it is better to be safe than sorry.

In the meantime, the best thing you can do is try to discourage any jumping or running. If she wants to get up on to the bed then lift her up. (Jumping down is likely ok for her seeing that it is her back end that is affected.) Unfortunately there is no over the counter pain medication that is considered safe to give for cats.

I hope that helps! Have a wonderful Christmas!

Dr. Marie.

Dr. Marie replied:

You're doing all of the right things! Thanks for caring so much for your little girl!