Wobbly drooling kitten.

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh dear, it sounds like there is something serious going on with Tiger.

This is going to be a hard question to answer without examining him but I can give you a few ideas.

While hobo spiders can bite a cat, the symptoms don't match what you are describing. Usually if a cat has a venomous spider bite there will be a wound that is very obvious and extremely swollen and purple looking.

What you are describing with his walking sounds like it could be something called ataxia. This is often the result of a spinal cord injury. If he goes outside, then it is possible that he has sustained some brusing on his neck or upper back as the result of an accident.

I get worried when I hear of an animal that has hind leg weakness that is spreading to the front legs. This can sometimes be a sign of rabies. The drooling would fit for rabies as well. Rabies is always fatal and is extremely serious. It is also a danger for any person who is in contact with the cat. To get rabies he would have to have been bitten by another animal.

Has he had any flea treatment recently? Some over the counter flea products can be toxic to cats and can cause neurological signs such as wobbliness and drooling.

Are you sure he is going to the bathroom ok? If he is not able to produce urine it may be that he has a urinary tract blockage. I have seen cats walk very strangely when they have pain in their bladder.

And finally, does he have access to any recreational drugs? Cats will eat marijuana and can have symptoms like this.

In any case I think he should see an emergency vet. My main concern is for the possibility of rabies. In my area rabies is quite uncommon but in some areas it is much more common. If a cat with rabies bites a person it can be fatal, so this is not something to take lightly.

Hopefully he can see a vet today!

Dr. Marie


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Dr. Marie replied:

Interesting...jumping from the bunk beds could account for a spinal injury. The only thing that doesn't fit is that a spinal injury shouldn't really cause him to drool.

I wish I could give you some advice on what to do at home, but I don't think I can because we don't know for sure what is going on. If he is still eating well and if you are sure that he is urinating ok then it is probably ok to keep him isolated in a bedroom until Monday when he can have a visit that is not an emergency.

However, if his appetite is down then I do think he should be seen.

I really hope he is ok!

Dr. Marie.

Dr. Marie replied:

I just had one other thought...it may be that Tiger has something called a liver shunt (or portosystemic shunt). This is a condition where the blood vessels do not travel properly through the liver. As a result, the liver cannot do its work to detoxify things in the body.

Cats with this problem can be wobbly and drooly. They sometimes do something called head pressing where they stand next to a wall and press their head into it.

Unfortunately a liver shunt is something that is often not fixable. In some animals a surgery can be done, but it is very expensive and not always effective. If your vet does suspect a liver shunt some cats can live well on a special type of reduced protein food and also some medications.