my cat is 20 yrs old sometimes when he is walking his legs go from behind him is there any treatment he ca

Question

took my cat up the vets last week they said he has artheritus in his back left leg and is liver is high

thank you all for your kind answers unfortuntly i had to have him put to sleep yesterday once again many thanks

Answer 1

You must have looked after him well for him to live that long - well done, full credit to you

I would continue to give him the love and correct diet as you have done and get advice off the vets on anything that can help his liver stay the same or improve and the same for his legs.

All the best

Answer 2

it is just old age.
it may be kinder to have your beloved pet put to sleep than to keep it suffering with the pain of liver problems and arthritus.
I hate to say that. but it is the kindest for the cat.
you could see if your vet can recomend anything to ease the cats suffering. may be a trolly to harness the cat to so it can walk about almost normally though it would not be a pleasant experiance for the cat.
alternatively a cat can loose one leg and continue to live an almost normal life. so discuss the amputation of the limb with your vet.
as for the liver problem again your vet may be able to advise you on the best treatment.

what ever you decide to do i hope you make the right decision.
I'm sure you love your cat but keeping him alive just because you do not want to keep hom around would be a selfish act.
getting the cat the right treatment even if that means you have to say good bye to your cat would be a selflessa ct and could be the kindest thing you can do for him.

good luck. I hope something can be done to help your cat. but if not you best get a few boxes of tissues in as this is going to be a very sad time for you, and don't be ashamed to cry at the loss.

Answer 3

Osteoarthritis is a chronic and slowly progressive degenerative process which often goes unnoticed for a long time because cats are lightweight and can redistribute their weight to other parts of the body. In older cats it is mostly seen in shoulders and elbows.

Unlike in dogs, pain control in cats is difficult because most of the drugs are not safe for them long term. Most non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) can be used only for short periods (days).

Drugs used for chronic pain relief in cats:

NSAID's: aspirin: 10-mg per kg body weight every 2 - 3 days

CORTICOSTEROIDS (anti-inflamatory, immunosupressive)
prednisolone, prednisone

OTHERS
butorphanol (=narcotic analgesic)
glucosamine+chondroitin sulfate - this one is at least not harmful but works only in very few cats

You mentioned that cat's liver enzymes are up and this is an additional problem.

On the other hand, if he is still eating and you have feeling that he is reasonably happy besides his pain, I'd try some pain relief - that's what I would do if it was my cat. My choice here would be prednisolone in combination with glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate but it is hard to say without seeing the cat and the blood results.

So why don't you have another chat with your vet and see if he can prescribe some treatment. This way, in case he doesn't respond and you'll have to have him put to sleep you'll at least know that everything possible has been done for your cat.

Answer 4

I would say that as long as he appears to be healthy and happy he should be fine. If you have any doubts I would discuss with the vet. My darling cat had liver problems and was starving hungry all the time. I had him put to sleep it was so hard - I am welling up thinking about it but he seems to know and was tired and wanted to go. He just put his head in my hand at the vets and seemed so tired and the vet agreed with me it was the best thing to do.
OMG I am crying now!
I hope that he is happy and healthy and with you for a while longer

Answer 5

Some cats can take baby aspirin, but you have to be very careful not to give too much or too often to avoid an overdose. Some of the newer pain meds may be usable in cats but you'd have to check with your vet. At his age I'd be worried about kidney disease or diabetes both of which can complicate any drugs you use with him.

Hope you can make our kitty feel better.

Answer 6

Sometimes weakness in the back legs is a result of low potassium. Talk to your vet about potassium supplementation for your cat - your vet carries a supplement for cats available in a tasty gel paste form called Tumil-K (it also comes in a powder or pill form). It made a huge difference for my elderly cat when she started getting weak in her back legs. Don't give your cat a human supplement - the dose needs to be right for your cat. Also, talk to your vet about giving your cat Cosequin for his arthritis. It takes a few weeks to make a difference, but it can help. Please check with your vet for approval before giving any supplements, even cod liver oil. Too much of certain vitamins (esp. A & D) can be harmful to a cat. I'm sure you already know this, but never give your cat human pain medicines.

Some vets are more thorough than others in caring for older cats - if your vet seems unresponsive to concerns about quality of life in your senior cat, you may want to look for a feline specialist. If you live in the US, you can use this link to find one:
http://www.aafponline.org/

Here are some links about senior cats:

http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/geriatric.html

http://www.peteducation.com/category_summary.cfm?cls=1&cat=1387

This is a nice, thorough book about caring for older cats that you might want to consider:
http://www.shojai.com/aging-cat.html

20 is old for a cat, but just because he's reached that age & is having a little trouble is no reason to give up on him. Talk to your vet about things you can do to improve his quality of life.

As for euthanasia - good vets deal frequently with end-of-life issues, and your vet should be open to talking with you about how to decide when it's time to let your dear cat go and ease his passing. Listen to your vet, and to your cat, to tell you when it's time to let go - not people on the 'net who have never seen him.

You've done a great job caring for him, for him to reach such an age.

Answer 7

At that age you'd expect his liver etc. to be abnormal. As long as he's happy and still eating, he'll be fine. Put cod liver oil in his food. Just a small amount to help out with the joints.

Answer 8

Why the hell would anyone consider putting him to sleep? For flip sake people, being old and having stiff/weakened joints doesn't mean you need to be murdered "for your own good".

As long as the pain isn't too bad then just keep looking after him. Many people suffer from pain and I doubt they would appreciate the doctor recommending euthanasia as a cure.

Answer 9

Hiya, I dont think there is any treatment for old age, you are very lucky to have a cat 20yrs old. Just give him love and affection in his later life. Dont give him high protein food, give him senior cat food, fish, chicken, the high protein food affects their liver. Hope this helps.

Answer 10

Its just old age catching up with him just like it does with humans & then we have similar problems. I have a cat that is about 16/17 & his behaviour has changed a lot recently so I guess he's gradually losing the plot!