Content
- cat with leg weakness
- Causes of cat with hind legs paralysis
- Causes of unbalanced cat when walking
- Cat staggering and falling, what can it be?
- My cat can't walk right, could it be a wound?
- Other causes for a cat with walking difficulties
In this PeritoAnimal article, we'll talk about the most common causes that can explain because the cat can't walk right. Although the causes that cause this difficulty are not always serious, it is usually necessary to go to the vet so that he can prescribe the most appropriate treatment after discovering the cause that prevents the cat from walking properly.
We will see that recovery may sometimes require surgery, which is why the veterinary consultation is so important. In this way, if your cat is walking strange or unable to walk, do not hesitate to visit the specialist.
cat with leg weakness
Before starting to explain the reasons why the cat has leg weakness, you should pay attention to the characteristics of this impairment. A cat may be suffering from paralysis when he stops walking completely. This problem, more common in the hind legs, completely prevents it from moving. Therefore, the cat cannot walk or stand up.
Other times, the cat may not be able to walk because your legs fail, which is also more common on the hind legs. In these cases you will notice weakness. The cat manages to stand up but falls and cannot move. Sometimes he can even walk but with strange movements, lifting his legs abnormally or moving in circles. Other times, the difficulty in walking occurs because the cat has tremors, tics or convulsions all over the body.
Causes of cat with hind legs paralysis
A run over, an impact, a dog attack, or a fall from a great height can cause the cat to be unable to walk straight. This happens when there is a spinal involvement, so that nerve communication with the legs is interrupted and they become immobile. In addition, these traumas can cause more serious injuries, requiring an urgent visit to the veterinarian, always handling the animal with care.
In general, when it comes to trauma paralysis, the animal tends to try to move with its legs undamaged, dragging those affected. For this reason, you may notice that the cat is dragging its hind or front legs. And if all the limbs were damaged it obviously won't move.
An x-ray or an MRI can provide information about the status of the spine. The prognosis will depend on the damage, medication, rehabilitation or surgery may be needed. The cat may recover or have sequelae. To prevent this, you should prevent the cat from gaining unsupervised access to the outdoors and install mosquito nets on the windows so it doesn't fall out.
On the other hand, the cardiomyopathyhypertrophic it can also cause paralysis in the cat's legs, particularly the hindquarters and tail, because the cardiovascular system fails and consequently decreases blood flow to these areas.
Causes of unbalanced cat when walking
There are several causes when a cat cannot walk because of weakness in the feathers, most common in the hind legs. In the case of older cats you may notice that they stop climbing heights, even if they are small. This can be a pain sign due to some degenerative process, such as osteoarthritis.In addition, cats that have recovered from illnesses such as panleukopenia may have neurological sequelae that affect locomotion. They are cats that do not walk completely straight, raise their legs exaggeratedly to take a step, lose their balance easily or manifest incoordination between the legs. This damage may be irreversible, but it doesn't stop you from leading a normal life.
THE vestibular syndrome it is a neurological disorder that produces symptoms such as head tilt, walking in circles, nystagmus (continuous eye movements), strabismus or ataxia, which produces the incoordination that will impede the cat's locomotion. This syndrome can be caused by trauma, otitis, infectious diseases, etc. The solution is a good neurological examination that allows you to identify the cause. It can be cured, but some cats have their head tilted as a permanent injury.
Finally, the lack of balance can also be justified by the development of a ear infection.Again, visiting the specialist is mandatory.
Cat staggering and falling, what can it be?
Sometimes the cat cannot walk because it has lost control of its body, having convulsions, tremors or tics, sometimes accompanied by other symptoms. This frame usually corresponds to a poisoning and requires immediate veterinary help. The prognosis will depend on the substance the cat has come into contact with, the contact time and the size of the cat.
To avoid scares, you must ensure that the environment that offers your cat to be safe, preventing access to potentially toxic substances or plants. Great care must be taken with dog antiparasitic products as they include active ingredients that are toxic to cats.
If you know the substance that has poisoned your cat, you should inform your veterinarian. With the fluid therapy and medication, it is possible to recover the cat without sequelae, although the prognosis is reserved. For more information, don't hesitate to consult our article on cat poisoning.
My cat can't walk right, could it be a wound?
Sometimes the cat cannot walk straight or walks with difficulty due to an injury, usually in the paw. Therefore, if you suspect any localized damage, as long as the cat has not had an accident and has no more symptoms, you should examine fingers, nails and pads well of the paws. If you find an injury, you should notify your veterinarian.
Preventing the cat from stepping on hot surfaces and keeping the claws well maintained can minimize these problems. Likewise, establishing a routine to check the status of these areas helps to quickly identify any wound, preventing it from becoming infected and the clinical picture from getting worse.
Other causes for a cat with walking difficulties
If your cat's back or front legs are failing and none of the above causes match your condition, be aware that there are many other reasons this condition is a symptom. Therefore, we emphasize the importance of looking for the veterinarian as soon as possible as you may be facing a serious condition of constipation, thrombosis, herniated disc, hip dysplasia or a possible diabetes.
In all of the above cases, veterinary intervention is required, otherwise the animal's life may be seriously compromised. So if you're wondering what to do if your cat's legs fail or he can't walk, the first thing we recommend is to check for any external injuries. Then, visit the specialist with all the information collected to facilitate diagnosis.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.