When do cats lose their hind legs: causes and treatment

Failure of the hind limbs in a cat is a symptom of diseases that affect the vital organs of the animal. Unfortunately, delaying a trip to the veterinarian and self-medicating can cost your pet’s life. In order to recognize the first symptoms of pathology in time and save the cat, we will find out what diseases provoke failure of the hind legs, what treatment methods are available, and how you can help the animal at home.

Characteristic signs of hind limb failure

If there are problems with the limbs, the cat's behavior changes noticeably. For example, an owner may find that their pet drags one or both hind legs and feels unsteady when walking.

The main signs that a cat’s back legs have failed:

She began to move slowly, almost crawling, while the animal drags its hind legs, and while moving it tries to squat more often to rest.
The gait of an adult animal suddenly becomes uncertain, like that of a kitten.
The muscle tone of the hind limbs decreases, so the cat tries to move with support on its front legs.
When palpating the hind legs, the pet experiences severe pain.
The pet loses sensitivity in its limbs - the animal does not react to the touch of hot or cold things on its legs.
The cat loses its appetite and tries to lie down as much as possible.
The pet cannot hold back urination.

If symptoms of hind limb failure appear, the owner should immediately take the cat to the nearest veterinary clinic. Untimely diagnosis and self-medication will not only significantly aggravate the animal’s condition, but will also cause discomfort and pain.

What does it look like

Failure of the hind limbs is easy to notice, but there are cases when the animal prefers to lie down for several days and refuse to eat or drink. As a rule, the cat still gets up to go to the toilet. At this point, changes in gait can be seen. In the early stages, disorders may look like this:

an unsteady gait that looks like you've lost your balance;
severe wobbling of the back of the body;
the hind legs move apart;
after a few steps the cat sits down, doing this many times until the path is completed;
the animal drags its legs along the floor without lifting them off the ground.

Worsening usually occurs very quickly, but if the owner manages to contact a veterinary clinic at an early stage, then treatment will have a greater chance of success.

Main causes of pathology

There are many reasons why cats' hind legs fail. Even the most experienced owner cannot make a diagnosis on his own. Only an experienced veterinarian should assess the animal’s condition and prescribe the necessary treatment that will help the cat return to a full life.

Spinal injuries

The most common reason why cats lose their hind legs is spinal injury: a fracture or dislocation, or damage to the spinal cord.

Representatives of the cat family love heights, and if they fall unsuccessfully they often injure their spine. A cat walking on its own can damage its spine in a collision with a car, in a fight with other animals, or with any strong blow. A pet is at risk of serious injury even if it falls from a curtain rod or cabinet.

The main symptoms of spinal column injuries:

Weakness and apathy.
The tail becomes motionless or is constantly in a relaxed state.
The cat's paws give way.
Difficulty holding in urination and bowel movements.
Pain when changing body position or touching.
Hind paws become cold.
Increased heart rate and breathing.
Decreased body temperature.

If the lumbar region is damaged, the hind legs immediately fail. In this situation, it will no longer be possible to restore the mobility of paralyzed limbs. However, you can make a special device for your pet, with the help of which it will move on its front legs. If the cervical spine is damaged, it can paralyze not only the limbs, but the entire torso.

Important! If your pet shows any signs of a spinal injury, you need to lay him on a flat, hard surface and urgently take him to the doctor.

Such serious pathologies are most often treated with surgery. Additionally, the veterinarian can prescribe analgesics, healing and anti-inflammatory drugs to the cat, for example Traumeel, Baralgin, Milgamma.

Inflammation of the brain or spinal cord

Sometimes a cat's hind legs fail as a result of the formation of an intervertebral hernia: the disc protrudes between the vertebrae and the nerve endings of the spinal cord become pinched.

Symptoms of intervertebral hernia:

Due to acute pain, the cat constantly meows and tries to move as little as possible.
Your pet may experience muscle tone involuntarily.
The affected areas of the body become partially or completely immobile.
The pet refuses to eat.
The cat develops problems in the gastrointestinal tract.

When walking, the pet makes strange movements: it squats, bends its whole body, rests only on its front paws, and its head is lowered down.

Intervertebral hernia is rare in cats. It is most often diagnosed in pets over 8 years of age. In addition, this disease usually does not lead to complete paralysis - the gait changes, the paws move apart when walking, and the cat does not stand on them.

As treatment, painkillers and decongestants, antispasmodics, and vitamins are prescribed that help improve the condition of the nerve fibers. In the most severe cases, the animal may require surgical intervention, after which it recovers quite quickly.

Another cause of paralysis of the hind legs in cats is myelitis (inflammation of the spinal cord). This disease appears as a result of serious helminthic infestation, intoxication or severe injury. Viruses, bacteria or toxic substances first penetrate the brain and from there into the spinal fluid.

Main symptoms of myelitis:

constant nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
unsure gait;
gradual loss of mobility of the hind legs;
acute pain throughout the body;
memory losses;
unjustified aggression;
involuntary urination;
elevated temperature;
loss of appetite.

Timely and properly selected treatment allows cats to gradually return to a full life. The only exceptions are old animals, which due to their age do not always fully recover.

To rid cats of myelitis, veterinarians usually prescribe antibiotics, muscle relaxants, and anti-inflammatory drugs. In addition, physiotherapeutic procedures provide good results.

Arterial thromboembolism

Arterial thromboembolism is a disease that is accompanied by complete or partial blockage of an artery by a blood clot, a piece of tumor, or even a parasite. With thromboembolism in the paws of cats, the circulatory process is disrupted.

Symptoms of arterial thromboembolism develop almost instantly:

The pet becomes restless, constantly meows in pain, and tries to bite the lower back.
The cat gradually loses the sensitivity of its paws until they are completely paralyzed.
The limbs swell and the paw pads become blue and cold.
The pet refuses to eat and drink.
Coordination of movements is impaired, the pet begins to “slide” in different directions when walking.
The cat's paws become tangled and lameness appears.
Shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat appear.

Interesting! The most susceptible to this disease are Maine Coons, Sphynxes, British cats, Scottish Folds, and Ragdolls.

Unfortunately, it will be possible to save your pet only if it receives qualified medical care within 1–2 hours from the moment the first symptoms appear. As treatment, cats are prescribed antioxidants, hormones, as well as anti-clotting and vasoconstrictor drugs. If the effects of these medications are successful, the pet will need to undergo courses of paw massage and physiotherapeutic procedures to recover. If no effect is observed from the administration of drugs, the only chance to save the cat is surgical intervention, but this does not always give a positive result.

Inaction on the part of the owner will lead to the development of tissue necrosis in the cat, which will end in its death in 12–18 hours.

Acute cerebrovascular accident (stroke)

Complete or partial loss of sensation in the hind legs can be a consequence of a stroke. In cats, cerebrovascular accident does not occur as a result of hemorrhage or blood clot formation, as in humans, but for the following reasons:

poisoning with a strong toxin;
serious head injury;
severe stress;
prolonged fever.

Important! Most often, stroke occurs in older animals, as well as in young, but castrated animals that are overweight and do not receive enough physical activity.

The main symptoms of stroke in cats:

The animal's legs begin to move apart.
The hind legs swell, become cold and lose mobility.
There is a violation of respiratory and swallowing function.
Loss of consciousness.
The animal has poor control over urination and defecation.
The pet begins to have problems with coordination and balance - when walking, it begins to fall to one side.
Decreased vision up to complete blindness.
Refusal to eat.
Uncontrolled movement of the pupils and eyeballs.
Disorientation in space.
Weakness and apathy.
Lack of response to various stimuli.

The effect of medical care for a stroke directly depends on how quickly the owner notices the first symptoms of the disease and takes his pet to the veterinarian. First of all, the doctor will take all measures to eliminate the cause of the stroke. Then the cat will be given intravenous drips of antihypoxic, decongestant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, sedative, antiemetic and anticonvulsant drugs. During the entire period of treatment, the pet must be under the supervision of veterinarians, so that if its condition suddenly worsens, it is possible to transfer it to intensive care.

In the most severe cases, unfortunately, there is a risk of complete paralysis of the animal and even its death within 24 hours after the first signs of the disease appear.

Tumors

The reasons why a cat's hind legs have failed can be tumors of various locations: the spine, abdominal cavity, brain or spinal cord, lung, bones.

Malignant neoplasms in the cat's body lead to its complete intoxication, which can manifest itself in the form of thromboembolism, stroke and other pathologies.

The possibility of providing medical care and its consequences, the survival prognosis is determined by the cat’s attending physician, depending on the degree of damage to the animal.

The number of cats whose hind legs are paralyzed as a result of cancer is relatively small. However, malignant tumors, according to statistics, are in second place among the causes of death in cats of all breeds and ages. In addition, there are many orthopedic diseases that are provoked by developing oncology. Typically, in the initial stages of such diseases, the cat limps slightly and experiences slight discomfort and pain when moving. If you do not consult a doctor in a timely manner, these pathologies lead to paw failure and the death of the pet.

Regular preventive examinations of cats are the only way to diagnose cancer and treat them in the early stages.

Poisoning

Acute and chronic intoxication of the body can cause myelitis, stroke, arterial thromboembolism and other pathologies in a cat, which can lead to failure of the hind legs.

If you consult a doctor in a timely manner, acute poisoning usually results in a complete recovery of your pet. First aid for a cat in this case is to remove toxic substances from the body. Then, depending on the degree of damage, the animal will be given a large amount of liquid, antidotes, as well as various drugs to eliminate the symptoms of poisoning.

Chronic poisoning is more dangerous than acute poisoning, because in this case the cat’s nervous tissue is exposed to poisons for a longer period of time, which can lead to paralysis. Most often, chronic poisoning is observed in cases of cancer, improper feeding and regular administration of potent drugs. Unfortunately, treatment of chronic poisoning is often not effective enough.

Consequences of tick bites

Ixodid tick bites are very dangerous to the life and health of cats. These parasites not only transmit piroplasmosis and tularemia, but also encephalitis, which leads to inflammation of the brain and various neurological disorders, including paw failure.

The main symptoms of tick paralysis usually do not appear immediately, but several days after the parasite attack:

The animal is in a restless, excited state, then it gives way to apathy. The cat may become so weak that it cannot stand up.
Profuse vomiting.
Complete refusal to eat.
A sharp increase in body temperature.
Fever.
Serous discharge from nose and eyes.
Fainting.
Cramps.
Decreased heart rate.
Cough.
Difficulty breathing and swallowing.

The toxins that the tick injects into the cat's blood when biting quickly spread throughout its body. Subsequently, the animal’s internal organs gradually begin to fail. In 50% of cases, without the use of medications, the cat will die. Treatment of your pet should begin at the stage of excitement.

Important! To prevent tick attacks on a cat that has access to the street, during their active season, you need to treat your pet with special products against these parasites.

How to help if your cat is walking in circles

In this case, it is more important than ever to correctly and timely determine the cause of the problem and make the correct diagnosis. Self-medication is unacceptable here. As mentioned above, such symptoms are only rarely evidence of non-serious diseases, such as helminthiasis. In all other cases, if a cat walks in a circle, the pet’s health is in danger, which means that it needs to be taken to a veterinary clinic as soon as possible or a veterinarian can be called to your home. Such symptoms should not be ignored under any circumstances.

It is necessary to describe the cat's condition in detail to the veterinarian, as well as describe the animal's lifestyle, diet, possible injuries or other reasons that could lead to behavioral disorders.

It is especially worth paying attention to such problems as previous otitis media, physical injuries, blows, bruises, falls from great heights and other situations in which the cat could have been injured.

Then, based on the results of the examination, a diagnosis is made and treatment and medication are prescribed for the cat. For tests, you may need to give urine and blood (detailed biochemistry and OKA), do an ultrasound examination, or an MRI. Sometimes the animal is given a drip or given injections. During this period, the cat’s appetite may be severely impaired, it may refuse to eat, so its body must be helped to remain in a viable state, for this purpose the administration of saline solutions is prescribed.

How old is your pet? Ten? More? Then this is definitely the place for you! Because after 8-10 years, various age-related changes begin to occur in the cat’s body, which you need to be aware of and take into account. May your four-legged pet live happily ever after!

By the way, previously the age limit for our pets was much lower - 12-year-old cats were considered long-livers. It was man who raised the quality of life, and with it its duration, by one and a half to two times.

And now it is easy to meet cats that have reached 16-19 years of age, or even more. For example, in our clinic we see two cats, each 21 years old, and the most significant thing that worries them is their teeth, or rather, tartar, which is removed from them from time to time.

Well, the age of cats from the Guinness Book of Records generally exceeds the 30-year mark.

So, among pets, the number of “elderly” pets (approximately 30%) who need optimal care is increasing.

It is a fact that with the increase in the number of years lived, everything changes (and not only for cats :-)). Age-related changes affect all body functions. For now, we will consider only behavioral ones.

The causes of behavioral changes can be a number of diseases (including systemic ones) acquired by the animal over the years of its life, brain pathologies, as well as CDS - cognitive dysfunction syndrome. First, let's look at medical ailments, and then move on to the most interesting part.

Osteoarthritis

(joint disease) can be observed in 65% of cats over 12 years of age (the elbow and hip joints are most often affected, less often the knee and shoulder). Joint pain leads to decreased mobility and the appearance of aggressiveness when communicating with people and other animals.

Systemic hypertension

(high blood pressure) often causes the pet to scream at night, become disoriented in space, lose consciousness, senseless circular movements and even seizures.

Chronic kidney disease

most strongly influences behavior change: polyuria (increased volume of urine) entails urination in the wrong places, and with a lack of water, dehydration of brain tissue. Polydipsia (increased thirst) causes cats to drink from containers that are not intended for this purpose. The development of acidosis (increased body acidity) causes weight loss and drowsiness. And severe uremia (self-poisoning of the body with nitrogenous waste from urine) leads to uremic encephalopathy, a non-inflammatory disease of the brain. In addition, kidney disease is often accompanied by hypertension (see above).

Hyperthyroidism

(increased thyroid hormones) leads to the same consequences as chronic renal failure. In addition, it affects the concentration of thyroxine in the brain (manifests as anxiety and aggressiveness), causes polyphagia - the cat’s taste and appetite change.

Diabetes

has the same consequences as chronic renal failure and hyperthyroidism. In addition, it can cause sensory or motor neuropathies (irritability, increased sensitivity to external influences (touch), muscle pain).

Urinary tract infections

cause the animal pain and discomfort in the bladder or kidneys. The result is “incorrect” urination, anxiety, aggression, and depression.

Changes in appetite, weight loss, gastrointestinal diseases

, appearing due to physiological changes and pathological processes, are associated with a deterioration in the sense of smell and taste, pain in the oral cavity, for example, due to periodontal disease.

Hearing and vision loss

Cats quickly adapt to blindness. With deafness the situation is worse. Cats with poor hearing begin to make loud noises (possibly at night) because they have difficulty hearing their voices.

Brain tumors

more common in older cats (11 years and above). Meningioma, lymphoma, glioma, pituitary tumors are expressed by restlessness, circular movements and convulsions.

Pain

, especially constant, greatly exhausts the animal. Chronic pain most often occurs with artiritis, as well as with inflammatory processes in other organs, for example, with periodontal disease and diseases of the digestive tract (obstruction). Cats, due to their evolutionary development, are able to cope even with severe pain.

Infectious diseases

(viral immunodeficiency, viral leukemia, infectious peritonitis, toxoplasmosis) are the cause of neurological disorders and, consequently, behavioral changes.

So, there are many medical reasons for behavioral problems in older cats. And identifying them often requires a number of diagnostic studies. But if diseases are excluded, that is, when there is no obvious cause, then the animal’s behavior is considered to change under the influence of cognitive dysfunction syndrome

(SKD)

Alzheimer's? In cats?!

Yeah, something like that. Everything is like the big ones.

In cats with cognitive dysfunction syndrome, changes occur in the brain that lead to decreased mental abilities. This affects the processes of thinking, memory, learning new things, and using acquired skills.

Cognitive dysfunction syndrome

is a progressive disease with increasing signs of senile behavior

A third of 11-14 year old cats have at least one of the behavioral disorders caused by CDS, and in 15 year old cats the number of such problems is no less than 50%.

The most striking symptom of cognitive dysfunction is disorientation. The cat seems to get lost in the apartment, hides in a corner or under furniture, bumps into door frames in an attempt to find the door, does not recognize the owners or other animals, and does not respond to calls.

The sleep-wake pattern is often disrupted (as a rule, the cat sleeps more during the day and much less at night).

The proportion of purposeful actions decreases and the frequency of aimless wandering increases. There may be movements in a circle or involuntary oscillatory movements - tremor, or, conversely, immobility, weakness.

An older cat may go potty less often and go to inappropriate places more often.

The quality of communication with the owners deteriorates, the animal asks for less and less affection and attention.

Diagnostics

To determine the reason why a cat's hind legs are failing, the veterinarian will first conduct a visual examination and determine the degree of sensitivity of the limbs. Then the animal will be prescribed the following laboratory tests:

general analysis of urine and blood;
blood chemistry;
blood test for vitamin and microelement composition;
bacteriological culture of spinal fluid, blood and urine;
PCR and ELISA tests to detect the virus.

Also, based on the results of a visual examination, the cat will undergo the following examinations:

X-ray. It is mandatory for cats to have it for various injuries, as well as for suspected joint diseases and oncology. Your pet may also be prescribed myelography, a separate type of X-ray examination of the spine with the introduction of a contrast agent. The procedure helps detect herniated discs, spinal cord tumors and other diseases.
Measurement of intracranial and blood pressure.
Ultrasound and ECG of the heart.
MRI and CT scan of the brain, abdomen and spine.
Ultrasound of the abdominal organs.

The importance of differential diagnosis

If a cat's hind legs fail, it is quite difficult to find out the reasons for this. There is a belief that almost all diseases can cause complications and forced limitation of movement.

If a cat does not walk, it can be difficult to distinguish between paralysis of the paws and severe pain that occurs when moving. Perhaps he, experiencing pain when walking, simply refuses to make efforts, since they bring additional discomfort. The causes of severe pain in the back or abdominal area may be the following ailments:

urolithiasis disease;
tumor diseases;
inflammation of the urinary and reproductive system;
intestinal obstruction.

A distinctive feature of these diseases is that the cat’s paws retain full sensitivity and nerve conduction is not impaired.

Treatment methods

The choice of treatment method directly depends on the cause that led to the failure of the hind legs. To successfully rid a cat of this disease, owners must strictly follow the instructions of the attending physician.

Treatment methods for a cat that has lost its hind legs:

Surgical intervention. Typically, surgery is performed on cats in the most extreme cases, when full recovery is impossible without it: for herniated intervertebral discs, spinal injuries, or, for example, severe dysplasia. If a cat is diagnosed with cancer, she is also prescribed drug and radiation therapy.
Diet. The cat may need to be put on a special diet and provided with food that is rich in calcium, phosphorus and other nutrients.
Drug therapy. Depending on what disease your cat has been diagnosed with, different medications may be prescribed. For example, antibiotics, antispasmodics, painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, anticoagulants, chondroprotectors.
Creating a special environment in the house for the cat. For some diseases, for example, inflammation of the spinal cord, the cat must be placed in a dark, quiet place, protected from stress. In combination with drug therapy and physiotherapy, such an environment will contribute to a rapid recovery.
Plaster application. In case of fractures, serious bruises, or to eliminate the consequences of dysplasia, a cast can be applied to the cat, which will fix the limb in the correct position and speed up the process of its recovery.
Physiotherapy.

Physiotherapy procedures that a doctor may prescribe

The recovery period for a cat after failure of its hind legs can take a long time. To speed it up, doctors often prescribe daily physiotherapy for animals, which the owner can carry out together with the pet independently at home:

Stimulating massage. It should be done for 10-15 minutes 5-7 times a day with intense but light movements. You should knead not only the paw pads, but also the limbs themselves. Massage helps restore the conduction of nerve impulses and protects muscles from atrophy.
Using an inflatable ball. The cat must be placed with its stomach on a suitable-sized ball so that its paws lightly touch the floor. Then roll it back and forth, while carefully holding the pet. At the extreme points, it should seem to stand on its paws.
Tickling paws. Helps the owner understand when sensitivity will return.
Swimming. Gives excellent results if the cat is not afraid of water. It is necessary to fill the bathtub and hold the pet under the stomach so that it does not choke. In the water, the cat will instinctively begin to move its paws and try to swim.
Physiotherapy. Gymnastics in the form of forced flexion and extension of the limbs, as well as exercises that resemble cycling, are very useful. This exercise must be done for at least 5 minutes a day.
Walking simulation. You need to take the pet by the hind legs and slowly move them, imitating walking. To do this, you can use support in the form of a wide towel, which you need to pass under the cat's belly.

If the hind legs fail, cat owners should not despair. On the contrary, you need to take your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible. Timely medical care, properly selected treatment and daily physiotherapeutic procedures in most cases allow cats to return to a full life over time.

Associated symptoms

Symptoms appear depending on the pathology. Among the associated symptoms with middle ear diseases are the following aspects:

profuse drooling;
disturbance of movements when walking;
difficulty eating;
different pupil sizes;
secretion of secretory fluid from the ears and eyes;
inability to blink.

If the cause is a spinal injury, treatment is carried out using surgery under general anesthesia. To reduce the risk of additional injury during treatment, it is recommended to give the cat sedatives. If cancer is diagnosed, a biopsy test is required. Treatment usually involves supportive care to prevent progression of the disease. Problems with the motor activity of the hind legs can be the result of kidney or genital disease in females (endometritis is often diagnosed - inflammation of the mucous membrane or wall of the uterus). Due to pain, the cat begins to stretch its hind legs, squat and lower its tail to reduce symptoms. In this case, anti-inflammatory, painkillers and antibacterial drugs are indicated. For cancer, chemotherapy is prescribed.

It should be remembered that the lack of timely treatment can lead to irreversible consequences, even death. Therefore, it is very important to contact a specialist for advice when the first signs of paw pulling or squatting appear.

Video about a cat with ataxia

Amateur cat breeders sometimes encounter unusual and even strange behavior in their pets. For example, a cat walks in circles, refuses to eat, bumps into walls and does not seem to realize what is happening. Complaints about such symptoms appear from time to time on veterinary forums, and every owner should know about the reasons that can cause walking in circles.

Why can a cat walk in circles?

Every owner needs to understand that if a cat starts walking in circles, then this is a fairly serious symptom and should under no circumstances be ignored. The reasons for this behavior may vary. The most harmless of them is worms. In this case, the animal demonstrates restless behavior at night, can take multiple walks along the same route, but its coordination is not impaired and during the day it behaves more calmly. In this case, a regular anthelmintic purchased at a veterinary pharmacy will help.

But it happens that walking in circles is accompanied by other, more serious symptoms, such as

impaired coordination;
loss of appetite;
twitching of limbs;
legs give way;
tongue hanging out.

All these unpleasant signs indicate that the animal’s nervous system has been damaged. Most often, older animals suffer from such problems, but occasionally symptoms can also be observed in young ones. The cat walks clockwise or counterclockwise, sometimes it can bump into walls, or fall to the floor and kick its feet.

It is possible to identify the main possible causes of such disorders on the part of the central nervous system, these are:

a brain tumor;
stroke;
toxoplasmosis;
otitis;
high blood pressure.

The latter option most often occurs in cats with kidney failure and can lead to stroke, so cats with chronic kidney disease should undergo periodic veterinary monitoring and receive appropriate treatment.

If kidney problems have been going on for more than a year, such an animal should be treated with increased attention. If the case is advanced, the cat walks in circles and its condition gets worse, the situation can end in tears.

How to help if your cat is walking in circles

In this case, it is more important than ever to correctly and timely determine the cause of the problem and make the correct diagnosis.

Self-medication is unacceptable here. As mentioned above, such symptoms are only rarely evidence of non-serious diseases, such as helminthiasis. In all other cases, if a cat walks in a circle, the pet’s health is in danger, which means that it needs to be taken to a veterinary clinic as soon as possible or a veterinarian can be called to your home. Such symptoms should not be ignored under any circumstances.

It is especially worth paying attention to such problems as previous otitis media, physical injuries, blows, bruises, falls from great heights and other situations in which the cat could have been injured.

During this period, the cat’s appetite may be severely impaired, it may refuse to eat, so its body must be helped to remain in a viable state, for this purpose the administration of saline solutions is prescribed.

But we don’t say goodbye to you here, come back again!

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The nervous system is the most important for the body, as it controls absolutely all processes occurring in it. With its lesions, a wide variety of effects can be observed, often combined with the term ataxia. This pathology may well occur in cats.

Without going into details, this is the name for a set of symptoms that imply problems with coordination of movements and body position in space. There are three types of this pathology:

Cerebellar
ataxia in cats is caused by damage to the cerebellum.

Accordingly, vestibular
occurs in cases where something is very wrong with the vestibular apparatus located in the inner ear.

Sensitive
. In some ways it is similar to the cerebellar, only in this case important nerve cords are damaged.

There are different causes of ataxia in cats. Most often, the development of the disease is due to:

Poisoning with various poisons.

Hereditary diseases accompanied by degenerative phenomena in the nervous tissue.

Injuries that occur especially often in March, when loving cats fall from balconies.

Lack of vitamin B1. This is generally typical for cats: many owners “pamper” them with fresh river fish, which contains the enzyme thiaminase. It destroys thiamine, that is, B1, resulting in ataxia. This is especially noticeable in kittens.

If the cat is “hooked” on some plants. For example, a large dose of catnip can send a cat into “nirvana” for several minutes. At this time, the pet looks like an inveterate drunkard.

Traumatic brain injury.

Tumor.

Infection. In particular, the feline is very dangerous.

or cerebral edema.

ACS diagnostics

To accurately determine the cause of a change in behavior in a cat, a complete examination is necessary. Unfortunately, both diagnosis and treatment of behavioral problems are often complicated by the presence of various diseases in the animal. And sometimes a combination of pathologies makes behavioral disorders especially severe.

On the other hand, sometimes behavioral symptoms that are actually caused by a serious illness are attributed to cognitive dysfunction syndrome.

The owner’s task is to identify “abnormalities” in the pet’s behavior and promptly report them to the doctor. In addition to changing behavior, it is important to monitor the amount of food and water consumed, weight loss, frequency of bowel movements and urination, etc.

And, of course, older animals need to regularly (1-2 times a year, more often with significant deviations) visit the veterinary clinic for a comprehensive examination (measurement of body weight, blood pressure, determination of the condition of the retina, concentration of thyroid hormones, physical activity, orthopedic and neurological examination, ultrasound diagnostics, tests and blood tests (general and biochemical), urine, etc.).

Dear owners! Timely detection of the disease and its correct treatment mean extended years of life for your pet.