Can't move back legs.

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Nancy and thanks for your question. I'm sorry to hear that Sam is not doing well!

I just have a few questions for you before I answer:

Can you please have a feel of his feet for me...can you tell if the back feet feel colder than the front?
How is his appetite?
How long has he had this problem?

Thanks,
Dr. Marie.


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Dr. Marie replied:

OK...thanks for that information.

These symptoms have me concerned. Unfortunately there is a high possibility that your cat has something called aortoiliac thrombosis (saddle thrombus). This condition is not very common but is quite serious when it happens.

What happens with this condition is that a blood clot lodges in the aorta where it branches out to the back legs. This means that the circulation to the back legs is almost completely cut off.

While there are many treatments that we try for this disease it is very rare that an animal survives more than a few weeks even with treatment. Unfortunately usually cats get this condition because there is a serious underlying heart problem. Often the heart disease shows absolutely no symptoms until the blood clot forms.

I would highly advise that you have Sam see a vet today to confirm whether this is truly what is going on. Your vet will give you some options. However, you may need to prepare yourself for euthanasia.

There is absolutely nothing you could have done to prevent this condition. I am so sorry for the bad news.

Dr. Marie.

Dr. Marie replied:

I wish I could recommend medication for pain. Unfortunately there is no over the counter medication that is considered safe to give to cats for pain. He really does need to see a vet immediately.

Dr. Marie.