BACK LEGS

Question
DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY MY CAT COULD NOT JUMP ON THE COUNTER TO EAT HIS FOOD.  I EXAMINED HIM.  HE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE IN PAIN.  I COULD STRETCH HIS LEGS AND TOUCH HIM VARIOUS PLACES. HE
WAS PURRING.  HE USES HIS LEGS VERY LITTLE AND KINDA DRAGS THEM.HE IS PURRING, EATING AND DRINKING.  I CAN NOT FIND WHERE HE HAS HAD A BOWEL MOVEMENT SINCE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY. I PUT HIM IN A SMALL ROOM WITH WATER,FOOD AND LITTER BOX.  I HAVE NO MONEY FOR VET. CAN YOU ADVICE ME.


Answer
Hi, Rita.  The symptoms you describe are right in line with diabetes.  It causes partial or full paralysis of the hind legs because high blood sugar damages nerves.  Diabetes leads to all sorts of deadly problems like high blood pressure, heart conditions, and organ failure.  It also exhausts the cat, dehydrates him, malnourishes him, prevents healing, and can cause glaucome.  These will make his quality of life very poor.  I'm sorry to say you MUST find a way to afford a vet.  A lot of vets will offer discounted services or will accept payment plans.  I recommend to call around.

There are other problems that can cause hind leg weakness, including blood clots that get lodged in an artery that delivers blood to the legs.  Unless promptly treated, this results in the death of the hind limbs, and usually the death of the cat.

Some more possible causes are poisoning (including lead), cancer, or viral illnesses like feline leukemia and feline infectious peritonitis.