My cat has hind end pain, drinks more, is tired. Could it be kidneys?

Definitely pursue those x-rays. That is a good idea. I also recommend that you have his blood and urine tested for abnormalities. Drinking excessive amounts of water and urinating excessively can indicate kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, liver disease or diabetes. Blood tests and the urine testing should give you some answers. Try to get these tests done ASAP. At home you can start him on an omega-3 fatty acid supplement, as well as a joint supplement for cats. Both of these will act like natural anti-inflammatories and improve the health of the joints in the spine. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I'm sorry to hear that Jinx seems painful and has been sleeping more than normal. It is possible that all of his signs are related to arthritis, but sleeping more could be due to underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, cancer, among others. To answer your question, yes, you should take Jinx to the vet for further evaluation. He will certainly need a physical exam and may also need some lab testing to assess his internal organ function. I hope that all goes well!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Pepper! 20 years old is amazing! It's hard to say why Peppers back legs are having so much trouble. It could be from weakness from progressive kidney disease or a new problem like high blood pressure, diabetes, anemia. She likely has arthritis at her age. Sometimes older pets can have strokes or even brain tumors as well that can cause behavioral and gait changes. It sounds like she is extremely thirsty (trying to get in to the tub). If Pepper hasn't had her blood work checked in a while I would call your vet monday and have her seen. If you think she is suffering take her to an Emergency hospital today for evaluation, they can run the blood work today in house. I hope this helps and I wish you and Pepper the best!

I'm sorry Shadow is limping! No, it's not likely the vet injured her during the first visit. When we do a lameness exam, yes we do manipulate the legs but not enough to cause injury. If she does have spinal issues, it does make sense that she will show varying degrees of limping at times. I'd recommend having x-rays done on her spine to see if she is suffering from spinal problems. Unfortunately, kidney failure is very common in senior cats. It can be managed symptomatically, but it cannot be cured.

I recommend to play it safe and have some lab work run. Given their age, it's better to play it safe. Catching kidney disease early means you can start treatment (which is usually just a diet change) and this can increase the length of quality life after diagnosis. I hope this helps.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. With your history and knowing he is drinking and urinating quite a bit, I would be concerned about kidney disease or diabetes. I would recommend having a comprehensive blood panel run on pepper to rule these conditions out. I would also have his urine tested as part of a full workup. Blood work is a good place to start as it will help rule out many possible causes of the symptoms you are seeing. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

Any of these diseases can cause generalized weakness, which can be more evident in some areas than others. However, if you have a patient who has normal neurologic responses in the forelimbs, and abnormal responses in the hindlimbs then there is probably something different causing the clinical signs. I hope this helps. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.