Why is my cat losing muscle in her hind legs and what can I do?

Poor Shadow! I would be very concerned she has torn a ligament or may have fractured a bone. It does sound like she is suffering from muscle atrophy if her left hip looks indented. Taking her into the vet is exactly the right thing, and I would bring her into one today.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This could be due to arthritis in the back legs, systemic illness such as kidney disease or heart disease, muscle disease, metabolic disease, etc. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Hope so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would recommend having her blood tested to see if there are any changes that need to be addressed. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Yes, you need to take Katie to the veterinarian. Weakness in the hind limbs can indicate many things ranging from hyperthyroidism to a spinal issue. A physical exam, blood work and potentially x-rays are needed for the correct diagnosis and treatment. Certain conditions, if caught early, are highly treatable. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These are general signs that can be seen with a lot of conditions. It could be due to a neurologic condition or perhaps an orthopedic condition causing some kind of pain or discomfort. If this continues, I recommend you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to start with a good physical examination and possibly diagnostics to get to the bottom of this so that therapy if any can be started. Have a great day!

Twitching in older cats can be due to a number of reasons including aging-related muscle atrophy, arthritis, nerve issues, injury, underlying illness, etc. If the twitch is increasing in severity, or is affecting Princess' ability to get around, having it evaluated by your vet or another local vet is a good idea. If they suspect something such as a neurologic or muscular issue, they may also refer you to a specialist for more testing. In the mean time, keeping Princess comfortable and going about her normal activities as best as possible may help, however if she appears in pain or discomfort, seeking care is best.

The most common reason that we will see symptoms like you are describing of a loss of muscle in all legs, but being more affected on one side would be a problem in the nervous system. Most commonly, we will see problems in the neck that affect one side more than the other. I would start with having your veterinarian examine Trick again and perform a full neurological examination. Depending on their findings, the next step may be a consultation with a neurologist. If Trick is only 4 years old, then it is certainly worth doing additional testing to determine what is doing on and if additional treatment could help prevent further muscle loss. Although we can certainly see muscle loss from arthritis, it rarely involves all 4 legs and is not often so asymmetrical that you can tell that one side of the body is worse, so I think it is worth consulting with a neurologist. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm sorry to hear Princy is having issues. If she is unable to walk or move her back legs it would be best to bring her to a vet ASAP so they can check for issues with her muscles, nerves, broken bones, illnesses, etc.