What causes sudden weakness and behavior changes in my old cat?

This degree of weakness and behaviour change is very concerning and likely to indicate severe injury or illness,especially in light of the sudden increase in thirst. An urgent vet check and urine or blood test would be recommended to identify the underlying cause. Although he is not very old for a cat you should be prepared for potentially bad news given the severity of his symptoms

It is common for cats to hide when they don't feel well. She needs to be taken to a vet to have the lethargy and bloody urine addressed. They will do blood work to check her kidneys function and a urine sample to check for an infection. Weight loss and dehydration can occur quickly in older cats. Your vet can better guide you in her quality of life based on the diagnostics.

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!

Older cats are prone to many diseases, including kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, infections, cancer, etc. He should be examined by a vet for a work-up with blood-work and a urinalysis to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat and manage his problems.

Poor Rusty! Cats can have worms even if you don't see them in the feces. Oftentimes, there are eggs in the feces, but those can only be seen with a microscope. Sudden weight loss in cats can also be caused by diabetes, kidney disease, systemic illness, infection, or injury among other causes. I would have Rusty seen by a vet asap, and bring along a sample of his feces for the vet to examine. In addition to looking at his feces, the vet can do a physical exam, blood tests, and a urinalysis to diagnose what is causing his weight loss. Once the cause of the weight loss is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options with you.

Poor guy. His symptoms indicate he may have severe arthritis or an underlying organ malfunction. It is best to get him examined by your vet to determine which is likely. For older cats, bloodwork analysis on a yearly basis is key to checking on their health and determining if they need management for any underlying disease processes. Also, if he does have arthritis, which can be detected on an x-ray, he can be managed medically with joint supplements and pain medication. I hope that your pet Loco gets well soon! Best wishes and take care.

I recommend to have her examined. Certainly something like cancer is possible but there are some other conditions that are common in older cats like renal disease and hyperthyroidism that generally respond very nicely to treatment but this does depend on the severity. If renal disease is caught before things get too bad, cats require a special diet, sometimes a medication, sometimes subcutaneous fluids and the average time of quality life after diagnosis is 2 years. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-care-for-a-cat-with-kidney-disease/ Hyperthyroidism can be controlled with a special diet, with medications or with a permanent solution like radioactive iodine treatment. Many cats with this condition will live normal live expediencies as long as they are medicated. https://www.petcoach.co/article/hyperthyroidism-in-cats/ It's always best to know whats happening. That way you can made an educated decision and prevent any suffering. Bloodwork and a urinanalysis will give you and the doctor a good idea of what is happening inside Natasha's body and then you can make an appropriate decision once you know what your options are. I recommend to get this done within the next day or two since both of these conditions will respond best to earlier intervention. I hope this helps.