Thank you! I'll be waiting.
Hi again,
You have described to me a senior cat who has very suddenly shown difficulty lifting his head.
There are a number of different things that I would be considering if he were on her way in to see me. They are as follows:
1. Your boy could have a problem with a disc in his neck or back (slipped or herniated disc, intervertebral disc disease, IVDD).
This happens when the material in the discs between the boney vertebrae in the back ruptures out and presses on the spinal cord. There is a lot of internal swelling when this occurs, leading to pain and decreased nerve function.
This can happen in conjunction with arthritis of the vertebrae, because that causes decreased flexibility between the vertebrae.
Basically, the vertebrae are bones that protect the spinal cord which runs through a hole in the vertebrae. Each vertebrae has a little "shock absorber" between it and the next vertebrae, called a disc. The disc it a lot like a jelly donut! It has a fibrous part (the bread of the donut) and then a squishy substance in the middle (the jelly). In SOME cats, this jelly in the middle becomes chalky and hard as they age. So, when the back flexes and extends, instead of the jelly compressing and expanding, this chalky substance gets squeezed - and it does not compress, but instead it extrudes out and you thus get a herniated disc.
This can be treated with anti-inflammatories and pain killers.
More here:
http://www.petplace.com/cats/intervertebral-disc-disease-thoracolumbar-area-in-cats/page1.aspx
2. Your cat could have arthritis.
This can suddenly worsen if a piece of osteophyte (boney growth on the joint) breaks off and starts grinding around in a joint.
Certainly, arthritis is common in cats of this age.
This is treatable with glucosamine products and pain killers.
http://www.petplace.com/cats/degenerative-arthritis-in-cats/page1.aspx
Your cat could have a primary muscle weakness.
In cats with kidney disease, they often have very low potassium levels. This leads to generalized muscle weakness, to the point that it is hard for them to walk, and even hard for them to hold their head up properly. This is what I think is most likely for your cat as you have mentioned a previous diagnosis of kidney problems. This problem can be corrected by adding a potassium supplement to his diet.
http://www.petplace.com/cats/hypokalemia/page1.aspx
http://www.cat-world.com.au/HypokalemiaInCats.htm
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/geriatric.html
If your cat were coming in to see me, I would do a very careful physical exam and would almost certainly recommend repeat blood tests to assess his potassium levels. He may well just need a potassium supplement!
I hope that helps you.
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The above is given for information only. Although I am a licensed veterinarian, I cannot legally prescribe medicines or diagnose your pet's condition without performing a physical exam. If you have concerns about your pet I would strongly advise contacting your regular veterinarian.
Fiona
Cat Veterinarian
Small animal medicine and surgery - 15 years experience in BC, California and Ontario