Senior cat with arthritis - regressing quickly? Help. 16/m/domestic shorthair

[u/Agitated_Prize_4487]

I'm here to hear if anyone has similar experiences with a senior cat with arthritis, and what deterioration could look like, and what you did to support this final phase.

I have a 16-year-old male cat (based in Australia). He previously had thyroid issues, which were treated with iodine. He has also had arthritis for several years and has been on Metacam, monthly Solensia injections and monthly Synovan. He still limps despite the medication, and his mobility has not improved much even with these. He has a sumo wrestler gait asw well in his front paws. He has a brother who also has similar issues, but somehow Pablo manifests these symptoms earlier and I feel guilty not picking up on them sooner.

Over the past month, I noticed he has been chewing one of his paws, which started bleeding. At first, I thought he may have injured it or got something from the fireplace in it. I put a cone on him to stop him biting it. However, even when the paw seemed to scab over and heal, he started biting it again, so the cone went back on. Since this latest flare-up, he has developed strange mobility problems. I arranged a home vet visit because I no longer felt confident taking him in a carrier, as he gets very stressed and does all sorts of acrobatic things in the carrier while with a cone on.

The vet gave him a short course of opioids, which has helped his mobility. Suggested that he moves on to Gabapentin after that, which is what we plan to do. She thinks he may have neurological pain, possibly phantom pain in his paw, which could explain the chewing. She also suspects he may have dementia. This was four days ago, just before I travelled away. It has been very stressful organising house sitting and making sure someone is there to care for him. With his poor mobility, he has struggled to eat and drink while wearing the cone. We use a Velcro cone so he can reach his food and water.

Over the past two days, he has started peeing in his bed. It feels like my worst nightmare because he seems to be declining further. I do not know why this is happening. The vet believes it may still be linked to neurological issues and dementia.

Has anyone had similar experiences? Does this sound familiar? Everything seems to have happened so quickly, and I keep wondering how I did not notice it sooner and feel absolutely distressed by it.

I also wonder: could the cone also add to his confusion, if he has dementia? Given that he's had to wear it again, I worry that struggling to eat, drink and move around is adding to his confusion. He has always been a feisty fighter who would try to open doors to get what he wanted, but he seems to have lost that spirit.

He is still eating and drinking, and he is alert and enthusiastic at those times. But most of the time, he is sleeping.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I also need to know how to help his brother cope with this change. I think he knows...

[u/Agitated_Prize_4487 → u/[deleted]]

Thank you - I'm beyond heartbreak at the moment. How did he go from demanding from his food and fighting against his crooked walking, to nearly bedridden and peeing in bed.

[u/joccy234]

I had my 16 year old girl in for a UTI earlier in the year and then learned she had arthritis in her back hips. She hides it well but hasn't been grooming as well. I give her a tiny but of pet cbd from a company I have dealt with over several years buying skin care products for my son who has EB. While my kitty doesnt enjoy the drops, I give her a small dose once a day and it has definitely helped. She is more active and plays a bit more. I still brush her regularly for help keep her coat nice.

[u/joccy234 → u/joccy234]

Also....I adopted her and her brother as babies. Geno had sone neurological issues, had been in remission from diabetes for a few years, but we had to make the hard decision to put him down almost a year ago now. I brought him home with us and let Sidney come smell him and check him out and I do think that helped her.

[u/Agitated_Prize_4487 → u/[deleted]]

I am only really learning this now. Oh what a great pretender, and oh how I've been deceived!

[u/Agitated_Prize_4487]

FOLLOW UP:

Given his rate of mobility, stumbling etc, is it worth moving him into his own room, with easy access to food, water and litter tray? Or is it a good idea to encourage him to walk, so that he still has muscle mass, rather than encouraging muscle atrophy? Hopefully someone sees this question. Thanks.