My cat has polio-like symptoms. Is 'feline polio' a real disease?

Poor Little Bit! In a young cat an infectious disease would have to be high on the list. I would be suspicious that she could have the dry form of FIP, eventhough the bloodwork is not showing typical changes that usually occur with the disease. Unfortunately, FIP is difficult to diagnose but you could ask your vet about doing an xray and ultrasound of her abdomen to look for changes. Hope she feels better soon!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The signs you describe can be caused by an irregularity in the spine - this may cause the bones to compress the actual spinal cord, damaging the nerves that are responsible for controlling the back legs and tail. A veterinary neurologist would be able to further diagnose the condition and propose a treatment plan, your original vet may be able to recommend one. I would be happy to take a look at x-rays or bloodwork and answer any questions you may have about them!

Poor Zoey! Unfortunately, the video will not load on the Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach forum, but I can get a sense for her abnormal gait from your description and the pictures. My first concern would be that Zoey may have cerebellar hypoplasia, but meningitis, toxoplasmosis, congenital lysosomal storage diseases, FIP, FIV, FeLV or spinal cord lesions are all possible. If it has not yet been done, ask your vet about performing a blood test for FIV and FeLV (feline leukemia). Otherwise, hopefully they are able to obtain further insight from a veterinary neurologist or internal medicine specialist. I hope that all goes well!

Poor Tosio! I'm sorry to hear that she's sick. If she isn't fully vaccinated, I would be concerned that she might have an illness called feline panleukopenia, which is a very serious infectious disease of kittens that causes lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, and often death if not treated promptly. It's also possible that she may have gotten into something toxic, or contracted some other type of infection. Since she sounds quite sick, I would recommend taking her to an emergency clinic this evening to be seen. If you're not sure where to go, try calling your regular vet's office - their voicemail message should have contact information for your nearest ER or an on-call doctor for emergencies.

It sounds like your vet is suspicious that something may be wrong with Snoopy's spinal cord. Intervertebral disc disease, infections or inflammation around the spinal cord, or cancer would all be possibilities. If a test for FeLV has not been performed and if Snoopy goes outdoors or has never had this test in his life you may want to ask your vet about this - FeLV can cause cancer of the spinal cord that can lead to paralysis. Otherwise it sounds like all diagnostics have probably already been performed and without further testing there may not be much to do other than supportive care. You could ask about referral to a specialist, but that might not be available in your area either.

Difficulty walking could be a sign of neurologic disease, and infection would be a concern for a cat Fluff's age. Some parasites like toxoplasmosis can cause neurologic disease, as can viruses like the feline immunodeficiency virus. Difficulty walking could also be related to trauma but this might be more obvious on an exam. If the labs are not conclusive, a referral to a neurology specialist might be recommended as sometimes advanced diagnostics like an MRI and/or spinal tap are necessary for a diagnosis. If she continues to eat and drink normally and does not seem painful I'd wait for test results to come back and discuss the next step with your veterinarian.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cat. I am sorry to hear about the recent problems you are noticing. Spondylosis is arthritis in the spine. It can limit mobility, but does not typically cause as severe of symptoms as you have described. Intervertebral disc disease is a common cause of hind end weakness or paralysis. It can be extremely painful and would be another differential for the symptoms you have described. I hope this information helps!