Muscle diseases in cats are relatively rare and range from minor to severe. If you think your cat might have a muscle disease, symptoms you should look for include a stiff stilted gait, muscle swelling, muscle weakness, muscle pain – especially when muscles are touched – exercise intolerance, regurgitation of food, and skin lesions such as in dermatomyositis.

Muscle diseases can be present at birth or occur later in life due to things like nutritional imbalances, injuries, ingestion of poisonous substances, infections, parasites, and immune-mediated conditions. Some of the most important muscle diseases include myopathies, hypokalemic polymyopathy, tumors, congenital diseases, polymyositis and dermatomyositis, myasthenia gravis, and megaesophagus. If you suspect your cat has a muscle disease, the best thing to do is visit your veterinarian.