Cat not well - stroke/thrombosis
Discussion
Poor little Sqweek.
Last Friday got up to go to work as usual, both cats outside my bedroom door as usual to say hello (ok, "FEED ME!").
They usually run down the stairs around my feet.
Tribble did just that. Sqweek got 2 steps down and stopped there - I didn't see him making those two steps but he couldn't do any more. Back end very weak / flopping round.
"Crap, been hit by a car / kicked" way my first thought.
Picked him up and he didn't seem to be in any pain, just sad.
In the cat basket, off to the vets.
Vet thinks he's had a blood clot in his back leg. He has a weak heart causing a very fast heartbeat, wheezy breath caused by fluid build up in his lungs.
One injection and I've got three loads of different pills to give him - he's great at taking pills but obviously isn't happy about that.
First two days completely off his food and looking worse. Third day appetite started to come back thank god.
He's eating fine now but his back end is very weak, has trouble walking at any speed other than slowly, problems going down the stairs and jumping onto the cat platform/toy which is the step up to the worktop in the utility room where he's used to eating. (been carried down the stairs every morning since)
Going back to the vets for a follow appointment on Saturday, I know he will offer me the option of having scans / xrays / inspections done to determine the cause, but as it came completely out of the blue like that and very quickly, I can't see any "cure" for it.
Just hope the little fella manages to build up some other muscles to compensate a bit so he can be happy with a more lethargic lifestyle, he's certainly not that happy at the moment.
Last Friday got up to go to work as usual, both cats outside my bedroom door as usual to say hello (ok, "FEED ME!").
They usually run down the stairs around my feet.
Tribble did just that. Sqweek got 2 steps down and stopped there - I didn't see him making those two steps but he couldn't do any more. Back end very weak / flopping round.
"Crap, been hit by a car / kicked" way my first thought.
Picked him up and he didn't seem to be in any pain, just sad.
In the cat basket, off to the vets.
Vet thinks he's had a blood clot in his back leg. He has a weak heart causing a very fast heartbeat, wheezy breath caused by fluid build up in his lungs.
One injection and I've got three loads of different pills to give him - he's great at taking pills but obviously isn't happy about that.
First two days completely off his food and looking worse. Third day appetite started to come back thank god.
He's eating fine now but his back end is very weak, has trouble walking at any speed other than slowly, problems going down the stairs and jumping onto the cat platform/toy which is the step up to the worktop in the utility room where he's used to eating. (been carried down the stairs every morning since)
Going back to the vets for a follow appointment on Saturday, I know he will offer me the option of having scans / xrays / inspections done to determine the cause, but as it came completely out of the blue like that and very quickly, I can't see any "cure" for it.
Just hope the little fella manages to build up some other muscles to compensate a bit so he can be happy with a more lethargic lifestyle, he's certainly not that happy at the moment.
so sorry to hear. The good news is that your little friend has survived the initial attack, probably because you witnessed it and acted very quickly, sadly the prognosis if it is a clot isn't great but the longer he lives the better the chances of some normality returning.Did they not keep your cat in? I'm a bit surprised if they didn't. Did they give heparin? Tx of choice if thrombus suspected.
I'm not sure what scans would be helpful (not seen a treatable case for quite a while now so diagnostic testing may have changed)
Wishing your four legged friend all the luck.
Edited by bexVN on Thursday 1st December 22:12
Thanks 
He's on Asprin 75mg once in 3 days in a week.
Fortekor 2.5mg once a day.
Frusemide 20mg twice a day.
The last two seem to be used as treatment for mild to severe heart failure, and to prevent build up of fluids.
The vet did say he'll probably be on Asprin for the rest of his life.
He's on Asprin 75mg once in 3 days in a week.
Fortekor 2.5mg once a day.
Frusemide 20mg twice a day.
The last two seem to be used as treatment for mild to severe heart failure, and to prevent build up of fluids.
The vet did say he'll probably be on Asprin for the rest of his life.
They all sound good. Aspirin is likely for life as is the Fortekor probably. The Frusemide not so sure.
As a nurse I'm not authorised to say what drugs should or shouldn't be given so just going on what I've seen used in cats for a similar problem.
As long as you see small but gradual improvements every day there is hope.
As a nurse I'm not authorised to say what drugs should or shouldn't be given so just going on what I've seen used in cats for a similar problem.
As long as you see small but gradual improvements every day there is hope.
This is going to sound harsh, but when our cats have been ill, the diagnosis was always 'unclear', the treatment 'intrusive' and ultimately after a long and costly battle, they were usually put down, having suffered for too long.
The only clear winner in Annie the cat having a stroke, Dennis having cancerous looking legions on his back, and daisy having liver failure, was the Vet's bank account.
I'm not saying that is the case with yours, but our current cat Poppy was 'rescued' on the premise that on the first sign of illness she is put down. Harsh this idea might be, but the cats protection did seem to have more cats than they wanted.
It may be that I have to lie, on my return from the Vet, and pretend I never said that.
The only clear winner in Annie the cat having a stroke, Dennis having cancerous looking legions on his back, and daisy having liver failure, was the Vet's bank account.
I'm not saying that is the case with yours, but our current cat Poppy was 'rescued' on the premise that on the first sign of illness she is put down. Harsh this idea might be, but the cats protection did seem to have more cats than they wanted.
It may be that I have to lie, on my return from the Vet, and pretend I never said that.
It's not always doom and gloom. My OH's cat had a stroke 4 years ago and quite a few complications - he's got crap mobility in his front left leg, poor but not as bad mobility in his rear right leg, and aside of not being able to clean one side of himself very well, he's a happy cat with not a care in the world - and he had a lot of problems post-stroke.
Sorry to hear your bad experiences with your cats illnesses but it's not always so black and white. Whilst there is an expense to trying to treat non straightforward cases most vets will only advise it if they genuinely feel they can help your pet, not to fatten their wallets.
Whilst the Op cat has a battle ahead if if responds well to tx he could live a decent quality of life for a few yrs.
Whilst the Op cat has a battle ahead if if responds well to tx he could live a decent quality of life for a few yrs.
fwaggie said:
Vet thinks he's had a blood clot in his back leg. He has a weak heart causing a very fast heartbeat, wheezy breath caused by fluid build up in his lungs.
One injection and I've got three loads of different pills to give him - he's great at taking pills but obviously isn't happy about that.
A fast heart rate, usually atrial fibrilation, can cause small clots to form around the heart valves due to erratic bllod flow/eddies. sometimes the clot can come free and is pumped along the arterial system. The clot/thrombus can either go up the carotid arteries to the brain and cause a stroke, or can go down the rest of the aorta and lodge/block the system at the point where the thrombus/clot is the same size as the artery/tube diameter. Ususally if only one leg is affected the clot will be in the cats equivalent of the femoral artery, but this can be daignosed by using a doppler to check the pulses, or the vet feeling for pulses comparing both sides/legs.One injection and I've got three loads of different pills to give him - he's great at taking pills but obviously isn't happy about that.
Either way, for stroke or ischaemic leg, i guess for cats, the best medical therapy will be an initial blood anticoagulation treament such as heparin or equivalent (in humans this would often be Iv tPA within 6 hours for stroke, or heparin, deltaparin, or other thrombolysis drugs for ischaemic legs). Sometimes this works well as IV, but in humans intra-muscular heparin drugs can work well too - i guess the injection your cat had was maybe this?
We have to give cats time to adapt to the iscaemic event, whether it was in the brain or directly in the leg, as the body can try to recruit other circulation pathways, and also revover neurologically in the iscaemic areas affected. Over approx 2 weeks the body will also be working on its clot-busting and sometimes we see full lysis (disssolving) of the clot, and normal circulation can resume. Any residual damage will be different for everyone - just think how different people recover from the same at different rates of success.
Aspirin is the main treatment of choice long term in humans, as when given in small doses it has a good antiplatelet action (stopping clots) but you dont need a high dose. 75mg is the human long term dose, so i guess over time your vet may reduce the cats dose to compensate - i have no idea.
I really hope yor cat does well over the next few weeks, so don't listen to the negative posts, as its too early to make a decision IMO.
My cat take tablets wrapped in parcels of cheap craft cheese slices and thinks its a real treat, so this may help.
best of luck with things, and keep us posted
Hi,
I have been massaging his legs but don't really know where to do that, so just doing it all over, although I am aware that if I shift a clot that hasn't dissolved it might travel through his body and lodge somewhere else, although if I manage to move it, it'll be moving into smaller veins & capiliaries, so if it gets out the other side of those it'll be tiny anyway.
Thanks for the "Craft cheese slice" trick, I'll get some and try it as he likes cheese.
(I've got 15 tins of tuna in sunflower oil that neither cat likes - I forgot they like the "in brine" tuna when I bought it - doh!)
mr2mk1chick said:
A fast heart rate, usually atrial fibrilation, can cause small clots to form around the heart valves due to erratic bllod flow/eddies. sometimes the clot can come free and is pumped along the arterial system. The clot/thrombus can either go up the carotid arteries to the brain and cause a stroke, or can go down the rest of the aorta and lodge/block the system at the point where the thrombus/clot is the same size as the artery/tube diameter. Ususally if only one leg is affected the clot will be in the cats equivalent of the femoral artery, but this can be daignosed by using a doppler to check the pulses, or the vet feeling for pulses comparing both sides/legs.
Either way, for stroke or ischaemic leg, i guess for cats, the best medical therapy will be an initial blood anticoagulation treament such as heparin or equivalent (in humans this would often be Iv tPA within 6 hours for stroke, or heparin, deltaparin, or other thrombolysis drugs for ischaemic legs). Sometimes this works well as IV, but in humans intra-muscular heparin drugs can work well too - i guess the injection your cat had was maybe this?
We have to give cats time to adapt to the iscaemic event, whether it was in the brain or directly in the leg, as the body can try to recruit other circulation pathways, and also revover neurologically in the iscaemic areas affected. Over approx 2 weeks the body will also be working on its clot-busting and sometimes we see full lysis (disssolving) of the clot, and normal circulation can resume. Any residual damage will be different for everyone - just think how different people recover from the same at different rates of success.
Aspirin is the main treatment of choice long term in humans, as when given in small doses it has a good antiplatelet action (stopping clots) but you dont need a high dose. 75mg is the human long term dose, so i guess over time your vet may reduce the cats dose to compensate - i have no idea.
I really hope yor cat does well over the next few weeks, so don't listen to the negative posts, as its too early to make a decision IMO.
My cat take tablets wrapped in parcels of cheap craft cheese slices and thinks its a real treat, so this may help.
best of luck with things, and keep us posted
Thanks for your, and everyones, advice.Either way, for stroke or ischaemic leg, i guess for cats, the best medical therapy will be an initial blood anticoagulation treament such as heparin or equivalent (in humans this would often be Iv tPA within 6 hours for stroke, or heparin, deltaparin, or other thrombolysis drugs for ischaemic legs). Sometimes this works well as IV, but in humans intra-muscular heparin drugs can work well too - i guess the injection your cat had was maybe this?
We have to give cats time to adapt to the iscaemic event, whether it was in the brain or directly in the leg, as the body can try to recruit other circulation pathways, and also revover neurologically in the iscaemic areas affected. Over approx 2 weeks the body will also be working on its clot-busting and sometimes we see full lysis (disssolving) of the clot, and normal circulation can resume. Any residual damage will be different for everyone - just think how different people recover from the same at different rates of success.
Aspirin is the main treatment of choice long term in humans, as when given in small doses it has a good antiplatelet action (stopping clots) but you dont need a high dose. 75mg is the human long term dose, so i guess over time your vet may reduce the cats dose to compensate - i have no idea.
I really hope yor cat does well over the next few weeks, so don't listen to the negative posts, as its too early to make a decision IMO.
My cat take tablets wrapped in parcels of cheap craft cheese slices and thinks its a real treat, so this may help.
best of luck with things, and keep us posted
I have been massaging his legs but don't really know where to do that, so just doing it all over, although I am aware that if I shift a clot that hasn't dissolved it might travel through his body and lodge somewhere else, although if I manage to move it, it'll be moving into smaller veins & capiliaries, so if it gets out the other side of those it'll be tiny anyway.
Thanks for the "Craft cheese slice" trick, I'll get some and try it as he likes cheese.
(I've got 15 tins of tuna in sunflower oil that neither cat likes - I forgot they like the "in brine" tuna when I bought it - doh!)
fwaggie said:
Thanks for your, and everyones, advice.
I have been massaging his legs but don't really know where to do that, so just doing it all over, although I am aware that if I shift a clot that hasn't dissolved it might travel through his body and lodge somewhere else, although if I manage to move it, it'll be moving into smaller veins & capiliaries, so if it gets out the other side of those it'll be tiny anyway.
Thanks for the "Craft cheese slice" trick, I'll get some and try it as he likes cheese.
(I've got 15 tins of tuna in sunflower oil that neither cat likes - I forgot they like the "in brine" tuna when I bought it - doh!)
If it is actually a clot in the arterial system in the leg, then theres no way massaging it will make the clot move anywhere worse. Massage will however encourage microvascular circualtion in the skin and muscle tissues which is helpful. It will also stimulate nerves and help stop fluid buildup in tissue if the leg isnt moving.I have been massaging his legs but don't really know where to do that, so just doing it all over, although I am aware that if I shift a clot that hasn't dissolved it might travel through his body and lodge somewhere else, although if I manage to move it, it'll be moving into smaller veins & capiliaries, so if it gets out the other side of those it'll be tiny anyway.
Thanks for the "Craft cheese slice" trick, I'll get some and try it as he likes cheese.
(I've got 15 tins of tuna in sunflower oil that neither cat likes - I forgot they like the "in brine" tuna when I bought it - doh!)
Is the leg cold? this will help suggest that it is the iscaemic leg rather than a brain stroke, but not entirely accurate - pulses are better indicators.
Its venous thromboses (DVT's) that are the dodgy ones for clot moving up the veins and to the lungs etc creating serious PE. It dosent sound like this is the case here.
keeping the leg warm will help keep the capilaries and collateral vessels open and working well to help establish good alternative circulation if it is just the leg that is blocked. ask your vet to confirm whether it is a leg blockage or a brain stroke.
LOL @ your fussy cats with the tuna! the cheese slices should do the trick!
My 16 year old lady was on the same meds last year (except the aspirin) and was also a fussy pill taker.
Some of things that worked to hide the pills in:
smoked salmon
pate - we avoided anything too garlicky!
paste - all varieties tried but salmon went down well
cream cheese
hard cheese
prawns
chicken
marmite
cream
We also got hold of a pill splitter and this made it easy to break some of the pills down into quarters if needed, but of course she knew it was there.
Unfortunately she made a decision one day that enough was enough, no more pills and she went downhill very quickly after that. She certainly ate like a princess for her last few months though!
Some of things that worked to hide the pills in:
smoked salmon
pate - we avoided anything too garlicky!
paste - all varieties tried but salmon went down well
cream cheese
hard cheese
prawns
chicken
marmite
cream
We also got hold of a pill splitter and this made it easy to break some of the pills down into quarters if needed, but of course she knew it was there.
Unfortunately she made a decision one day that enough was enough, no more pills and she went downhill very quickly after that. She certainly ate like a princess for her last few months though!
We had a similar problem with one of ours earlier this year.
Old boy about 13 or so and was fine one minute then the next morning couldnt walk at all and seemed to have lost use of his back legs. He couldnt move much for a couple of weeks.
Vet said he had probably been hit by a car which was utter rubbish as he was in no pain at all even when you picked him up.
He was on steroids for a while and even though his one back leg is still very weak (he doesnt even try to go upstairs now and can just manage to claw himself up onto the sofa) he seems fine.
Old boy about 13 or so and was fine one minute then the next morning couldnt walk at all and seemed to have lost use of his back legs. He couldnt move much for a couple of weeks.
Vet said he had probably been hit by a car which was utter rubbish as he was in no pain at all even when you picked him up.
He was on steroids for a while and even though his one back leg is still very weak (he doesnt even try to go upstairs now and can just manage to claw himself up onto the sofa) he seems fine.
Thanks all.
He's a little bit less "down" today. Not any better in strength in his rear end, but he seems to be coping a little better, less huge stumbles.
And he still insists on going out to do his business in spite of the litter tray I've put out. Stubborn git!
Off to the vets for the follow up appointment at 10.30am tomorrow.
He's a little bit less "down" today. Not any better in strength in his rear end, but he seems to be coping a little better, less huge stumbles.
And he still insists on going out to do his business in spite of the litter tray I've put out. Stubborn git!
Off to the vets for the follow up appointment at 10.30am tomorrow.
Took Sqweek back to the vet today.
He said it can't be a blood clot as it would have either gotten better or killed him by now. (he didn't mention that he could have died within a week when I visited last week!)
The fast heart rate has slowed a bit (down from 220bpm to 200), fluid in his lungs is better and fluid in his body is better.
The vet doesn't really know why his back end has gone weak. Did a test for diabetes which was negative. Both feet the same temperature, strong pulse in both thighs.
I could opt for xrays / MRI scans but they're not going to identify something that can be treated by drugs, and as he's an old cat I don't want to put him through operations that *might* cure it. He's not in any pain and is learning to cope with it.
So for the moment I'll keep on giving him the pills to get rid of any fluid build up, hopefully get his heart rate back to normal, and give him plenty of TLC and treats (with pills inside!).
But the weak back end, unknown.
(Tried him with cheese slices - he ate one rolled up blob, didn't want the second one so never got to give him the third with the pill in! Thats one idea down the pan, plenty more to go!)
He said it can't be a blood clot as it would have either gotten better or killed him by now. (he didn't mention that he could have died within a week when I visited last week!)
The fast heart rate has slowed a bit (down from 220bpm to 200), fluid in his lungs is better and fluid in his body is better.
The vet doesn't really know why his back end has gone weak. Did a test for diabetes which was negative. Both feet the same temperature, strong pulse in both thighs.
I could opt for xrays / MRI scans but they're not going to identify something that can be treated by drugs, and as he's an old cat I don't want to put him through operations that *might* cure it. He's not in any pain and is learning to cope with it.
So for the moment I'll keep on giving him the pills to get rid of any fluid build up, hopefully get his heart rate back to normal, and give him plenty of TLC and treats (with pills inside!).
But the weak back end, unknown.
(Tried him with cheese slices - he ate one rolled up blob, didn't want the second one so never got to give him the third with the pill in! Thats one idea down the pan, plenty more to go!)
fwaggie said:
Took Sqweek back to the vet today.
He said it can't be a blood clot as it would have either gotten better or killed him by now. (he didn't mention that he could have died within a week when I visited last week!)
The fast heart rate has slowed a bit (down from 220bpm to 200), fluid in his lungs is better and fluid in his body is better.
The vet doesn't really know why his back end has gone weak. Did a test for diabetes which was negative. Both feet the same temperature, strong pulse in both thighs.
I could opt for xrays / MRI scans but they're not going to identify something that can be treated by drugs, and as he's an old cat I don't want to put him through operations that *might* cure it. He's not in any pain and is learning to cope with it.
So for the moment I'll keep on giving him the pills to get rid of any fluid build up, hopefully get his heart rate back to normal, and give him plenty of TLC and treats (with pills inside!).
But the weak back end, unknown.
(Tried him with cheese slices - he ate one rolled up blob, didn't want the second one so never got to give him the third with the pill in! Thats one idea down the pan, plenty more to go!)
Have been watching this thread for a bit and i'm really sorry to hear that your cat is still suffering, the fact that there is a strong pulse and no temperature difference between legs certainly doesn't point to any clot in that region.He said it can't be a blood clot as it would have either gotten better or killed him by now. (he didn't mention that he could have died within a week when I visited last week!)
The fast heart rate has slowed a bit (down from 220bpm to 200), fluid in his lungs is better and fluid in his body is better.
The vet doesn't really know why his back end has gone weak. Did a test for diabetes which was negative. Both feet the same temperature, strong pulse in both thighs.
I could opt for xrays / MRI scans but they're not going to identify something that can be treated by drugs, and as he's an old cat I don't want to put him through operations that *might* cure it. He's not in any pain and is learning to cope with it.
So for the moment I'll keep on giving him the pills to get rid of any fluid build up, hopefully get his heart rate back to normal, and give him plenty of TLC and treats (with pills inside!).
But the weak back end, unknown.
(Tried him with cheese slices - he ate one rolled up blob, didn't want the second one so never got to give him the third with the pill in! Thats one idea down the pan, plenty more to go!)
With regards to giving pills to a cat there is one way of doing it that always works (if you can get hold of the cat long enough!).
The back of a cats mouth is not under conscious control so if you can get a tablet far enough down the mouth of a cat towards the back of its throat it will automatically swallow it and will not be able to resist. The trick is wrapping the cat up in a towel or something similar, getting someone else to hold it while you can use both hands to tilt the head back and open the jaws to get the pill down there.
I wish you luck in trying this out! and all the best for the moggie
R300will said:
With regards to giving pills to a cat there is one way of doing it that always works (if you can get hold of the cat long enough!).
The back of a cats mouth is not under conscious control so if you can get a tablet far enough down the mouth of a cat towards the back of its throat it will automatically swallow it and will not be able to resist. The trick is wrapping the cat up in a towel or something similar, getting someone else to hold it while you can use both hands to tilt the head back and open the jaws to get the pill down there.
I wish you luck in trying this out! and all the best for the moggie
All well and good plan for the odd one-off pill (yes it does work), but cats soon learn that you are approaching them with this plan in mind, so not ideal for every day IMO. they soon wise-up and you may not be able to get near them.The back of a cats mouth is not under conscious control so if you can get a tablet far enough down the mouth of a cat towards the back of its throat it will automatically swallow it and will not be able to resist. The trick is wrapping the cat up in a towel or something similar, getting someone else to hold it while you can use both hands to tilt the head back and open the jaws to get the pill down there.
I wish you luck in trying this out! and all the best for the moggie
Fwaggie - hope sqweek gets better soon x
give him time and hopefully he will be on the mend. it sounds like he has still got some fight in him
Edited by mr2mk1chick on Saturday 3rd December 21:54
Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff