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Rabanastrian · Mar 30, 2007, 07:41 PM

All,

My cat had a stroke yesterday. She was in the vet's overnight, and after $600 in vet bills, they basically said "I hrunuh. Maybe you need to see a heart specialist."

I brought the cat home and she cannot stand up under her own power. She eats, purrs, and can respond to sound and touch stimulus, but cannot stand and walk.

Do cats somewhat recover from these kinds of things? Or is it all downhill from here?

Thanks.

RubyPitbull · Mar 31, 2007, 07:40 AM

Raba, I am so very sorry to hear about your troubles. I know how distressing this can be for any pet owner. Not knowing how old your cat is makes it a little difficult to determine what the future holds. I am not surprised by your vet's attitude. With cats, it is one of those monitoring situations. You have to wait and see if she bounces back within the next week.

Here is some info I found for you:

5. STROKES

True strokes are uncommon in cats and those that do have them usually recover faster and more completely than humans though they may remain slightly lopsided. Following a stroke, the cat may be temporarily blind or partly paralysed and may lose control of bladder or bowel. Most vets advise a "wait and see" approach. Once the initial effects have worn off, many cats go on to live very long, healthy and happy lives with little more than a head tilt, minor tremor or slightly wobbly gait as a reminder.

Saddle Thrombus (described in more detail later) is sometimes called the feline equivalent of a stroke and can cause permanent weakness of the hind legs. Affected cats may need ramps or steps to compensate. He may temporarily lose control of bowel or bladder depending on the severity of the damage. One of my elderly cats recovered well, but afterwards she always leaned on the wall when going up or down stairs.

I pulled the above from this link: TOWARDS THE END - From Feline Old Age Through To Pet Bereavement
I think it is something that would be worthwhile reading through it's entirety. It gives quite a lot of advice on caring for an older cat.

I know we have a few vet techs on this forum. I am sure they will stop by and weigh in with their opinions. I am unsure why the vet suggested a heart specialist. During the next week, you may want to have her evaluated by a different vet in your area to see what he/she thinks. Ask your vet for copies of the records and tests from yesterday and bring them with you when you go for the second evaluation.

I wish you the best of luck and hope that your baby bounces back from this quickly without suffering any major issues.

Rabanastrian · Mar 31, 2007, 09:45 AM

Thanks for the info. I guess we'll wait and see. She's not any better this morning, but I'll give it a week.

RubyPitbull · Mar 31, 2007, 09:59 AM

As long as she doesn't seem to be in distress and is purring, drinking fluids, eating a bit, just give her a lot of love and comfort. If nothing changes by Tuesday, consider seeking out another vet. Try to make an appointment before the week is out.

I am sending you positive thoughts from cyberspace! :)