16-year old female with odd symptoms.

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peeweesdaddy

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PeeWee, my 16 year old female appeared to have some kind of seizure last night (like a stroke?) which she came out of within a few minutes. Her pupils completely dilated, one side of her face puffed out and her whiskers on that side stood proud, she tried to walk but was unable to properly, but as I say came out of it quickly.

This morning she appears fine apart from her breathing being quite fast/pronounced and quite deep too. She's eating fine, taking in plenty of fluids, grooming normally, and using her litter tray normally too.

Up to a few minutes ago, she was curled up next to me purring quite happily, she's just gone for a wander around the house (she is purely a house cat, doesn't go outside at all and never had).

In the situation we are in, vet bills are hard to manage and, because of her age, I'm frightened that either the cost will be incredibly prohibitive and/or they'll just suggest euthanasia.

I want whatever's is best for my little lady, but am just hoping for some input from the members of the site as to what may be the likely cause of Pee's symptoms before I have to make the call.

Thanks for reading.
 

stephenq

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Thanks for reading.
Sometimes animals have a "one off" seizure that doesn't recur but obviously the safest thing to do is a vet exam, but i highly doubt this is going to result in a euthanasia suggestion or an expensive treatment.  If it was the start of epilepsy that can be controlled with a fairly simple medication, and if it was far more serious like a brain tumor (very unlikely) then you would probably just keep her comfortable for as long as possible.  If you can afford a basic exam, then i would take her in.
 

Anne

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Welcome to TCS!

I've had something similar happen to my cat when she was around that age. It's a very scary experience for the owner but thankfully, the cats seem to come through unconcerned.

I agree with @StephenQ  that a vet is not likely to suggest euthanasia. It's not likely to be epilepsy as that usually shows itself at a much earlier age. The more likely issue is some form of a stroke, according to my vet, and the good news is that very often, it does not lead to permanent brain damage in cats. 

A veterinarian should examine her and perform blood tests. It's possible, for example, that you may be able to control her blood pressure with medication and hopefully prevent future episodes. It may end up being easier and cheaper to treat than what you may think. Look at it this way, worse case scenario with treatment that you can't afford and/or a vet who suggests euthanasia (highly unlikely IMO), both are things which you can refuse. You'll have a better idea of what's going on and you can make a better-informed decision based on that.

I see that you're in the UK. There are low-cost clinics operated in various locations in the UK both by the RSPCA and the Blue Cross. Might be worth checking their websites and see if there's a location near you.

Good luck and let us know how she's doing!
 
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peeweesdaddy

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Unfortunately, at 6.30pm last night, PeeWee suffered a seizure, we took her straight to the out-of-hours vet, and at 7.40pm she passed away.

The vet suggested, considering her recent symptoms and the severity of the seizure she had whilst at the surgery, that PeeWee had a brain tumour and it would have been untreatable due to her age, etc.

Devastated doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling.
 

Anne

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I am so so sorry to hear that. Sending many hugs down your way. It is so hard losing a cat after 16 years. Heartbreaking. 
 

stephenq

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Unfortunately, at 6.30pm last night, PeeWee suffered a seizure, we took her straight to the out-of-hours vet, and at 7.40pm she passed away.

The vet suggested, considering her recent symptoms and the severity of the seizure she had whilst at the surgery, that PeeWee had a brain tumour and it would have been untreatable due to her age, etc.

Devastated doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling.
I am so very sorry for your loss.  This is terrible news and not what you or any of us expected.  Devastating.  Deepest sympathies. 
 

pushylady

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I'm so sorry that PeeWee didn't make it. Frightening how quickly it all happened, and I think that makes it harder to deal with. You can at least console yourself with the thought that she had 16 good years in a loving home.
RIP PeeWee. :rbheart:
 
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