I believe my beloved 20 year old Tabby cat has had a stroke, and I'm scared I'm going to lose her...
Tabby is a tough old gal! For the past two years she's had kidney disease although since first being diagnosed, her blood/urine tests have never showed any signs of worsening. They were most recently tested two weeks ago and pretty much came back fine with little change. We've had a few health scares in the past six months but she's always bounced back and surprised us all! She had a stroke in August but recovered within a few days, however in the early hours of this morning I believe she must have had another one, but this time it seems to have knocked her back much more..
Since I found her this morning I've noticed that she can only open one eye. Her closed eye is very weepy, the pupil heavily constricted and just a thin slit, while her other eye is very dilated. She's stopped eating and drinking completely, although has been trying to use her litter tray. Thats the only time she leaves her bed, and when walking she is very slow, unsteady and seems weak particularly in her back legs..
She's also become very unresponsive..she's mostly deaf anyway through old age, but doesn't respond to me stroking or touching her, she simply lies in her bed with her eyes closed..occasionally I'll notice her tail starting to twitch as if she is agitated by me touching her..which is unlike her, although I do step back and give her some space at that point. Although at the moment I'm not quite sure she recognises me.. She has barely made a sound and seems so out of it at the moment.. I've left her asleep in her bed tonight but so worried something might happen overnight..
I know that being an old cat that she won't carry on forever, and I'm reluctant to put her through the distress of going to the vets when she's in this state. Whenever I take her she howls and howls, and her heart rate skyrockets that the vet always mentions how fast its beating, and I'm terrified that the stress of going really would be the end of things for her.. If she's no better tomorrow I may see whether a vet can come out to us instead.. i know cats can recover from strokes, and Tabby has before, but this time I'm not so sure..
The last time I was frightened of losing her, the support from this forum was so helpful and reassuring at a time when everything felt so frightening and uncertain. If anybody has any advice or suggestions then I'd be so grateful x
Tabby is a tough old gal! For the past two years she's had kidney disease although since first being diagnosed, her blood/urine tests have never showed any signs of worsening. They were most recently tested two weeks ago and pretty much came back fine with little change. We've had a few health scares in the past six months but she's always bounced back and surprised us all! She had a stroke in August but recovered within a few days, however in the early hours of this morning I believe she must have had another one, but this time it seems to have knocked her back much more..
Since I found her this morning I've noticed that she can only open one eye. Her closed eye is very weepy, the pupil heavily constricted and just a thin slit, while her other eye is very dilated. She's stopped eating and drinking completely, although has been trying to use her litter tray. Thats the only time she leaves her bed, and when walking she is very slow, unsteady and seems weak particularly in her back legs..
She's also become very unresponsive..she's mostly deaf anyway through old age, but doesn't respond to me stroking or touching her, she simply lies in her bed with her eyes closed..occasionally I'll notice her tail starting to twitch as if she is agitated by me touching her..which is unlike her, although I do step back and give her some space at that point. Although at the moment I'm not quite sure she recognises me.. She has barely made a sound and seems so out of it at the moment.. I've left her asleep in her bed tonight but so worried something might happen overnight..
I know that being an old cat that she won't carry on forever, and I'm reluctant to put her through the distress of going to the vets when she's in this state. Whenever I take her she howls and howls, and her heart rate skyrockets that the vet always mentions how fast its beating, and I'm terrified that the stress of going really would be the end of things for her.. If she's no better tomorrow I may see whether a vet can come out to us instead.. i know cats can recover from strokes, and Tabby has before, but this time I'm not so sure..
The last time I was frightened of losing her, the support from this forum was so helpful and reassuring at a time when everything felt so frightening and uncertain. If anybody has any advice or suggestions then I'd be so grateful x