Feline Stroke. Please Help!

[Kasiagw88]

Hello, I need some much needed advice. My 9 year old cat suffered a stroke this past Monday. We picked her up from the vet last night and will be taking care of her at home. She can eat on her own and we give water through a syringe; vet put her on a steroid. She isn't able to get up. She lays on her side trying to pick herself up but can't. She can move and pick up her paws but, it's impossible for her to pick up her body to sit let alone stand. I'm looking for some words of wisdom. Maya is fighting and I can tell she wants to get up but, I don't know what else to do to help. Do you think it's a possibility that she will walk again? I also am taking her quality of life into consideration and don't want to prolonge things for my own selfish reasons of not wanting to let her go because I love her dearly. Please help! I would appreciate some contact here or by PM.

I know that only time will tell but, any advice of tips would be greatly appreciated. My heart aches for her

 

[mokapi]

It's just been a few days-- I would give her time to get her strength back, especially if you can tell that she's trying. The fact that she's eating, and can drink with your help, is always a good sign.

 

[babiesmom5]

Don't give up...and by all means, don't put her down! I had a cat who had a stroke. She fell off the bed one morning. She could not walk or stand up, just rolled over. She looked pitiful. I took her to a specialty clinic where she was seen by a very good Neurologist. At first, Vet was unsure whether she had a stroke or whether she had a brain tumor. An MRI confirmed a stroke. He explained that cats have remarkable recovery following a stroke. They can very quickly "re-learn" motor skills. Just give them a bit of time in a secure environment. She remained hospitalized for a few days at the clinic under watch of the Neurologist who saw positive progress each day. After about 3 days, she came home. She made steady progress and withing 2 weeks, she was walking and doing everything just as normal as ever! But, there is a reason that a cat has a stroke. In her case, it was found that she had high blood pressure, so was put on medication for that. She made a full and complete recovery from the stroke, but a few years later, had a second stroke, only a "mini-stroke", and again fully recovered in a few days from this one. She went on to live a good quality of life until the ripe old age of 20!

Try to support her with necessary food and water during this critical period. She may need help with using the litter box also. Keep her in a safe, secure indoor environment, no steps or obstacles to run into or hurt herself. Give her time and a lot of love. I think she will regain use of her limbs again. If you have any further questions, please ask. I wish Maya all the best!

 

[moggielover]

So sorry to hear about your kitty!

Give those steroids awhile (a few weeks) to do their thing. In the meantime, some gentle physical therapy can at least help with circulation and comfort for your Maya. It has to be miserable for her to be confined to one area because she physically cannot get up.

A few questions before I offer any advice (strokes vary in severity) :

Did the vet know/tell you what type of stroke Maya had (ischemic or hemorrhagic) or affected location on the brain (some vets use MRI/CAT scans to determine where the stroke occured)? Do you know the origin of the stroke (underlying disease, small saddle thrombus that travelled to the brain, hyperT, diabetes, etc.)? If you don't know the origin, did your vet check for underlying heart disease (seems to be the most common reason for feline strokes)?

Is Maya attempting to use all limbs (paralysis versus limb weakness)? Are any limbs more affected than others? Is she keeping food and liquid down? Does she have bowel/bladder control (obviously, she cannot get to her box, but she should be showing signs that she at least knows she is about to go, or has gone, such as scooting away from any output, cleaning or attempting to clean herself)?

There are therapies that can be done to help Maya recover (physical therapy), and I can offer advice there, but it depends on what Maya can do NOW, versus what she can do in a few weeks' time.

Not to give you false hope, but many kitties recover to walking, and even running function, after a stroke. Most will have residual issues such as weakness, wobbly motions, and other motor function deficits.

It can take a few weeks to a few months to get an idea of just how limited Maya will be, but don't throw in the towel now! Give the steroids time to do their thing, and Maya time to do hers!

Time is going to be the bane of your existence for a few weeks!

 

[Kasiagw88]

So sorry to hear about your kitty!

Give those steroids awhile (a few weeks) to do their thing. In the meantime, some gentle physical therapy can at least help with circulation and comfort for your Maya. It has to be miserable for her to be confined to one area because she physically cannot get up.

A few questions before I offer any advice (strokes vary in severity) :

Did the vet know/tell you what type of stroke Maya had (ischemic or hemorrhagic) or affected location on the brain (some vets use MRI/CAT scans to determine where the stroke occured)? Do you know the origin of the stroke (underlying disease, small saddle thrombus that travelled to the brain, hyperT, diabetes, etc.)? If you don't know the origin, did your vet check for underlying heart disease (seems to be the most common reason for feline strokes)?

Is Maya attempting to use all limbs (paralysis versus limb weakness)? Are any limbs more affected than others? Is she keeping food and liquid down? Does she have bowel/bladder control (obviously, she cannot get to her box, but she should be showing signs that she at least knows she is about to go, or has gone, such as scooting away from any output, cleaning or attempting to clean herself)?

There are therapies that can be done to help Maya recover (physical therapy), and I can offer advice there, but it depends on what Maya can do NOW, versus what she can do in a few weeks' time.

Not to give you false hope, but many kitties recover to walking, and even running function, after a stroke. Most will have residual issues such as weakness, wobbly motions, and other motor function deficits.

It can take a few weeks to a few months to get an idea of just how limited Maya will be, but don't throw in the towel now! Give the steroids time to do their thing, and Maya time to do hers!

Time is going to be the bane of your existence for a few weeks!

Thank you for the response and kind words!
Update on Maya:

Unfortunately, we couldn't get an MRI done because of the cost ranging anywhere up to 4K. The vet diagnosed it a stroke based on her symptoms. Told me that a brain tumor is also a possibility but, is leaning towards stroke. She did get testing done to find any underlying heart disease. He told me that on the X-ray her heart seemed enlarged so, he then decided on completing an echocardiogram but, found nothing. All other tests couldn't show what may have caused the stroke.

Her current condition hasn't changed drastically since when she came home Wednesday night. Though she is more alert I feel and she is picking up her front limbs and reaching out trying to scoot out of her bed that I prepared in a huge crate. She's trying to get out of the bed by attempting to grab the sides of the crate and push herself out. Makes her very mad that she can't get up :/ She seems to have more motion in her front paws than her back but, does move both front and back fighting me off while I'm giving her physical therapy (rotating all limbs in light slow motions.) She even swatted at me today while I was washing her down. It makes me so happy to see that she hasn't lost her "sassy attitude!"

As for going to the bathroom; she is on wee wee pads. Her movement is limited and doesn't move when she goes but, she is using her front paws to attempt to groom.

I hope this helps and you can give me more advice and tips on what to do to get our Maya back!

 

[Kasiagw88]

It's just been a few days-- I would give her time to get her strength back, especially if you can tell that she's trying. The fact that she's eating, and can drink with your help, is always a good sign.

Thank you! I posted and update on Maya. I have high hopes for her. She's a fighter!

 

[Kasiagw88]

Don't give up...and by all means, don't put her down! I had a cat who had a stroke. She fell off the bed one morning. She could not walk or stand up, just rolled over. She looked pitiful. I took her to a specialty clinic where she was seen by a very good Neurologist. At first, Vet was unsure whether she had a stroke or whether she had a brain tumor. An MRI confirmed a stroke. He explained that cats have remarkable recovery following a stroke. They can very quickly "re-learn" motor skills. Just give them a bit of time in a secure environment. She remained hospitalized for a few days at the clinic under watch of the Neurologist who saw positive progress each day. After about 3 days, she came home. She made steady progress and withing 2 weeks, she was walking and doing everything just as normal as ever! But, there is a reason that a cat has a stroke. In her case, it was found that she had high blood pressure, so was put on medication for that. She made a full and complete recovery from the stroke, but a few years later, had a second stroke, only a "mini-stroke", and again fully recovered in a few days from this one. She went on to live a good quality of life until the ripe old age of 20!

Try to support her with necessary food and water during this critical period. She may need help with using the litter box also. Keep her in a safe, secure indoor environment, no steps or obstacles to run into or hurt herself. Give her time and a lot of love. I think she will regain use of her limbs again. If you have any further questions, please ask. I wish Maya all the best!

Thank you! All of this support gives us strength in fighting for our Maya. I appreciate the kind words and advice. It's so difficult to see her like this but, I'm hoping and praying she gets back on her fight. It's not her time yet!

 

[moggielover]

That's actually great news!

You can do kitty massages for circulation and easing minor discomfort.

If you feel comfortable doing so, you can use a pillowcase, folded lengthwise, as a belly sling. You wrap it around her tummy, and using the ends (the ends should be toward her back), you help support her to her feet. You can do this a few times a day. It gets her off her sides, and can help her keep her muscle mass, making for an easier recovery. Don't allow her to walk, unless/until she is fully on her feet properly, without you needing to help orient her paws. If you need to, you can hold the pillowcase ends with one hand, and use your free hand to orient her paws in the correct standing position.

Also, be sure to turn her every few hours, if she cannot turn herself. This prevents sore spots, and allows adequate circulation to all limbs.

With time, you should be noticing improvements, some small, others huge! Don't fret about setbacks; they will happen, but as she gains whatever strength she can back, there will be far less setbacks!

Best of luck to you and Maya!

 

[Geoffrey]

I am a human doctor, a specialist in internal medicine, not a vet. From your description of her symptoms, your cat sounds as if she has suffered a hemiplegia - or paralysis of one side of her body. The most likely cause of this is a blockage of one of the cerebral arteries to the other side of the brain. Cerebral haemorrhages can cause also cause a hemiplegia but the patient often dies shortly after the bleed because of progressive bleeding into the brain so this is unlikely. Other possible causes are a bleed into a brain tumour but this is rare.

A CAT (Computerised Axial Tomography) scan is a cheaper alternative to an MRI and may be helpful. It could also give your vet further information about the prognosis and it may be worth discussing with your vet - but a CAT scan will not be cheap!

The fact that the cat is moving both front limbs is a good sign and I have seen many human hemiplegiae exhibit complete or partial recovery, only time will tell and in the meantime passive movements, as described by moggielover will help prevent contractures and are important.

With all best wishes to you both,
Geoffrey

 

[katlady-18]

I don't have any helpful advice, just wanted to send your kitty good wishes. Hoping she can make a nice recovery and go on to have many more good years with you.

 

[lavishsqualor]

I'm pulling for your little Maya. I feel like she can recover from this!