My cat had a stroke. Are we doing the right thing?

[Grey Mist]

We are in such a mess with Grey. We finally got a large cell lymphoma diagnosis based on ultrasound by an internal medicine specialist. Three FNA were inconclusive. The oncologist at the same hospital was comfortable starting chemo without surgical biopsy.

After one week Grey had reduction in intestinal wall thickening. She got another chemo treatment and the vet gave us 9-12 months assuming she responded to treatment.

Then on Monday her third eyelid would not retract. As the day went on it got better. I had called the oncology department Monday morning because I was not sure if it was related to the cancer or chemo. The oncologist told me to take her to her regular vet. We were able to get an appointment for Tuesday.

Monday evening Grey was breathing rapidly, and then later on her sides started heaving in like she was breathing hard. We took her to the ER where she is getting cancer treatment. We did blood work and chest xrays and after ruling everything out the vet suspected a blood clot.

Unfortunately we had been there 6 hours and my husband is not any use after 9 pm and I am not any use when I am emotional (which I was). After doing the other tests the ER vet wanted to do a teg test to check clotting in the blood but it was going to take an hour to wait for the machine to turn on and my husband had to be at work. The vet seemed to suggest the clot would resolve but Grey was at risk for more clots in the future. We just figured we would deal with the teg test later and we rushed home.

Grey slept all day Tuesday but she did eat and drink. Then around 6 pm I noticed her eyes moving back and forth rapidly so we rushed back to the ER. It was the same guy and he said grey had a stroke. He did the Teg test and she did show some minor issues with clotting. He gave her medicine to reduce any swelling in the brain but nothing changed for Grey.

I really got mixed messages because he was talking about not doing middle of the road treatment. We either had to hospitalize her and treat the stroke or put her to sleep. But after she did not respond to the drug for brain swelling, he told us we could take her home. I kept asking whether this would be doing "middle of the road" treatment but he would not answer. He told us if she still had the stroke symptoms after 2 or 3 days we would have to euthanize her.

Grey started to show some improvement in walking on Wednesday. Today she has shown more improvement. She is eating and drinking and she cries when she needs to go to the litter box. It breaks my heart to see her like this and I know she wants to do things on her own.

I read through a lot of posts here about stroke and a lot of people say there is a chance. I was able to get a neurology appointment for next Thursday. We don't want Grey to suffer but we don't want to say goodbye if she can recover. Of course her prognosis is more guarded because of the cancer and we could be going through the same thing a month from now. But I just did not feel comfortable with the ER experience and I want to make sure we have done everything possible.

Any suggestions are appreciated!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Can she not walk well enough yet to get around? You said she cries when she needs to go to the litter box, that's why I ask the question. You could try putting litter in a very low sided cardboard box lined with plastic if her issue is she cannot step into a high sided box yet.

Since she seems to be improving daily, I think it's too soon to make any immediate decisions, especially since she is eating and drinking. If she had given up, she wouldn't be doing that.

As long as she doesn't seem to be in any pain, I would hang on at least until next Thursday and see what the neurologist says. Is she currently on any blood thinners to prevent any further strokes? Of course, make sure her oncologist and regular Vet are in the loop with what is going on as they may have some input.

 

[Grey Mist]

Thanks for your reply. She was given plavix once a day as blood thinner. She still struggles to walk and cannot walk very far but it is an improvement over where she was yesterday. Also, her rapid eye movement has decreased.

We are trying to be realistic because there might be too much damage, but because there is daily improvement we do not want to give up yet.

Thanks for the litter box idea. We will try that. I just hope she is not in pain. I think more than anything she is frustrated. She wants to be sitting on her big box and doing all her cat things she likes to do. Right now she stays with my husband (she is super bonded to him) so that helps.

The ER doc filled in the oncologist since they are in the same hospital and I have sent records to the regular vet. We like her oncologist but when I sent photos of Grey's eye Monday she said she had never seen that before. So I am not sure how much input she can provide.

I was hoping we could make it until next Thursday. I am glad I was able to get an appointment so soon. The other place I called did not have an opening until July 7!

We will just take it day by day and see what happens!

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am so sorry to hear all of this - but very glad she is showing improvement. Please do keep us posted. We are rooting for Grey - and you.

 

[theyremine]

Of course the cancer and treatments are a contributing factor, but at our shelter we had a cat who suffered a stroke and could hardly move at all. Our vet advised to give him a month. He made a remarkable recovery and his only limitation is he can not jump high (as on to a high bed) My prayers to Grey.

 

[Margot Lane]

if it’s any consolation whatsoever I just learned a tremendous amount by reading your post…maybe you are helping others in helping your dear Grey. Sending you positive energy, and please let us know what happens. Deep breaths….

 

[CindyH66]

aw, what a tough spot to be in ! Grey is blessed to have such a loving family willing to go the extra mile for her ..yay ! If she is showing improvement , and trying to recover ... and you are willing to put forth the effort to help her with her special needs right now, then I say , you sound like you are doing the right thing ! I had a kitty .. snowball who was battling renal failure and cancer ( at once!) we loved her and did all we could for her ..near the end , she would only eat tuna juice ( so WE lived on tuna fish , so she could have the juice !) .. and it became clear to us ..when she had had enough. YOU know your baby best ... trust your heart .. those little ones are capable of remarkable things .. love on her while you can !praying for the best outcome for you ; when her time does come, you will have the peace of knowing you did all you could ... and that is all any of us can do. She sounds like she has had a wonderful life with you .

 

[Grey Mist]

Thanks so much everybody for your prayers and positive thoughts and encouragement. I know the ER doc wanted us to put her to sleep right there on the spot. The previous night he was not assertive enough in ordering the proper tests, and then the next night he became aggressive and judgmental ("look at all you have put Grey through"). I talked to the vet tech at her primary care vet office and she said Grey was suffering and we should say goodbye. But Grey is letting us pet her and love her and she still gets excited for food. She sat with my husband on the couch yesterday and then rested at his feet.

I am so encouraged by the stories of cats who have made recoveries and by the encouragement from all of you about still giving Grey a chance. We know that she might not recover, just because other cats have. But we want her to let us know what is best for her and she still seems to have some life in her.

To the person who mentioned that you had learned a lot... I have learned more from this site than from any vet office, so I will add some info here that will hopefully help someone. Our other cat got an IBD diagnosis last year and I talked to an employee at Vitality Science. He spent an hour on the phone with me and he was super helpful. I called the company yesterday to ask about pain and the same guy called me today and we spent another hour on the phone. If anybody is interested in holistic medicine such as supplements, I highly recommend the company. He gave me a treatment protocol for using Panacur to help the cancer. I told him that our oncologist is into alternative medicine as well as traditional medicine but she pooh-poohed the use of Panacur because there was not enough scientific evidence. He disagreed with that. I still have not done enough of my own research, and I did not really pursue it because my husband wanted to keep everything under the vet's purview which I can respect. I learned about Vitslity Science from someone here and I just wanted to share my positive experiences and my recommendation.

Thanks again to everybody for your encouragement!

 

[IndyJones]

If she is enjoying life (which it sounds like, I would not have her put down. Sometimes God will take them before they really suffer. If she isn't suffering let God's hand take her when the time is right.

While it is ultimately your choice, I don't see any reason to put down an animal who is still enjoying life and giving you love. Even if they have a terminal illness, they aren't necessarily suffering.

 

[Jcatbird]

I have kept a couple of people company during their cats stroke. Both recovered to have some quality time. Every cat is different and the two cats I mention were different. One made a great recovery over night with few effects and lived many more years. The other was weak at first and their human began helping kitty with things like litter box. Over some days the cat began walking but the person helped her gain strength by supporting her weight as she walked. Sort of physical therapy for her. She improved greatly and was walking on her own, eating and living life well the last time I spoke with them. She is a very old kitty but she has quality of life. She purrs, loves petting and brushing and wants her treats and favorite foods. She isn’t as fast as before and cannot jump to high places but she is not suffering. I think it’s all about quality of life and that getting lots of professional input by vets is a great thing. Trusting your instincts since you know your cat better than anyone is also important. I do know that vets are human. They can have a bad day, they can misjudge but it is sometimes miscommunication too. Ask lots of questions, do your research and if you doubt something, ask again or ask someone else. Second opinions should be okay with a vet. These days work overloads are tough on everyone. If kitty is doing well, use this time to savor each day and make any appointments you feel might be useful. Often we learn as we go. You have been doing a wonderful job taking care of this kitty and researching. She is obviously in the best place a kitty could be! She’s very lucky to have you both giving her love. Please do keep us updated. We all learn from what you share.

 

[Alldara]

I wanted to share another quick resource. This was great use to me when we went to a vet who wasn't as educated on cats.

When I get a diagnosis or think I know what's wrong, I search for it and then put VCA afterwards. It pulls up the VCA panflit on how THEY do things with cats and I know how to advocate for my cat. (This is how I learned our prev. Vet took Lily off antibiotics too soon for an ear infection) Some infographics have more information than others. For instance the strokes one says treatment depends on underlying cause.

Strokes in Cats.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. I didn’t have time to read replies. I just got off a 12 hr shift at an animal Er myself. One thing to keep in mind. ER vets are ER vets. The point of an ER is to keep patients alive. Or to end their suffering. Most ER vets are much better with dogs than cats. Many have limited cat experience and expertise. You really need your internal medicine vet for most things.
Did any of the vets mention saddle thrombosis? That is where they throw a clot to one or both back legs. The prognosis is guarded.
How is your cat doing? Is kitty able to do things they enjoy? Able to eat and sleep comfortably? Are you continuing to try for you or your cat?
These are all really tough questions you must ask yourself every day.
What do you feel in your gut? You know your cat better than anyone.

 

[CindyH66]

a quick note ... a saddle thrombus is also caused by a blood clot, but it is fatal. if it isn't 99 % of the time the best option is to end the suffering as it so horribly painful for them and the outcome is not good. I have lost 2 cats to it. wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. The chance of recovery of practically nill, and it is usually brought on by some underlying problem that is still there. Grey is battling cancer and the chemo may factor into the clotting. I pray they dont encounter that one !!

 

[Meowmee]

So sorry for what you and Grey are dealing with. The decisions are never easy and we often don’t have the full story about what exactly is happening. If she was breathing heavily it sounds more like a pe vs saddle thrombus unless she also has heart disease. The clots could be caused by the cancer and or the chemo. She could be anemic but I assume they did bloodwork with all of the treatment she’s getting.

Cats can survive saddle thrombus if they get the proper treatment, and they are lucky someone on here posted about their cat a few months ago who had received a true anticoagulant because the one you mentioned is not and will not prevent clots- Plavix. Their kitty survived and recovered from 2 ST.

My Sybil had chf and crd and she suffered a saddle thrombus. At that point her heart condition was so advanced that DVM did not think she was going to survive very long so we chose to let her go. With my Wizard he also had probably large cell lymphoma, he was never biopsied because he was too old and sick at the time so he was just treated for that eventually after treating ibd for a while. Actually he was traeted with chlorambucil so he was treated as for small cell. But I suspect he really had large cell from how much time it took for him to leave. He had already been on steroids for quite a while for IBD and he was anemic and on epogen due to kidney disease.

I kept him with me as long as I could because he wanted to stay, he also had kidney disease. And then one day I just knew it was time, he crashed quickly, we took him in and he left and it was the most peaceful of all of my cats ever. I miss him every second.

Just spend what time you can with her and try to make it the best, chances are she’s not going to make it out of this but we never know what is going to happen for sure until we do know, sometimes you can just tell. Hugs to all