Stroke in a cat: symptoms, possible causes and characteristics of treatment

Older animals, like people aged, are subject to various diseases. Therefore, it is important for their owners to know the symptoms of ailments in order to provide first aid in a timely manner. Competent actions of the owner can save a life to the pet. For example, a stroke in a cat is often fatal. But with the rapid reaction of man and knowing the algorithms of the development of the disease, the animal can be saved.

Causes and signs of a stroke in cats

Many people are sure that pets do not suffer from human ailments. In fact, this is not so. Cats and dogs sometimes get strokes. Stroke is a disorder of the cerebral circulation, as a result of which the parts of the brain are affected and some functions of the body stop working or function intermittently. Cats have a stroke of several kinds.

1. Hemorrhagic stroke - damage to the blood vessel and its further blockage leads to a violation of blood circulation. This occurs as a result of the presence of parasites or a thrombus.
2. Ischemic stroke - occurs after blockage of the vessel.

There are many causes of circulatory disorders. These are high blood pressure, genetic features of the vessels, tumors, poisoning, improper nutrition with an abundance of fatty foods and much more. Often, a stroke in a cat is a consequence of diseases such as diabetes, kidney, heart or thyroid damage. How to diagnose it yourself?

As in the case of people, when there is a stroke in a cat, the symptoms are too obvious. Therefore, it is important to clearly know the signs of circulatory disorders, in order to react in time. A dangerous symptom is the inclination of the head in a strange direction. Most often, it tilts sideways, and can also swing from side to side as a result of muscle weakness. This symptom persists for two weeks after the stroke.

If you suspect a stroke in a cat, look carefully into her eyes. They can quickly twitch, the pupils at the same time are of different sizes. Anxious symptom is a short-term loss of consciousness. Due to brain damage, there is a lack of coordination.

Distinctive symptom

Take a good look at the gait of the animal. When the brain is broken, the back arches unnaturally, the cat walks around the room in circles. At the same time making the usual movements is not available for the pet. It's all about muscle weakness. It is characteristic that convulsions are observed only on one side - left or right. Paralysis is rare in animals.

What should alert?

The above signs do not describe the full picture of the disease. The problem is that they do not always appear first. Therefore, it is important to know the secondary symptoms of the disease. These include a temporary loss of vision. It is easy to determine: the cat will stumble over objects and rush around in fright. Any change in animal behavior is a bad sign. So, in case of a stroke, a cat can stop recognizing the owners, familiar faces and poorly oriented in space. This is due to a temporary memory loss.

Veterinarians are convinced: if before the playful and active animal becomes sluggish - it is exactly sick. Especially if he begins to lose interest in what used to attract him. Because of muscle weakness, there is a decrease in appetite, as it is difficult for a cat to chew food.

In severe cases, seizures are similar to epilepsy, respiratory failure, vomiting. For the appointment of competent and proper treatment it is important to note all the symptoms, changes in the behavior of a cat, etc.

Diagnostics

Before you start treatment for a stroke in cats, you need to make sure the diagnosis is correct. Unfortunately, unlike people, in animals it is more difficult to diagnose a stroke. In general, the veterinarian relies on the collection of an anamnesis and examination of the animal, including a thorough analysis of the reflexes of the cat. Therefore, before diagnosing the disease, it is important to clearly tell what the stroke shows in the cats symptoms. And the treatment after this may be effective. It would be superfluous to carry out a biochemical and general blood test. This is necessary to accurately determine what kind of stroke in an animal: ischemic or hemorrhagic. Sometimes they do research on hormones. The most effective method of diagnosis - MRI or CT of the brain, but such equipment is only in major cities. The rest is unlikely to really find such an opportunity.

Treatment

The effectiveness of treatment directly depends on how quickly the diagnosis will be made. Many people are not sure if the cats have a stroke and therefore, when the first symptoms appear, they are not in a hurry to take the pet to the vet, thereby losing valuable time. Therefore, as soon as you notice the animal's strange behavior, unnatural gait and other symptoms - urgently take him to the vet.

The main goals of the treatment are to reduce the inflammatory process in the brain cells and slow the development of complications. To do this, a rehydration solution is first introduced into the vein. Its dosage is calculated according to the weight of the animal. If the cat vomits, then it is prescribed in parallel antiemetics. It is important at this stage to remove disorientation in space, so prescribe sedatives. To eliminate the risk of infection, antibiotics are used.

As a rule, with timely access to the veterinarian and the beginning of drug therapy, improvement in the condition is noted after only three days. It is important to be near the pet, in time to change his diaper and turn over.

In the recovery period, the veterinarian can prescribe medications such as nootropics (to restore cerebral circulation), vitamins and preparations to improve the conductivity of the nervous tissue.

Auxiliary treatment

As in the case of people, a stroke in a cat requires serious rehabilitation measures. It is necessary to prepare a bed for the sick pet. As such, it is better to use a rigid base with a soft diaper on top. It needs to be changed regularly, as the cat will walk under it. Danger of a condition that lying on one place, on a body bedsores are formed. In other words, due to constant pressure, necrosis of soft tissues occurs. Therefore, the animal must be regularly turned over and changed the position of the body.

A paralyzed cat needs to do a paw massage in order to stimulate blood circulation in the limbs and regain their sensitivity. Physiotherapy, as in the case of people, brings positive results.

It is important to protect your pet from cold and drafts, since a recumbent animal with reduced immunity risks getting pneumonia. In most cases, this complication becomes fatal.

During the period of restorative treatment, the animal must observe a simple diet. Food should not be oily, spicy, sweet, etc. It is better to choose a special food with a minimum amount of fat.

Complications of a stroke

In general, cats do not have specific complications of stroke, as in most cases, in the absence of treatment, the animal simply dies. In particular, after a stroke, motor disorders can be observed. Also, the cat sees worse and suffers from memory failures, but many owners do not notice it. In general, with the help of physiotherapy, you can completely remove the manifestations of a stroke, but this will take a long time.

Prevention

Everyone knows that any disease is easier to prevent than treat. Therefore, in order not to wonder: "A cat has a stroke, what should I do?", Know the precautionary measures. In cats, such a disorder rarely occurs on their own.

Prevention measures include a regular examination by a veterinarian. Doctors advise him to spend every six months. This is especially true of older animals, because by age they are at risk.

It is better to feed the cat with a balanced food, excluding the tasty ones from the table. Do not give salt food, with an excessive amount of fat, as it affects the elasticity and patency of the blood vessels. It is important for a pet to drink water, so ensure constant access to clean water, as water dilutes blood and prevents the formation of blood clots.

Do not use rat poison to get rid of rodents, since a cat can eat a poisoned carcass. Use traps - it's humane and safer.

As in the case of humans, cats wither away. Try to allocate at least an hour to play with the pet, hug him and iron. So the animal will feel loved and meaningful. Even for the prevention of stroke are useful moderate exercise in order to train the elasticity of the vessels.

Forecast

It is difficult to predict in advance the outcome of a stroke in a cat. Much depends on how much the brain is damaged, how quickly and competently the treatment was provided. Minimal chances of recovery after sepsis, poisoning and craniocerebral trauma. In other cases, there is hope of recovery. True, the quality of life of a pet can be drastically changed.

Very much depends not only on the veterinarian, but also on the owner of the animal. As it is necessary to be near the pet, to carry out with it hygienic procedures, to do massage, etc.

Be attentive to the cat if it is already ill with something chronic. For example, diabetes, as this is a good basis for the development of a stroke. Regularly check with a veterinarian and take venous blood for tests, as this is a fairly effective way to determine a stroke in an animal.