Elderly animals, like older people, are susceptible 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 the life of the pet. For example, a cat's stroke is often fatal. But with a quick reaction of a person and knowing the algorithms for 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. This is actually not the case. Cats and dogs sometimes get strokes. A stroke is a violation of cerebral circulation, as a result of which parts of the brain are affected and some body functions stop working or intermittently. Cats have several types of strokes.
- Hemorrhagic stroke - damage to a blood vessel and its further blockage leads to impaired blood circulation. This happens as a result of the presence of parasites or a blood clot.
- Ischemic stroke - occurs after a blockage of the vessel.
There are many causes of circulatory disorders. This high blood pressure, the genetic characteristics of blood vessels, tumors, poisoning, malnutrition with an abundance of fatty foods and much more. Often a cat’s stroke is a consequence of diseases such as diabetes, kidney, heart, or thyroid damage. How to diagnose it yourself?
As with humans, when a cat has a stroke, the symptoms are too obvious. Therefore, it is important to clearly know the signs of circulatory disorders in order to respond in time. A dangerous symptom is a tilt of the head in a strange direction. Most often, it leans sideways, and can also wander from side to side as a result of muscle weakness. This symptom persists for two weeks after the stroke.
If you suspect a cat has a stroke, look carefully into her eyes. They can twitch quickly, while the pupils are of different sizes. An alarming symptom is a short-term loss of consciousness. Due to damage to the brain, coordination is disturbed.
Distinctive symptom
Take a close look at the animal’s gait. When the brain is disturbed, the back bends unnaturally, the cat walks in circles around the room. At the same time, the performance of familiar 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 in animals is rare.
What should alert you?
The signs listed above 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 temporary loss of vision. It is easy to identify: a cat will stumble on objects and rush about in a fright around the room. Any changes in the behavior of the animal is a bad sign. So, with a stroke, a cat may cease to recognize hosts, familiar faces, and poorly navigate in space. This is due to temporary memory loss.
Veterinarians are convinced: if before a playful and active animal becomes lethargic - he definitely fell ill. Especially if he begins to lose interest in what previously attracted him. Due to muscle weakness, a decrease in appetite is observed, since it is difficult for a cat to chew food.
In severe cases, seizures similar to epilepsy, respiratory failure, and vomiting are noted. To prescribe a competent and proper treatment, it is important to note all the symptoms, changes in the behavior of the cat, etc.
Diagnostics
Before starting treatment for stroke in cats, you need to make sure the diagnosis is correct. Unfortunately, unlike humans, animals have a harder time diagnosing a stroke. Basically, the veterinarian relies on a history and examination of the animal, including a thorough analysis of the cat's reflexes. Therefore, before diagnosing the disease, it is important to clearly state what the symptoms of a stroke in cats are. And treatment after this may be effective. It will be useful to conduct a biochemical and general blood test. This is necessary to determine with accuracy what kind of stroke an animal has: ischemic or hemorrhagic. Sometimes hormone studies are performed. The most effective diagnostic method is an MRI or CT scan of the brain, but such equipment is only available in large cities. The rest is unlikely to really find such an opportunity.
Treatment
The effectiveness of treatment depends on how quickly the diagnosis is made. Many people are not sure whether cats have a stroke and therefore, when the first symptoms appear, they are in no hurry to take the pet to the veterinarian, thereby losing valuable time. Therefore, as soon as you notice strange behavior, an unnatural gait and other symptoms in an animal, take it to the veterinarian urgently.
The main goals of treatment are to reduce the inflammatory process in the brain cells and slow down the development of complications. For this, a rehydration solution is initially injected into the vein. Its dosage is calculated according to the weight of the animal. If the cat vomits, then antiemetics are prescribed. It is important at this stage to remove the disorientation in space, so sedatives are prescribed. Antibiotics are used to reduce the risk of infection.
As a rule, with a timely visit to the veterinarian and the beginning of drug therapy, an improvement is noted after three days. It is important to be near the pet in order to change the diaper and turn it over in time.
During the recovery period, the veterinarian can prescribe medications such as nootropics (to restore cerebral circulation), vitamins and drugs to improve the conductivity of nerve tissue.
Auxiliary treatment
As in the case of people, a cat’s stroke requires serious rehabilitation measures. It is necessary to prepare a couch for a 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 by itself. The danger of the condition is that lying in one place, bedsores form on the body. In other words, due to constant pressure, soft tissue necrosis occurs. Therefore, the animal must be regularly turned over and the body position changed.
A paralyzed cat must do paw massage in order to stimulate blood circulation in the limbs and restore their sensitivity. Physiotherapy, as in the case of people, brings positive results.
It is important to protect the pet from cold and drafts, since a lying animal with reduced immunity risks getting pneumonia. In most cases, this complication becomes fatal.
During the period of rehabilitation treatment, the animal must follow 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 have no specific complications of a stroke, as in most cases, if untreated, 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 this. In general, using physiotherapy, you can completely remove the manifestations of a stroke, but it will take a lot of time.
Prevention
Everyone knows that any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. Therefore, in order not to ask the question: “The cat has a stroke, what should I do?”, Know the precautions. In cats, this disorder rarely occurs on its own.
Preventive measures include regular inspection by a veterinarian. Doctors advise to conduct it once every six months. This is especially true for older animals, because by age they are at risk.
It is better to feed a cat with a balanced food, excluding sweets from the table. Do not give salty foods with excess fat, as it affects the elasticity and patency of blood vessels. It is important for the pet to drink water, so ensure constant access to clean fluid, as water dilutes the blood and prevents blood clots.
Do not use rat poison to get rid of rodents, as the cat can eat the poisoned carcass. Use traps - it's more humane and safer.
As with humans, cats wither away without attention. Try to allocate at least an hour to play with your pet, hug it and stroke it. So the animal will feel loved and significant. Even for the prevention of stroke, moderate physical activity is useful in order to train the elasticity of the vessels.
Forecast
It is difficult to predict the outcome of a stroke in a cat in advance. Much depends on how damaged the brain is, how quickly and correctly medical treatment was provided. The chances of cure after sepsis, poisoning and traumatic brain injury are minimal. In other cases, there is hope for recovery. True, the quality of life of a pet can dramatically change.
A lot depends not only on the veterinarian, but also on the owner of the animal. Since you need to be near the pet, carry out hygiene procedures with it, do massage, etc.
Be attentive to a cat if it already has something chronic. For example, diabetes, as this is a good basis for the development of stroke. Check with your veterinarian regularly and give venous blood for tests, as this is a fairly effective way to detect a stroke in an animal.