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Two Methods:Recognizing Feline Stroke SymptomsCaring For Your Cat

Strokes are rare in cats, but they do occur. Feline strokes, also known as Vascular Accidents, are caused by a lack of blood circulating to parts of the brain. This causes certain functions to be lost. Vestibular disease and seizures are often mistaken for a stroke. They are all very scary and require care from a veterinarian. If you understand the symptoms, you will be able to tell the difference and get your cat help immediately.[1][2][3]


Method 1 of 2: Recognizing Feline Stroke Symptoms

  1. 1
    Check his general health. If you notice that your cat is acting out of the ordinary, you need to examine his general health. Check to see if your cat is conscious. Check to see if his eyes open or closed or if he is breathing. Notice if your cat responds to the sound of your voice. See if his head tilts to the side. If he is up walking around, notice if he stumbles around or falls down. Also notice if he shakes or has spasms.[4]
  2. 2
    Check specific areas. Once you have checked the general health of your cat, you can do a more in depth examination. If his eyes are closed, pull open the lids. Check to see if the pupils are the same size as normal. Look for a third eyelid covering part of the eyeball. Open your cat's mouth to see his tongue. It should be pink.[5]
    • If the tongue is blue, purple, or white, that is serious. Your cat needs to be taken to the veterinary hospital immediately.
    • What exactly is wrong with your cat depends on which of these symptoms he has and how severe they are. The general overview and specific examination will prepare you to understand which of the three ailments your cat has.
  3. 3
    Understand Feline Stroke. Feline stroke is caused by a lack of blood and oxygen to the cat's brain. This caused by a Vascular Accident such as a bleeding in a small area of the brain or a small blood vessel tumor.
    • The symptoms include a change in mental alertness and a drunken gait. There might be a loss of sensation, reflexes, or strength on one side of your cat's body, including the face.
    • He might cross his eyes or move them quickly back and forth. His body may go rigid and he may have tremors or seizures during intended actions.
    • Other possible symptoms include weakness on the side one side of the body or circling towards one side. He might tilt, twist, or turn his head towards one side or have postural defects.
    • He might measuring his steps wrong, have weakness in all of his legs, or have pain in his neck and head. He also might go in and out of consciousness.[6]
  4. 4
    Distinguish a stroke from Vestibular Disease. Vestibular Disease effects the area inside your cat's head responsible for perceiving his orientation relative to the earth. This is what helps him balance and move his body in a normal, correct fashion. The disease causes a condition where his balance is off because of some problem with the inner ear. Notice if your cat's pupils are unequal in size, the third eyelids are prominent, and if there is a head tilt. These are signs of a neurological event related to Vestibular Disease.
    • The cat’s eyes may be moving rapidly from side to side, which is called nystagmus. Nystagmus is an indication of abnormal neurological activity in the brain. He may be nauseous from motion sickness.[7]
    • If your cat has these symptoms but also some that are associated with Feline Stroke, they might have had a stroke. Some of the symptoms of Vestibular Disease can also happen with a stroke. This is why they often get mistaken for one another.
  5. 5
    Know the difference between stroke and seizures. If your cat is having tremors or moving his limbs wildly and rhythmically, he is likely having a seizure. In some cases, you may not see the actual seizures. You may come across the cat afterwards and he seems disoriented. This is called a post ictal phase of a seizure and may last for a few minutes to a few hours.[8]

Method 2 of 2: Caring For Your Cat

  1. 1
    Call your veterinarian. Once you notice any of these symptoms and have determined what you think is wrong with your cat, you need to call your veterinarian. Tell them over the phone what has happened with your cat. You also need to get him to the veterinarian's office as soon as possible. If it is at night, you may need to take him to the emergency veterinary hospital.
  2. 2
    Cooperate with the veterinarian. Your vet will ask you some questions to help determine a course of action. They will ask questions about many things involving your cat's behavior, so make sure you pay close attention to your cat. They will ask if your cat could have ingested anything like a plant, a medication, or a poison to cause the symptoms. They might also ask if there was any known trauma like a fall prior to the symptoms. They will ask about any changes in his water or food intake. They will also likely ask if there has been any vomiting, diarrhea, or general lethargy.
    • You will need to know if your cat has had his rabies vaccination recently as well.
  3. 3
    Get tests. Your vet will likely talk to you about doing some tests on your cat to help figure out his health. They might do a blood panel, urinalysis, x-rays, or an ultrasound. If your vet thinks there might be a serious neurological problem, a veterinarian specializing in neurology may be needed for a consult. The specialist may ask for additional tests such as MRIs and CT scans.
    • These test are done for animals in a similar way to how they are done for humans.
  4. 4
    Care for your cat. In many cases, your cat’s symptoms may resolve after a few days of TLC at home. In some cases, he may require hospitalization with the veterinarian. Neurological outcomes can be very difficult to determine. You and your veterinarian will need time to tell exactly what the long lasting effects or conditions might be.
    • If your cat has motion sickness as a symptom, a medication such as Cerenia is available to manage that.
    • If your cat’s appetite is down, there may be options that increase the appetite such as Mirtazapine.
    • If your cat is having seizures, your veterinarian will likely discuss medical management with anti-seizure medications such as Phenobarbital.[9]
  5. 5
    Understand possible outcomes. In many cases of vestibular disease, the cat may spontaneously recover in a few days. In other situations, the cat may have a sustained head tilt. That may be the only lasting effect while he is otherwise fine. Other cats may continue to have some balance problems. Since the brain is complicated, the full outcome of a neurological event cannot be completely predicted.
    • It may be tough to watch your pet stumble around. Don't worry because they are likely not in pain.[10]
  6. 6
    Protect your cat. Any cat that has had neurological problems should be kept indoors for his safety. You may need to confine the cat to one room for a while after he comes home. This is to keep them safe. This should be done if you have other pets in the household who may attack him if he is not behaving normally. While he is recovering, you may need to help the cat eat, drink, or go to the litter box. This will depend on the severity of the condition.
    • It will take time to know if if this will be a temporary or a permanent necessity for your cat.

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  • Be careful with children in the house. If your cat is confused, off balance, or seizuring, he may bite or scratch unintentionally. Keep your children away from the cat while the cat is disoriented to avoid potential injury.
  • If you are not sure exactly what is wrong with your cat, always contact your veterinarian. Although his condition is likely not a stroke, your cat needs to see a vet if he experiences any of the following symptoms: unconsciousness; seizure activity; circling; inability to use the back legs all of a sudden; a head tilt; rapidly moving eyes; loss of balance; inability to stand or walk without falling over; uncoordinated walking; sudden blindness; sudden deafness; unfocused or confused gazing off into distance; standing in one place and staring at the walls; or head pressing for minutes at a time against a surface.

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Categories: Feline Health

In other languages:

Español: identificar si tu gato ha sufrido un derrame cerebral, Italiano: Capire se il tuo Gatto ha un Ictus, Português: Saber se Seu Gato Sofreu um Derrame Cerebral, Русский: определить, перенесли ли кошка инсульт

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