Cat Stroke Update

A cat stroke is uncommmon in felines. After a stroke they suffer very commonly from movement problems or head tilt.

 

What kind of symptoms will you see?

Cat CVA or stroke manifests commonly in neurologic deficits.

CVA is a true Emergency

• Head tilt
• Stumbling
• Falling to one particular side or from one side to the other
• Ataxy (uncoordinated movements when walking).
• A change of behavior is noticeable: cats with a stroke may be vocalizing more or mismatch members of the family.
• Appetite might decrease
• Vomiting can be associated with a stroke

How does it occur?

The medically correct name of this health problem is cerebrovascular accident (CVA).

There are two types of CVA:

• Ischaemic CVA
• The blood supply to an area in the brain has been cut off
• Brain tissue and nerve cells loose their functionality and die off
• Haemorrhagic CVA
• This means there has been a bleeding into the tissue of a brain area
• An aneurism of a bloodvessel within the brain has burst and caused a bleeding
• Bleedings and later bloodclots will need space, so brain tissue and cells will not withstand the pressure and loose functionality and die.

Treatment and Recovery

Conventional treatment methods may prevent further damage, if started as soon as possible after a CVA happened.

Steroids help to decrease swellings within the brain, anti-seizure medication and IV-fluid therapy play an essential role in the event of an emergency like this.

Acupuncture helps to modulate neurologic deficits and stimulates self healing processes, so it is definitely worth a try.

A lot of cats get better over time and stimulating supplemental therapies, such as physiotherapy, massage, acupressure and hydrotherapy, can help to speed up recovery.