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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / April 2005Brain Damaged Cat - Suggestions
Hello, I recently had my 5 month old cat go in to the vet for neutering and declawing on the front paws. Unfortunately, during the surgery he stopped breathing for about a minute (was revived) and he may have had a stroke. It is now a week after the surgery, and the vet is going to keep him for a few more days. He is able to eat on his own but is not yet walking (falls over to one side or the other when he tries). His eyes look quite blank and he may have some vision problems. He has a slight tremor in his head/neck. I was wondering what your opinions are about this situation. * Have you ever experienced this type of situation? What is the prognosis? Can the cat usually regain most abilities? What about personality? * How do you decide whether or not to have him put to sleep? What are the things to think about and weigh in my mind? * What are some suggestions about how to care for this cat if I decide to keep him? If he cannot walk, then I do not think he can use the litter box? I have one older cat (5 years old) and I think she will be ok with him. She is a fairly timid or anti-social cat. Thank you, Sarie > Hello, > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Thank you, Sarie I have no answer with regard to a brain-damaged cat. I hope, though, that if you ever decide to get another cat, you don't get it declawed. If you feel you must have a declawed cat (something I've never understood), you can find plenty of them at the shelter.  Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca > > Hello, > > [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > you must have a declawed cat (something I've never understood), you can find > plenty of them at the shelter. I wonder if this would have happened had he not been under so long due to having both things done at once. How horribly tragic for this poor baby. "sarie" <mauldins@hotmail.com> posted <1110225663.624542.138120@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com> in rec.pets.cats.health+behav on 7 Mar 2005 12:01:03 -0800: >Hello, > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >prognosis? Can the cat usually regain most abilities? What about >personality? I found our cat Ziggy by the side of the road after someone hit here. she had a broken jaw and head injuries. She was feral. I rushed her to the closest vet I could find (our current Vet now, cannot praise him enough) The Vet stabilized her and cleaned her up. We discussed the prognosis. Ziggy was kept for observation for a few days. We then took her home and made an effort to socialize her. This worked out very well. Then Ziggy had to go back to have her jaw wires taken out, and be spaded. Her balance isn't 100%...but it's been 2-3 years and she has regained quite a bit of her balance and coordination that was messed up from the head injury. I wouldn't say she's back to 100%, but she's about 85% - 95% back. She can't smell at all. The head injury damaged that. Obviously she can't go outside unsupervised. It's takes time to heal. Cats are very adaptable and if they are taken care of and kept healthy they will astound you with their abilities to heal up and overcome very serious injuries. >* How do you decide whether or not to have him put to sleep? What are >the things to think about and weigh in my mind? I would give your cat some time and see how he does. If you don't give him a chance to get better he won't. And it's going to be a difficult time for you. >* What are some suggestions about how to care for this cat if I decide >to keep him? if you have the time to be with him there's no problem. You just need to limit him so he can't get into trouble. >If he cannot walk, then I do not think he can use the >litter box? Given time he should stabilize and his brain will adapt to the damage. You might want to help him into the litter box from time to time to see if he will use it. Also you might want to consider doing some work with his limbs to make sure he retains his mobility...massages, legs movement exercises etc. >I have one older cat (5 years old) and I think she will be >ok with him. She is a fairly timid or anti-social cat. cats know cats...shouldn't be a problem. Our older cat was fine with Ziggy...just wandered into the room we kept her in while she was recovering to check on her...that's it. I wish you luck...and stamina...you've got a tough road ahead. -- K. A. Cannon kcannon at insurgent dot org (change the orgy to org to reply) http://www.insurgent.org - Sponsored by Carlyle Group In the year 2005 I resolve to: Become one with my inner sociopath. Spirituality: The last refuge of a failed human. Just another way of distracting yourself from who you really are. "Abuse on the net isn't a reportable offense, loon." Jet makes sure everybody knows she's full of sh.t in eMGdnQpIGIZVmYDfRVn-uA@adelphia.com. If this cat got brain damage because YOU decided to get it declawed - and then you put it to sleep because of complications. Then you've murdered this cat. No matter what happens, or what his/her conditions are, you pamper this cat for the rest of your life. And never get another cat. > If this cat got brain damage because YOU decided to get it declawed - and > then you put it to sleep because of complications. Then you've murdered > this cat. Oh, this'll do a good job of bringing someone around to your way of thinking. NOT. > No matter what happens, or what his/her conditions are, you pamper this cat > for the rest of your life. And never get another cat. Even if it's suffering? Geez. Priscilla Signature"You can't welcome someone into a body of Christ and then say only certain rooms are open." -- dancertm in alt.religion.christian.episcopal SHE ALSO WAS HAVING IT SPAYED DOES THAT MAKE HER A MURDERER.......for gods sake grow up. sh.t happens and you can't say one thing or the other caused it. Get over the damned declawing issue. Thousands of cats would not have any home at all if it wasn't for the fact that they were declawed. I'm not saying it's right or wrong it's just a damned fact of life. Celeste > If this cat got brain damage because YOU decided to get it declawed - and > then you put it to sleep because of complications. Then you've murdered > this cat. > > No matter what happens, or what his/her conditions are, you pamper this cat > for the rest of your life. And never get another cat. I agree with Celeste 100%....time to get real people. Every person here loves their cat, but a reality check is in order. You don't know each persons living circumstances, and if declawing is needed, its better then the cat being put to sleep....MUCH BETTER! Brian Re: Brain Damaged Cat - Suggestions Group: rec.pets.cats.health+behav Date: Tue, Mar 8, 2005, 1:48am (EST+5) From: NoSpamMe@verizon.net (Spot) SHE ALSO WAS HAVING IT SPAYED DOES THAT MAKE HER A MURDERER.......for gods sake grow up. sh.t happens and you can't say one thing or the other caused it. Get over the damned declawing issue. Thousands of cats would not have any home at all if it wasn't for the fact that they were declawed. I'm not saying it's right or wrong it's just a damned fact of life. Celeste > I agree with Celeste 100%....time to get real people. Every person here > loves their cat, but a reality check is in order. You don't know each > persons living circumstances, and if declawing is needed, its better > then the cat being put to sleep....MUCH BETTER! Brian Then go to a shelter and get one of those that have been brought in. There are very few circumstances where a cat MUST be declawed. Sorry, you can't convince me otherwise. Ugh. That is really an absolutely horrible story and so unnecessary. Declawing cats is just cruelty, plain and simple, and now this baby (only five months, for God's sakes) will suffer for the rest of their life, however short that might be. To tell you the truth, I'm having a hard time thinking about where to go from here. I'm still stuck on the just plain ugh. Sorry, but that's the only reaction I can have. Yes he should be taken care of. You owe him at least that much. But no, I can't imagine his "personality" will ever be the same. The only parallel I can find is my wacky neighbor in Chicago who interbred a few generations of gray cats till she made ones that couldn't walk due to genetic defects. One of my other neighbors took in the crippled kitten from the kindness of her heart. I think she made him a "flat" litterbox area and her big old tomcat used to carry the kitten around in his mouth. They made it work, somehow .... I posted in this group about 3 months ago, telling how I DID adopt my car from a shelter, she had all four paws declawed. She was about 1 or so when I received her, and now she is 8....and there has never been a problem without her claws. She acts no different then my previous cat (another adopt) did...and she had claws, lived to be almost 20, so have been down both roads. Her and I always played, but man my hands were cut up all the time. I have been a massage therapist the past 7 years, and with the diseases out there (HIV, Hepatitis, etc...), having open wounds on my hands is not missed. Brian > I posted in this group about 3 months ago, telling how I DID adopt my > car from a shelter, she had all four paws declawed. She was about 1 or [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > on my hands is not missed. > Brian You did the right thing in adopting an already-declawed cat, since you seem to have a "need" for one. But a four-paw declaw is extremely hard on a cat. In fact, most vets will not declaw the back paws, because it is so traumatic. Your kitty may have some arthritic problems later in life - be on the lookout for symptoms - unwillingness to walk or seems to sleep a lot, trouble getting in and out of the litter box, inability to crouch, jump or move normally, or slow to do such movements. -L. > I agree with Celeste 100%....time to get real people. Every person here > loves their cat, but a reality check is in order. You don't know each > persons living circumstances, and if declawing is needed, Declawing is never "needed" unless the nail or nail bed is damaged, or infected. -L. > Hello, > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > eyes look quite blank and he may have some vision problems. He has a > slight tremor in his head/neck. It is highly possible that he's blind - it often happens feom anesthesia-induced stroke. > I was wondering what your opinions are about this situation. > * Have you ever experienced this type of situation? What is the > prognosis? Can the cat usually regain most abilities? What about > personality? Totally is case-by case dependant. Since he's young, he may adapt well if he regains his equilibrium. > * How do you decide whether or not to have him put to sleep? What are > the things to think about and weigh in my mind? Here's a link that might help: http://angelshavenhere.homestead.com/makingthedecision.html > * What are some suggestions about how to care for this cat if I decide > to keep him? If he cannot walk, then I do not think he can use the > litter box? Probably not. -L. Please tell me more about what you know about anesthesia induced stroke. My male 5 month old kitten was neutered Tuesday came home 24 hours after was fine for 4-6 hours then his eyes started trembling and he rocked his head back every 30 seconds. He became stiff and wierd. When I called the Vet he said he is still coming around after the anesthesia and give him suger water. I took him in this am. and they said he may have had a blood clot, stroke or some other brain damaged event. He is on a Iv and DEMSO. He has a 50/50 chance to make it over night he can't stand up. What now? What caused this? What do I do? He seems a little better but far from normal. Help! Maybe you should have your kitten evaluated by a neurologist. Do you have any specialty clinics or vet schools in your area? Sue > Hello, > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > Thank you, > Sarie > I was wondering what your opinions are about this situation. > * Have you ever experienced this type of situation? What is the > prognosis? Can the cat usually regain most abilities? What about > personality? A friend of mine has a brain damaged cat. Basically as she is the local "cat lady" when some kids found the kitten in the road and their parents wouldn't take it in, they turned up on her doorstep and with a small bundle of fur. So Mel rushed kitty to the vets and her vet reckoned the kitten had had some sort of head injury and was brain damaged. She's still around several years later. Her balance is not all it could be, sometimes she falls over, she isn't the brightest cat ever and they have to keep her indoors as much as possible but last I heard (They've moved away) she was still doing just fine Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furballs Thanks everyone for your replies. I have my cat Wuzzie home now. Just brought him back from the vet yesterday. He has had two accidents (one pee and one poop) but he did go twice in the litter box. He does have a balance problem and when I put him in the litter box the first time he kind of laid there and peed on himself. (But he was in the litter box). I have a flat pan litter box in my small bathroom (the other litter box is the covered kind that is bigger, with a flap door on it). He is working on getting enough coordination to make it into and out of the flat pan litter box. I keep him confined in the small bathroom while I am out so he doesn't get into too much trouble. He is working on walking. He falls over quite a bit and gets stuck between furniture. Sometimes he gets into corners and can't figure his way out, or he can't figure out that he needs to back out. He has a pretty loud meow so I can usually find him. He has been eating well and drinking well. My other cat is fine, she is the type of cat with an attitude...kind of timid, a loner, standoffish. So it has not been a big deal with the other cat. She has not been mean to Wuzzie tho not overly nice, either. On an off topic, what do you do when cats track litter all over? I like the bigger cat box for that reason, it cuts down on the tracking of litter or kicking it everywhere. So right now I often find myself sweeping or vacuuming the litter that Wuzzie scatters out of the flat, smaller box. I think part of this is his balance problem, he kind of falls out of the box sometimes, off the side. And sometimes litter is clumped onto his coat because he is not really exacting about his bathroom habits at this point. Thanks, Sarie Hi, If this cat is brain damaged then you may want to consider cognitive enhancer's www.ceri.com also called 'smart drugs' Calculation of dosage would have to be on a by weight basis. You'd be entering the realm of the experimental though. I actually seriously considered this for my own cat MAGI at one time as she did have cognitive and visual issues. I backed off and instead got her an operation and this has proved very successful. She is turning out to be quite a sensitive and intelligent cat. At any rate, you should get a neurological examination done on the boy as this would give you a good idea where he is at the moment or once he has had time to settle down. Iain.H >Hello, > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] >Thank you, >Sarie >o< Rescued Cats & Kittens Needing Homes >o< >o< www.celiahammond.org >o< >o< www.cat77.org.uk >o< > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > >o< www.celiahammond.org >o< > >o< www.cat77.org.uk >o< When I was about 18 (Many years ago) this happened to our 5 month old yellow kitten (Punkin) during neutering. We chose to have him euthanized as we felt there would be no quality of life. I blamed a careless Vet > When I was about 18 (Many years ago) this happened to our 5 month old > yellow kitten (Punkin) during neutering. We chose to have him euthanized > as we felt there would be no quality of life. I blamed a careless Vet FWIW, sometimes nothing goes wrong during the surgery and the cat simply throws a blood clot. It's not common, but it does happen. I'm sure in some instances, the vet is at fault, but in other instances, there's no apparent reason for the cat to have thrown a clot. That's why it's important to do pre-surgical bloodwork before any surgical procedure. It can detect clotting isues and other factors that might predispose an animal to problems like this. -L. Does the vet bear the financial burden in these cases? How does malpractice work for vets? I would think if the vet causes a lifetime problem for the cat, he should bear some of the responsibility.. Oh, there's probably a clause (no pun intended) in the forms that people sign when they bring the cat in...This sad story reminds me of Terry Schiavo...It really could happen to any one of us, two legged or four legged. > Does the vet bear the financial burden in these cases? How does malpractice > work for vets? I would think if the vet causes a lifetime problem for the > cat, he should bear some of the responsibility.. The problem is proving that the vet did something negligent. The fact is, vbets have standard operating porcedures for all surgeries. Unless you can prove that something out of the ordinary happened, you are unlikely to be able to prove malpractice. -L. |
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