Although long considered to be rare in cats, stroke may be more common than previously thought, thanks to new technology that allows vets to make better diagnoses. A stroke is a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel within the cat's brain. The lack of blood that occurs because of the stroke can cause lasting damage to the brain. Recognizing the signs isn't easy, because cats are so good at hiding their illness, but the outlook for recovery can be good.
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Hiding Signs of Illness
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Cats are usually good at hiding their illnesses; it goes back to their lives in the wild, when they were both small predators and prey for larger animals. Showing illness made a wild cat a target, and while that worked very well for them before they moved in with us, it makes it difficult to realize when your beloved pet is sick.
It's important that you be well versed in your cat's normal routine and behavior so you can recognize the signs of a stroke, or, indeed, any illness.
Signs of a Stroke
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Humans who have strokes exhibit drooping to one side of the face, paralysis on one side of the body and slurred speech. Cats show none of these signs. The signs of a stroke in a cat are subtle, and you need to watch for them.
Clumsiness such as tipsiness, staggering or falling may indicate the cat has had a stroke. The cat may hold its head at a tilt; you may think the cat's ear is bothering it, but a tilted head is a sign of muscle weakness caused by a stroke, too.
Blindness is a symptom, but because cats have such sensitive whiskers, their vision loss may not be readily apparent---that is, they may not walk into walls.
If your cat seems suddenly unable to get to the litter box in time, it may have had a stroke. The cat may also appear confused and unable to remember the location of its bowl or box.
Diagnosis of a Stroke
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Many of the symptoms listed above can be caused by other diseases, and it takes a professional to determine whether a stroke has happened and, then, what caused the stroke.
A vet's immediate help is required. Using an MRI or CT scan, the vet can see if a stroke has occurred; a blockage or evidence of a rupture will show up on these images, but not on an X-ray.
Fortunately, cats usually survive and make a recovery within just a few months.
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