Vet School 101 Saddle thrombus: On blood clots, heart disease and your cat

You wake up groggily one Saturday morning—admittedly a bit on the late side—and you suddenly realize how it is you managed to sleep in. Your ten year-old kitty companion is nowhere to be seen. She’s typically right there, meowling and staring at you plaintively so you’ll get up and fill her food bowl.

You look everywhere and finally you find her in her strange-guests-are-here hiding spot under the sink in the spare bedroom’s bathroom. Immediately, you become alarmed when you come closer. She’s panting and she won’t get up to greet you. When you reach in to lift her from her little cave she lets out a strange and horrible cry you’ve never heard from her before.

Panicked, you throw on some clothes, wrap her in a towel and drive the five miles from your home to the vets in record time, ignoring the speed traps and red lights wherever you can.

Inside the vets the waiting room is packed. The receptionist calmly asks you if you have an appointment. “No—it’s an emergency,” you answer impatiently. “She’s breathing strangely and she can’t move. I think she’s in a lot of pain. She might have broken her back.”

Near hysterical by this point, you ask to see the vet “NOW!” Luckily, she’s heard the commotion and it takes her no time to assess your kitty’s state. She whisks you back into the only unoccupied room on this busy Saturday: X-ray.

She performs what seems like the fastest physical exam in the world before announcing she’ll be right back with a dose of hydromorphone, the strongest pain reliever she’s got. The technician is already placing an IV catheter. Another is taking her temperature and preparing the X-ray machine. Meanwhile, Kitty’s eyes are wide with panic. You pray the vet returns quickly.

After she administers the dose, less than half a minute later, Kitty relaxes. But it’s not enough. A more cautious physical exam reveals that more pain medication is in order. Another dose. Now she looks near-catatonic. Your vet reassures you that the second dose was necessary before taking X-rays. She then launches into what seems to you a too-calm explanation of your cat’s problem:

She’s almost certainly suffering from a saddle thrombus, she begins. A thrombus is a clot that forms in the bloodstream, in this case usually in the heart. When it’s dislodged from the heart and enters the aorta it ends up lodging itself at the bifurcation of this large artery as it branches off into the smaller arteries that supply blood to the hind limbs. When it gets stuck it’s now called an embolism, and the result in the case of a saddle thrombus (an embolism at the base of the aorta) is that it cuts off the blood supply mainly to the back legs, an extremely painful condition.

“See how her back legs are cold?” You touch them and confirm that they’re definitely colder than her front legs.

“So her back’s not broken?” Your vet now shows you the X-rays: No break. Just a larger than normal heart and some fluid in the chest. She explains that Kitty has congestive heart failure along with serious heart disease and this latter issue is what precipitated the formation of the clot. 90% of saddle thrombus cases have underlying heart disease.

The congestive failure (the inability of her heart to pump the blood effectively, thereby allowing fluid to accumulate in her lungs) came later, probably as a result of the serious stress she was suffering.

You stare blankly at her. “But she was just here three months ago. How could you not know she had heart disease?” Sheepishly, your vet explains that some heart conditions do not make themselves known through physical examination and laboratory testing.

“Performing a cardiac ultrasound is sometimes the only way we can determine this. EKGs are often inconclusive in these cases, though that may have helped,” she conceded. “It’s just not yet part of our standard screening for cats. Not when everything else checks out fine.

“Our job now is to decide how we treat this. Why don’t we focus on that for the moment?” she urges.

That’s when she gives you two choices:

1) Immediate intensive care at the specialty hospital where they’ll place her in an oxygen cage and supply drugs to support the heart, treat the congestive failure and blood thinners to help dissolve the clot.

Surgery can sometimes be effective when we catch the clot very early on. In this case surgery’s not likely an option due to her congestive heart failure and the fact that this happened sometime overnight.

She’ll receive more X-rays, more labwork and an ultrasound of her chest. In 35-40% of treated cases, cats will recover well enough from the damage done to their nerves (a result of the poor blood supply) to use their hind legs again. Because of her congestive heart failure, however, her chances are slimmer than that. She may well die during treatment.

And…

2) Euthanasia.

“That’s it? I have no other choices? Can’t I give her medications and treat her at home?” At least she can die in peace in familiar surroundings, you reason. “Or perhaps you could treat her here?”

But your vet is firm on this. “There’s no way to manage her severe pain,” she offers. “You have to be willing to choose one path or the other. There’s no middle ground here. It’s Saturday," she explains. "We have no 24-hour care. This is a serious condition I could treat with halfway measures to some effect but I’d be doing Kitty a huge disservice. Even if I could get her well again the pain relief she requires means continuous monitoring. I know you don’t want her to suffer so I’m giving it to you straight. You have no other choices.”

In the end you drive her to the specialty hospital where she dies overnight in spite of the internal medicine specialist’s best efforts. A complication of her kidneys and her heart failure, you’re told, since lab tests revealed her kidneys also received a clot.

***

I know it’s not a happy story but that’s what happened over the last 24 hours. Kitty’s condition might have been prevented through judicious use of aspirin on a regular basis. But we had no inkling of her underlying heart disease. No murmur. No exercise intolerance (hard to assess in a cat). No nothing. Also no X-rays, EKG or cardiac ultrasound.

Though all my feline heart murmur cases get treated to a tiny dose of aspirin every other day, most of my clients don’t opt for the cardiac workup. But they get offered the choice. Owners of cats with no symptoms, however, don’t get offered an EKG or an X-ray starting at eight years of age. Nor do my canine patients. No doubt you’ll think my protocols lacking. Indeed, I do too.

Sometimes it takes a case like this to alter my personal policies. Though it won’t help this grieving owner, I’d like to think Kitty’s death won’t go unnoticed when it comes to how others will be treated in the future. That's the best I can offer...after the fact.

November 23rd, 2008

Add Comment89 Comments

I've just heard of this in the past year or so, never experienced it myself. And yes, the same scenario was described with euthanasia recommended and opted for.

Also, from this post, I was not aware that it was a painful condition. From the description, it sounds like aspirin treatment may ward off the thrombus, but realistically, how do you prevent or treat progressive congestive heart failure?

Even in humans, it eventually progresses and isn't curable, to my understanding?

Very sad, indeed.

Barbara "Pocket's Story from NH" November 23rd, 2008 12:46:08 PM

Barbara: There's quite a lot we can do to manage heart disease in both humans and animals. Though the end stage disease in humans means a heart transplant, you're right in saying there's not much we can do after a certain point--after all, transplants aren't available for our pets. Nonetheless, medical management is absolutely doable and allows pets to live much longer comfortable lives than they otherwise would have. And then there's the cause of the heart disease to consider. Sometimes heart disease IS somewhat curable, depending on its origins. The key is early detection and early treatment. This cat might have lived a perfectly normal length of time if we had only detected the underlying heart problem sooner.

Dr. Patty Khuly November 23rd, 2008 01:05:54 PM

How sad! And I'm sorry YOU feel so badly about it - it obviously wasn't your fault. However - like you said - if it changes protocols and maybe saves lives it may have been worth it. Anyway, thank you for this topic - I have EKGs done regularly on my dogs, but wouldn't have thought of doing it on our cat. She's still very young but it's something I'll discuss with my vet in a few years.

Barb November 23rd, 2008 01:15:24 PM

Dr. Khuly,

I have an 11 year old Chinese Crested dog with a grade 2 -3 heart murmur. She is still active with no coughing or exercise intolerance. She did have X-rays and an echocardiogram earlier this year. The specialist said her heart was still within normal limits and recommended yearly X-rays. Neither my vet or the specialist recommended aspirin therapy. Is aspirin something that you recommend for your canine patients with murmurs too?

Susan G. November 23rd, 2008 01:25:10 PM

I have had a cat with congestive heart failure (discovered when he went in for unsuccessful I-131 treatment of his thyroid that ended up doing a additional damage to his heart when the specialist would not listen to me that his thyroid was still overactive). It's manageable. My Rhett, even with a combination of hyperthyroid, congestive heart failure, and chronic renal failure, outlived the specialist's dire lifespan preduction by over six months, with a good quality of life, sleeping on my pillow with his head propped up on mine to help him breathe toward the end.

But saddle thrombus was always the nightmare situation I feared. Your recovery statistucs are actually more encouarging than the ones my vet laid out when he warned it could occur. But more interesting to me is that this is the first time I heard anything about an aspirin regimen for cats. I thought aspirin was strictly off-limits for cats, period. I'm curious to hear more about this. Are there journal articles or studies on it available?

Feline November 23rd, 2008 02:57:55 PM

I have a four year old foster cat with a heart murmur. Echocardiogram shows a moderate left ventricular hypertrophy. He is to take a low dose of seafood flavored aspirin every other day. Sometimes afterwards he throws up, so I was giving him the aspirin about every third day. It sounds like this could happen to him. Not good. Otherwise he is active and seems to feel good. I'm not sure where this leaves us with his being adopted, but I am prepared to keep him for the rest of his life. Oh and this discovery was because I saw him during a seizure and took him to visit the vet. He didn't seem to be in any pain, so I guess we are very lucky he didn't get saddle thrombus.

BeckyH November 23rd, 2008 03:26:55 PM

One of my cats died from a clot while I was at work. I like to tell myself he threw it to his brain and died immediately. I have a cat now with HCM. He was diagnosed over 1.5 years ago. So far he is acting 100 percent normal but I live knowing every day may be his last. If he does end up throwing a clot, I pray that I am home so he does not have to suffer. My personal belief is to euthanize.

Robyn W November 23rd, 2008 04:36:06 PM

I went to a lecture a week ago where a technician described the pain of a clot as such: That pin prick sensation you get when your foot falls asleep, multiplied by ten. Imagine that, and then you know why even IV pain management doesn't cut it for these poor kitties.

Morgan November 23rd, 2008 09:32:54 PM

I'm not sure this is completely related, but would love some information if anyone has it. My Cat had 5 kittens. When they were 8 weeks old mom went to get spayed. She died in recovery. The vet said she had a fast heart rate and maybe had a heart attack. We gave 3 kittens away. One morning Orangina was laying on the rug--I went to give him a pat, and he was cold--though looked like he was just asleep. Heart attack? No other symptoms. All the other kittens at their homes were healthy. Then one of the adopted cats dies suddenly. His owner said goodmorning, took a shower, then found him still warn, with no heartbeat on the floor in front of the door. And just today our last kitty was dead on my daughters bed when we got home. This time it was not so pretty, with feces on the bed and the kitty's face somewhat distorted (I'm taking my daughter and husbands word--can't bring myself to look.) Besides the obvious emotionl upheaval I want to know if it's possible that this batch of kittens had a genetic abnormality. They were between 2 and 3 1/2 months when they died. I like the idea of adopting an adult cat! Al

Al November 23rd, 2008 09:41:09 PM

My cat was just euthanized about 3 weeks ago after her second saddle thrombus. The first one occurred about two years ago. Had I known then what I know now, after a year and a half of vet school, I probably never would have tried to nurse her back to health in the first place, because the situation would have looked so grim. Fortunately, she recovered full use of her limbs again (even without surgery) and for the rest of her time she was happy and apparently healthy. The second time it happened she was in far worse shape, and so there was no question--but I'm glad we got lucky once.

abc November 23rd, 2008 10:18:19 PM

Well this is interesting... we lost a cat to a blood clot several years ago. She had one seizure that I know of but our vet looked for neurological problems, not heart problems (didn't find anything). She also had thyroid issues and we did the radiation therapy, she developed the clot four days after we brought her home. She was 14 at the time and didn't show any other symptoms of health problems at all, she acted fine and routine blood tests didn't show any problems other than the thyroid. I always figured the seizure/thyroid/clot were all related somehow and now I'm really convinced.

Gwen November 23rd, 2008 10:36:48 PM

I've personally seen a cat suffer from this problem, wasn't my cat but I was very close to her. It's horrible to watch, and tears your heart up to see them that way. In the case I saw euthenasia was chosen and the kitty's suffering ended. She was the sweetest, best natured Torti I've ever met (for those that understand Tortitude you'll know what I mean) and she loved everyone. It was a very sad day when she was gone.

kittylover November 23rd, 2008 10:51:22 PM

i have a cat with an enlarged heart (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). during a routine check up a slight murmur was found. her vet recommended she see a cardiologist and have an echo done, when she said she wanted to rule out hypertrophic cardiomyopathy i started to shake and cry- my 33 year old brother had passed from undiagnosed HCM just 2 month prior. unfortunately she did have it but it was caught early and she takes atenolol daily and has kept her heart disease from progressing for over 4 years. i belong to a feline heart group so several of our memebers over the years have had cats have a saddle thrombrosis some opt for euthenasia some opted for medical intervention and there has been quite a few sucess stories that gives hope. belle was diagnosed young at 16 months and now gets twice yearly echos and bloodwork at the minimum, i make sure to brush her teeth daily (to keep the need for dentals and the dreaded anesthesia away), i keep her stress as low as possible, make sure she eats healthy food, and just give her plenty of love and attention. my prayers will be answered if she passes at home peacefully while sleeping on my lap and even better at an old age too.

katy November 24th, 2008 09:38:13 AM

How does one assess the dosage of cardiac drugs in animals? I did have my elderly dog on Benezapril for a time and low dose aspirin suggested. After a time, I weaned her off, as she was becoming unsteady and dizzy. She went on for a good time after that and succumbed to cancer. Barbara A. Albright

Pocket's Story from NH November 24th, 2008 11:30:24 AM

On the aspirin issue: I should have addressed this more fully as I see that a lot of you have questions surrounding the use of aspirin. The truth is that we don't know if it works or not. Some cardiologists still recommend it, though. newer on the horizon is the possibility that Plavix is the drug of choice but this, too, is an open question. Not a lot of studies have been done in this area but there is one large study in the works on the Plavix thing. We'll see where this takes us. In the meantime I still do what my local cardiologist recommends.

Dr. Patty Khuly November 24th, 2008 05:04:01 PM

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Before my FIP experience, I "knew" no disease was more heartbreaking. When my first cat was diagnosed, he was 2 years old. A lovely white with grey male cat that we rescued from a tree on a nearby farm. (that we had to climb the roof of the nearby house to get high enough up the tree) My friend (from the farm) called me after the kitten wouldn't come down after two days.

We named him "Tree" He died when he was 6. euthanized after a saddle thrombis, he was screaming in pain as we rushed to the vet. Longest 5 minutes of my life.

When my second cat was diagnosed he was 3 years old. A lovely polydactyle tuxedo cat, (Squiggle) who was like a dog, when I would come home from work in the morning, I'd sit in the hall way and we'd play "fetch" with a ball for a at least 15 minutes every morning. He died when he was 4.5 years old. euthanized after a second saddle thrombis. We'd elected to treat the first one two weeks before. (it wasn't complete and he had feeling and moderate pain)

when they were first diagnosed, I was "sure" they could be saved. I researched vets, treatments and found a "top" cardiologist that was running a drug study in NYC. I took both cats to see him, enrolled in the study, never missed a medication dose, vet visit, echocardiogram, even gave lasix injections to Tree at home....I learned that this disease like I now know about FIP is evil, cruel and heartbreaking. It doesn't matter how much money, how much time, how many experts you see, the end is the same. a horrible painful death for the cat and a gut wrenching heartbreaking end for the owner.

The lucky ones, come home to find their cat dead...no diganosis, no medications, no sleepless nights, no hoping when there isn't. Just a quick and sudden death.

I hate this disease and before the FIP, I hated it more than anything else.

Having said that, it is a fickle disease. I have a 14 year old cat that has HCM. We don't give him meds, I don't have echo's done anymore and he's living out his life a happy brother to Squiggle who died so many years ago.

LorriM November 24th, 2008 07:12:25 PM

according to the cardiologists on VIN, aspirin is useless in these cats. the FATCAT study hasn't been published yet, but the preliminary data is not encouraging. thrombolytics are also not used in cats often anymore due to the complication rate, incomplete dissolution, and sudden death. further, the vast majority of cats will form another thrombus within 6 months- so long term prognosis - regardless of the presence of congestive heart failure - is poor. SUCKS. i hate these cases.

homeless parrot November 24th, 2008 09:50:42 PM

My seven year old tiger died from a saddle thrombis five years ago. We had absolutely no idea she had any kind of heart disease. It was early in the morning and she had a "coughing spell" for lack of better description and then was unable to move her back legs. I rushed her to the ER vet where they stabilized her and then we transported her to her regular vet who tried to dissolve the clot. When I found out how painful it was and that the chances of her throwing another clot were high, I elected to have her euthanized. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I now have two cats with heart disease. My eight year old boy has a variety of valve issues and his left atrium is enlarging. He has been put on medication and seems just fine so far. One of my five year olds as HCM in the early stages. It is so hard knowing what might happen to them, even though we are monitoring them carefully and treating them. I can hardly deal with thinking about losing them in the same way as Dexter. Like LorriM, I hate this disease and what it can do to a cat.

dottie November 25th, 2008 04:38:48 PM

We just discovered this week that our 5 yr old cat, Freddie, had saddle thrombosis. What a terrible shock for a seemingly active, healthy cat to be discovered in severe pain and unable to walk. We had to have him euthinized.

Linda R from NB, Canada November 28th, 2008 11:26:42 AM

My cat had saddle thrombosis - last nite and we had to have him euthinized this morning - we Had Sylvester for 10 years and it was a terrible thing to happen - as we had no idea that he had a heart problem - at all - it was suddent.

Margie from Cape Town South Africa November 29th, 2008 05:12:38 AM

I had to have my beloved Ziggy euthinized tonight,one of the hardest things i've ever had to do. I came home with my wife to find Ziggy vomiting the minute we walked through the door. He jumped down to hide under the bed then ran off to hide in another room. Doing so he was crying in pain. Within about ten minutes his back legs were completely paralyzed and he was panting uncontrolably. While trying to comfort him for an hour I wondered if he was going to get better. I knew my only other option at 6:00 on a saturday night was to bring him is to bring him to the emergency vet 50 km away where it is about a 100$ just to examine him. Leaving the house I knew already what was going to happen, it was so hard for all of us. After researching the topic though I'm confident that I made the right decision. Rest in peace Ziggy, we love you and are going to miss you so much.

mez November 30th, 2008 01:47:01 AM

Hi, I'm an italian vet. Vet med lab (idexx group) provides Nt-proBNP test.It's available from a blood sample. Do you think it could be usefull in this case? I mean, is it usefull to detect a chronic cardiac problem that can bring to this acute disease? Aldo

Aldo November 30th, 2008 04:10:44 AM

I just lost my kitty of 14-15 years do to what my general vet believe was a saddle thrombus.

I adopted him at the age of 3 an he had had a rough life prior to coming to me. At around 6 months, he was hit by a car, someone rescued him and turned him over to who eventually became his first or second owner. She was a vet tech and took him in to her clinic and they repaired his shoulder. He was a large cat and was the blood donor for the practice. Apparently she had a house full of dogs and cats and one of her dogs liked to chew on the cats resulting in two of them being killed and Simba (my cat) fracturing his right hip. He was repaired again, this time with a plate. When the vet tech had a family upheaval she offered him to me.

He lived with me for 12+ years. I had just moved in April and noticed that his was limping, also noticed that he was loosing weight, particularly his hindquarters. I thought he was getting arthritic. He was due for his rabies immunizations, a teeth cleaning and I wanted to get to the bottom of why he was limping. So I took him in for his immunization, he was given a complete physical and a week later he was anesthesized, teeth cleaned and an x-ray of his right hind leg done. The x-ray showed a separated plate, which I was aware of prevously, but did not know how far it had moved. He recovered uneventfully and when his gums healed, he started to regain his appetite.

A couple of weeks later, I thought I heard him fall in the bathroom and when I looked at him his right foot was twice the size of his left. I contacted the vet and they did not feel it was necessary for him to be seen and renewed the meloxacam he had been taking and instructed me to give it to him on an as needed basis.

He seemed to be recovering okay, the swelling went down and I was only going to give him another dose. 2 Sundays ago, he got up in his usual manner to greet me. I went into the bathroom and there was litter and stool all over the place. Later, I noticed he had diarrhea all over his butt and back legs. I cleaned him and the bathroom up and went out for a hike.

When I returned home, I found him on my bed and it was apparent his had urinated and had not moved off of it. He was making a weired yowling sound and when I touched him he seemed to be in a great deal of pain. I left downstairs to try to call the vet and when I returned, he was back to his usual self, not crying, making good eye contact, but still did not seem to be distressed. I went downstairs for dinner and when I returned, he had again urinated and was making very distressed vocalizations and I made a decision to take him in to a 24 hour veterinary emergency clinic. I thought he had broken his hip or back.

When I got the the clinic, they examined him, he had a audible mumur and blood work indicated severe anemia with a Hct of 14, normal is 33. The vet did not belive he had any fractures. After some discussion they wanted to have him on fluids and transfuse 3 units of blood. He was placed in an oxygen tent. His temp was 96, and his heart rate was 140. When I went in to see him, despite receiving concentrated O2, he was mouth breathing and panting and again making distressed vocalizations. He also appeared to be having seizures with his front paws shaking intermittently.

After many tears and long discussions with the veterinarian, I decided to let him go, it seemed that putting though the tests and transfusions was a poor gamble at best. I was either looking at severe heart disease or a malignancy, and I did not want to put him though procedures he may have not survived anyway.

What was strange was that I had been told he had a "slight" mumur a long time ago and it was never detected again until the night I brought him in to the emergency clinic. I am fairly good (am a nurse practitioner) at detecting heart murmurs in humans and grading them accurately, but the few times I listened to him, did not hear a murmur. Had a vet or I caught it, I would have been able to give him the right treatment to at least lower his risk.

We did no do a necropsy, I can only find solice in that he lived a good life and is no longer suffering.

Debi December 1st, 2008 03:08:25 AM

I just had to put my 13yr old cat down today due to saddle thrombus. We've had him for 5 years, he's seen the vet and showed no signs at all that he had a heart problem - until today. He was climbing the stairs in the house when he suddenly stopped using his back legs. When he got to the top of the stairs he tried dragging himself to our bedroom to hide under the bed using just his front legs. He would continually flop around (seizure-like) and open his mouth, breath heavy with his tongue hanging out the side, and hollered - A LOT! He tried to attack my hand on the way to the vet. The vet checked him out and just from the symptoms I described to her she was pretty sure it was saddle thrombus and not an injury - which a physical exam confirmed. Someone posted that they were not aware that this problem was actually painfull. I can tell you that I have never before in my life heard an animal scream in pain like he did. It was not a meow or a howl - it was screaming and he was wild from the pain. He was in an oxygen cage but it did no good as his lungs started failing. All they could do was put him under, I never even knew that surgery may have been an option - he deteriorated so fast. He was so wild from the pain that I couldn't even see him one last time, and hadn't even signed the paperwork yet - the doctor was in that much of a hurry to ease his pain. If anyone ever has a cat with this diagnosis and the doctor tells you that it will get worse - believe it, it can get much, much worse. I am just glad that I got him to the vet and he did not have to suffer a slower and much more agonizing death at home with the kids.

Alyssa December 9th, 2008 05:05:34 AM

I have just found out that my precious 3 year old kitty has Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy with an Arrythmyia. The vet found a heart murmu and sent her to a cardio specialist who did an ultrasound and diagnosed the heart disease. She is symptom free and not on any meds but we decided, due to stress from ocassional fighting with one of my other cats, to put her on Antenlol(?) to regulate her blood pressure to protect her heart. I am heartbroken about this but will do whatever is necessary to keep her safe, healthy and happy until we are forced to make a decision otherwise. I want to do anything possible to prevent the saddle thrombosis. I am confused about whether or not there is anything that can be done to prevent it or see it coming. I do not want her to suffer in any way at all. It's horrifying to read the posts above. My vet and specialist said that she is not at a point where she is at risk for developing one right now and we will monitor her so she won't get to that point. Is it possible to tell when she gets to a point where she is in danger of that happening? Will she start showing other symptoms? If not, how do you make a decision to euthanize a kitty who seems healthy and happy. I am so afraid of having that happen?

Darlene December 9th, 2008 04:50:15 PM

Hi there, I am so sorry for your loss, so so sorry. I went throught the same thing last night with my cat Bunny. He just got up from the couch and went and threw up then his back end fell over completely, he was dragging himself around with his front paws. He dragged himself over to me desperately trying to climb onto me. I picked him up and realized he was doomed. I went to an animal hospital an he was immediately diagnosed with saddle thrombus. It hit me like a brick wall. I knew I had no option but to put my little boy down :( I am still so so sad, I can hardly believe it. It actually happened at around this exact time yesterday :( I will miss him so much and I am so sorry again for your loss. It hurts like hell and it happens within a matter of seconds. I watched the whole thing happen and I will never forget it. IT has been te hardest time in my life. I am devestated as you must have been. *big hugzzz* Julia

Julia December 15th, 2008 08:12:24 PM

This happened Saturday night at 1am with our 18 year old cat Mittens. It was horrible. I had no idea this could occur and feel terrible that Mittens was not diagnosed with heart disease prior to this horrific episode. We rushed Mittens to the vet ER. Her heart rate was 240 and she was out of her mind in pain- biting everything she could (including my arm), screaming with the most terrifying yowl. It was the saddest thing ever to not be able to comfort her and hold her. Pain medication did nothing. Eventually we opted for an overdose of anesthesia. She died in my arms around 2:30am. She was not up-to-date on her rabies vaccine so the vet would not let me take her home for burial since she had taken a chunk out of my arm. She had to be sent off for rabies testing which came back negative yesterday as I predicted. My dog has a murmur. I never want him to go through this. Oh, the horror of it. I feel so sorry for any family and pet who goes through this.

Chris December 17th, 2008 12:05:25 PM

I have reread the stories on this page and I am happy my cat, Bunny, is not suffering anymore.....this whole experience has been just terrible and I still feel as if 1/2 my heart is gone....to take my baby away 10 days before Christmas? I am now Atheist as a result of this junk and I don't believe in any "hand of god" if it was the hand that took my cat I would love to break all the fingers on it....the sadness is leaving while bitterness sets in. *BITTER*

Julia, Ottawa, On, Canada December 19th, 2008 05:18:15 PM

Reading these stories is heart breaking. My sincere condoleneces to everyone who has gone through this nightmare an lost their little baby. That is my dread. However, I am hoping the outcome for my little fella will be more positive...and signals are that a saddle thrombus is not always the end. While it is early days, I want to post this information in case anyone has the same situation as me and feels that immediate euthanasia is the only answer. My little fellas was found howling on Monday morning, flopping about as couldn't move the hind legs. Rushed to vet who diagnosed the clot immediately, and he was put on aspirin, antibiotics, painkiller and a drip. x rays and other tests showed heart was normal, as were kidneys etc - so vet has no idea what caused this. Thyroid function is normal. The first day little fella was depressed looking and not interested in anything. No pain. Vet recommended waiting it out to see what happened, so long as little fella not suffering. 2nd day, he was still miserable but comfortable and sleeping quite a bit, but also responding to petting, eating a teeny amount and grooming a little bit too. Was alert and interested in what was going on but both legs still cold and paralysed. No 'blue' in the nailbeds, so some blood was getting through. Things didn't change much until this morning when one leg is now normal temperature and he can move it very slightly. The other leg is still a cool but slightly warmer than it was. The vet says this is all encouraging and just to give little fella time...he rolled over today for me to tickle his tummy, and was very responsive to petting. STill not eating a lot though licks his lips at the smell of food so there he does have an appetite of sorts. He is able to get out of bed and drag himself over to the litter tray...fingers, toes, everything crossed that he will get through this. I go in every day and spend a couple of hours with him, can't wait to get in tomorrow and see if there's any further improvement!

Anna December 19th, 2008 07:13:17 PM

Reading all these stories breaks my heart just a little more. Almost two weeks ago, on a Sunday morning, I let my 8 year old cat Maximus into the house from his normal night out patroling the neighborhood. Only this time, he came in dragging his hind legs. He ate and went to lay down. My fear was that he was hit by a car during the night. I waited until Monday to take him to the vet, expressed my concerns about being hit and x-rays were taken. The x-rays came back with no breaks so the vet determined that he was bitten by something, although there were no apparent bite marks. I was given pain meds and antibiotics and instructed to observe his progress through the week. Max remained inside the entire week, hiding out mostly in the basement or under my bed...he didn't get any better but didn't get any worse. He was able to move around using his left hind leg but continued to drag his right hind leg. After returning home late from Christmas shopping on Friday night, I noticed that Max has taken a turn for the worse. He was restless, panting, breathing heavy and back to dragging both hind legs. I thought for sure he was going to die and monitored him throughout the night. He made it to morning and as I did some research on the internet, concluded that he was suffering from HCM and saddle thrombus. Because my regular vet is not open on Saturdays, I took him to another local vet who confirmed my research and said there was nothing to do but put him out of his pain and misery. Putting my first real pet to sleep was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do and would never wish it upon anyone. But I am relived to know he is no longer suffering. I am furious that the original vet was not able to determine what the true problem was and allowed my cat to suffer for a whole week when he didn't have to; afterall, it doesn't seem to be a rare problem with middle aged male cats. When I returned to get a refund, she was cold hearted and didn't have any remorse. Needless to say, they lost a client for good...my Delilah will not be going back there. As you can tell, I'm bitter over the whole situation. If you are reading this and your cat is suffering like all the stories above, please be adament about getting the correct diagnosis.

Sunny December 25th, 2008 02:40:19 PM

Hi Sunny, I am so sorry the vet did this to you :( I feel your pain, I still miss my cat "Bunny" so much. He was correctly diagnosed the first time but it felt like I ran into a brick wall at full speed head first when I was told :( MY condolenses to you. It hurts so much, I still feel cheated and robbed after the incident..part of my soul died with him :( Try to have Happy Holidays, it's hard but at least he isn't suffering anymore. (I know that doesn't offer any comfort after the loss of a pet :(

Julia December 25th, 2008 08:47:59 PM

Hi All, My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you who've suffered such a tragedy... My Cream Puff Himmy is 16 years old...suffers from heart disease (enlarged aorta, hypertension)and kidney renal disease. She has no appetite...I feed her by hand 3x dail and she's hydrated every evening...You'd never know that she's ill to see her. I work out of my home...clients have said this to me. She still follows us around like a dog and plays. She does at times appear to have some lameness in her hind quarters..jumping on the sofa seems a bit more challenging. I must also add that we live in a 3 floor condo and she visits every floor daily... I'm looking for lots of opinions from all of you...is it possible that she has a clot and is still able to function... At this stage we're only bringing her to the vet when absolutely necessary...She's over the top crazy and stressed everytime. I'd hate to think though that she suppresses her pain...Would a low dose asprin help or not be a good idea because of her kidney disease? Any info that you may provide will be greatly appreciated...We would never selfishly keep her going if pain was evident... Thank you

Paula from MA December 28th, 2008 01:28:33 PM

My 'shadow' died last night. I got him with his sister from the chicago humane society when they were kittens 6 years ago. They have only been indoor in a large loft and I always taken care of all their needs never leaving them alone for more than a couple of days.

Shadow last night was stuck in his litter box calling me. I pulled him out and his legs were motionless, I almost died on the spot. Quick call to the ER and with him having difficulty breathing through his mouth I grabbed a cab and 10 mins later we were at the ER. Shadow was craling on his body. The Vet put him immediately on Oxygen, they left the room and that was the last time I saw him.

Its been 24 hours now and I can t stop crying. I feel so bad for his sister who is calling him and looking for him everywhere. I trusted the vet that almost nothing could have been done and I didn t want him to suffer at all, the trip must have been hard for him too. He looked at me with open wide eyes from his box in the back of the cab for a good minute without making a noise just like we both knew it was over.

I am 40 years old and a strong guy but the last 24 hours felt like I lost a child. I blame myself for not having taken him to the vet/clinic more often. I should have known these diseases can strike cats just like humans. They were such happy cats I never even imagined...plus staying indoor protected them from the crap from outside.

My doc got me some clonazepam for a couple of days but I really don t want to go thought this ever again. I will spend $5 grand on his sister to do every test imaginable to make sure that she will live a long life with me.

Maybe in a couple of months once the pain is gone I ll see about getting a kitten to keep her company and for her to take care of. I am so worried that after spending 6 years with her brother she is going to get depressed and feel alone.

Monsoon December 31st, 2008 08:57:29 PM

Hello Paula, I understand why you do not want HImmy to go to the vet (it is so stressful for cats and some take the journey worse than others) would it be possible to get a cat sedative for Himmy, so she can endure the journey more easily, or for a vet to do a house call? It would cost more but vets will do them in exceptional circumstances. I don't think you can give aspirin without it being strictly supervised by a vet - even a minute overdose of aspirin can be fatal to a cat. I am not an expert, just love cats and have had them all my life, but I do know that, at 16, she is a grand old lady and won't be without her aches and pains ....but if she is happy playing with you at times and enjoys life in her own way...shows she has plenty of life left in her yet!

Monsoon - so terribly sorry to hear about your little Shadow. It is so miserable to lose a seemingly healthy cat in such a way - my little fella did not survive either...after a week of intensive care in the vets, on a drip, aspirin, everything that could be done was done...the feeling came back into his legs, and his appetite was great - and I got him home christmas eve - only for him to have another clot within 24 hours, went to his lung this time and caused the most terrible breathing problems, I had to take him to the vet at 3 a.m. in the morning to be put to sleep, on Christmas day. It was truly terrible. You did the right thing in having Shadow euthanised early, the chances of surviving this very very low. There really isn't much you can do about it either to prevent all this, as far as I know... but that won't stop you from feeling miserable and guilty about it all. He obviously had a very, very happy life with you and his sister, and that's a wonderful thing.

Anna January 5th, 2009 05:58:24 PM

My family has also gone through a very familar situation. Miles was a very healthy, active 10 year male. The night of 12/9, we got home from Christmas shopping to find Miles acting a little funny. He was plopping his rear-end down funny and started to hide from us, which was very unusual for him. We decided very quickly to bring him to the emergency room. After listening to his heart, they discovered a slight heart murmur. They then took x-rays and found his heart was enlarged, which probably had somthing to do with underlying heart disease. They also took x-rays of his back end. She thought he was starting to become arthrtic. They suggested we make an appointment with a specialist and have an ECO (ultrasound) done. They gave Miles pain killers and we took him home. I called my vet the next day and she suggested to let Miles rest for the day and made the appointment for the ECO the following day. The results of the ECO was pretty much the same as what the emergency room vet told us. She did say that there was no sign of any clots and gave us a rather promising outlook. She perscribed a medication that would slow Miles heart down. She said up and down she couldn't connect his heart disease with his back end. We were on cloud 9 thinking he was going to be ok. We brought him home and as I watched him that night I knew something was still wrong. Very quickly he started dragging his rear legs and couldn't sit still. He then starting screaming in pain. That's when we got in the car and went back to the ER. They diagnosed him with saddle thrombus. They said there wasn't much we could do and I hated to see him in any pain. I still don't understand why the "specialist" didn't see any sign of a clot and that night he expierenced a life-ending clot?!? I've been feeling really guilty about euthanisation, but after reading the stories above, I feel a little better. I still miss him like crazy. Miles has 2 brothers who miss him also. Our boys mean the entire world to us and I think about him and miss him everyday. 1/12/2008 RIP Miles

BN January 6th, 2009 08:28:50 PM

My child sunny was having a great day. He was playing and eating during the day. He had his own spare bedroom where we kept his food and kitty box. He crawled out of the bedroom to the livingroom to see me (his mommy). He couldn't use his back legs. We brought him to the vet asap. We were told he had a blood clot that burst in his heart. He had no movement in his legs and was in a pain. My heart is broke...I just lost him lastnight. I believe he is in heaven with some of my other furry children. I miss him and love him dearly.

Patty Bower January 18th, 2009 03:49:12 PM

My cat just died. He was my baby of 15 years. What you all are describing is exactly what happened. He was SO loved.

Robin February 2nd, 2009 05:44:11 PM

our special boy monty who was 6 years old had to be put down after he tried to jump up on my lap and then fell to the floor, unable to use his hind quarters. 2 days before hw had an x ray that said enlarged heart and maybe some fluid in the lungs, and he had lost some weight which is why i brought him to the vet in the first place. he had also been lathargic. my vet sent me to get an ultra sound to be sure, but the day before my appointment he went paralized and i had already done all the research and knew what was happening. i rushed him to the vet with my husband and we held him and put him to sleep immediately so he could be out of pain. he was opening his mouth wide but couldn't even make noise. i'm not sure why, but he looked to be in pain. my vet said if it was her cat she would have done the same thing, she said we did the right thing. we miss you so much monty. bedtime isn't the same.

robin #2 February 3rd, 2009 10:25:56 PM

Our Cat was FAT,and 13 years old,and OMG she was spoiled.On Feb.01 2009 my husband and I returned home from a long shift at work.Normally when we return our cat "TELLIE" would be yelling us at none stop.But on the night we didn't hear her.My husband Rob saw her on the sofa sleeping,where she is usually sleeping,the day before she was eating pissing and everything normal,we had 100% no ideal anything was wrong!My husband went to say hi tellie daddy's home.No responce and he than within seconds yelled at me as I was down the hall...TELLIE DEAD ! We both went into panic attacts we yelled noway noway!!!! She was the 200% the prefect cat.My husband felt her stomach it was still warm but not a normal warm.After repeating to confirm she was deceased we placed her in a box w/towel and as it was winter out we put her in the truck.Later that night my husband rechecked to still confirm that she had passed away.And of course she was still dead.The next morning we took her to the vets to get cermated and have the ashes returned to us.Our days have been SO quite without her,that it was like we died also.We than days like days later we found our deceased cat twin(not dio)just looks like her 100% at the Kamloops SPCA.YES we got another cat,but we live everyday w/our other pets as if it's their last days.TELLIE is the only cat we're had for 14 years and than die suddenly .I'm wondering if anyone eles had this painful experience we had.Please write me back at grandkids4us@shaw.ca thanks.

Mrs.D. Godfrey February 4th, 2009 03:44:32 PM

my cat was diagnosed with saddle thrombus yesterday he had 2 put down i got him wen i was 2 and he is only 9

cassie February 7th, 2009 07:18:51 PM

I have a similar story to Anna. My partner came home after work and a little grocery shopping to find our 5 year old male cat on the couch in the middle of a large wet spot. She chided him and put him in the litter box. When he just laid there she picked him up again and sat him on the floor, thats when she realized he couldnt walk. Without even putting away the groceries she wrapped him in a towel and raced to the vet clinic (we live about two minutes drive from our local vet hospital). They rushed her past a filled waiting room and was seen within five minutes. The vet told her he had Saddle Thrombosis and the prognosis was dire, he suggested Euthanasia. At this point she simply burst into tears. Hades has been with us since 2003, a three month old kitten, more dog than cat and my first actual cat (I grew up with dogs). As she was crying the vet told her there was one other option. (Why didnt he mention this along with euthanasia in the first place?) 'Experimental' treatment in a hyperbaric chamber, pain medication, trags for if he was too stressed out, and blood thinners first in heperin and then aspirin. She decided that since the worst had already happened and although really uncomfortable he didnt seem to be in that much pain we would try the treatments. Its been a week (it happened on 2/4/2009), went through six treatments of the chamber, two shots of heperin, an aspirin every other day, and the only day on pain meds was the first three. At first both legs were cold but pads and nailbeds were still pink, and he could not move his hind legs and barely his tail. Hes regained function of his tail, urine track, and has feeling/can move from his ankle up. One leg is better than the other but he still does not seem to have feeling/movement from the ankle down. His bowel function seems to be working but slow (plus he gets constipated REALLY easily on any medication so this has been a fight ever since he was little) so the vet has him taking laxitives for now. We are still patiently working with him. Its a huge cost but we are commited so long as he is not in pain. I made a promise that if he doesnt get any more mobile and is still not in pain in a month I will be investing in a kitty wheel chair. I still feel like euthanasia is not an option for me. I know in his first days he was in discomfort and had some pain in his legs as feeling returned but thats slowly dissapaited. He is a lot better now with the leg stretches and has started to show a real interest in food + now plays and crawls around. The only thing is he gets mad / huffy (he snorts when hes mad) when he tries to jump on the couch. I try to encourage him to claw up it (this couch is old/corderoy and the cats just dont seem to be able to damage it with their trimmed claws) but he needs his hind legs to help pull him up. So I pick him up after a few tries (I call it excercise because hes bending and straightening his hind legs a little) and put him where he can chirp at the birds. Even if he is living on borrowed time... I believe the 1,200+ vet bills are worth it. We'll manage somehow, and I have that much more time with him. I know the likelihood of another episode but I've got to try.

Tina February 11th, 2009 10:04:40 PM

Well, I am just sick to my stomach right now, after reading these sad but informative postings. This happened to my 10 y.o. female persian, Domino, early this a.m. She is now at the vet cinic/hospital and after being diagnosed with saddle thrombosis after an ultrasound, my doctor stated she's going to try her on aspirin therapy overnight and tomorrow as the office is closed. She said she'll be checking on her tomorrow and will call me. I repeatedly asked if she was being given an IV, pain meds., etc., and all I heard was aspirin. Now, I'm in a panic after reading up on this problem as I don't want my baby girl to suffer. I want her to live but am not selfish enough to let her suffer. My vet never once mentiond euthanasia and I was ready for it (after losing my other cat 2 y.o. on V-day to liver disease at only 7 y.o.). Now, I witnssed her pain today and her howling as i was driving and her paralyzed legs. The vet assured me she's relaxed now and breathing better but how can she be if she has not been given pain meds? I am just devestated right now. The vet also mentioned she assumes it can be painful - CAN BE? I hope she's reading up tonight also as my baby needs to be pain free - I'm just sick and so sad and can't stop crying! This is so awful. Thanks for the info, though, as I'm going to track that vet down tomorrow to tell her all this info.

Pam February 17th, 2009 11:03:12 PM

My 9 yr old cat has this condition (sadle throm) but she is NOT showing any signs of pain, thank God. My vet is treating her with aspirin, atenolol and a heart medication. She also has cancer and i give her a small amount of pred every other day. I pray for her every day and hope for the best. She is bright eyed, eating well and in no pain. Every day with her is another day to treasure.

Sally February 20th, 2009 10:15:03 AM

My little Mistletoe was diagnosed with saddle thrombus last week, I was at home when it happened in the evening and immediately phoned the emergency vet, she told me to monitor her over night and bring her in in the morning! I insisted on her being seen and rushed her to the vets an hour later because she couldn't move her hind legs. My vet told me she WASN'T in pain!! She survived the first few hours and is now home with me, but is weak and has not regained much motor function. I cannot believe my vet has not offered her any anti-coagulant meds or help for her heart. I am taking her to a cardiologist at a vet hospital tomorrow but I am preparing myself for the bad news. Please pray for her.

JS February 24th, 2009 12:47:23 PM

This is a horribly-written article. It's almost embarrassing...

Andrew February 25th, 2009 12:15:45 PM

Just this morning, we lost Leo, our 8 month old Michigan Coon Cat, to this as the vet said. It all started about 1230AM. We were falling asleep when we heard a strang noise. One we have never heard befor form our cats. We have... had four. At first, I just thought they were playing under the bed but we kept hearing a strange fast sound. I leaned over the bed and looked under. I saw Leo lying on his side and panting ever so fast. The look in his eyes told me something was wrong so I got out of bed and went to retrieve him as hie tried to crawl away. I was able to crab him and pull him out so I placed him on the bed to look him over and thats when I discovered he could not use his hinde quartes. In a panic, I too thought the same thing... he broke his back. My wife and I scrammbled to get dressed, get the phone book and comfort the poor little guy. I called the Emergency Vet in our area and they asked how his breathing was, if he was panting with his mouth open? He had it closed at the time but his respiratory effort was shallow and about 80 respirations a minute. Im in the medical field and know this is really bad. He showed extreame pain as we tried to keep him from moving around (fearing a broken back). I have never heard such agonizing screams from a cat before and I realy begane to stress. The Vet said to get him there ASAP. So we loaded him in the cat carrier and headed out. Oh man did it get bad. He began to scream and thrash around in the carrier but there was nothing I could do. My wife drove as I stayed with him in the back seat. His screaming got so bad and the thrashing got worse. As I was weeping, knowing there was nothing I could do, he got quiet. From my proffession, I knew we weren't fast enough. We were only half way to the Vet. As it turns out... I was unfortunetly right. Leo passed away in my lap. As we arrived at the Vet, they took him inside and confirmed his passing. We had no Idea what just happened and the Vet stated it looks like a thrombosis. The sound we heard at first was Leo dragging himself to his comfort zone. A saddle thrombosis. And I guess another finished him off. This all took no more than 25 minutes from the time we heard him to his passing. I just don't understand how this happened to a young cat. Yes he was a stray we found but still... he was only 8 months old??? I just wish my outcome was more possitve but I just had to get this of my chest. I will miss you Leo... Our little man.

James March 7th, 2009 02:33:58 PM

I'm reading these posts, and it's breaking my heart. I found this site after doing a google search, trying to find some hope for my sweet Franki girl, age 10. She is overweight (but eats little), docile, sweet, lovable. The sweetest cat ever. This afternoon, she started wobbling and limping, then fell on the floor panting. Then she went hiding under a dresser drawer. Rushed her to the vet, who did Xrays. Diagnosed enlarged heart and blood clot. Said I could do massively expensive tests which would still not cure and likely not help her, but would confirm diagnosis. Said there's really nothing to do for the clot. Told me to bring her home and call in the morning. Gave me phone number of a vet who makes housecalls to do euthanasia. She's here with me now and seems comfortable, not in pain, not panting. She still cannot walk. I know this is the end and am broken hearted.

maryann March 17th, 2009 02:25:57 AM

I, too, just lost my oldest boy to saddle thrombosis; the vet advised me that we could try this or that but the prognosis was very poor; most likely he would throw more clots and possibly to his lungs, which would be even more agonizing. My boy loved running around outdoors; I couldn't see confining him (even if he recovered from this, which was highly unlikely) and didn't want him to suffer maybe a worse fate. He was in such pain that he was howling and writhing, but never bit or attacked; he was the sweetest, most gentle "Zen" boy. Thank heaven he made it home and in the door and someone was there when it happened; he threw up and flopped down and was then totally paralyzed from the waist down. Lost control of bowels and bladder; it must've been a total blockage and very grave. I rushed him right to the vet who thankfully knew immediately what it was, so he didn't suffer too long. I was a mess, but was able to hold him the whole time and be with him at the very end and say goodbye. He had a long life and a happy life, but what a horrible death. I just thank God it didn't happen outside where he'd suffer alone for hours, and I'd never know what had happened. Mommy loves you, my sweet baby boy...

Heartbroken Mom March 30th, 2009 02:48:30 PM

I am in the same heart breaking situation with my cat Jasmine that has been diagnosed with Saddle Thrombus. I took her to the Emergency room a week ago. The Vet first suggested Euthanasia, but because one of her hind legs seems to be getting circulation she may have a chance. So I kept her over night, she was on IV, Heparin & pain meds. I took her to my regular vet the next day. He sent her home with me to make some decisions about treatment. He said you can spend thousands of dollars trying to treat this with no guarantee and most likely it will happen again. So being that my cat was no longer in pain I decided to keep her home with me. She has been eating/drinking & able to urinate and deficate. She seems to getting a little better everyday and has use of her right hind leg, but not the left. So my vet has told me there are no medications I could give her at home to at least thin out her blood. I have a hard time believing there is nothing available. I have been researching about giving her aspirin. It seems to be very mixed opinions about this. I also found the idea of giving her Ginko Biloba for circulation. There must be something I can give to at least promote circulation. If anyone can offer me any advice of how to treat her, I would really appreciate it. I pray for my kitty and all the other kitties, along with their owners that have been through this terrible ordeal.

Sharon April 5th, 2009 11:28:56 AM

Hey all, I have a 2 year old shorthair female kitty that suffered a Saddle Thrombus on 4/15/09. Luckily I was playing with Sita when I noticed her behaving "funny" and saw that she was losing the use of her hind legs. I thought she had been poisoned somehow, so took her to the vet right away. That's where I found out she had a Saddle Thrombus.

She was at the vet and 24hr care for 3 days, and last Saturday I brought her home. She is on Enalapril, Furosemide, Plavix, and baby Aspirin. For the first few days she seemed to be doing great. My girlfriend and I would massage her legs, and help with moving her around. She was getting better and started to try walking again.

Last Wednesday (4/22/09) she stopped eating on her own. She had been eating her normal food after I got her back from the hospital, but then she just refused to eat anything. I tried everything to entice her, but no luck. I took her to the vet again, and her blood work turned out fine... a little low on the potassium, but the vet gave me a potassium supplement (Renal K+) to give her. I've been syringe feeding her baby food (chicken, beef, and turkey) ever since she stopped eating on her own.

She also stopped drinking on her own yesterday. She used to drink a lot of water on her own, up until yesterday. I've been making her drink with a syringe as well now.

It's like she's completely given up and refuses to fight to get better. Has anyone else had a cat survive, or know someone who has? Can someone tell me if this is normal? I'm going to talk to the vet tomorrow and probably take her in again, but I don't know what else I can do. She doesn't seem to be in pain at all, her legs feel warm, but she just lies on a towel and heating pad all day and night, with half open eyes, staring off into nothing. Is that normal for a cat that's survived? Does recovery take weeks and months? Is a loss of appetite part of the recovery process?

Thank you for any information. The stories in here break my heart... I don't want to have to put Sita to sleep... :(

Chris R April 27th, 2009 01:30:17 AM

My Rufus 3 years old born 07-04-06 an Exotic cat. We made the decision to have him put to sleep. It was 5.30pm when i got home, i kissed him on the head as he sat on the stool in the kitchen and he appeared fine. Then i heard screams where i thought Rufus and my female persian were fighting,so i run upstairs. Rufus is sat on the tall cat post, his legs hanging over the edge, they looked life less, i took a look at his face and he was gasping for air, his face looked like it had froze still, his pink nose and lips were blue/grey. I called my partner and said he's not well, there is somthing wrong with him,he picked him up took him downstairs. Rufus was in pain,crying, so mike put him down on the floor, his back legs were paralysed, he picked him back up. I looked at him and cryed he's dieing,his eyes,nose,lips were so blue .We rushed over the road to the vets in the car,whilst in the car he dribbled down me, his mouth appeared like the muscle had drooped. Rushing into the vets i cried that he'd had a stroke. Lying him on the table, the vet said it looked more like a blood clot. She got me to feel his back legs, and his back paws, they were cold. Touching his front legs they were warm, she advised us that he was in alot of pain, and to prepare our selfs for the worst. He would have to be taken along to a vet hospital, put into intensive care and it would be touch and go.

We got to the vet hospital as fast as we could, Rufus was crying but dazed from the strong pain killer. The veterinary nurse in the hospital, said his back legshe may well be permanently parylised, and from the hearing the lungs she advised that in her opinion Rufus wouldnt make the next 24 hours. Even if he did make it, and the clot was removed, it could re-occur in the near future and he would need continuous medical treatment.

We were giveb 2 options, 1 continue treatment which did not look hopefull or put Rufus to sleep. We were devasted, it was such a shock, as he had not apeared ill up to the coming event. We did not want him to go through any more pain, so we decided in his best interest to be laid to rest. I held his paw, and looked at him whilst it was carried out and he went to sleep almost immediately.

I still dont know if i made the right decision, i had no knowledge of this disease at the time, but have since read up about it and it saddens me even more to think that i might have been able to do more, i dont know, its broken my heart.

I had Rufus at 12 weeks old, collected him from the breeder on the monday, by the Thursday he was ill, had no energy, was coughing and sneezing, along with mucus running from his nostrel. The vet said he had cat flu and i had a course of anti biotics given. He was then on anti biotics until he was 12 months old. At around 12 months old he had a seizure, after phoning the vet, they just advised to keep a close eye on him over night, he appeared fine after that until Tuesday night just gone when he had his blood clot.

We are deeply saddened that we couldnt do more for him. Rufus was like a dog, so laid back,socialable and a people person. We will always love him and he will always be in our thoughts, greatly missed.

Kellie May 6th, 2009 09:32:40 PM

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I wrote back in Febuary about my cat Hades. Its been four months now and he has beaten the short term odds. Though it is highly likely that it will happen again. It took several months but thankfully where we caught it in time the circulation has slowly gone back to normal in his legs, he has had new nerve growth/ legs awakening, and at first where he was dragging them/couldnt stand on his hind legs/jump with LOTS of physical therapy/ regimine of baby aspirin to keep his blood thin, and just constat check ups + hyper baric chamber treatments hes regained FULL use of his legs. Somehow I still think hes on barrowed time though. The hardest part was the first month. He went through stages where he seemed like he was just giving up, his medication constipated him, he was dehydrated, extremely moody, catatonic, stressed out, and or in some pain. We treated each as it came along, even going so far as to slowly force feed him his meals throughout the day/ trying new foods/ dripping just a bit of water on his lips/mouth to have him drink anything. We constantly kept wondering if it was time, if he was suffering, judging what type of pain he was in... it was hard and perhaps selfish of me but I don't believe in putting down an animal if there is any chance of survival. I wouldnt want someone to put me down even if I was in extreme pain at the moment if there was a chance later on that I might recover. We just dicided we couldnt put him down and I am sooo thankful. I know that most casual pet owners wouldnt shell out over 2,000 on vet bills. Since then hes only had one thing happen and it was an infection in his nails which has cleared up with a long term antibiotic, and anti fungal pads. Lukily he hasnt been mutilating his feet during all this, and things are looking good. I just wanted to leave a note for all the people who've been asking if any survived. Yes, but its uncertain. He may develope something for taking aspirin, or develop another clot... we dont know but I've gotten four more months and I am so thankful and happy. Now if he'll just let me brush out his hair so he doesnt mat I think it would be perfect.

Tina June 6th, 2009 01:19:12 AM

happened to us this morning, we had to put him down due the same condition. we were emigrating to south of china next week now he is still coming but in a urn :-(.. we kewn her daughter had heart problem but he never show any symptons i can only blame myself that i havent check him up for heart problem.

i had many cats for the last 14years but mitsi he was one of his kind, he was a sealpoint birman cat with lovely blue eyes. from the day we got him we knew he was special. we just lost a very special friend and companion. R.I.P. MITSI

mr&mrs lopes and cat mitsi June 13th, 2009 01:19:20 PM

Gizmo, our loving companion of almost 15 years, was diagnosed in January 2009 with advanced congestive heart disease and myocardial failure. His condition was discovered by the vet during an emergency visit to examine a knuckled-under front right paw. We thought he had broken his leg in a jump, but the examination revealed he had thrown a clot to his right front leg as a result of a very weak heart. My wife and I were extremely upset by the prognosis. According to the vet, Gizmo's condition was so severe that if he were a human, he'd be a candidate for a heart transplant. Our vet prescribed dosages of Pimobendin, Enalapril, Turine and 1/2 of a baby aspirin every three days. The aspirin was prescribed to thin the blood and was only to be used for3 weeks.

Gizmo had no appetite for 3 days after his stroke and was resistant to us forcing his medications down his throat. Our vet recommended smashing the meds and mixing them with chicken or beef baby food. That was genius. He loved the mixture immediately. Within 2 weeks his front paw had returned to normal and he was bounding around as usual.

In mid March, I was preparing to leave for work when I heard a cry from downstairs. I found Gizmo in obvious distress on the kitchen floor, this time his back right paw knuckled under. I called the vet immediately and he recommended that we continue on with the aspirin treatment we used during his earlier episode, although the prognosis was not good that he threw another clot. Within three weeks of us re-starting the aspirin regimen, Gizmo gained entire use of his back right leg. We were highly encouraged by the results despite the grave diagnosis of his diseased heart.

Our worst fears were realized last Thursday when my wife returned home in mid-day to find Gizmo crying at the bottom of the basement stairs stricken with a saddle-thrombosis and unable to move his back legs or tail. The day you say goodbye is one of the saddest human experiences you will ever endure. Gizmo was truly special - more human than cat and more social than most people.

In January, our vet was professionally candid about Gizmo's long-term prognosis. We knew the meds were a treatment and not a cure for his diseased heart. We knew we had months, but we were hoping for years. The last six months of Gizmo's very good life were filled with unbridled love which flowed in both directions. Congestive heart disease and myocardial failure can be treated but it cannot be cured. My wife and I are extremely grateful to the veterinary professionals who were able to preserve Gizmo's quality of life over the last six months. We'll love him and miss him forever.

Joel June 15th, 2009 04:15:15 PM

I dont care what any of you say, this is the worst thing for a Cat!!!! Yes i went through it, for a matter of fact today i had to put my 2 year old kitty down due to this. Im heartbroken and tore up i can't belive this happened. Hold your pets and love them dearly for you never now when they will go.

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dsfgdf July 23rd, 2009 02:05:23 AM

My cat just yesterday was diagnosed with hyerptrophic cardiomyopathy with saddle thrombus. Unbelieveable. Happy Yogi one minute, next minute paralyzed and his/my whole world turned upside down. He's laying on the floor in my bedroom right now. I don't know what to do. I'm giving him his meds with the dosage of baby aspirin in hopes to thin his blood and disolve the blood clots. I know he's in such pain, although he's not even crying and meowing.... he seems to be sleeping peacefully right now. I also discovered a product by the name of Serrapeptase which is:

Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme isolated from the micro-organism Serratia E15

Serrapeptase digests non-living tissue, blood clots, cysts, and arterial plaque and inflammation in all forms. The late German physician, Dr. Hans Nieper, used Serrapeptase to treat arterial blockage in his coronary patients. Serrapeptase protects against stroke and is reportedly more effective and quicker than EDTA Chelation treatments in removing arterial plaque. He also reports that Serrapeptase dissolves blood clots and causes varicose veins to shrink or diminish. Dr. Nieper told of a woman scheduled for hand amputation and a man scheduled for bypass surgery who both recovered quickly without surgery after treatment with Serrapeptase. You can purchase the animal form called SerraPet.

http://www.serrapeptase.info/content.asp?page=Home

I am hopeful and praying he will respond to this. I coped this testimonial from the website!

Comments: I just wanted to let you know the success we have had with our dog taking SerrapeptaseApprox. 9 weeks ago he was diagnosed with a sizeable blood clot that was affecting the blood supply to his rear legs, so much so that he went onto 3 legs as his left leg was very painful and eventually did not want to walk.The scan that we had confirmed the position and size of the clot and that he did not have a pulse in either leg. He was given about a week to live.I started him on Serrapeptase double strength 3 times a day and each day he has slowly got better and better. Approx. 1 month ago he went for his check up and the vet informed me that his pulse had returned in his right leg and just two weeks later we returned to the vet to be told that he now has a pulse in both legs.He is now almost back to his old self and walking a full perimeter of our park and enjoys chasing his ball again which for us is fantastic news.All of this I am sure is down to the Serrapeptase that we have given him.... even the vet has said he is a walking miracle!!

Maybe this will help someone is a similiar situation. I think i'm going to give it to my other cat as a preventative. Also, this is spose to amazing for humans as well. Check it out.

Angi July 25th, 2009 10:34:05 PM

First of all, my heart goes out to all of you who have lost your cats to this terrible desease, and secondly thank you for sharing your stories here.

Unfortunately, I had to have Pepe, my best friend of 12 years, put down today for the same thing. At 3:30 this morning I woke to the sound of him throwing up and howling. When I saw him dragging himself across the floor with just his front legs I immediately scooped him up and rushed him to the 24 hr emergency vet just a mile away. After a rather quick diagnoses I heard the word euthanize and couldn't believe it. After an hour or two they told me to go home while they hooked him up to IV and took xrays. While I was home I read this blog and others so it prepared me for the worse. The results were bad. His heart was enlarged and he would not recover. I would not have believed any of this if I hadn't read about all the other people that went through the same thing, so thank you. I would never let my Pepe suffer any more than he had to so he was euthanized this afternoon. I am devastated, my heart is broken, and I will miss him soooo much.

Rest in Peace, Pepe.

Lou July 26th, 2009 06:58:01 PM

my cat is my best buddie...momma,kitty....shes at the vet hospital right now trying to disolve the clot to her rear legs snice sunday....its not working...she means so much to me....i gotta go there now an say good-bye to her...shes all i had....im crushed

richard July 29th, 2009 02:21:47 PM

I too have just recently lost my beloved kitty, Fritz, to this devasting disease. Fritzers was originally diagnosed with heart disease (high blood pressure) about 4 years ago. For the past 4 years, he was on Atentnol and this seemed to control his blood pressure very well. Fritz went to his doctor regularly for monitoring and had bloodwork performed regularly.

On July 11, we left home for a camping trip. Fritz always always went with us. Upon arriving at the campground, I opened Fritz's carrier and when Fritz came out of his carrier, he was pulling himself along with his front paws and dragging his rear legs behind him along with his tail flat on the floor. He was fine just an hour before when we stopped at a rest stop. Then suddenly his back legs were cold. He was panting and breathing heavily. I immediately found out where the nearest animal hospital was that was open at 4:30 on a Saturday. We got directions and I wrapped him in a towel and my husband drove us to the animal hospital. On the way, Fritz was crying in pain, panting and also lost bladder control.

We arrived at the hospital and the vet saw he was in pain and immediately took Fritzers to the back room. It took an hour for the vet to come out and explain what had happened. He told us that he had Fritz in an oxygen tank and was administering pain medicine because he was in such severe pain. He explained that he threw a blood clot to both rear legs and tail. He performed an ultrasound and also confirmed that the heartbeat was irregular.

We were also given 2 options: Try to treat it with medicine or euthanize. We were told that the blood clot was very severe and that both hind legs were completely cold with no blood flow and that treatment had less than a 20% survival rate on a sunny day with the best case scenario. Ironically, it was storming outside and later found out that a tornado went right past the animal clinic less than 1 mile away at the time Fritz was being diagnozed. We were also told that Fritz would suffer during the treatment and if he survived the initial treatment, they did not know if he would regain any use of his legs and that another clot would most likely occur within 6 months...

I was devasted as I had rasied Fritz since he was only 6 weeks old and he was now over 16. Fritz was the sweetest cat and he was always there for me. I just had my first baby (she is now 8 weeks old) and Fritz never left my side during my entire pregnancy. He slept with me every night watching over me. And now that my daughter was born, Fritz was also starting to watch over her and was even starting to kiss her on her head with his nose.

I didn't know what to do....I could not reach Fritz's normal doctor and was told that even with pain medicine, Fritz was still suffering. It was not easy at all (in fact one of the hardest decisions I have had to make on my own), but I decided to let Fritzers go. I did not want him to suffer any longer. My husband and I were with him at the end.

I did not know if I had made the right decision but after reading all of the above articles, I know that I did was what was in Fritzers best interest but it does not make it easier to live with. But he is not suffering any longer and is at peace. Mommy loves you and will miss you always!

Jodi August 4th, 2009 02:00:44 AM

I was looking for information to help me better understand what is wrong with my wonderful Himalayan, Rufus. He has been the center of our world for 17 years. Today, my husband said one minute Rufuswas fine and the next minute he had trouble walking to his water bowl. He picked him up and rushed him to the vet. My husband suspected a stroke. The vet examined him and said it didn't appear to be a stroke. He said he thought he may have injured his back (disc). and gave him a cortisone shot and told us to call him in the morning.He said if he wasn't better we should bring him back for x rays. After bringing him home he has gotten worse. He can't stand or walk to his water or litter box. He rolls to reposition himself. As I read these articles I am starting to wonder why the vet didn't mention saddle thrombus.I don't know what to do for him. Poor little guy he just lays there. It is going to be a long night because I can't leave him and go to bed. It is like he is paralyzed. He may be old but you would never have known it. Two years ago he had surgery an ACL repair. A year ago he had his other ACL repaired. My vet says he is part dog. Rufus is the only pet I have ever had. I have no children of my own and one my four step daughters got him for me. his brother was euthanized a few months ago. Ican't believe this is happening. I am praying that he will be okay.

susan August 6th, 2009 11:54:15 PM

Just lost my 3 year old to a clot this evening. The worst part was the complete lack of professionalism from the emergency clinic I went to and their lack of communication. The vet was very rude and their entire staff clueless. Reading these other posts make me worry about my other cats.

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Lost Puss this morning to Saddle Thrombus. This affected the back legs and also a clot in the brain caused blindness. He was about 16 years old so had a good innings but the sudden onset and distress caused to Puss was horrific to see. Fortunately I found him outside not long after the onset and was able to get him to the vet very quickly. Sadly he did not survive the night. Like Gizmo in a previous comment the original clue of the knuckled under front paw was diagnosed as a possible strain/nerve damage by the vet 2 days before the major episode and I am annoyed that a heart problem was not diagnosed then after a check up by 2 vets. I know nothing could probably have been done at that stage but it still grieves me all the same that this was not noticed as an indication of Saddle Thrombus and Puss had to go through the agony that he did. All vets and cat owners please take note.

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I just had my 17+ yr. old Somali put to sleep. About a month ago his right back leg went out & he could only move around by dragging it...then about 2 wks ago, the other leg gave out. He also suffered from kidney problem (recent blood in his urine) & BM problems. I'm utterly devastated and while I understand that he was old and probably at the end, I still need to know for sure that there was nothing else that could have been done for him. I love his vet...she's a terrific vet, has taken care of him for a long time and felt terrible about this, but I just need another opinion. This animal was a particularly amazing animal and I adored him. The fact that I made the decision to do this is killing me.

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I am curious about long term recovery for this. My cat stopped using his legs a week and a half ago. I took him to the vet right away and he is now home. The vet told me she was glad we did not euthanize him as he seems to be one of those miracle cases that make it through. He seems to be happy and his normal personality has returned. He moves around the house but can't 'walk' quite yet. He scoots more like, uses the back legs but cannot support his weight yet. I am looking for advice about the litterbox situation. Since he cannot support his hind end just yet he usually makes a mess. Urine is fine he can do that with no problems but feces is everywhere when he is done and he usually requires a bath. Any suggestions while he is in therapy and gets his leg strength back?

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I am just heartbroken. Yesterday at this time, my sweet Dalton who was bout 8 years old (and the younger of my two cats...my older cat, Sammy is 16 and had serious heart failure in May and survived and is doing great now!) was looking out the windows of my house, happy as a lark and playful and in perfect condition. Last night I fed him at about 7 PM and he was great and ate voraciously. Last night at 9 PM I left him sleeping on a chair in the kitchen. He was fine. At 11 PM, I went to the basement to clean the litter pans and found him in one of the litter pans wailing and unable to move his hind legs. His legs were cold and there was no pulse. I rushed him upstairs, put him in his favorite bed, put on some clothes and then rushed him to the emergency animal clinic.

I got there at 11:15 PM and the diagnosis was Aortic Thromboembolism aka Saddle Thrombus. I had heard about this before because my older cat has a heart murmur, but Dalton--who was the sweetest cat in the world--had no heart ailments. The emergency room vet told me the prognosis was grim and recommended euthanasia. I asked if there was any treatment and she mentioned that there was but that recovery was expensive (not a problem for him...I would spend the world to save him), and that, according to her, 99 out of 100 cats don't make it and that the medicines have their own complications such as hemorrhaging and even bleeding through the eyes. It sounded awful. I asked about amputating his legs, drug therapies, etc. She was lovely and neutral about the whole procedure and kept saying it was my decision. I WISH I HAD RESEARCHED THIS STUFF ON THE INTERNET BUT HAD NO TIME. I RELIED ON HER EXPERTISE. I rushed out of the house so fast that I forgot to bring my i-Phone so I couldn't use the internet or even call anybody.

Meanwhile, they had given Dalton Morphine and that made him feel a bit better and he even licked my hand for a little bit (he loved to lick me). I sat with him for two hours debating what to do. I really wanted to save him. He tried to move around (they had him on a table with a warming blanket--his temperature was 93.They listened to his heart and it sounded normal under the circumstances.) They offered to give him X-Rays and do blood work, but it seemed that all that was going to do was confirm that he had an Aortic Thromboembolism.

Every time he attempted to move, he let out a painful meow. He was also purring and I know that sometimes cats purr when they are in pain. Still, he was alert and I know he wanted to live. He was a shelter cat when I adopted him and hated vets totally. He had never left my house since I adopted him. I had mobile vets come to give him check ups and shots. I just adored him and he had a wonderful life. He was the picture of health and was so friendly to all. Anyway...

THe vet tech told me that it was grim and I finally decided to end his misery. I asked about taking him home and letting him be euthanized at home, but it all seemed so complicated as I didn't know if I could even get a vet to visit the house to do that. It all seemed so rushed. So at 1:45 AM, I held him in my arms when they injected him with whatever they inject him with and he quickly passed away I cried terribly and then drove home with an empty cat carrier. I have had to put other cats to sleep before but never so rushed and never without even attempting to save their lives.

I drove home and my other cat was frantic (and still is six hours later) looking for him. I could not sleep and started to do research on the affliction. I have found out that the statistics the vet gave me were incorrect and even though the prognosis was grim, there was hope and from reading from this page, he did have a chance--at least more of a chance than she had said he had. Now I feel so guilty. I can't believe that yesterday was the last day he would see the sun, that he would chirp at birds outside and that he would eat his favorite foods...that he would sit on my lap or sleep with me at night...or lick my face or follow me around the house like a puppy. I miss him so much.

More than that, however, now I have doubts. Maybe I should have given him the x-rays and the blood work and maybe I should have left the emergency clinic (which closes every day at 9 AM) and taken him to the 24 hour acute care hospital that is about 30 miles away.

I am now doubting whether this youngveterinarian knew enough about it. She admitted only having seen this a couple of times and never having seen any cat recover. I can't undo what I have done, and I will have to live with my guilt. Any feedback would be most welcome.

I am so heartbroken and depressed. I just hope I did the right thing. Is the treatment for an Aortic Thromboembolism that gruesome? Could Dalton have possibly recovered from this Saddle Thrombus episode? Did I put him down prematurely??? Oh, my god..I hope not!

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LX October 31st, 2009 05:43:55 AM

Sonya, I feel just the same as you. I saw two vets with little Sheridan last Tuesday, when she suddenly devloped this condition. The first vet referred us to the second vet, where she said there would be drugs that might break up the blood clot. When we got there, they were obviously busy and they didn't have these drugs. The vet explained the possible complications of any treatment, and it seemed that the chances of Sheridan surviving any treatment were virtually non-existent. I remember asking for a scan of her heart to see if we could detect a heart condition. Somehow the scan did not happen and I was being told I had to make a decision about what we wanted to do, though in fact I wasn't being given an option. The whole thing was incredibly rushed. To me, our cat was in dreadful pain but I wanted to try everything to save her. The fact that she was in pain did not mean she wanted to die. As I could not take the decision to have her life ended, my partner took it for me. I still feel we should have tried more but the vet we saw clearly did not feel it was worth trying. A virtually non-existent chance is still a chance, to me.

I miss Sheridan so much. I will get another cat but at the moment I feel no cat can replace her. She was unique and wonderful, the light of my life. There is a huge emptiness where she used to be. The accounts on this website have helped slightly.

Sally November 2nd, 2009 05:55:31 PM

I feel for those of you, like myself, who have lost loved animals to these insidious diseases. But please don't blame yourself or the vets, or turn atheist, Julia. The fact is, this is life; everyone who cares tries to do as much as they can to help.

In the end, console yourselves with the thought that the animal has passed on, and does not feel pain anymore. Since it does not remember the pain either, IT IS AS IF IT NEVER HAPPENED. If there are animals in heaven, (and the Old Testament says only God knows this), then surely God would not make them keep their painful memories.

Look back at life from the future, and see that what really matters, what really persists to eternity is all the good you did for your animal friends, and all that was bad never even touched them.

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Akan101 November 3rd, 2009 09:22:28 AM

We lost one kitty last year to what fits thrombosis. He couldn't move his back legs well and urinated in his bed. He had kidney problems before and the vet suggested it had progressed but it sounds more likely he just couldn't get to the box. We finally had him put down.

Last Saturday his sister began to stumble with her back legs. She had been unusually demanding to get on my lap the last couple of weeks which I chalked up to the cooler weather. She even miss stepped somewhat with her front right leg. Of course, it was a Saturday afternoon so we couldn't get her to her vet. Since she had been demanding a lap I set up a heating pad for her on the sofa set on medium (later lowered to low so as to not be too hot). She spend the night on it. The next morning, while still weak in her hindquarters, she seemed better. She managed to come up the stairs from the basement familyroom twice. She missed the litter once but managed to get it on the scratch pad next to it at least. The vet says she has no signs of thrombosis though I suspect this to mean she doesn't hear any evidence of heart problems (how she explanes the loss of rear leg motor function I don't understand, it wasn't a stroke after all, so what else could it be?). I have been traveling on business from Sunday night and couldn't be there for the vet visit. My guess is that the heating pad helped her and that her clot was not as severe as some described above. While it sounds like this may relapse, I am keeping my fingers crossed and leaving the heating pad out for her.

David November 4th, 2009 06:34:52 AM

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"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

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