Ask the vet's pets: Cat with heart disease can throw clot to legs

Dear Christopher Cat: Yesterday, our 10-year-old indoor cat, Smudge, started crying and couldnt walk. Her veterinarian told us a clot was blocking the blood vessels to both hind legs and that treatment likely would be unsuccessful.

Smudge was obviously in great pain, so we accepted our veterinarians recommendation to euthanize her. What caused this blood clot, and how can we prevent something similar in our other cat?

Christopher responds: My condolences for your loss.

Smudge developed a saddle thromboembolism, a blood clot that formed in her heart and traveled down the aorta, the main blood vessel leaving her heart. It lodged at the saddle, where the aorta branches into the arteries supplying the legs.

In 72 percent of cats, such a clot blocks blood flow to both hind legs. Affected cats have cold feet, cant use their legs and are in pain.

The underlying cause of saddle thromboembolism is heart disease in 89 percent of cats. Six percent are free of heart disease but have cancer.

Unfortunately, in 76 percent of cats, the first indication of heart disease or cancer is the saddle thromboembolism. Prognosis is poor, as your veterinarian said.

To determine whether your other cat has heart disease, schedule regular exams and ask your veterinarian to do a blood test for NTproBNP, a marker for heart disease. Also, ask your veterinarian about an echocardiogram.

Dear Daisy Dog: Every few months, Blossom, our 3-year-old Westie, shakes for about 15 minutes. Otherwise shes completely normal. Is this white shaker dog syndrome? She takes no medications except her monthly heartworm pill.

Daisy responds: Blossoms episodes dont sound like white shaker dog syndrome, first recognized in West Highland white terriers (Westies) and Maltese dogs.

The disorder also has been called shaker dog syndrome since a 1997 study found that more than half the patients were nonwhite, mixed-breed dogs under 33 pounds.

Another term is corticosteroid-responsive tremor syndrome, because prednisone, a corticosteroid, is an effective treatment.

The condition, usually diagnosed between 6 months and 5 years of age, is thought to be an immune-mediated disease.

Tremors range from mild to so severe that they interfere with the dogs ability to stand or walk. Shaking is worsened by excitement, anxiety or pain, and it lessens when the dog rests or sleeps.

However, the tremors seen with shaker dog syndrome are consistent, not intermittent. So its unlikely that Blossoms occasional shaking results from this syndrome.

If you want to determine the cause of her episodes, ask your veterinarian to refer you to a specialist.

Ask the Vets Pets appears Friday. The animal authors of the column live with Lee Pickett, VMD., who practices companion animal medicine at Bernville Veterinary Clinic. Contact them at www.askthevetspets.com, 610-488-0166 or PO Box 302, Bernville, PA 19506-0302.

article source

Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.

telenav telenav wade phillips wade phillips time person of the year sag nominations sag nominations