Introduction
It was once believed that cats did not experience stroke like conditions. However as advanced diagnostic tools have been applied to veterinarian medicine, it was discovered that cats did indeed experience strokes. The signs and symptoms of stroke in cats are very different than the signs and symptoms of stroke in people, and in many cases stroke in cats can be easily confused with other types of brain disorders like canine vestibular disease. Due to the similarity of signs and symptoms of stroke in cats and other types of brain disorders, advanced diagnostic tools are still needed today to positively diagnose this condition.
Diagnosing a Feline Stroke
As soon as a cat experiences stroke like symptoms, the cat should be immediately rushed to a veterinarian facility. The veterinarian will perform a series of tests to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms. If no other type of disorder is quickly diagnosed, than further tests will be needed to check for the possibility of a stroke.
Unfortunately, strokes in cats cannot be diagnosed using x-rays or blood tests. The only current way to check for a stroke in cats is through brain images and scans. These diagnostic tools may be a computed tomography scan (CT scan) or a magnetic resonance imagine (MRI) test. Most veterinarian clinics do not have the tools to conduct MRI or CT scan tests. If your veterinarian suspects that your cat has had a stroke, you will most likely be given a referral to a veterinarian hospital that can use MRI or CT scan diagnostics.
CT scan and MRI tests will not only be able to diagnose a stroke, but these tests will be able to tell you what type of stroke your cat has had. An ischemic stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain has been reduced, and a hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a vessel inside the brain bursts. The treatment protocol for a stroke in cats will depend on the type of stoke that has occurred.