My cat had a blood clot in the back leg and now wont eat

Our question this week was:

My cat had an attack from aortic blood clot which paralyzed his hind legs & tail. Therapy and Plavix have restored the leg & tail. Now he has stopped eating for several days. How can I get him to eat?

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Dick Rice

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. I’m sorry to hear about your cat. You wrote that he had an aortic thromboembolism that caused paralysis of his rear legs. This is a relatively common problem that can occur with heart disease in cats. I’m very happy to hear that he has restored use of his leg and tail.

I’m not sure of all the details on your cats underlying problem and medications he is on. Most often, cats are on drugs to help heart function. Some of those drugs have side effects that can alter a cat’s appetite. Some can affect kidney function. I’d recommend that you have your cat evaluated by your vet to determine if the kidneys and electrolytes are okay – and look for an underlying cause of why your cat doesn’t feel well enough to eat.

An article that might be helpful is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Cats.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra