471 Comments

Irene
March 10, 2024

Just lost my 12 year old boy, Orion to this. It al happened so fast. He was perfectly fine and then he cried out and we saw he couldn’t get up and was dragging himself across the hallway. We rushed him to vet and were told it was a blood clot and he was in pain. The vet told us we had a choice to try and give him treatment, but the prognosis was not good and most likely would not survive. He was a healthy big boy (part Maine Coon) and never showed or had any sickness before. So we decided to let him go. I am still in shock and miss him so much. I got to have him for 12 wonderful years. We are completely devastated.

 

Leissa
January 19, 2024

I was looking for answers and Im afraid I am now a member of this heartbroken club. My precious Girl was a beautiful tabby. She would’ve been 15 next weekend and was very healthy. I said goodbye to her in the morning. My daughter called me hysterical  trying to get her to the vet. I could hear Girl’s blood curdling screams. She was gone by the time they got to the vet only 5 minutes away. I got there just a few minutes later. She was still warm and soft and I got to kiss her and love her one more time. I am devastated. It all happened so fast and with no warning. There will always be a hole in my heart. I did strangely find comfort in reading the comments here. My heart breaks for all of us. RIP my beautiful little best friend.

 

Michelle
September 24, 2023

I lost my girl to this six months ago. She went outside for a wee. She hadn’t come back in 10 minutes so I went out to find her paralysed and crying in the rain. It was late Saturday night so I called the on-call vet who met me at the clinic. She was euthanised 2 days later.

Danielle
September 16, 2023

I just put down my American bobtail (9 years). In May he was diagnosed with CHF after I noticed abnormal breathing. He had been on maintenance meds since then, and received an echo.

When I came home from work, Roo ran up the stairs to greet me. A few minutes passed and I heard a horrible thumping but didn't think anything of it until my second American bobtail raised his back like he was very scared. I looked at Roo and observed him severely licking his back leg, while it appeared to be seizing. I thought he was having a stroke. Then, the next leg did the same thing. Roo didn't meow, or cry, but when the episode was over he could no longer use his back legs. In fact, he acted confused on his back legs but otherwise didn't appear in pain. He continued to walk around on only his front two paws. I packed him up for the vet , and in the car ride he worsened. Labored, open mouthed breathing ,and then I knew this was more serious. When we arrived they took Roo back immediately and gave him oxygen. The vet told me given his previous dx, they recommended letting him go. They sedated him, and then brought him out to me to continue the rest of the process. I'm fairly certain he would have been gone that night regardless as his breathing was so awful.

This was the best cat, and while I prepared for his medical condition to bring about the worst, I didn't expect this and not as suddenly. My heart breaks.

Nancy
November 1, 2022

You are all now dear friends because you also have experienced loosing your cat to thromboembolic disease. My little Tumnus woke up the morning crying at the bottom of the stairs. I went down to see him unable to walk. He scooted  himself around before I realized neither of his hind legs could bear weight. I rushed him to an emergency opening at the Vet 40 minutes away and he did cry all the way there. The doc was very kind and knowledgeable about the condition. She explained that I could hospitalize him from 2-5 days to treat his heart disease and attempt to dissolve the bilateral blood clot but that if he was again able to walk his chances of living beyond that recovery would be limited and even if he did, he would have to be on blood thinners and see a cardiologist regularly. And worse still the condition was one of the most painful for a cat to endure. I didn’t want to go through treatment and didn’t want him to have to endure treatment. I was giving the option of bringing ny darling, tuxedo cat with big gorgeous green eyes hom for a few days and then euthanize him or put him to sleep there in the Vet office. It was a difficult decision because I would have loved to snuggle another day or two with him and express all the love I have for him but instead of bringing him home I decided to have him put to sleep there, so that he wouldn’t have to endure anymore time in pain! I miss him so much! And what makes this condition really hard is the suddenness of it!! One minute he was fine and the next minute he was unable to walk!! I miss him greatly but trust that I did the most humane and loving thing. He was only two and a half years old!

Luci
September 6, 2022

My Katie passed from saddle thrombus on August 22, 2022.  She had been sleeping with me, but got up.  I woke up and she was by my bedroom door walking back in.  Suddenly, she screamed and her back legs collapsed.  She  never stopped screaming.  It was after 11 pm.  No local vets.  She was thrashing and biting.  She weighed around 14 lbs. I couldn't pick her up.  Googled and realized she would not be out of pain until I got her to emergency vet.  Got her there. Vet said she would not recover, but she was finally out of pain.  Got to be with her and hold her for about 20 minutes before she was gone.  In May she was put on Lasix for water retention.  She was due back in September for a recheck and xray.

Carolyn
July 28, 2022

Nattokinase is a miracle product.  My 15-year-old cat suddenly became paralyzed in both her back limbs three weeks ago.  I got on the Internet and found this wonderful forum, reading about the benefits of Nattokinase.  I live out in the country and couldn't get hold of the product locally, so had to order it online, which meant my kitty was paralyzed for a week before the product arrived.  I ordered Doctor's Best, 2,000 fu, and gave her 15 opened capsules (100 mg each) in powder form mixed in tuna juice (or other tasty sauce from wet cat food).  She's been on the supplement for two weeks as of today and  is now walking and jumping!  She started to move her back legs after about a week on the Nattokinase and has steadily improved daily!  She is now acting as happy and energetic as a kitten, purring and wanting lots of love and affection; her appetite is good, and she's eating/drinking normally.  I read a scientic report that stated 75mg morning and evening is good for a "maintenance" dosage so will do this starting in another week.  Hope this post helps someone and their precious kitty.  Here's some scientific research done on the Nattokinase.  Perhaps you can add it to my post.  Thanks.
https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2017205790A1/en

Peter
June 14, 2022

I just lost my Wendy to this condition. She was sick for a few weeks. But she got better, but not 100%. She had always had runny eyes growing up. She didn't have the best health out of all her siblings. But I didn't know she would die from this. I do not have a lot of money to take my cats to the vet for check ups, but I suspected she had a heart problem because she always breathed louder than my other cats. She ate and went outside. Then last night before I went to bed, she didn't want to go anywhere but sit near my door. I woke up around 5am to find her crying. I wanted to take her to the vet but all clinics were close. My baby had the same symptoms as this disease. She lost control of her hind legs. We sat by her all through out her ordeal and saw her pass. I love her so much. I wish that things were different. I wish she was still here. I miss her terribly.

Ida
May 23, 2022

Saturday night I lost my beloved cat Pusen (9 years old) to this horrible disease. She got the diagnosis HCM two years ago after surviving a blood clot and got on medications. The last two years she has survived four blood clots which have been so small that they have been over in 1-2 hours and after some days she has been back in normal shape. Saturday night when I was going to bed, my boyfriend was outside yelling on me to come because our cat was laying in the neighboors garden. My boyfriend jumped over our neighbours fence and carried our cat into our bedroom. Her back and back legs were completely paralysed and she was puking. She was full of grass and dirt, probably after dragging herself towards our garden, but couldn't get over the fence:( I immediately understood that this blood clot was bigger than the previous and that this was the end, so we drove here to the vet. She was so tired that she almost couldn't scream. I had her in my lap at the vets and she turned her head towards me and looked me in the eyes before she put her head towards my neck before she fell to sleep for good. It was so heartbreaking. I am still in shock that she is gone, even though I have prepared my self for this since she got the diagnosis. It is so horrible and unfair, and you feel completely helpless because there is nothing you can do. I really hope they one day have a cure for this awful condition. I am thankful for each day that I got with here, and she will forever be with me in my heart.

Jenny
April 21, 2022

We lost our sweet boy Rocket 2 days ago to this terrible affliction. At 4:30am he cried really loudly and was on the floor by our bed. At first we thought he fell down the kitty steps next to our bed. Then we saw he couldn’t stand or walk. We thought maybe he broke a leg or dislocated his hip. He was in such pain, it was terrible. But then he was fine-his pain was gone but his back leg was floppy and he was dragging it. We noticed his back paws felt kind of cold. We went to vet and she confirmed he had no pulse in one leg and no feeling in that leg. His heart sounded abnormal, his temperature was low (all bad signs). They told us the right thing was to end his suffering. We had Rocket for 17 years and he was the best. The suddenness of this is very jarring and I somehow find comfort in all your sad stories-they are the same as our story and let me know we did the right thing for him. But boy is it quiet in house house now. It breaks my heart

Teri Eyler
April 11, 2022

My beloved Romeo passed from a saddle thrombus 3-19-22. It happened in the middle of a jump onto my lap, like every other night after his wet food treat. He landed in a heap and began panting. I realized his back legs were paralyzed and immediately drove him to the nearest ER vet 40 minutes away. He screamed in pain for the entire trip. He was 14yo. The vet explained that prognosis was poor. I didn't want him to suffer so I chose euthanasia. I cradled him and told him I loved him over and over until he passed. I'm grateful that I was there and that the last thing he heard was me telling him I loved him. He was an old soul kitty...he loved everyone he met. That's why we called him Romeo. He didn't deserve such a painful death. I don't wish that on any kitty or human. I'm trying to understand that I couldn't have done anything to prevent it. RIP Romeo. See you at the Rainbow Bridge buddy.

Ashley
April 5, 2022

Last Monday on march 28th 2022  I lost my boy. My best friend. This boy has had my heart for the last 10 years. I got him when he was around 4 so He was around 14 yrs old. I am so angry and upset that he unexpectedly had to leave me. At 5am on march 28th when I woke up, he was fine, doing his normal thing, jumped up with me and followed me to the kitchen bugging me for treats lol. . Well I laid back down and my mother woke me up an hr later at 6am, saying Carl was dragging his hind legs.  I jumped out of bed, Well I knew something serious was wrong when i lifted his leg and it was like dead weigh and it flopped  back down. This is when my life changes.  I Jumped in the car and got him to the vet within 7 mins. They took him to the back immediately, I sit and wait for about 15 mins the nurse takes me to a room and tells me  My boy was in critical condition, lungs filling with fluids.   When I heard those words critical condition my heart dropped. I was not ready for him to go.. Dr gave him paid meds to help his pain.  There was no other choice but to tell my boy goodbye and to euthanize. Dr brought my boy to me so I can say my goodbyes and hold on to him for as long as I needed.  Omg I did not want to say goodbye yet.  I don’t get it, my boy was perfectly fine. It’s not fair at all.  The grieving process has been crucial. I don’t know how to handle this.  It all feels so unreal.  My boy did not deserve this. No animal does.   It’s not fair.  Not fair at all. 

David and Casey
March 4, 2022

Mr. Ools. Mister Mans. Oliver. Ools. Sleepy guy. Oolie. Bestest boy. Bestest mans. Mister Oolie poop. Chunky mans. Lazy mans. Sleepy mans. Love of my life

Laura
March 4, 2022

My husband and I are stationed in Japan with our cat Willow. Willow suddenly had a saddle thrombus earlier this week and we were told she had a very poor prognosis when we brought her to the ER vet. We ended up visiting a local cat clinic in desperation for some form of therapy and the vet recommended nattokinase. Nattokinase is very popular here in Japan and taken by many people to improve circulation. Long story short, we ended up giving Willow 40,000FU or 20 capsules of nattokinase per day (each capsule is 100mg). We did this all week and amazingly today she is walking again. This is after she was completely paralyzed in both hindlimbs earlier in the week! We are so appreciative of the vet for letting us know about nattokinase. We noticed another post in the comments section here about a cat who had also recovered on nattokinase. I hope the word gets out about this enzyme that can help so many cats with a saddle thrombus out there. We also had to manage fluid in Willow's lungs from her heart condition using Furosemide. Once the fluid was drained from her lungs, she was able to eat again and we were able to give her the nattokinase in her wet food, she loves fish, so that made it easier to administer the enzyme to her. Please don't give up hope if your cat is paralyzed. Nattokinase at a high enough concentration can dissolve these clots, so your cat can walk again!

Braedon and Ming
January 13, 2022

I lost my sweet baby boy on Monday January 10th/2022. Ming was my 9 year old sphynx, so full of life and love. A morning like no other, cuddles and ate breakfast as usual. When he came back to bed, I noticed his back legs were paralyzed and he slightly soiled himself. He has had a few accidents recently so it took me a few moments to realize what was going on. He began howling, as I was on the phone with the vet and they told me to bring him in immediately. My car wouldn't start, thank god a cab came ASAP. While we were on our way to the vets I did everything I could to comfort him. He had this look in his eyes like "please mom help me" and I think I already knew then.... When we got to the vet he was immediately seen and was put on oxygen...  I knew it was bad but was hoping for the best. I could hear him screaming in the back room. He was given pain relief but it literally did nothing for him. The vet shortly came into the room and told me about saddle thombosis and explained to me that his chances of living with medication was slim to none, he would be paralyzed and has already done major damage. I was screaming and crying uncontrollably as the vet told me euthanasia would be the best outcome. It all happened so fast, and he was a healthy cat, has never been diagnosed for heart problems, nor has shown any signs. The vet explained to me that fluid was already filling his lungs and he was going into cardiac arrest. I maybe had 5 mins with him, trying so hard to comfort him. He was screaming and thrashing and gasping for air... it was so heartbreaking.. the pain meds weren't working and the sedation did nothing. I held him close and looked in his eyes for the last time, told him I will always love him. The vet administered the final shot and that was it.... I held him close for an hour after he passed. I'm so heartbroken that he had to go out in such a cruel, painful way. I guess I'm glad it happened fast and I am so grateful that I was home and was able to be with him every step of the way to his ultimate eternity. I keep playing the "what if" game, and guilting myself for not knowing or thinking that I could have done more. Reading all of these comments give me some sense of comfort as I have never even heard of this disease and had no idea how common it really is... doesn't seem to matter if a heart condition was detected earlier... the outcome seems to be the same, and it is sooo sad. Feels like my heart has been ripped out of my chest... Nothing prepares you for the grief and heartache that comes from losing your pet. He was my best friend and has been there for me though the hardest and darkest parts of my life and now he's gone and I feel so broken and helpless without him. I know I made the right decision; I just can't believe it. Sending so much love to everyone who has had to also experience this... it's nothing short of gut wrenching. I just got his portrait tattooed on me this last summer and can't believe that it is now a memorial, and all I have left is memories, photos and videos. Miss you and love you forever, my sweet baby boy. I will never get over you.

Tiffany
January 6, 2022

It has been 2 days since I put my beautiful angel to rest. Everything happened so quickly for him. He had just eaten his dinner and I noticed he was puking it up. I saw this horror in his eyes and watched him kind of collapse on the floor and meow in pain. He dragged himself by his two front paws to the back door. I think he knew and he wanted to go outside to die. Since he couldn’t get outside he managed to jump up on my bed. I knew something was wrong I called all the vets and they told me bring him in. This moment would later become my biggest regret. I rushed him into the crate and took him to emergency. He wasn’t back there very long when the receptionist called me back. She asked me to wait a minute because the vet wanted to talk to me. I thought I was coming back so quickly because they thought nothing was wrong with him. She said he had a heart disorder I can’t remember exactly cause of the state of shock I was in. She said he was born with a very enlarged heart most likely since birth. The heart caused the clot to move from his heart to his hind legs. It had been less than an hour since it happened and he had no pulse and his legs were already going cold. She said her professional opinion was euthanasia. She asked me if I’d like to see him. As soon as they brought him in he was so fussy and meowing in pain. He almost rolled out of the bed and onto the floor. I was so devastated because I never thought this would be the outcome. He was laying in a bed with heating pads covered by a blanket. I tried to spend time with him but he was in so much pain I could take it. I said ok it’s time. The IV was not in his paw so she had to put in the IV a second time. I wrapped my sweater up over him and I just hugged him with his head on my arm and he went. I sat there for 1 1/2 hours. I feel I did everything right after reading up on his condition but that did not help the grief. I kept remembering him in that vulnerable state and today I decided to remember him for the life he was full of.  My cats name was pumpkin and he was only 4 years old.

Ida
January 1, 2022

My 9 year old cat had her first saddle thrombus 1,5 year ago. She got paralysed in both legs and her painful screems was horrible. Unfortunately/fortunately this happened on a Saturday with only one vet on work, so we had to wait 2 hours before we could come in. In that time my cat miraculously got better so the vet didn't want to put her down. After a couple of weeks her feet was back to normal. We went to see a vet that specialises in heart diseases, and got the fatal diagnosis HCM. She is now on medications two times a day (vetmedin and Albyl-E) to prevent blood clots and to help her heart. She got a second saddle thrombus 5 months after the first one, but this happened when she was outside so we only discovered that her feet were weakened when she got back inside. The third one came one year later. It was much smaller and nothing near the first one. Except for the the medications, she lives a perfectly normal cat life. She runs, jumps, plays, and is outside for hours. She is regularly checked by the specialised vet. I know that the risk of a new big fatal blood clot is there, so I'm happy for every day I have with her.

Todd Sprague
December 30, 2021

4 days ago I lost my little cat Coleco to saddle thrombus; the most horrific condition that can ever happen to your beloved furry child. It was very early in the morning as I was jolted out of my sleep to the sounds of him wailing in pain. There he was lying on the floor next to my bed, he was having difficulty moving, and just barely managed climb up  onto my bed. As my wife and I were trying to make sense of his situation, he lost control of his bowel movements. We then discovered both of his back legs were completely paralysed and cold to the touch as he cried in pain. We immediately rushed him to the vet and after the doctor examined him, she told us there was nothing we could do for him  since he was suffering a major blood clot. She explained the clot was cutting off the blood circulation to the rear legs and body, and the best thing we could do for him was euthanization. I broke down suddenly & could not accept what had just happened to him, as he was perfectly fine before he went to bed the previous night. We are completely devastated at the loss of the sweetest, most affectionate little angel there ever was. All within an hour he vanished from our lives, it was far too sudden, he only blessed us for 9 short years. I will always love and cherish you in my heart forever; my beloved little child, may you rest in peace up there in cat heaven.

James O'Dell
December 22, 2021

Addie, we used Doctors Best Nattokinase to dissolve our cat’s clot. 1500mg/30,000FU/15 capsules per day is what we had to give until he was able to walk, run and now jump again. You need to give that much every day until they are 100% mobile again.

Wendy
December 20, 2021

We arrived home late Sunday evening and were greeted by two of our three cats. Our oldest cat Herman wasn’t around. We didn’t worry too much since he’s an old grandpa cat and sometimes hides from the two younger kitties. I called him and finally heard him meowing. My husband found him under the bed. He couldn’t move his back legs and had wet himself. I picked him up and wrapped him in a blanket. We rushed him to the emergency vet. They said he had a saddle thrombosis. After getting all the information from her about this condition we decided to put him to sleep so he wouldn’t suffer anymore. I held him as he fell asleep for the last time. My heart aches. He was the sweetest cat. I miss him terribly.

Lynn
December 19, 2021

My beautiful almost 16 year old fur baby collapsed last night with a saddle embolus. She lost the power in both legs and I had her at the vet within 30 mins of the event. I was told that the kindest  thing I could do was let her go…….I am lost right now and I miss Boo so much xx

Sharon
December 17, 2021

I have 2 earlier posts listed here on 18th January and 10th February, detailing my cats saddle thrombus experience and him pulling through this terrible experience at the time. Sadly, I have to report that my boy passed away on 22nd September. He lived for 253 days after his initial episode. He had thyrodism, restrictive heart failure and asthma!! So my boy had a hard fight. He was treated with Thyronorm twice a day, Clopidogrel and then a diuretic was prescribed after a heart scan in April. The outlook was not good and I knew my boy, Mister Tom was on borrowed time. I was able to have those extra 9 months with him, to spoil him, to cuddle him and show him how much we loved him. He enjoyed his last glorious summer in the garden and continued just as normal. I worried about the end and how it would come and come it did. I noticed his breathing becoming more rapid one evening,just as he was bedding down for the night and he seemed restless too. I watched him closely. Next day he went about as normal, however that evening he became restless and his breathing was fast. He jumped down from the sofa and ran to hide behind a chair. (This is where he lay for several weeks whilst recovering from his initial saddle thrombus). I knew this was looking bad so I rang the vet. She told me to up his diuretic and this would help make him comfortable by helping to scatter the fluid building up. The next morning he was lying in his bed and his breathing wasn't good. I took him to the vet and after examination she recommended putting him to sleep. His lungs were just giving up. So it was with a heavy heart we decided to end his suffering. After giving Mister Tom a little sedative he was handed back to me, where me and my hubby were able to sit with him in the back of the car (covid restrictions in place) petting him and saying our good byes as he fell asleep. The vet came and we handed him over so she could complete the procedure. The next time we saw him, he was gone. It was heartbreaking. My lovely boy gone. But I am so glad I had an extra 9 months with him to say my long goodbye. 253 days that I will cherish forever. Everyone of you that has experienced a saddle thrombus episode, my heart goes out to you. I count myself as one of the lucky ones though the loss is overwhelming.

Lyanna
December 4, 2021

I just lost my beanie boy not 3 hours ago. He was fine one min and lost the use of his back legs the next. I rushed him to the ER to be told he had straddle thrombus and had to be put down. He was only two… I’m having a hard time processing that I just lost my baby so soon so fast.

Annette
November 22, 2021

I just lost my 7 year old Mickey on Saturday. He had been fine earlier as noted before. No history of heart issues.  Is there anything that can be done to prevent this?  He had regular checkups nothing unusual had been noted. Is there a dietary/lifestyle connection. Mickey was an indoor outdoor cat.

Addie
November 21, 2021

Hello I’d like to ask Emi what the doses of nattokinase, rutin and vented you used? Our cat Monty was just diagnosed with clots and is paralyzed in his right front paw and back left paw. He did not have pain, is eating and drinking and just started taking plavix but I’m interested in adding in the nattokinase. We are desperate. He is our little love and as long as he didn’t seem to be in pain, we thought we would go for treatment at home. Please let me know the dosages.

Dee
November 10, 2021

I just lost my 4 year old boy. Went missing and was found 5 days after, in our neighbor's garden. By his body's changes postmortem I could estimate that he died on the day that he went missing... Or I hope he did. He was found laying on one side with his front leg stretched.( He was a three legged cat). No sign of trauma, away from main road, so I am guessing that had to be thromboembolism. I am a vet and checked him regularly, he actually had a general anaesthesia 2 months ago to flush his nostrils and there was no heart murmur. I am very sad because he died alone. I just hope that he didn't suffer too long. Is hard not to feel guilty. We just have to think about the wonderful lifes they had and how much they were loved. I hope they know that...

Nicole Belanger
November 6, 2021

We just lost our 8 year old cat Franklin to this three weeks ago. He was perfectly fine cuddling in our bed on Saturday morning and then in the afternoon I heard the most agonizing cry from him and his back legs were paralyzed. We took him to emergency vet care and got him on painkillers and he spent the night there. The next day his condition was even worse and we had to make the hardest decision to euthanize him. It was so heartbreaking and traumatic and it is just not fair this happened to such an amazing only 8 year old cat. I miss him so much and wouldn’t wish this upon any cat or cat mom/dad.

Emi
November 5, 2021

Saddle thrombus need not be a death sentence. Our Pluto suffered from a blood clot in April and was diagnosed with arvc. The vet and cardiologist said if he were human he would be on the list for a heart transplant and he was given weeks, if not days to live. We were told he would have an imminent clot event, and were asked several times if we wanted him put down, but I knew that he was not ready to go. After doing some research, I learned that nattokinase, a blood thinner and clot busting supplement could help. He has been on this since his clot event along with rutin, which is a diuretic and prevents fluid build up. He also takes vetmedin or pimobendan. Supplements would not be my first port of call for illness for myself or my cats, but in this case, the vet and cardiologist gave us a very poor prognosis and we felt we had nothing to lose. I don't know how much longer we will have Pluto for, but today, he is living a normal cat's life with the help of nattokinase, rutin and vetmedin. 

Avery
November 1, 2021

I just lost my baby bean about three days ago. I had gone to bed like normal and given her love before of course. I woke up late the next day only to find her laying in her usual spot but she had pee all over her back legs. I began to worry and then she walked over to me and fell on me and began to whine. I immediately started panicking and crying. I just woke my mom up, grabbed her crate and left as fast as I could. I was never expecting the news I received but the vet told me it was saddle thrombus. I couldn’t believe it and I couldn’t believe there was nothing I could do but say goodbye. She was cold and very out of it but before I had to give her to the vet she looked at me for what seemed like 5 minutes just staring into my eyes and I knew what had to be done. Her pulse was missing in her hind legs as well. I had to go home that day with an empty crate and an empty heart. I had the most amazing 10 years of my life with my baby bean and am still in shock. This stuff happens very fast and it’s very hard to u understand at first. I love you forever and always sweet baby. Forever and always. No words can explain the loss I have suffered or the love I have for her. <3

EJ
November 1, 2021

It's so strange that I feel oddly comforted reading about all the fur babies that sadly succumbed to this awful condition. We lost our lovely boy Timothy to it yesterday. He was so brave and it seemed like he might recover at one point but eventually perfusion got him. There is a Timmy shaped hole in my heart now.

LJ
October 27, 2021

For anyone else who like me, finds this page on a search for answers; I am so sorry for your loss. We just lost our boy Finn to this. Had been perfectly fine. Playing one minute, complete loss of use of his back legs the next. Rushed to the vet who advised nothing could be done. Left such a huge hole in our hearts and our lives. Such a sweet loving cat who didn’t deserve this.

Joan
October 9, 2021

I hate this disease. My cat Dexter was 14 1/2 years old. He was diagnosed with heart disease at 6 months old and had been on medication since then. He was checked regularly with echo cardiograms and blood pressure checks. I was told that sudden death was a possibility because of the diagnosis. Yesterday when I left for work everything was normal. He was asleep on the spare bed, as usual. When I got home from work he didn’t come for dinner. He was laying on the bed with some rapid breathing. I called him and he jumped off the bed and tried to walk to the food. His right front leg was bent back. I brought the food to him to see if he would eat, which he did a little. I thought he fractured his leg so I packed him up and off to the emergency vet. His breath became more labored.  They said he had a blood clot but also that he had severe congestive heart failure. Hardest decision I ever had to make but it really wasn’t even a decision. He could not come out of this. I have been second guessing myself all day. Did I decide too soon? Should I have insisted they try something, anything? Reading the comments is actually helping in knowing the right decision was made. I was fortunate to have 14 years with him after his heart disease diagnosis. I love him and miss him.

Richard
September 19, 2021

Yesterday 9/18/2021 was a very hard day my kids siamese cat was playing in my room then let out a big meow like he was is pain rushed him to the vet said he had a blood clot and his back legs were paralyzed and that there wasn’t much they can do just broke my heart to see my son and daughter-in-law cat in so much pain and crying out the only thing they could do was to be him to sleep sad thing is you don’t even see it coming just a matter of seconds and today is my son 25 birthday and he had to put his baby boy down!

Angela
September 19, 2021

Reading all these comments has provided me with some comfort. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories. My beautiful boy Opus was my utter joy for 17 years until Monday. I picked him up from his bed and cuddled him, placed him on the floor and stroked and tickled him; he walked away for 2 feet and let out a blood curdling scream dropping to the floor completely. My husband came into my studio and asked what had I done to him and I responded I think he’s having a fit. He couldn’t breathe properly. He peed and pooed simultaneously and lay there panting. I called the emergency vet but could see it was too late. I was in shock and howled myself. I wish I had picked him up and cradled him instead of panicking and calling the vet.  It was the most traumatic event I’ve experienced with any of my cats and I am devastated. I spoke to the vets and researched it and it was most likely saddle thrombosis and heart failure in one. Utterly awful for him. He was generally good and still hunting the week before. A shocking experience. I adored him.

Dot LaSala
September 2, 2021

I just lost my cat Gizmo.  He was fine the day befor and when I got up in the morning he basically screamed to help him.  When I picked him up and went to put him dow his back leds gave out.  I took him to the emergency vet at 3 am  and they told me he had saggier thrombus.  In the morning I took him to my vet that I have been with probably for 25 years and he went over everything with me. He told me to take him home to think about what I wanted to do and I believe that he knew what the right thing was and he knew how much I love my cat that he wanted me to have that time with him before the inevitable. Today I sit here and cry my eyes out because like it was him so much he was my boy. I love you Gizmo RIP

Miranda Burke
August 22, 2021

I lost my son Monkey two weeks ago today.  He was half human half dog trapped in a cats body.  I trained him as a kitten to walk on a leash.  He rode in the semi with me for his first 3 years then decided he wanted to retire when I bought my house.  Mom and my neighbor would check on him several times a day and take him on walks around the yard while I was on the road. June 6, 2021 he was in the cat tower, meowed very loud, sat down with him but he couldn't get comfortable.  I called the vet they said it sounded like a urinary blockage.  I rushed him to the ER immediately.  He spent 2 days there and came home with medicine for pain, bladder spasms and I think the other one was antibiotics, twice a day for 10 days. June 14,2021 he was cuddling with me.  I went to the kitchen to make a sandwich and heard a thump.  I ran in the living room and couldn't find him.  I called his name and he made a mournful cry.  I picked him up completely limp, put him in the carrier and rushed to the vet.  He meowed the whole way, about 5 minutes.  They took him right away.  A few minutes later she come out and said he was fine.  I was completely shocked since 10 minutes ago he looked dead.  She thought maybe the medicine lowered his blood pressure.  So she kept him for a few hours to monitor him, flush out his system with fluids and ordered blood work for his heart.  He came home that evening.  His blood work came back normal. For about a week after that he acted like he was scared of things which was not normal for him.  He would blank stare like he was confused occasionally.  That slowly started going away.  He was still playful between the blank stares. About another week later he was acting like his normal self. July 16, 2021 he went for his follow up.  They did a urinalysis to check if the crystals were gone.  ( I forgot to say he was on prescription food, Royal canin urinary so) also did a complete ProBNP, blood work.  Everything came back completely normal and the crystals were completely gone.  So those of you who have cats with blockage I highly recommend the Royal canin urinary so.  It's expensive, $1.79 per can but it works! Also I added a little extra water to it.  The vet said hydration is the key. With the blood work all being near perfect to perfect I'm so confused as to what happened.  After all of my research the only thing left to do was a echocardiogram which I didn't know could be performed on cats I wish my vet would have told me. August 8, 2021 I called my mom to come up for dinner, fed the cats, mom came, she played with Monkey, prepared her plate and sat down in the living room.  Before I could prepare my plate mom hollered Sissy come quick!  I ran in to see the same exact thing as before and almost in the exact same place he was laying the last time.  He left out a very loud mournful yowl.  I picked him up completely limp, put him in the carrier, he faintly cried one more time.  Before I could get to the driveway to head to the vet he was gone.  I pulled him out of the carrier on his bed and held him.  I was completely inconsolable.  From the time I called my mom to the point he was gone was 17 minutes and approximately 10 minutes from the time he ate and probably 5 minutes from the time mom had played with him. I hope this can help some of you and I'm very sorry if you have found this for the same reason I have.  I can only imagine the first was a small clot that broke loose and the second was a large one.  Obviously blood work didn't show whatever was going on. Mr. Oreo Cookie Monkey Shinky baby Mommy's cutesy lil boy July 14,2012-August 8,2021 I love you more than life itself.  I can't wait to see you when I get there!

Carol Giles
August 20, 2021

My cat Bailey was OK in the morning then within half an hour he let out the most horrible meow/scream I went to him and he was dragging his back legs and panting and making this horrible cry.  I rushed him to the vets who told me he had blood clots and there wasn't anything they could do so I had to have him put to sleep.  My heart is broken never want to go through that again. Can't get my head round how fast it happened

FLH
August 14, 2021

Thank you for this article. I had to put my baby boy Bear to sleep this morning from this kind of clot due to heart failure. The suddenness of the paralysis when he'd seemed fine just moments earlier, the inability to treat, all of it is so shocking that I took to the internet to learn more about my cat and why this all happened so fast. He first started showing signs of heart disease just a few weeks back.  I didn't know what the symptoms meant or how urgent it was. I made an appointment for the end of the month thinking he’d be ok since he was still eating and playing, just skinnier and more tired than usual. The vet told me even if I’d gone earlier, his heart was already so bad that he would have been miserable with multiple pills a day, frequent cardiologist visits, special food and so on.  But I’m sure I’ll always wonder. I'm so sorry to everyone else who found the page the same way, but wanted to say that after reading so many comments and this article I at least feel comforted to not be alone in what I'm feeling.

Rhonda J de Paola
July 25, 2021

My 18 year old cat Tristan resolved a blood clot after I gave him a few doses of Naturally Vitamins Nattokinase 1500.  The Nattokinase resolved the clot very quickly, and should be used as a remedy against blood clots.  I feel so blessed to have learned about this, and I went out on a limb to try it.  The vet didn't think he had any hope of surviving with conventional medicine.  The Nattokinase saved his life and I hope anyone reading this can also benefit from this knowledge.  Sending a hug to all kitty owners and know there is hope if your sweet baby has a clot.

Louisa Ham
July 21, 2021

I lost my gorgeous Sammy, the most beautiful and loving cat in the world on Monday. As I walked through the door I heard the screaming and she was lay down, panting. I thought she was just dehydrated so I put water on her, just picked her up in my arms and drove to the vet.. Almost immediately they said there was nothing I could do, her little feet and tongue were already blue but I begged them to do whatever they could. They gave her painkillers, an oxygen tank and warmed her. I sat with her for 3 hours working out how I could transport her to the hospital but her breathing got worse, they said she wouldn’t make it to the hospital and I knew I had to let me baby go. I held her and kissed her as she drifted off. I have so much upset thinking if I had got back earlier could I have saved her, if I had her check in back in March would that help. Over the last 8years and 8 months we were each other’s best friend.. I know she was so happy right up to those few hours. I’m devastated and miss her so much x

Cynthia
July 19, 2021

My cat name is Gary 11,year old she born 2010 my husband took he went vet look him went r xay no broken so vet look shot 2 and medicine vet think stroke or blood clot. My husband bring him home he walk balance his head wall. He jumped on chair. I look his fast breath. He howl open I pet his calm down later he went heaven I think and crying loss he had stroke  I hold gary to vet emergency I miss Gary

Amanda
July 14, 2021

Saddle Thrombus. I never heard of it until it happened to my sweet kitty. My cat would always greet me first thing in the morning but the other morning she couldn't be found. I searched and searched and found her hiding. She didn't move. Her back legs were cold and unresponsive. I rushed her to the emergency vet and the tech said she didn't want to alarm us but it sounded like saddle thrombus, except our cat wasn't crying out in pain. When my cat was sick as a kitten, she hid, she never cried. So I know when she hides, something is very wrong and she knows it. The vet went over treatment options with the conclusion that putting her to sleep was the best option. I held her and petted her and cried. She had just turned 4 years old and seemed like a healthy kitty up until the day she passed.

Diane
July 7, 2021

It’s so sad reading all the story’s that other people have written and that I am just going through.  My beautiful boy Sammy who was a stray was fine yesterday when we got up then suddenly I heard awful yeowls. He was panting and dragging his back legs. The vet confirmed a thrombus and he was put to sleep.  It’s such a shock seeing a healthy young cat suddenly be taken like that.  I am devastated and I will miss him being around and his lovely personality.  It took me over 20 years to get another cat after my first one died and I realised I had missed having a pet in my life.  I have decided to see a cat at the RSPCA…he won’t be Sammy, he will have different ways but if I can help a cat that needs a home why wait 6 months to do it. Let’s hope one.day they will be able to treat thrombus. I loved my Sammy more than anything in my life and I’m sure he knew it

Joanna
July 5, 2021

My handsome Snowshoe rescue cat, Fred, sadly had to be put down Easter Sunday morning 4/4/21 after enduring a saddle thrombus. I’m thankful I was home when it happened and he didn’t suffer for too long.  Ironically was reading about complications of heart failure in cats and a saddle thrombus was called “a cat owner’s worst nightmare.” I had never heard of it and thought I hope that never happens to Fred.  I was utterly in the shock of my life when I woke up to his cries just a few hours later after reading about it and there he was on my living room floor- not moving his hind legs.  The howls were like no others I ever heard from him and knew he was in pain.  He was diagnosed with a heart murmur last July, but still looked so good and wasn’t due for his annual checkup(would have been this month). I knew his health was starting to decline being a “senior” cat, but he had a good run and was spoiled to the max in the 11 years I had him.  He also was a trooper and tolerated five different moves with me lol.  He would have been 14 on April 16th, 2021, just missed it by 12 days.  I knew humane euthanasia was the only way and he fell asleep forever in my arms at the emergency vet and now buried with the other passed on family cats overlooking a river.  After he was laid to rest, the most beautiful sunset occurred and knew he was at peace.  It’s comforting to see how many others have been through this with their kitties, seems like too many unfortunately.  RIP Fred and all the kitties who have succumbed to the evil saddle thrombus.

Pam French
July 1, 2021

Yesterday morning, my cat, Critter, wasn't in the house for her morning treats.  In the warmer weather she usually sleeps outside on the patio chairs, but she wasn't there either.  I called her for hours and got more and more worried.  I just knew something was wrong, but I couldn't find her anywhere.  Finally, at 2 in the afternoon, I went out the back door to look for her again and I found her laying under the bench outside the door.  I was SO happy to see her!  She miaowed "hello" but I noticed she couldn't get up.  I moved the bench to pick her up, but she dragged herself off by her front legs to go under the lounger.  She didn't appear to be in any pain at all.  I called around different vets but they were all booked up so I took her to an emergency vet.  They said she had a leaky heart valve and they suspected saddle thrombus (I'd never heard of it before).  They were surprised that she didn't seem to be in pain.  The prognosis wasn't good, so I agreed that euthanasia was probably the kindest thing to do, and they told me they'd make an exception by letting me inside the building (COVID) to be with her while she crossed the famous Rainbow Bridge.  You could tell she knew something was up, but I stroked her until she was gone.  I was in shock, cried, and then felt totally drained.  This morning I can't stop crying, and don't know what to do with myself.  I live alone and she was the light that kept me going through all the social distancing of COVID:  the house feels really empty now, and so do I.  Maybe in time, I will get a rescue cat...

Rose
June 17, 2021

Hi Steve, i've just returned from emergency as I found lying on his side, panting heavily, tongue and terrible meows. They diagnosed clot back legs , gave pain injection and advised he be put to sleep. Called vet she concurred. I said I would meed time with him. The er vet was very nice. I ask a lot of questions. While that was happening scout started walking. The E.R.Dr.gave him a reprieve. You believe that?! So I was sent home with some strong pain medication and advised the see my regular that to also said to put him to sleep. But in reading about it it's a foregone conclusion that another will hit him. But for now as long as hes out of pain and can walk it's going to be a watch and see.  Luckily I can take a few days off of work but I'm fretting and I'm so sorry for your loss. ((HUGS)).

Stacie
June 16, 2021

This article was so helpful, as are everyone’s stories in the Comments. We lost our beloved Maine Coon, Albert, to this horrendous malady two days ago. He woke us  at 4:15am banging on our closet door. By the time we got the light on and to him, in mere seconds, he thrashed about in a horrific way. My husband got him in his arms just as he died. We’re in shock and deep grief. We had just spent a wonderful week at the Coast with him, his favorite place. Thank you all for sharing your experiences. There is comfort in information and community. My heart and sympathy goes out to all who’ve experienced this nightmare

Steve
June 12, 2021

My Name is Steve. My CAT had Past Away on MAY 14th it’s been going on 3 Weeks. I rushed him to THE VET The Next Day! Had all LAB TESTS Done including X RAY their was Evidence of (HCM) Slight ENLARGE - HEART that had Caused a Clot in his AORTA He Became PARALYZED On his Both Back LEGS. Couldn’t walk anymore he was in a lot of pain and Crying had went on 2 STROKES. I had him on MORFEN injection to EASE the Pain the DOSAGE Worked he was very well Resting and Relaxed! But unfortunately... He went on his SLEEP When I came back home from Work at 11:20PM My BOY Had CROSSED THE RAINBOW BRIDGE: I Lost it! Went a week with out Eating had to Seek HELP ASAP found a PET THERAPIST! He was the last CAT LEFT On the LITTER 15 Years OLD His Name was Jippy Please I need ALL Your SUPPORT This was a Tremendous Life Changer For EVER! I’ll NEVER For it!

Billie
June 11, 2021

My precious Julius died from this 2 days ago. He was only 3 years old. He was in perfect health and played like crazy. Then I heard a thud noise in the kitchen. Julius was on the floor flopping around like a fish out of water. You could tell the pain was sheer agony. I cried as I tried to comfort him and got scratched up badly. Not his fault. When he stopped thrashing which seemed like forever but was probably about 5 minutes at the most he was gone. I was devastated.  I’ve never seen anything like this before. I never want to see it again. I loved him with all of my heart. There was no time for a vet. He just died in front of my face.

Ij
June 7, 2021

I was asking for some info that I did the right thing by saying good bye to my 4 1/2 yr old Bob on Friday. Saddle thrombus. He was fine in the morning came in from outside got his food played a little bit then couple hours later gut wrenching meow and he was on the floor meowing not moving his back legs and evident pain panting called the vet right away got him in. No sign of any heart disease no murmur on exams just all of a sudden this devastating event. so thank you for all your comments.

Dr Nathan Mueller
June 1, 2021

Your description of what Buggy went through her last few hours fits with a saddle thrombus. I am so sorry to hear that this happened. You absolutely did the right thing in letting Buggy go, and I hope this gives you some peace of mind. Thank you for taking such good care of Buggy in her time of need. .

Kathleen Sommer
May 27, 2021

I am looking for confirmation that I did the right thing to euthanize my beloved Buggy kitty, my healing love, when she got the thrombosis and her back legs were paralyzed.  She was in pain at first but i keep thinking maybe I could have saved her. I miss her so.  She was biting her legs so hard they were bleeding. She knew she had to walk to live. I have to stop thinking about her, as put my love to the many other kitties in my life, but she was sooo special  

Nancy
May 25, 2021

Wow- so many of you have suffered the loss of your beloved cats as I have recently lost my Bugs, to this terrible saddle thrombosis. It sounds like we all experienced the same, sudden, devastating loss. Bugs passed suddenly on May 15th after a wonderful and normal day together. I still can’t get past the shock of losing him, and I’m endlessly researching to be sure euthanasia was the right call. While I wish none of you had to suffer the loss of your beloved cats, your words and willingness to share your loss are the  first bit of comfort and reassurance I’ve actually experienced since that devastating day. I hope my words are comforting to you as well. We were all so blessed to share our lives with our beloved animals. In reading all of your stories, I do believe we all did the best we could for them. I am so very sorry for your loss- all of you.

Eric M York
May 23, 2021

20 1/2 year young Maine Coone Male. Red Classic Tabby. Bonkers was my last male kitten from 20 + years of breeding and showing before anyone knew what a Maine Coon was. He was born into my hands on Oct 21,2000. Absolutely the best representation of a M.C. personality and characteristics.  Bonlers was a healing cat if you ever heard of them. He knew when I was in pain and would always lean of the affected part of my body. After having my spine fuse with 6 cages at lower lumb

Abby
May 22, 2021

I lost my nearly 8 yr old beautiful big fluffy boy gingy this morning due to this disgusting disease. He was doing completely fine all his life so no one expected this. he was fine that night laying next to me on the couch and all of a sudden during the middle of the night i hear him crying out loud. i thought he was meowing for food like always but it sounded quite painful so i walked out and i saw my mum laying down with him on the floor calming him down as his back legs and tail were completely paralysed. i went into complete shock and broke down, we had absolutely no idea what was happening and just tried comforting him through out the night so we can go to the vet straight away in the morning. we took him there and they explained this disease and said he had a blood clot that caused it and must’ve had heart disease. We were all upset and in shock as to why it had to happen to our baby. they decided to keep him overnight and even for the week to keep an eye on him and treat him with medication and said we can visit him every day to cuddle with him. the friday comes around and mum wakes me up to go see him in the morning. it was absolutely heart shattering seeing him in pain and high on pain meds and not himself. we cuddled him and begged and prayed for him to make it for the first 72 hours but he unfortunately didn’t. saturday (today) comes around and i wake up to mum telling me he passed away:(( i haven’t been able to stop bawling my eyes out since. i can’t stand the fact that he’s gone all of a sudden. he was mine and everyone’s baby. he was such a sweetheart and loved everyone even mothered the foster kitties we get. he lived such a happy life and just got taken from him and us is heart wrenching. fuck heart disease. we love you all gingy so so much. now you can see big gingy and relax and watch over us and me together. i love you so much i wish you were still here.

Adrielle Kash
May 18, 2021

I saw tinkie belle in the morning and afternoon.she ate,played,sat on my chest and "helped" me watch tv.i made a phone call in another room.heard a loud cry and a commotion.thought it was just the cats playing.i checked on them and found tinkie on the floor,wrapped in a blanket as if she had entangled hetself while thrashing around.seizure?heart attack?im devestayed.because now she is dying.went from being fine to deaths door all of a sudden.only 4 years old.my heart has been torn out

Iris Prudence D Gordon
May 17, 2021

We just lost our Big Girl, Oreo yesterday due to a blood clot in her hind legs.  We did not know about this disease.  She was perfectly fine, woke us up early morning for her wet food, then went to her tower watchin all birds, demanded to be out on the deck to watch squirrels.  Then it was sudden, I saw her on the kitchen floor, meowing, very fast breathing, cold paws and cannot move her hind legs.  We rushed her to the vet, but the vet said she is critical condition and the most they can do is put her to sleep.  I can still hear her purring, and those sounds she makes when she is contented.  I still hear her running around and jumping.  I miss you terribly Meows.

Warren
May 12, 2021

We lost our beloved 7-year-old cat, Charlie, to this terrible condition in Feb 2020, just before lockdown. I'd never heard of it and he was checked every 6 months. One morning he was fine, charging around the garden, then we heard an almighty crashing through the cat flap and it was Charlie, not moving his back legs, meowing in pain and breathing very fast. We raced to the vets and got there as they were opening but the prognosis was devastating. They explained saddle thrombus and, because of his pain and breathing difficulties, the only real option was euthenasia. A real "Daddy's Boy", he settled in my arms for the painkillers and then we spoke gently to him as the final injection was administered. Such a sad and sudden end for a wonderful boy. We miss him every day - as does his sister Libby. RIP Charlie x

Cindy
May 1, 2021

I adopted my cat on 2017 and he was about 4years old. Couple months ago, My baby Ditto leave us and went to the Rainbow Bridge on 19th. Around 12pm at 18th, He was sleeping in closet after finishing his breakfast. Suddenly he climb to our bed and meow loudly. We don’t know what happen and later found out his back leg can’t move. We put him on the blanket and carrier, drive to the ER. Big snow outside and Ditto is crying loudly along the way. After they bring Ditto in, we wait in our car. Dr called and explain all the situations. We can’t make any decision. We don’t want to leave him alone at hospital, we can’t accept the euthanasia. We took him home and bring the medicines prescribed. Ditto didn’t slept all night, he did not cry much and just laying down watch us. He gave him medicine as directed. He hold up until next day afternoon, we don’t want to give up and called many vet hospitals, there is no hope, one of the vet told us the only thing they can do is put him down. Ditto gone at home that afternoon. Everything was too fast. The food I order for him are still on the way. Ditto is strong and show so much love to us until the last moment. We are so in pain there is not much we can do for him. Maybe if I put him in the hospital, he will do better. Maybe I should euthanasia him to make him suffer less. We want him to know we love him and want to be with him even until the last moment. Even he is not next to us now, but we will always miss him and love him so much. I cry a lot evey time I flash back. Thank you, Ditto! For all the love and memories you gave to us. We will hold it up until the day we meet again!

GMW
April 29, 2021

We just lost our Sketch to a blood clot early this afternoon. He was fine this morning, and when I got home two hours later from running errands, he could not walk, howling, and clearly in agony. Off to the vet, we went. One hour later, we had to put him down. I'm devastated. I had never heard of this. It all new to me, and I miss my boy. :(

Michelle
April 20, 2021

We lost our beautiful cat Pipa to this yesterday. Was so sudden and unexpected. We are devastated.

Maxim Bublovskiy
March 31, 2021

Sam, on March, 30th, 6pm I lost my wonderful cat Risia. She had a hart condition and did well during her physical a couple weeks prior that night. The entire day she was being the cutest cat ever, lying outstretched belly exposed paws in the air. I lost my sight of her for 10 minutes just to discover her collapsed on the floor panting, drooling, and back paws not functioning. The emergency vet was  nearby and she was there in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately, she had two blood clots, one in the legs and one in the lungs as her blood co2 level was extremely highly. After 13 years by my side, 4 cities, 2 countries in both hemispheres we had a sweet final talk and I said goodbye to her in my arms. She was staying strong until the last moment, scratched me so badly in the car (she hated traveling). Lest we forget how precious and evanescent life is, appreciate it and enjoy every second.....My russian cat Risia did exactly that. Love your furry friends, give them as many kisses and rubs as they can handle and even more.

Sam
March 30, 2021

I just lost my fur baby Max to this condition tonight. He was only 8 years old. He was diagnosed with a heart condition almost 3 years ago and he has been on medication ever since to manage the condition. At his last checkup last year the vet said he was doing great and that she could barely hear the heart murmur anymore. Little did I know, today would be his last day on this earth. It came on so suddenly. He was fine before went to bed. I woke up at 1am to him howling in agony, panting and he was unable to move his back legs. He was in so much pain, it tore me apart. The emergency vet said that there was nothing that they could do for him.. so I had to let him go. I held him in my arms and talked to him until he took his last breath. He was such a good boy. I miss him so much.

Shelley
March 28, 2021

I feel for you all as I just lost my fur baby, Remo to this yesterday morning. I’ve never heard of it before till it happened to him. He was almost 6 yrs old and like a lot of yalls comments, he was fine one min and the next he couldn’t move his back legs and was panting and meowing/yelling. I’ve never heard him in such pain and it completely broke my heart. I rushed him to the vet and she was shocked that he had it in 3 of his limbs and still alive. He was holding on for me. But when she told me how bleak this is and more than likely he wouldn’t survive. I couldn’t let him suffer. I’m devastated bc he was my furry son and was with me through so much in my life and I will always love him and miss him. I’m sorry to everyone that has had to go through this. It’s so unexpected.

Mary
March 24, 2021

My sweet boy Clownie crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Monday morning from this devastating disease.  He was diagnosed with severe restrictive cardiomyopathy eighteen days before he threw a clot in his back legs.  He saw a cardiologist fourteen days before this happened and was made aware of the fact this could occur.  He was taking four medications twice a day plus aspirin twice a week.  Three days before we put him to sleep he stopped eating and was lethargic, we took him to his Dr. and he gave him a shot of cerenia and Pepcid for his stomach and not eating. Sometime during the early morning hours he threw the clot.  When I picked him up to syringe feed him that morning and give him his meds he cried out in severe pain. I put him down and he was dragging his back legs.  I knew right away what had happened.  Took him to the vet immediately and he told us that they could try to dissolve the clot, but it would come back and he may never regain the use of his legs. With him being almost sixteen years old we did not want to put him through any more pain or stress.  Two thousand dollars later we put our sweet loving sensitive boy to sleep.  Rest In Peace Clownie, one of the loves of my life.

Kate
March 16, 2021

I just lost my sweet girl to a blood clot caused by an underlying heart condition at 7 years old. I had known for a few years that she had a grade 4 heart murmur and had hoped she would  fall into the category of cats that go on just fine their whole lives with the condition. Unfortunately I lost her very suddenly and unexpectedly the other night. She was the sweetest cat I've ever had, always wanting to cuddle and friendly to everyone. On Sunday we spent the day outside in the sun and watched a movie with her laying on my lap. Around 10pm she jumped up on my lap and started rolling around, almost writhing and meowing (she was a very vocal cat, so I didn't think much of that). I remember saying out loud "hey why are you flipping around like a little dolphin" and I picked her up and placed her on the ground. Then I noticed she was carrying one front paw up and was only walking on 3 legs, almost stumbling. I checked her paw thinking she must have ripped a claw or something, but they were all fine. She didn't like me touching her leg, but there was no specific location that was bugging her. She followed me upstairs and collapsed on a pile of clothes. I knew something wasn't right and took her straight to the emergency vet. About 1.5 hours later we were told she had likely experienced a blood clot blocking the blood flow to her front leg as her paw was cold and she seemed in great pain like a tourniquet was wrapped around her leg. The vet said one of the chambers in her heart had extreme thickening which caused another area to swell and expand significantly. He said it was the largest he had ever seen and essentially close to rupturing. While this was so hard to hear, it unfortunately made the choice to put her down a bit easier as I knew she would be suffering and there was likely little we could do to help her. I couldn't believe how fast she went from totally fine to suffering so much. I'm telling myself that we're lucky the clot travelled to her leg and not an organ, so that we could catch it ASAP. Missing my little shadow so much :(

Ronda J de Paola
March 7, 2021

My cat Tristan overcame a blood clot in his leg when I tried an alternative remedy.  I used Nattokinase.  I gave him one whole pill, and waited a few minutes and gave another.  Within 15 minutes he was walking again.  He had been hopping for the five days since the clot was discovered and had been unable to eat and was just laying in bed.  After the Nattokinase, he got up as if nothing had happened.  He was 17 and this time and lived another year without ever experiencing another clot.  This remedy is extremely effective and should be used by vets.  If your cat is diagnosed with a clot, there is hope.  Sending hugs to everyone!

Dana
March 1, 2021

We just lost our cat tonight 03/01. My heart is broken, Mitzu was just 9 1/2 yrs old. He was fine, let him out and took the dog for a walk. Little that I knew that in 1 hr. I would be at the emergency vet putting him to sleep. Doctor gave me no hope, his back legs were paralyzed and he was in pain. Most painful decision we had to take. We already miss him so much.

Diana
February 22, 2021

Our beloved cat had an episode last week that I think was caused by a clot. She was fine one minute and the next could barely walk. She acted drunk - stumbling into things - and growled at our other cat. We took her to the vet and she was meowing, clearly anxious, but walking better with some weakness in her back left leg. The vet thought it might have been neurological so we took her straight to an emergency clinic with a neurologist. By the time they actually got her in the exam room, about 41/2 hours from the initial incident they said she was walking OK (though when we got her home later she still wasn't herself - tail drooping and unable to jump up on things). They did bloodwork and sent her home on pain meds. The next day they said she had slightly elevated D-Dimer levels which indicates she likely had a clot that dissolved. She also had a UTI and some blood in her urine so I'm wondering if that could account for the elevated D-Dimer. We took her back to our regular vet to check her BP and do a chest x-ray. Both were fine. Now I'm thinking of a cardiac consult and echocardiogram to determine if she does have a heart condition and if she does, asking for a blood thinner to try to prevent a full saddle thrombosis. In the meantime, I did a lot of research about how to prevent clots and we put her on Petwellbeing's Young at Heart supplement. It has great reviews and we used Life Gold with another cat previously which actually cured his cancer. We will also be adding fish oil to her diet. We are hopeful these things will improve her heart health and prevent clots. I'm terrified that she could throw another clot and am so heartbroken by the stories here. If you have a cat, consider supplements for reventive care. It might lessen the risk of your kitty experiencing this devastating condition. Hugs to all cat parents.

Jennifer Pangallo
February 18, 2021

My 5 yr old fur baby died from Saddleback thrombosis. But not immediately.  Started back in Nov. He was being normal self,jumped down from eating on counter & went limp,head against floor & back legs paralyzed. The crying with awful. I thought he broke his back.picked him up calmed him down laid him in my bed to call vet & as fast as it happened, he snapped out of it. Thought he just hurt his back or muscles from jumping. About 2 weeks later he was up my butt all day worse than normal,very lovey & needy, that evening happened again this time lasted maybe 10mins. Again he got up & acted like his old self. Christmas came & went, no problems. Was waiting on vet apt & again one day he was like my shadow, &  happened again. But once again snapped out of it like nothing ever happened. Each time I know he was in extreme pain but didn't last long. Just 3 weeks ago we were in bed like normal & I told my husband his eyes looked very dialated..all you saw was black, but he was purring,playing, acted like a 100% healthy 5yr old cat. Around 3am he woke me up trying to climb over my head to look out the window,I nudged him & told him to go lay down.  6am my husband was getting ready for work & downstairs in our pigs room our Precious boy was laying on the floor in front of baby gate passed away,like he jumped over the gate to head back upstairs to us in bed but he didn't make it. I have felt such guilt but knowing that the survival rate of this horrific condition is slim has helped. But I have never loved an animal as much as him. Today we actually rescued a 5yr old cat from someone who was getting rid of him,sweetest boy ever,he's laying in bed with me now at 3am & all I can think about is him suffering the same fate.  My heart goes out to everyone here who has lost their furbabies.  They were all loved so very much.

Sharon
February 10, 2021

Original post 18th January 2021. Update and response to Cooper Hill's post 29th January: It is now 34 days since my cat suffered his first saddle thrombus. He is doing very well and I just can't believe how well his recovery is going. Those first couple of weeks were almost around the clock care. I was fortunate that he was able to use his litter tray and he groomed himself as normal. We placed stools and coffee tables to act as steps up, at every piece of furniture that the cat used, as his back legs were a little stiff and weak. But 5 weeks on he's jumping up on to the sofa and windowsill as normal. His appetite is great. He's perky, he's happy and doing well.  We only decided to let him out in to the garden a few days ago. He had his little tour and sniff but decided it was too cold so wanted in again. I'm pleased to say he's out several times a day though not at night. He is now on a quarter tablet of clopidogrel daily plus his thyroid medication. As I said before, I am literally counting the days from the initial trauma but am blessed he is still with me for now. I was also very fortunate that my vet made a quick diagnosis on that eventful first night and my vet bills were minimal. I am so glad that I gave my cat a fighting chance.  If his recovery had not been so good after those initial first 2 days, then I would have made that awful decision to put him to sleep. In saying that, if there is, or when, the next incident happens, I would make the same decisions again. This is a dreadful condition which most cat owners are not aware of, until it happens. I am spreading the word to all my cat owner friends just so they know what could happen. My thoughts are with you all for your loss. I've had many cats throughout my life (14 in all) and know what it is to lose  them. 

Don
February 9, 2021

My cat, Raven, passed suddenly the other night. Only 11 years old. She was fine the evening before. During the night I heard her meow a few times. An almost sorrowful cry. I had never heard a meow like that before. I wished I had checked on her. The next morning I found she had gone during the night. It was not like she was obviously sick or dying before this. I’ve been trying to understand what happened to her as it was so sudden. Perhaps I’ll never know.

Mark
February 7, 2021

We also lost our beloved cat and family member Fred to saddle thrombosis, 4 days ago. Everything seemed as normal when we got up, but Fred started meowing and crying and was becoming more and more distressed. We didn’t know what was wrong until he tried to move. He was pulling himself along by his front paws with his back legs dragging behind him. It was 8.45am by then, I phoned the vet surgery who said to get him there straight away. Because of Covid I had to hand him to the vet in the car park. The vet came out 15 minutes later saying one of his back legs was paralysed, and that he had a low temperature and that they had given him strong pain killers. He said it was very serious but he could go to hospital. He showed me a very large quote for the hospital cost, and said the problem was this is caused by heart disease and that there is every chance it would happen again. I had the agonising decision to make in the car park as to what to do. I could tell the vet was directing me to have him put to sleep. This all happened so quickly that 4 days later, with sleepless nights and lots of tears, I am really regretting that decision, but deep down I know it was best for Fred. I am absolutely heartbroken.

Jan Silverwood
February 4, 2021

Our beautiful 14 yr old cat was suddenly struck down by this dreadful condition. Paralysis of back legs, trying to drag himself to presumably hide away.  Very distressing to see! Just one hour earlier he was in great form. The vet at the Emergency Clinic very gently explained what had happened and we knew the only option for our cat was to be euthanised. We were able to cuddle and comfort him until we knew he’d had enough and it was time to make him pain free. Very sudden and very sad to lose our much loved boy Madiba.

Cooper Hill
January 29, 2021

In reply to Sharon, my cat is on day 7 of exhibiting almost exact symptoms of yours. Please any advice?

Carol
January 27, 2021

I lost my baby, Riley, last night to saddle thrombosis. He was an 8 1/2 year old RagaMuffin and my sweetheart.  I'd never heard of it and had no clue he had anything at all wrong till this.  I wasn't home when it happened so I came in and found him in that shape.  We took him straight to the vet and they gave him pain meds and checked his glucose levels in his legs and diagnosed him. The glucose levels in his hind legs were much lower than the front and they were rigid with no pain perception.  We left him at the hospital for pain control and while they attempted measures to cause the clot to break up.  They also used acupuncture and therapeutic laser on him.  Sadly he died thru the night.  The vet thinks he may have thrown another clot.  Information about this condition really needs to be made more public so that we pet owners know what to watch for. His vet was very good with him and they did all they could. Nevertheless, my heart is absolutely broken.

Asma
January 26, 2021

Just cant stop crying since lost my baby week ago. she was fine everything thing was good then suddenly her chest start to move fast. i called the vet she said this is not normal bring her to check. they tried to help her by giving blood thinner and putting her on oxygen but she couldn’t do it. I live in Saudi Arabia and Arab countries generally they dont have a specialized vet, they didnt know whats the problem and what to do. I kept thinking whats the wrong thing i have done to her. after searching i understood :( I feel the pain of every one went through this. a scar in my heart that will never fade away.

R Taylor
January 25, 2021

I just dealt with his two days ago. I fed our cat in the morning and gave him his insulin. Before I went out for the day with my family, I picked him up and showed him a bird outside. He was staring hard at it. Seemed like a normal day. We came back around 330 PM and the kids watched a TV show and I was playing a video game. My wife was in the kitchen warming up food and head a thump. The cat fell over and couldn't move. She called me up stairs crying saying the cat is dying. He couldn't move his back legs or keep himself up. We went to the pet hospital and checked him out.  Said there was not much they can do and my wife decided to put him down. We all got to say goodbye and that was it. I have been crying on and off the passed few days. Our cat has been with us for all our majors events in our lives. Moved across country, Marriage, kids. After reading these comments, it makes me believe we did make the right decision.  I love and will miss our cat dearly.

Cathy
January 24, 2021

I am facing this I fear. My 15 year old Maine Coon has lost the use of both hind legs. He doesn’t appear to be in pain which confuses me when I hear of the pain others have had. He drags his legs and has no muscle in either. He wants to be held and I can touch his hind legs and pet him and no crying out. He does appear to twitch which I never noticed before. I know his time is near and my heart hurts just thinking about it, I just pray he isn’t hurting and I don’t know it.

LL
January 24, 2021

Wow I too just went through this 5 days ago.One minute he was playing and the next dying. He did have a large soft egg sharpe lump under his right front arm and the Vet was scheduled to see him but it went away just as it came on .I also had made a comment about how much he was sleeping...So if you notice any soft lumps ( We thought it was a fatty tissue) please take to the Vet to get checked and do a heart check. He had just had his physical and nothing was detected...The pain he was in was devastating and having that as my last memory is no fun...

Stephanie
January 21, 2021

Wow I can’t believe how many cats this is affecting! I’d don’t even know this was something to worry about until my boy Cosmo died from it on this past Christmas Day :(  I had no warnings or signs, took him for check up a few months earlier. He was 10 years old and healthy and active. So on Christmas I was putting the ham in the oven...my boyfriends screams to come here and Cosmo was laying there struggling to breath..liquid coming out his mouth and can’t move his back legs. It was horrific! We immediately rushed to ER. They said within 5 minutes of us being there that they don’t think he will make it. He was paralyzed from CHF and his lungs were filling with fluids. They had him on oxygen and he still was struggling to breath. It was absolutely heartbreaking. I begged them to do anything they could to save him, but the doctor kept saying he couldnt do anything. They then basically forced me to put him to sleep. It was so awful. I didn’t really even get to say goodbye as he was in so much pain and on the oxygen machine. I later found on from researching that the blood clot like this causes some of the worst pain a cat can possibly have, I’m so mad bc the vet didn’t even give him any pain meds those final minutes as I was talking to them figuring out what was wrong and saying goodbye to him. I feel terrible :(  this is seriously one of the worst ways to experience losing a beloved pet. I am still grieving and can’t believe this happened to him. I wouldnt wish this on anyone.

Karen
January 19, 2021

I have not slept a wink since I lost my beloved cat this way 24 hours ago. I was doing some research because I was feeling guilty that I made the wrong decision by putting him down maybe I should have put him through the treatment and he could have been the lucky ones to survive but now I see how Grim this condition is it is heartbreaking it is 3 in the morning and I still can't sleep between all the tears that I cry. I feel for anyone that has gone through this.

Mersedeh
January 19, 2021

We lost our 18 months British shorthair to this yesterday. He had heart murmurs when we brought him as a kitten. He was under monitoring and he was 6 months old that his vet told us he recovered and you should be happy ! He was absolutely fine , we didn’t notice any strange thing that make us concern, all of the sudden yesterday in the morning he became paralized, took to vet and they did perform CT scan to check his bones. His vet said ct didn’t show anything and they need to do a second examination and perform MRI , just before they send him for MRI , the specialist said let’s check if he has blood going through his lower part , they checked it , no blood ! They utinised him in front of our eyes . It’s a massive pain especially at such a young age

Sharon
January 18, 2021

I have been searching online all weekend reading up on this terrible condition. The stories here are just heartbreaking and my heart goes out to each and every one of you. I am hoping to find someone who has had a cat come through this, and what to expect for the future, as everything I read online gives no hope. You see, my boy has just survived two saddle thrombi in 7 days!!!! Here is my story so far; 9 1/2 days ago, late on Friday night, 8th January, my boy suffered a saddle thrombus. in fact he suffered another one 6 1/2 days after the first!  like everyone else it was the same senario, fine one minute, gasping for breath the next and dragging his legs. I had no idea what was going on and spoke to the emergency vet who said to bring him in straight away. so within the hour, my boy was handed over to the vet outside, due to corona restrictions, so i wasnt with him. he was meowing loudly but would have done this anyway on his way to vet as he never liked being restrained in his travel case. so I wasnt overly concerned about him being in a lot of pain. It didn't sound like it to me. it was fortunate that I was able to tell the vet that my boy had been diagnosed with thyroid trouble some months earlier and a matter of weeks ago x Ray taken to discover enlarged heart. I had asked for this investigation as a persistent cough was being put down as due to the thyroid. So the vet had all his history and I sat in the car waiting.  Later, the vet came out to talk to me and said he had suffered a saddle thrombus. vet said she had administered strong painkillers and blood thinning drugs to try and scatter the clot, but the prognosis  was not good, however he was pain free and settled for now.  I realised then that my cat could possibly die that night. I was gutted and came home expecting him to die through the night. He is 10 years old. The vet contacted me the next morning. She had tended him through the night and administered more drugs. He was still hanging in there. I got another update the following day to say that his back legs and paws were warming and he was doing well. I was hopeful. On the Monday morning, the vet rang me with another update, he was doing well but not eating, she said he wasn't happy there and that he would do better at home, so I could come and collect him at lunchtime. I couldn't believe it, my boy was coming home. When he got home, he was still full of medication and a bit shaky on his feet, but he quickly found a spot on the living room floor behind an armchair, to make his bed. I made him comfortable and he slept a lot. Over the next few days he trotted in and out of the kitchen to his food dishes but he was reluctant to eat or drink, taking  very little indeed. I gave him water through a syringe the vet had given me. He hadn't been to the loo either. After a couple of days home he started showing interest in getting up to his bed on the windowsill and looking at the birds feeding, and he was able to come on to my lap on the sofa and lie beside me. After 4 days home I was getting concerned that he wasn't toileting and on Friday he went to the front door wanting out. Thinking this would encourage him to go to the loo, i let him out and my hubby walked around the garden with him, keeping a close eye. However, after climbing some stairs in one of the outbuildings, he lay down, so my hubby lifted him and brought him into the kitchen. As soon as he put him down, I knew immediately that something was wrong. He was limping badly on one back leg, paw twisting and walking on his knuckles. Rang vet,who said bring him in straight away. So within 15 minutes he was in the vets. After giving him pain killers and blood thinning drugs, she ha ded him back to me so I could nurse him at home. He slept all night. The next morning I couldn't believe his recovery, he was walking better, he wanted something to eat, he drank some water, and used his litter Tray! I was amazed at the fight in this boy. Its now Monday morning, 3 days after his second episode, he's eaten this morning and sleeping now, so I'm counting the days. I don't know what the outcome will be and would be interested to hear from anybody who has had anything similar to this. The vet gave me home 12 daily doses of clopidogrel and he's already been on and to continue with his thyroid medication. I just class myself so so lucky to have gotten him this far and I am praying hard that I have him for a little longer. There is no doubt that his future is guarded and I am fully aware of what he is facing. I will post an update if there is any further news.

Theresa M Roa
January 17, 2021

Thank you some much for explaining so well this devastating disease.  We lost our beloved cat last night.  One minute doing great,  the next can't use back legs and crying in pain.  Rushed to emergency room but didn't make it.  The worst part of all we lost our 13 year old cat in November to kidney failure.  The pain is overwhelming.  My heart goes out to all of you who have experience this same pain.

Jacob Greenberg
January 15, 2021

Sadly, I became a member of this club last night around 2am.  Charlie was a grey tabby with white socks, and was the most loving little guy ever.  At 9 years old, He was completely healthy and showed no signs of any health issues.  Last night around 2am I woke up to him howling, and came to find him sprawled out on the floor, legs not working, mouth open, and panting.  I had him at the vet within 10 minutes.  The first thing they did was give him pain meds, poor guy.  She found that he had this, and internal bleeding.  I'm not clear how a blockage causes internal bleeding.  Within 20 minutes of being at the vet, we were told there was nothing they could do and we said a very tearful goodbye to our best furry buddy.  It all happened so fast, I was just in shock and couldn't really believe it.  I felt responsible like there was something I should have done to prevent this.  However, reading this article and all your testimonials, I've come to realize that there was nothing I could have done, and I at least feel comfort that he had an amazing life.  Give your cats a big hug folks, you never know when a freak incident can take them away from you.

Ken Barrows
January 11, 2021

We lost our beloved tabby to this yesterday. Woke up to her yowling and rushed downstairs to find her laying on the floor with rear legs paralyzed. She had just been sleeping with us maybe 15 minutes earlier. I scooped her up and got her to the ER within 20 minutes. Diagnosed 15 minutes later and we put her to sleep right away after the vet gave us the bad prognosis. No prior signs whatsoever of heart disease, she was always a happy, playful affectionate cat and only 9 years old. We are totally devastated and keep asking ourselves if there was something we could have done to prevent this. Seeing what others have shared has made its little easier to understand and cope with the grief.

John M
January 7, 2021

My heartfelt condolences to all the people who have lost their beloved pets.  We had to euthanize our Siamese cat Aspen last night.  We are devastated – she was my quarantine buddy with a big personality.  Will miss her tremendously. Like many others we did not know about saddle thrombosis. 

Angie
January 6, 2021

I empathize with the many people on here who lost cats to heart disease.  I am in a waiting game with my kitty. He is so dear to me. His prognosis is “open”, however he has a huge blood clot diagnosed With echocardiogram. He is also in heart failure. I’m devastated and don’t know how to plan other than giving him the medications. Psychologically I don’t know what to do. He has a brother - they are both 11.   His brother is very healthy and it’s devastating to think that our little family will be broken soon. Anticipatory grief is its own hell.

Matthew Cioffi
January 4, 2021

OMG, I never knew about this.  I'm reading this article in tears thinking about how much pain my little furry pal was in, at least it was brief.  He was trying to steal potato chips from me one moment, the next he screamed, yes screamed in pain, his legs stiffened, his back arching inward and his breath coming in huffs.  He was gone before we could even get to the car to take him to the emergency vet.  From trying to nip chips to gone in 20 minutes.  Truly sad for everyone going through this.

Holland Mee
January 3, 2021

Oliver is a Turkish Angora. Robust, smart, agile, caring, friendly. I created the deepest bond with him. I have lost so many relations and Oliver was my last bond left. He was talkative and I called him my spirit guide. We played on New Years eve outside, he climbed a tree and chased me. Later that night he was sitting on the table watching me and I saw him wince and fall over, like he was fainting. I tried to pick him up and he was so limp. I put him on the floor and he suddenly started dragging his body. His legs were paralyzed. He cried the deepest cry of pain. I needed to find an uber. There were none. I sat on the bottom of the driveway while he died in my hands. I pushed his little belly and tried to revive him while wailing, and he came back to life. I took him to one vet and they said I needed a specialist. It was New Years day and 3am. I took him to the specialist where the same thing happened and he died shortly after. I couldn't look at his body. I have to plan this Monday what to do with his remains. I suffer from PTSD and I feel like my heart is breaking. I feel like my heart is doing what his heart did. I don't even know how to function.

Pam
January 2, 2021

My kitty had to be put to sleep last night because of this. The treating emergency Vet thought she heard a heart murmur four days prior but focused on a mass in her intestines and ignored further pursuit of the heard murmur. Shortly after receiving a blood transfusion she was in extreme pain and I was called to immediately get to the hospital to say good bye to her. I have never heard a cat crying out the way she was even though she was on major pain meds. My heart is broken at her loss because I really feel I did not properly take care of her. Annual vet visits is not often enough for older cats. Twice a year is what I will be doing for all my cats going forward.

Ava
January 1, 2021

I’m just devastated is there anyone I can to talk about this. It’s a shame I can’t respond to some of these messages. My lovely cat went 3 days ago and it’s affecting me badly it was so sudden.

Ava
January 1, 2021

Marcus I did too. I’m devastated honestly.

Judy
January 1, 2021

My cat will take a couple of steps and sit. Not crying with pain

Donna
January 1, 2021

I just lost are sweet Rusty to this two days ago. It just came out of nowhere ,one minute  he was playing with my son and an hour later he crying in pain and could walk. I miss him so much

Tine Becker
January 1, 2021

Thank you for explaining this in great detail. We lost our boy yesterday, right before his presumed 13th birthday. A vet on call misdiagnosed his eyes suffering trauma from hypertension on Tuesday. He said it was old age or nerve damage from his diabetes, but it wasn’t. It was a warning his HCM is getting the best of him. A day later an acute blood clot instantly froze both his legs. We feel bad about not having been able to treat him. In addition to congestive heart failure it seemed better to euthanize him as he would most likely not be able to walk and roam freely anymore. He was in agonizing pain, shame and just didn’t seem right to ‘recover’. I am grateful for insightful stories like these, even though it is in retrospect.

Marcia
December 28, 2020

I just lost my sweet kitty to this last night.  my heart breaks.

Jill Rotthgeb
December 23, 2020

12/23/2020 was typical day with our sphynx boy. 1 week shy of his 8th birthday. playing eating, snuggling. Just past noon, I ran to the post office for one last package drop before Christmas. I walked in the house at 1pm to the sound of this awful painful cry to the point my blood went cold. I searched frantically find him. Found him under a table and he could not move. I finally reached him, held him with my heart racing as to what was wrong. I set him down to find his favorite blanket and watched him scream in pain, trying desperately to hide but couldn't move his back legs. I  picked him up to wrap him up and he fought me and manage to get out of my arms. Never have I seen such fear in him or myself. I was able to get him crated and rushed to the vets. 2:38pm my sweet boy was prepped for a blood draw and immediately violently stared vomiting blood and 2 minutes later he was gone. It was determined he had a blood clot from a heart disease we knew nothing about. He went to the vet every 6 months, was an indoor cat and very healthy.  So we thought. I am still in shock as to how fast this hit and the fear and pain he was going through while I tried to comfort him. This is one of the worst things to experience and so heart breaking losing him in a matter of a few hours.

Kathy Moyer
December 23, 2020

My 13 year old male cat had been treated for an inoperable mass in his belly since May of 2018.  He also took thyroid meds.  We were all so surprised and pleased that he was doing as well as he was for 18 months.  But right out of nowhere on Monday night, he could not stand and support his back legs.  He didn't seem to be in a lot pain but I took him to the vet right away.  She thought it was either a blood clot or stroke.  With Covid and all of the issues with vet delays, plus given his medical history, the humane thing to do was euthanize him and the vet completely agreed.  I didn't want to leave him to go through a battery of tests and I have spent thousands of dollars on my 3 cats over the past few years. My heart is broken as I did everything I could for this sweet boy during his 13 year life with me.  I miss him terribly and hope I made the right decision.  Christmas won't be the same without him.

Lisa K
December 21, 2020

We lost our 2 year old tabby today to saddle thrombus, feline aorta thromboembolism. One minute I was playing chase stick with her outside, then suddenly about 30 minutes later she is crying and can’t move her back legs. I initially thought she injured her back. Rushed her to Vet. She was diagnosed with enlarged heart, due to congenital heart disease. A blood clot logged into her aorta suddenly, caused intense pain. Vet recommended that we let her go, prognoses for this condition is poor. We are in shock as she had no symptoms and seemed completely normal and healthy. I had never even heard of this mostly fatal condition in cats. Heart disease often goes undiagnosed. Get yearly physicals. Irregular heart rhythms may be picked up during a physical and treated before this lethal condition can develop. Love your kitties, you never know what tomorrow may bring. RIP sweet Abigail Lynn.

J Taylor
December 19, 2020

My cat has had his second episode with the paralysis of a blood clot thrown from his heart. He does not appear to be in pain and the dr also didn’t think he was in pain. This is why I believe that he has something different than what I am reading. He recovered the last time although his left foot did not recover totally and is folded under. He is breathing strange or I believe his heart is beating strange. He just doesn’t seem to have the exact same symptoms as what we are reading although everything else seems to line up. One second he is fine and the next he is dragging his body across the floor. They have ran many tests and the drs are a little perplexed. I am praying that someone knows something about what he is going through and can offer us hope. Today the vet gave him a 20 percent chance of recovery but we know it will happen a shim if he does. I pray he recovers from this and we can find out what he is going through.

Alison
December 16, 2020

Just lost our sweet kitty to this last night.

Cathy Lisa
December 11, 2020

I just list my baby smokey ton this two days ago.. horrific and tragic. She was a rescue who went through so much. Only 10. I’m heartbroken

Karen
December 11, 2020

We lost our sweet Pumpkin this morning at 14.5 years old.  She's been extremely healthy up until one month ago when she stopped eating and lost about 1/3 of her body weight.  We took her to the vet and after many tests he told us (and showed us the xray) of a huge hairball blocking her small intestine.  After laxative therapy she finally passed it and we thought all was well.  He gave her two steroid shots over the past month and three B12 shots.  She began to eat like a horse and gained a little weight back but her spark and spirit were dimmed.  This morning my husband her her vomiting only to find her lying down while doing so because her back legs were paralyzed.  We rushed her back to the vet and he confirmed her racing and enlarged heart and that she had a blood clot.  We had no choice but to have her put to sleep.  It's absolutely the most heart breaking experience that never ever gets easier.  I've had cats all of my life and the pain over losing them is unbearable.  Writing this through my tears and ever so thankful that she was in our lives.

John Del Chiaro
December 7, 2020

Bella.  My best friend. My cat Bella has been battling heart disease and asthma.  She has had her good days and she has had her bad days    But today was different After my alarm went off this morning Bella came into my room and layer on the floor and waited for me to get up.   I finally got up went into the bathroom and sat down. Bella came in and wanted me to pick her up which I always do and gladly did.  She stayed in my arms for about 20 minutes while licking my shirt and needing her claws into my shoulders   She finished got down and went on her merry way   It seemed like it was going to be a good day.  I left for worK as usual  and everything seemed fine,,,   Then I get a call from my wife who is hysterically crying and telling me to come home  Bella can’t walk.  I raced home from work and as soon as I saw her eyes I knew she was in terrible pain  I picked her up and she screamed like I never heard her before  she also bit me so I put her down and grabbed a towel wrapped her up nd we headed to the vets office. The whole way there she screamed and was trying to walk but couldn’t it felt like forever. We arrived at the vets they took her in it was the last time we saw her alive.   The vet told us she had a blood clot that broke off and got logged in her back blocking blood to her rear body and legs  and didn’t have many options not wanting her in anymore pain we told her to put her down.    I miss her so much and wish I could of done something.  She was the smartest and most lovable thing in the world.  I just wish I could of done something

Kristine
December 3, 2020

Hello, I have a 11yr old Tabby, her name is Shelby, last week I found her screaming in pain, dragging her back legs with her head moving all over, I wrapped her up in a blanket, took her to ER vet Hospital, and she too has the same diagnosis, I never heard of her diagnosis before.  I brought her home, and its been 5 days now.  Just last week she was playing and perfectly fine, then at 2;00 am. My world changed, I cant describe how horrific this feeling is.  Shelby is family, never looked at her as a pet, only family. I will go about my days only to rush through the day, so i can go home  and cry, I'm 46 yrs old. I don't want to lose her, I cant..I love her too much.  With Covid , no one is allowed in the Vet Hospital.  I cant just hand her off and never see her again, I just cant..I would give anything to make her better.

Dawn
November 27, 2020

On Tuesday, November 24, 2020 I woke the worst not stop cry of pain I have ever heard. I ran to find my sweet Jessie trying to stand but could not due to paralysis of her legs. Her eyes showed fear, pain and anxiety.  My husband wrapped her in in a towel to the hospital. I held onto her the back seat, trying everything I could to calm her. In the parking lot we found a sign that stated due Covid we had to wait in the car and call them. We waited 20 minutes when I was allowed to bring her to the door. I cried so hard when she was taken away, I am her mother and I was wearing my mask. After 5 minutes the doctor called with the worst news. Despite my baby showing no sign of illness a blood clot was killing her and she was in severe pain, with very low blood pressure. For 14  years she was love-able, playful and my buddy. Yet I was forced to give the ok to have her put to sleep. Only one of us was allowed to go in and I did but I made them open the curtain so my husband could be with us. I could her him crying hard. Even though they gave her oxygen, pain medication and a sedative she still kept squirming and screaming in pain. For her sake we let her go. A few hours earlier she was eating and cuddling right next to me on the couch and now she is gone.  I know many have lost loved ones to Covid which is is so cruel. But this too is cruel.

Juliet
November 25, 2020

Our sweet Selene passed away on November 16; she was almost 3 years old.We got home and found her having passed seemingly in her sleep while lying in her bed. Our vet believes it was a blood clot and my hope for her is that she was truly sleeping and did not have pain. I had never heard of this condition before and I’m so sorry to hear about your losses of your family members. Selene was the sweetest soul who we rescued nearly 2 years ago and I will always miss her.

Mary
November 21, 2020

Thank you to everyone who has posted. Our boy Loki experienced a saddle thrombosis early this morning. He was lying next to me in bed.  We rushed to ER and his condition as saddle thrombosis was confirmed. His health was waning, he had Chronic pacrentitis and possible tumor on his adrenal glands. We have been able to give him really good medical care. I knew his time was coming, I did not know about this condition. But reading from many of you, we made the right decision for him this morning. He brought us so much joy over the last 14 years. We will miss him very very much.

Diane Dykes
November 17, 2020

Four weeks ago today we had to say goodbye to our little princess Ruby. I have cried a river and am still crying. She was a rescue I got at 5 months old, she had been abused and took some time to build trust but she was bonded to me and spent every moment on my knee or cuddled up next to me. Our other cat is quite sad and still looks for her which upsets me again. She was perfectly fine one minute then in huge pain and paralyzed the next. Such a cruel thing, my heart hurts.

Eric
November 14, 2020

My heart goes out to everyone on this board. Sadly, I became a member of this club last Thursday with the passing of my best animal friend, Sylvester, or, as I called him (and to what he answered) - "Bud Bud."  I'm a grown man but I cried like a baby. I had never heard of this condition until my wife called me from the vet's office.  He had mild arthritis and burgeoning kidney issues that we thought were managed.  The paralysis was sudden and the vet saw us right away. This hit us out of the blue. Graciously, the vet allowed us to bring him home one last time for proper goodbyes.  So glad for that since the last time I lost a cat, I never got a chance.  That killed me for 22 years until last Thursday when my little fella took his last real breath in my arms, about an hour before our appointment for the humane E-word. The vet was beyond compassionate and although the final injection came later, in my mind the little guy still went out on his terms.  As cats are wont to do, right? I write this as a heartbroken cat owner and not as any expert on pet loss, and also to urge any pet owner not to leave even the smallest stone unturned when it comes to health.  I will now have a lifetime of connecting the dots - that slight giddyup in his step, apparently mistiming a jump, not showing much interest in chasing the string, slowing down, etc.  I attributed all that to aging and that arthritis but in retrospect, was that his heart giving out?  Which may have led to the clot? Ok, maybe this post ended up being more for my catharsis than for providing any real benefit, but let me try and change that with four simple words: Hug. Your. Cat.  Today. E. RIP Sylvester, aka Bud Bud, aka Little Fella.  2003-2020.

Janina Martin
November 10, 2020

My 13-year-old Siddalee suffered a saddle thrombus at 4 am this morning. Leading up to this event, she had become anorexic a week ago and was diagnosed with IBD and acute pancreatitis for which she was medicated with pain killers, fluids and eventually a feeding tube was placed in her esophagus to prevent further damage to her organs due to her not eating and drinking. She was 4 days recovering from this surgery, I was feeding her 4 times a day through the e-tube, and she seemed to be mending. This just came out of nowhere. Her symptoms within seconds of the clot breaking free and traveling were to cough a screeching cough three times. She then tried to move away from the litter box and her legs began to go limp. She laid down on the floor, then tried to walk again, and they were still limp. She then opened her mouth and cried a strange sound and held her mouth open, then tried again to walk, but had no control. She eventually dragged herself into her crate that she had been resting in after her prior surgery. Within 30 minutes of this incident, my daughter and I rushed her to the ER, where they gave her an exam and administered heavy duty opioid pain killers. The doctor told me she had a blood clot that had lodged in the aortic bifurcation. The vet said she couldn't promise me my Sidda would live even if I chose to go through all the treatments, and that it would be several more thousand dollars, and she might still have more clots in the future, and be paralyzed and have all sorts of other issues. Together we agreed euthanasia would be the kindest way to treat my baby girl. I am just devastated and can't believe she was healthy less than two weeks ago and now she is gone.

Stephanie Webb
November 9, 2020

My beautiful baby just came home yesterday. He had a bloodclot in the main artery to the back legs. Friday he crawled into the kitchen where i was. He couldnt move his back legs. Straight to the vets, found out what is wrong. Two nights at the vet centre and now he is home. He is 11 years old. The vet thinks heart disease is a factor, he is on meds. very difficult to give these to him, a very stubborn cat. his left leg is back to functioning, but his right leg is still not functioning from the ankle down. the foot pads are coming back to their natural colour but not moving yet. What types of exercise can I help him with to get this moving again. He is not eating, only living on a supplement, this worries me as i know supplements are boosters not meals. His twitching and crankiness is easing up so i assume the pain is backing off. I am truly hoping for an excellent recovery, doubt he will ever be 100 percent again but if there is anything I can do to help get this leg moving I would be more then happy to try it. Please correct me if I am wrong in this, but no circulation to a limb generally means amputation of that limb. At Jinns age I am worried what such a surgery would do to him.

Nancy Wheeler
November 2, 2020

I have had a lot of cats in the past. My love for all of them is never ending. Im down to 5 cats. All my cats are seniors. My Petey was diagnosed with heart failure. I have him on three different meds. After all my experience with cats and dogs I didn't notice she was breathing badly!!! It was my husband that noticed. I'm aware she won't be with me for long. I know in my heart that when the time comes I will put her down immediately. There is never a good reason to prolong any kind of agony. They are all my best friends and I don't regret taking them in because I rescued them a gave them the best life possible. The reason I'm writing this is to say all of you did the right thing. You did your best and that is all any of us can do. What I have always done is to take in as many rescues as I can. So many cats need a home honor your baby by adding a new one. Everyone of my cats is as precious as the next. They are full of love and waiting for a home. I've gotten old and sick. These cats are my last. Please open your hearts and consider adopting a new friend. They are all so loyal and loving all they want is a good home and someone to love them. You are all wonderful caring people. Realize you did what you thought was best and vets are vets because of there love for animals. What they tell you is truly what they believe is best for your animal. Thank you all for the love you have given your pet.

Charlotte
October 29, 2020

2 days ago we had to put our beautiful furbaby to rest. 11 years of her only to lose her to something so terrible. She was fine moments before, playing with our other cat, the heavy panting came and her back legs were paralysed. We attended the vets within 30 minutes of her symptoms starting. Within 3 hours she had to be put to rest. As cliche as it sounds, she wasn't just a pet. She's our forever furbaby and our world has been shattered by this tragedy. As much as it would have been truly wonderful to have her home again. After researching and trying to process as well as understand what happened to her. We would not want her to have suffered and endure more pain with the chance of the same issue happening again for her. We have never had a vet diagnose any issues to cause the condition, however, maybe this will be confirmed for us at a later date. We can only hope she knew we were with her till the very end. The level of care she received and the support given to us we are truly grateful for. We wish this didn't happen, we wish she was still with us. Absolutely heartbreaking. Please if anyone's furbaby has this condition, please please do not let them suffer. Just be with them and let them rest. One of the worst and hardest decisions we've ever had to make and knowing the outcome either way, the choice made was for the better. We really feel for anyone who has had this experience. It is truly awful. We know our grieving will be a long process, as will yours, but please know, you're an awesome 'u-man-pet' giving your furbaby love and a safe home.

Alina
October 24, 2020

My cat was recently diagnosed with  a very enlarged heart, he also had asthma and had been taking prednisolone for one year. After we found out about his heart disease he was put on clopidogrel and diltiazem. He was gagging horribly and sallivating and foaming after swallowing them, and after one week treatment he still had a seizure and his leg paralyzed. The treatment hadn't worked.  He had stopped eating and drinking. At the ER we were told he would have more blood clots. We had him euthanized.I know he wasn't going to live long, and  he would have suffered, but I'm still devastated, and I wish I could have done more for him.

Alina
October 22, 2020

Dr Johnson, after reading your article and the comments here I still have the terrible fear that I had my cat put to sleep too early and didn't do more for him. He was only 5, he was on UTI prescription food, he also had asthma and had been taking prednisolone for a year. He was always making noises from his nose and was breathing hard. Around 3 weeks ago he became tired, wasn't eating and drinking well anymore, he was sitting sad with his head down, and he was lethargic, and was making loud noises like moans. We took him to the vet and he was found with a very enlarged heart and lung problems, but he wasn't in heart failure. The vet said he wasn't going to live to be an old cat and his heart illness was permanent, but if we could prevent him from getting into heart failure he could live a little longer. She prescribed clopidogrel and diltiazem and to take him to a cardiologist. We took him back home and he even started to eat a little and was drinking lots of water. When I started to give him the heart medication it was terrible, he hated both medicines, he was gagging horribly and foaming at the mouth and running around the house with saliva mixed with medicine. The vet wanted to see him again for another ekg in a few days but when I called for an appointment I could get one only for the next Monday. I hoped that the medicines would work for him and I was still giving him prednisolone, too. He stopped eating again, he was still lethargic, but he was still coming to me, staying on my lap, letting me pet him, he was still coming to our walks in the woods even if he was getting tired quickly. Sometimes he was very alert, and other times he would be tired and lethargic. He was still drinking water but not eating, I had to start forecefeeding him. Every evening he slept on my feet as usual, and loved me, even if I was torturing him terribly with the medicine. Last Friday morning after i gave him the medicine he vomited, hid in a corner and was panting very badly, and we saw he couldn't move his back legs. He only cried out a couple of times, but he seemed more scared than in pain. We took him to ER and it was confirmed that he had a blood clot in one leg, that even if it was treated he would have more episodes, and euthanasia was offered as an alternative. I was in shock and scared and didn't want him to suffer and I thought it was the right thing to do. I didn't ask more questions about recovery, about further treatment. After he was put to sleep I read more about it, I saw that some recovery was possible, especially that he only had one back leg paralyzed. He didn't want to die yet. I feel that I took away from him life that he could have still lived. I read that only 25% of people in this situation put their pet to sleep without trying further treatment, and there are 50% chances of recovery, even if not for long, but it could be for a few more weeks or months, even years. It kills me now that I didn't ask more questions at the ER, we had to talk through the phone because of coronavirus and I couldn't stop crying. I still need to know if I made a mistake, or did the right thing, and I'm afraid I never will, and this doubt is torturing me. Would the ER vet have suggested euthanasia if there were chances of recovery? Thank you for making time to read all this

Dr Tony Johnson
October 20, 2020

Hi Lina; I have used streptokinase a few times, but I am not familiar with nattokinase. I think the general consensus is that clot-busting drugs may dissolve a clot, but lead to other problems, so they are not used much in these cases anymore.  But - always open to considering new things that might help.

Lina
October 17, 2020

I had a cat who suffered and survived Saddle Thrombus in 2016. Her body dissolved the clot on its own and we helped her with pain meds - it was a miracle. Earlier this year we think she may have been suffering another blood clot, so I did some research and came across a study that used Nattokinase as a way to dissolve blood clots. Unfortunately my girl was really sick with cancer and kidney disease as well, and she was having troubles breathing in the end so we helped her on her way... I was devastated and miss her everyday. I think the Nattokinase helped with the clot as she seemed to regain some mobility in her hind leg, and of course I discussed it with one of my vets before trying it. The only alternative was euthanasia given her other conditions so we didn’t have much more to lose. Dr. Johnson, do you have any insights on this? I hope others find it useful and are able to find a treatment for their fur babies.

Bobbi
October 16, 2020

My 5 year old precious Castiel early Sunday evening started slobbering profusely, making a horrible howling sound, breathing hard and losing ability to use his back legs. By the time we rushed him to ER vet he seemed to be fine. Vet refused to let me go in with him due to coronavirus. Did blood workup and no toxins, then 3 hours later said she had witnessed an episode like we described and thought it was this. Suggested we leave him there for further observation and have him transferred to regular vet in am. I said I want to take him home. She said fine but be prepared for sudden death event. What? First indication it was that bad. I said if that happens I want him with me, not in a ver office alone. She said if it got worse to bring him back to be euthanized rather than suffer. Within half hour of getting home, he had 2 major events including all I've read here and the slobbering. The howl/groan was horrific. Contacted different place to have him euthanized that allowed me and son to go in. He died peacefully in my arms and that is my only comfort.  That original vet did nothing for him, gave him nothing for pain. Just asked how much wewere willing to spend for treatment or life saving procedures. The hours they had him i thought they were treating him and im haunted how much fear was added to the misery of those last hours being at that vets alone. I just miss him so much and am devastated at my choices, racked with doubt and guilt.

Chris
October 11, 2020

Jazzy Max the Bandit died early Friday morning.  He was 20. He was my mate..My friend. I had him put to sleep, he was fine, he couldn't get comfortable, he meowed in pain...he tried to stand and his back legs didn't work. He hid under the bed..He was scared, he was in pain. I took him to the Vet who diagnosed Saddle Thrombosis, and a heart murmur. The Vet recommended that I help him not be in pain...I asked that he be put down. I feel so guilty, and like I betrayed him, and his trust in me. I miss him.

Michael Zummo
October 7, 2020

Wow October 7 2015 I heard a cry on my front porch the best day of my life a bueatiful Ragdoll that someone let go I called her in my mom hated cats but Faithy was one of a kind she fell in love with her. She was petite purred all the time ate well and was always playful. She meowed to get in and she screamed when she was dying the worst day of my life my mom ran to my room and said something is wrong with Faithy also aka little girl aka bueaty queen. September 16 2020 the worst day of my life.

Elizabeth
October 6, 2020

I came home Saturday and my cat was on the floor and couldn't get up, crying in pain. I took him to the emergency vet clinic and he got this diagnosis - saddle thrombus. He was put down a day later. I should not have waited. He was only 8 years old, I adoped him 2.5 years ago. This is not my first cat. I am shocked to hear of this and how often it happens. The vet tech said they see this several times a week. Something is really wrong here, folks. Cats as young as six monthS? Is there something in their vaccines or food that is causing this?

Nick DeSilvio
October 5, 2020

My cat was only 4 years old and this happened

Nick DeSilvio
October 5, 2020

This happened to my cat last night she was sleeping on my lap perfectly fine I left the house for an hour when I came back she was motionless on her side meowing for help.rushed her to the vet they recommend euthanasia I'm heart broken!

Emily Readinger
October 4, 2020

My sweet cat, Kitty, passed away from this today. She was crawling all over our pillows at 3 am, stepping on my husbands head while he slept, and at 7:15 a few hours after my husband left for work Kitty came to my side of the bed and meowed me awake. She usually stands up on my side of the bed and asks for pets so I gave her some love and told her to come up on the bed with me. I turned the lights on and saw she was hanging onto my bed sheets by her nails. I got her up on the bed and saw she was covered in feces and dragging her back legs. I rushed her to the emergency vet and within 2 hours she was taken in, given meds, diagnosed and put to sleep. I have been beside myself all day. How unfair and sad for something like this to happen. Kitty was my first cat and first pet with my husband and it breaks my heart that she had to go in such a painful way. My future certainly had Kitty in it for years to come so for her to be taken so quickly kills me. Reading these comments has been so comforting knowing that I am not alone in such a sad and sudden loss. Looking at my other cats is so hard right now & I hope they can cope with the loss as well.

Kac
October 3, 2020

Worried I made the wrong descion after reading this. My vet didn't make the situation of trying pain management seem like torture as the post does. Worried an anxious cat mom

Colleen
September 28, 2020

We lost our 11 year old boy last night. I’m devastated and in shock. He was fine all Sunday morning. Playing and being his happy self. Around 1pm his front paw went limp and he was howling and hissing. I felt his little paw and it was cold and new I had to rush him to the ER. Seven hours. Seven hours and I had to say good bye to my best friend, a love of my life. What an awful way to lose your cat. The only solstice I have is he wasn’t in any pain when he went and I got to hold and squeeze him in my arms when he took his final sleep.

Veronica
September 27, 2020

My sweet Pouncer was about 17 1/2 years old when she started crying really abnormally. When I noticed she had a stuffed up nose I went to give her a bath and her legs were all spread out like she couldn’t hold herself up. I had her next to me and I thought she just had a cold when she urinated herself. I took her to the vet and they said her pulse in her back legs was very low and she had a low body temperature. She had very little chance of recovery. It happened so fast but I held her while we put her down. So so very sad.

Anne
September 26, 2020

Came home last night and Freddie was suffering pain. Rushed him 45 miles to the ER only to have to say goodbye due to this clot. I am shattered. Almost reassuring to read this, because now I know I could not have done anything for him.

Nancy
September 24, 2020

My Caramel was 4, but a year ago, she had severe anemia. She got back to her weight and was fine. The other day she woke from a nap and gagged, then collasped dead. I'm devastated.

Christine
September 22, 2020

We woke up Sunday morning to our cat Mia not being able to use her hind legs and she was crying. Took her to animal hospital where they told us she had a saddle thrombosis and there wasn't anything they could do for her, b/c her body temp was low and she was in active heart failure. We made the difficult decision and we will miss her very much. It happened so fast.

Madison
September 21, 2020

Today my kitten Pepper, who was only 6 months old died right in front of us. He was paralyzed from the waist down and took his last breathes.. it happened within a minute. R.I.P to my pepper... we had just gotten him three months ago.

Joyce Kenter
September 19, 2020

On September 15 20 my sweet Oreo passed away while at vets waiting to gave his teeth cleaned. He was only 7. Way to young. Autopsy showed blood clot to the heart and heart damage. I've gone over and over it in my head, why did I take him in, I should have kept him home. After reading all the other comments it probably would have happened either way. No matter what it's hard to come to grips that he has passed. No signs or symptoms. Even his lab work week before showed nothing. RIP Oreo. Love you furever. Miss you furever.

KC
September 18, 2020

Add another casualty to the list - our sweet little Linka. She was 3-1/2 and it all happened just as described - fine one minute and paralyzed and crying in pain the next. RIP Linka.

P Dubs
September 13, 2020

My sweet 4 1/2 year old Teddy started crying today and his left front paw was limp. I raced him to the emergency vet where they instantly identified it as a probable blood clot due to heart disease/Cardiomyopathy. I was shocked. I am a healthcare provider(for humans) and thought he had injured it. He is staying the night at the emergency vet and they have implemented the appropriate treatment and pain control and the cardiologist will see him tomorrow. I can't give up on our sweet boy without a fight in that it is only one front leg and he has a little bit of circulation. We have his brother as well. So freaking expensive but I feel that I at least need to give him a chance. This came out of the blue...devastated.

Dawn Coubert
September 6, 2020

Our cat was fine yesterday was my daughter‘s truck birthday and we came in to see my cat crying on the gram not able to move her back legs we called the vet they should take an emergency information Fredericksburg we did and they told us it was the food court I got a ride in there and we did the only thing we could do a point to stop her pain worse we as a family decided to put her down and we were with her to the very end Dr. and held her after she was gone and then when both of my children I just have birthdays were done saying your goodbyes gave her one last kiss and new we did the right thing.  Tornado  u will be missed . We know u are laying in the sun chasing fly a  and getting brushed by Jesus and all the loved ones we have lost before. Rest In Peace.  Love  you love all Coubert’s 

Michelle
September 1, 2020

Went to bed at 10pm last nite to wake up at 3am from my kitty meowing in pain under my bed..knew right away sumthin was wrong as his back legs were slithering like a snake. Called emergency Vet n found out he had Embolus...i dont like seeing any animal in pain n had to make a decision. So I put him down...hardest nite of my life..lost my cat, the day before I lost my car n license in a crash.

CJ
August 28, 2020

My Boy passed just yesterday from this not even 2 years old yet... I have no words

Christina
August 23, 2020

My cat Turner found me just over 13yrs ago when a coworker told me her cat had kittens. I was hesitant because I already had an adult female who was used to being an only child. When I went to my coworkers home, I spotted a beautiful long haired jet black kitten. I was smitten. My mind was made up. My current kitty was about to have a sibling. I sat down with the kitten, holding her in my lap, fawning over her sweet face and beautiful long hair. Within moments, another kitten from that litter sat at my feet and began to cry. I didnt pay much attention until he started to climb up my pant leg. I gently pulled his claws from my pants and set him back on the floor. Moments later this same kitten was crawling up my pant leg. Once he got to the top, he looked me in the eye and cried incessantly. I heard, "pick me!!!". So that's what i did. On the drive home he meowed relentlessly. I turned on the radio and Tina Turner was singing, Simply the Best. I named him Turner. I was 35 when he found me. Over the course of 3 years he dealt with a slew of boyfriends, a pregnancy, and engagement and multiple, MULTIPLE moves. Throughout all the changes, he always kept his spot in my bed. I always laid on my right side with my arm wrapped around him and we spooned. He was my constant, my confidante, my best friend. My daughter and I even shared a joke that he was her dad... since hers never came around. My ex fiance said the key to being with me was to accept that Turner comes first and everyone else plays second fiddle. He was right. About 6 months ago I noticed Turner was not himself. He didnt spoon with me as much, didnt eat as much, and was drinking his water incessantly. After a vet appointment we found out he was diabetic. After being assured he could live a relatively normal and healthy life on insulin, I was so relieved. Follow up appoints proved that Turner was doing great on his insulin. He only needed a minimum dose once a day. Within a week Turners appetite improved his thirst became more normal and he was playing and happy as though he were still a strapping young lad. I could not have been happier. But I did prepare. The most important thing to me was to be ready when and if he suddenly took a turn for the worst. I made paw prints, cut some fur, took a million pictures and videos. I found vet that could do home euthanasia when the time came. I even bought him a memory foam cat bed with fur lining so in his last moments he would have comfort and peace. It was all planned.. and although I had no lurking fears of imminent death, I was at peace with how his beautiful life would end. Then the other night I awoke at 11:15 to a horrific scream. Turner was not in my bed. I turned on the light and saw my sweet boy dragging himself towards me, back legs trailing behind. I wrapped him up and ran to my car as the screams became louder and louder and urine seeped through the blanket. I drove 60 down side roads and it still took me 20 min to get to the emergency animal clinic. His screams rang out and people stared in horror. I yelled please help him. please! Please put him down!! He was frozen, mouth wide open, screaming. They took him away and I was not allowed to come with him. After what seemed like an hour, but probably no more than 10 minutes Turner went quiet. The doctor and tech came to me, holding him. He looked exhausted and had a catheter in his arm. They told me he probably had a blood clot. When they didnt try to talk me out of the euthanasia it hit me full force, oh my God hes not coming home. Withing 5 minutes from that moment my sweet Turner was gone. I held him for what seemed like forever.  His body was limp. His eyes that used to pierce my soul with love and understanding were dilated and blurry. It is an image that haunts me. That last hour haunts me. My baby that loved me more than anyone before him was gone and I was alone. Alone for the first time in 13 years. Im not sure how i will ever get over this. Not JUST his death but the way it went down. He didnt deserve that pain and terror. It was exactly the opposite of what I had planned. Reading these comments has been the only thing that helps. I watch all my videos of T and I stare at his pictures, hoping to burn those into my brain and replace the image of his paralyzed body and open mouthed scream. I'm hoping time will make things easier. I'm hoping that there really is a heaven so that we will one day be together again. And I'm hoping he really likes it there.. although we both know heaven isnt heaven if we dont have each other. Love to you all who have had similar experiences. I hope we all find peace.

Ross Salomone
August 21, 2020

My Cat Chelsea a Siemese Cat passed at 9 years old . yes its true one minuet she was feeling great the next morning she was on the floor in terrable pain. TOOK Her at once to ER . They suggested The put her to sleep .Thats what I did . My primary doctor the next morning aggreed . I was the best for her . The worst for me. God bless my Chelsea .

Connie Woods
August 17, 2020

My Sam was 8 years old. He was healthy. Regular Vet visits. He became paralyzed. He cried a lot. I couldn't get him to the vet, due to it was Saturday night and no 24 hr vet care. Sam vomited a white liquid, that turned to vomiting blood. I held him in my arms till he died. What a horrible death!

Tara
August 2, 2020

I lost my 14-yr old Mimi today. The vet let him go sleep. Mimi was fine last night. He walked around house like a tiger calmly slowly. He had a good appetite as usual. This morning, I got up and check him in basement, he was not in his bed. I went to garage and heard he was crying but could find him. followed his meowing found that he was laying under the old basket. He could not move his rare legs, His coat was dirty.  He had the terrible look ever. He was asking help from me. His legs are stiff and cold. Don’t know how long he has been suffering. I brought him to the emergency clinic, vet told that he is under tremendous pain. The best way is to put him to sleep for good.  They me enough time to see him for last time. When Mimi saw me, he was still trying to getting into his carriage.he dragged his legs and tried to get close to his carriage. he want to back HOME with me! When i was ready, vet came into and gave the injections, his head dropped and he passed away very quickly. I felt so bad by thinking that I should brought him home. He has been with me for passed 14 years and I MISS HIM SO MUCH!

Emma
July 28, 2020

My heart is breaking reading all of these comments.. I lost my boy Spice almost a month ago. Although I am blessed with two fun kittens in the house now, I found myself tonight just wanting to hold the boy that I had grown up with. Who knew me completely, let me cry on him, and slept curled next to me. We had lost his brother Sugar in February suddenly. We didn't know it then, but it was likely the same cause. Spice was on heart meds for about a month, but I knew something like this would happen as his echo was really bad. I miss him so much, but I guess it helps to know that I am not alone in this horrible experience. The waking up to howling, the biting... I didn't get to say goodbye to him as he passed first, but honestly, I'm not sure if he would've known it was me. It's so hard seeing our babies in pain. I'm giving all of you hugs right now :_(

Dana Scavone
July 22, 2020

I, too, have lost a VERY PRECIOUS little guy to this same thing.  No signs that anything was wrong at all, then passing quickly.  My baby MONKIE was only 8 years old when he was taken from us.  SO SO VERY PRECIOUS he was (and always will be) -ABSOLUTELY HEARTBREAKING!

Claire
July 14, 2020

My childhood,11 year old cat died yesterday morning, Betty. I had taken her to vets the previous morning, no concerns although they couldn't hear a murmer this time. She didn't come back in and I couldn't find her that night. Searched in the morning and found her looking off under the bushes. Picked her up expecting expecting a fight wound and put her on the floor on the kitchen. She couldn't move her back legs and just meowed up at me. Rushed her to the vets and suddenly faced with decision to euthanize sitting 1 hour. I'm going through all the stages of bereavement. Resentment; why couldn't she live until 20 like I assumed. Guilt; should I have taken her to vets the previous morning, should I have seen if she go back to normal after a few days of the potentially clot dispersing. Reading these comments and article are bringing comfort in such a trialling time. She was my best friend, sister and ultimate companion.

Jeffrey Smith
July 9, 2020

My beautiful, beautiful, baby boy, Rudy died today.  There was just not enough time.  He was perfectly normal at noon.  I had just finished playing some Dead Space 3.  Rudy was laying by the backdoor soaking up some sunshine. He went under the table and threw up (we thought he had a hairball) and then he started meowing and his back legs went out.  He tried to crawl under the couch to hide.  He was having difficulty breathing. He was scared and in pain.  We were at the emergency vet in under twenty minutes.  Doc said she couldn't get a pulse from the back legs and suspected a blood clot.  We both felt that horrible, crushing feeling, listening to her tell us the bad news. They sedated him and then brought him out to see us.  Deb said she felt him shiver once and then he was gone.  I was petting him and took off my mask so he could see it was me. They did not have to give him the morphine shot.  He was just holding on long enough to see us.  It all happened in less than two hours. We would have had him for 10 years this Xmas.  He was a part of the family and made me smile every day.  His thump tail and the way he would sit on my wife,Debbie, and look up at her with his beautiful little face. I don't want him to become just a memory.  He was my favorite pet - he was the first pet I ever had as an adult.  I remember staying up with him the first night we brought him home because he had Kennel Cough.  This day was awful...

Aldo
July 7, 2020

Hello cat lovers ! I have been grieving my  5 yr old bengal Simba since June 12 Th 2020 his last Day ! Around 10:40 at night I Went to the kitchen and get some water when I observe Spartacus his brother starring at his brother with a face that look like he was seem something out of this world . So I went in check on Simba and he look at me and everything seems fine as cats can mask very good when something is wrong . An hour later while sleeping deep need and my wife hear these loud cry on pain Simba was in our bedroom dragging his legs on pain he even bite my wife and didn’t let go of pain soo confused we saw it was a dream and it was not ! All the way to the vet hospital crying so long history short like everyone post that I read he was diagnosed with the saddle thrombosis and we have to let him go . After a beautiful day with him no symptoms or a sign. That something was wrong Simba was gone . Now his brother is missing him big time . We have decide to get a Bengal kitty for him and let’s see if he can recover . We still in tremendous emotional distress we can’t believe it of such a cruel disease no second chances ! Love everyone that post their experience we are with you we know the pain ! They are a copy of ours ! True I’didnt know that this disease existed on cats !

Ew
July 6, 2020

I'm literally crying reading all the comments. My 12 yo siamese tabby has hcm. I've found this article looking up why is he howling at nights like banshee. He was diagnosed with heart murmur in 2017 but nothing else was done vet said to check blood pressure next year and it was OK.  Since about October he started coughing a lot,he had calicivirus in the past and had minor infections quite often usually with eyes or sniffilng or gingivitis  but never coughing.  We took him to the vet he checked him up &  said nothing seems to be wrong, later in the year he started breathing loud and was still coughing, they put him on antibiotics, later steroids later metacam for a month and said if that doesn't help he needs nose xrays as maybe it's a tumour or polip or object in his nose. Then there was lockdown, nothing really changed he was still having coughing fits from time to time and breathing like asthmatic some days. I booked him for an appointment 2 months ago as he had a nosebleed and it qualified for an emergency visit during lockdown. They gave him antibiotics again but after a week I booked him for an xray After the xray they said his heart is enlarged and the next day he had a heart scan and was diagnosed with hcm. He has heart murmur stage 6 but they said he's not in heart failure as it's something to do with murmur being amplified. Now he's on dilitiazem every 8 hours. I've read mixed opinions that it doesn't work in most cases but doesn't do any damage at least. Now every time he'll start howling at night I'll be checking if it's not a clot. I already check up on him all.the time if he's still alive when he sleeps.

Dana
July 5, 2020

We love our precious Flame point Paradiddle or Diddle as we liked to call him at 1:20 am on July 1st. As most of you stated he was fine one minute then paralyzed and in horrible pain the next. He went from Happy to passing in little less than an hour. If I would have know Tuesday was going to be his last day on earth, I would have never left his side. I just want to talk about how wonderful, quirky, loud and obnoxious he was, how he just wanted to be everybody’s friend. How my daughter was he very favorite people ever and my husband ran a close second, but secretly he would whisper to me, that he loved me the most. I’m home at night alone and he would watch all the outdoor critters with me, possums were his favorite, he loved to help me with puzzles and would stay awake we me until dad came through the door at 3am. The last picture I have of him was at 11:42pm, on my security camera I could see him in the window watching some raccoons scampering around, he also had been beside me on the couch, laid in my husband lap, and had shared some wet food with his 2 sisters. Sometime after midnight I heard him clawing the floor, and I walked over to fuss at him, and we had completely lost the use of his back legs, I screamed for my husband, he , accessed his legs were not broken but something horribly worse. He wrapped him up and held him, the was yowling like something I’ve never heard, he stated having seizures, he even bit my husband. I was finally able to reach my vet, who told me to bring him in ASAP, we dressed and headed out. I held him as he screamed, tried to bite me, I could hear the rattle. This 45min drive was HELL, his big beautiful blue eyes were black, i don’t know if he knew it was us. We were trying to comfort him. As we finally made in to the vet, they took him, and screamed one more time and them silence. They did an X-ray and started CPR, they injected something in his heart, but my precious friend of 10yrs was gone. My family is broken, he was a part of the puzzle That makes up out life. He was the life of the party. I can’t eat, I feel sick. My 2 girls, we let them sniff him to say goodbye, what do the understand? I know they have been glued to my side, my daughter came home Friday night at 1am, to not have him greet her at the backdoor was heartbreaking. This disease, the sudden catastrophic failure, is the most horrible of diseases. What could I have done, what did I miss? We were supposed to have our big checkup in Feb, put if off because of COVID, would they have found a murmur, enlarged heart? Part of me feels, relief that we were none the wiser at 11:42 on June 30, the other says if we would have known it would have given us perhaps a little longer with him, but at who’s benefit? I Picture pills, needles, vets offices, etc. in his 10yrs, I don’t believe he left this house 6 times. My vet came to the house for check ups. The pain is so raw now, I’m constantly checking on my girls, they are both rescues of similar age, crying. I miss him dreadfully and I know I will see him again at the rainbow bridge.

Max
July 4, 2020

Hello everyone, Thank you to all for posting your comments. Like you, I lost my boy Ethan(Sphynx) yesterday. He was 3years old. I rescued Ethan 2years ago from a troubled home and he was so happy with me, following me everywhere at all times, watching movies or chilling on the terrasse next to me. I am completely devastated this morning. It happened out of nowhere, we were on the couch and he was cuddling, suddenly he jump on floor and scream in pain, he had enough force to jump back on the couch and then crumble on his pillow. I panicked called vet asked to rush him to ER. No one could come and the ride was 25/30min. So i drove down as fast as I could and he started  screaming in pain in the car and I kept telling don’t die were almost there. When I arrive he was rushed in front of everyone. Like all of you I then got the bad news and alternatives. The vet were incredible and chatted with me for more then an hour and being understanding. At the end he was in so much pain and the procedures would add even more pain and torture that I decided to let him go in peace.  Ive never seen an animal being in pain like this and Ethan was strong and kind, always nice with everyone and helped me go thru some very hard time in the past two years. I miss him terribly this morning but I know he’s safe. Thanks for everyone for posting and sharing your stories, it help seeing that we are not alone and understand better what happened. Thank you so much

Andrea
June 21, 2020

My 16 year old boy, Horace, had to be euthanized because of a blood clot in his left front leg.  My other cat, Clara, was very aggressive with waking me up that morning.  When I looked over, I saw Horace hobbling into the bedroom with his left front leg curled under.  I thought he had broken it somehow.  I came out of bed and over to him.  When I did, he collapsed and struggled to get back up.  He then started screaming.  He had hurt a leg before and was very aggressive with me when that happened.  This time was different.  I touched his leg, but he was not at all aggressive.  At that point, I thought maybe he was having a stroke.  I threw on some clothes and rushed him to the vet.  My primary vet office had told me to take him to an emergency clinic where I found out it was a blood clot.  I had no idea he was sick.  He had just gotten a complete physical a few months before and his blood work was fine.  The only things I had noticed with him was he was a bit more withdrawn which I attributed to his old age.  It didn't seem pervasive as he still sought my attention.  The night before he had his clot, he went to bed early and that was it.  The last memory I have of him before the clot was him comforting my other cat and grooming her.  I had no idea he was so sick.  I feel bad for not paying attention to his being more withdrawn.  My other cat had a very bad response to Horace no longer being around.  She didn't sleep well for a few days and was constantly vocalizing, especially at night.  She actually became aggressive towards me when I couldn't stay awake and comfort her.  She is only now getting a little more back to normal since Horace passed 5 days ago.  This is a horrible disease with no warning.

Flavia
June 19, 2020

Thanks for so clear explanation. I had to put down my 6-year-old cat, and it happened exactly as you describe, so fast. I was feeling guilty that I may had miss some warnings, I couldn´t believe that he was fine one minute and the other couldn´t move both of his back legs. I am in Lima, in a lockdown, so I was here all the time, how could I miss something. It took me an hour to get him to the vet and have them put him on pain killers while telling me exactly what you said. That hour felt like forever, as he was crying and trying to move. It was hard to accept that any treatment could be so painful and there was not advice to wait a few hours to see if he improves, I couldn´t bare the idea of him crying more. I was afraid that I had made the wrong decision. Fortunately, even with the covid19 restrictions, they let me stay with him to say goodbye and pet him while the drugs sent him to sleep forever. I am in shock and terribly sad, but I promised him that I would never put him through painful treatments. He had feline leukemia, but never showed symptoms and his hemogram were always normal. I thought he would live a bit longer.

Angela
June 14, 2020

This happened to my beautiful 7 year old, perfectly healthy dog Drago, I have been struggling and trying to wrap my head around this terrible disease. Two weeks ago on Sunday morning I put a heathy, happy dog out to pee and a few minutes later he couldn't come up two small steps, was unsteady on his feet, and didn't want breakfast. Within a few hours he'd started crying out in pain, it was the most horrific painful sound I've ever had to listen too. We took him to the emergency vet and two trips to his regular vet. Over the 51 hours from onset of symptoms He went from an unsteady gait, to dragging and trying to move his back end and crying, to his hind end becoming completely paralyzed. I think because it's so rare in dogs and we live in a very rural community, none of the vets we saw could figure out what was happening to my precious boy. He was put on muscle relaxers and pain meds and still crying out in pain, and breathing was hard and shallow with lots of panting. At 51 hours of onset of symptoms and at the recommendation of our vet, we made the painful decision to put our 70 lb. Black Lab/ Boxer mix to rest... My heart is broken, my brain keeps reliving those 51 hours leading up to my boys death, I wish somebody would have recognized what was happening to him, the pain he went through was absolutely traumatic for him and for his whole family, my only peace right now is that his pain is over.

Charlene
June 13, 2020

I just want to firstly thank you for this page,it has brought me comfort that we hadnt made the wrong decision however hard it truly was last night. We lost our beautiful loving kitten T-Dog who was only 11 months old to this horrendous disease. As many of you have described, our story is not far from all of your sad experiences. Our precious T-Dog has always been one for snoozing and not as active as her sister but she was a lover rather than a hunter, looking back I had noticed a slight over snoozing plus a couple of days ago she hadnt eaten as much as she usually would, but hey shes a cat they change their mind on what they like to eat and do each day so I'd idnt think anything of it. Other than those slight changes our gorgeous girl was fine and playful then as I went to bed I heard a thud and almighty cry that shot straight through me, I ran to see her and she couldn't move, she was in so much pain and so scared , her eyes said it all. We went straight to the out of hours vets, we was sure it must be a serious bite causing the loss of feeling in her hind legs. As its COVID we wasnt allowed in with her, which was hard hearing her blood curdling cries, then we had the dreaded call, the first time I had ever heard 'heart desease' what surely not shes a kitten not even a year old!! The vet proceeded to explain it's highly likely this is a clot causing her paralysis linking to a serious heart condition as it's both legs. He then proceeded onto the options but made it quiet clear there is no full recovery from this no matter what she will suffer with this for the rest of her life being on constant meds and check ups, plus even if she does pull through the first stage of hospitlisation the likely hood the clot returning is extremely high giving her 6-18months. My heart sank, this felt unreal, I was sure I would wake up with my bubbly ginger girl purring on my chest but no its one of lifes s**t bombs that drops on us now and again. A reminder for us never take things for granted as another person mentioned love your beauties  like you never loved them before as you really never knew when one of lifes bombs will drop. I also want to say I hope you are all doing ok I'm truly heartbroken, it's extremely raw, I know shes at peace now and it was the right thing to do,  I just couldn't allow her to be in that much pain just for my own selfishness. We loved that Kitten, there will be no other like her and never will. Hope your at peace now.

Caitlin
June 12, 2020

I’m glad I found this article. My cat died a few weeks ago from this. I found her in my basement crying and unable to walk. I rushed her to an emergency vet and they said it was a blood clot. They said they could try to treat her if I wanted but that she was in a lot of pain and likely wouldn’t recover. When they said she was in a lot of pain I immediately knew I had to euthanize. It was so hard and it all happened so fast. It was only an hour from the moment I found her to when she was gone. The past few weeks I worried that I made the decision too quickly and didn’t ask the vet enough questions about what treatment is like. Reading this reassures me that I made the right decision.

Alex and Guinevere
June 10, 2020

I adopted my little calico friend, Guinevere, after she showed up on my porch after the COVID19 "stay home"orders.  She was skinny, scared, and alone so we fixed that with a snug bed, and Fancy Feast, and playtime everyday to get to know each other.  I think she had been abandoned; it took a while for her to let me pet her.  Last night I checked on her (in a separate room from my two cats because I needed to have her shots, etc.) and she was just fine.  This morning I slept late, then when I went to find her she was laying paralyzed under a table.  I was afraid she had broken her pelvis somehow; finding a vet appointment was near impossible, but someone had a cancellation.  My vet knew quickly that it was a clot: Guin's feet were cold and numb; they could not get any blood from her back legs...she was already dying.  I was so looking forward to having this little girl in my life, and now she is just g  o  n  e.  I hate that this happened to her when I was asleep and not there, but I am so grateful that my vet knew Guin's pain and ended it as soon as was possible.  Sending my love and courage to all of you posting here who have lost your cat to this.  The swiftness of their pain and paralysis is surreal, but our sense of helplessness and pain of loss will be all too real for a very long time.

Teri
June 7, 2020

I lost my 8 y/o cat on Friday. She is an indoor cat. No indication she was sick. Her appetite had decreased slightly, but not too much. She was fine one minute. My daughter said she meowed like she does when she needs to throw up so she let her out of her room. Three hours later, my husband found her in our room on the floor lying on her  side with a puddle of blood that seemed to come out of her mouth. She was already cold. No idea what happened. I’m so hurt and heart broken at the thought of her possibly suffering. No one heard her making any noises or meowing abnormally. I just don’t understand how this could happen. I miss her so much. The pain of her loss is almost unbearable. I miss you Happy aka Dapdaps and gray cat. I love you forever

Cindy
June 3, 2020

I lost my 2.5 year old boy to this yesterday. From the moment he screamed to his last breath in my arms, it only took three hours. Too young, too soon, too sudden. Trying to cope

John
May 25, 2020

We lost our 13 year old indoor outdoor cat last week. He belonged to my 16 year old daughter. I was watching him playing in the yard when he appeared to have been hit by lightning. I called my wife and daughter and told them he was in trouble. He dragged himself into the house by his front legs , howling in pain. It was after hours. I found one vet who would take a call. He said to give him an 81 mg aspirin and bring him in in the morning. Next morning the Vet said he had no pulse in his hind legs , there was no chance of recovery. They let my daughter hold him while the sedative took effect, then while he went to sleep. Sometimes there is just no good choice, just the better one,

Katherine
May 20, 2020

I just lost my 17 year old cat to this, I'm devastated at how fast it was. He came out to have dinner, finished up and went to his litter box, once inside he let out this awful meow that I've never heard him make before, I got up to check him and his head was hanging out of the box. I got him out immediately, he seemed to stand up, then wobbled and collapsed. He tried to stand and was panting, still laying down. I had no idea what was going on. He was under the table, I got up and called him to me, he came and laid next to me. He got up and tumbled over, he never got up again. No more meowing, his tongue was hanging out of his mouth and he was still breathing, but his face was expressionless. I was talking to him with no response. I took him to the ER vet where he was euthanized. It's been 3 days and I can't get over his loss. I know he was a senior cat, but seeing this happen to him was devastating and heartbreaking.

Sasha
May 11, 2020

We lost our 13 year old maine coon to this today. He was a typical kitten yesterday and sometime between 4 and 6 am this morning he had a stroke. Utterly devestated. He was the sweetest and snuggliest cat I've had. There will never be another.

Dan G
May 6, 2020

I’m so grateful for finding this site and learning how unfortunately common this condition seems to be and knowing we did the right thing. To start, our cat was diabetic but was otherwise healthy and we thought we had plenty more years with him as we were managing his condition. Just as noted, it happened so suddenly just after we finished up dinner. Our 12 year old big boy was sleeping on our bed and we heard a large thump.  He was on the floor throwing up violently (also he threw up that morning) and couldn’t get up to walk and was crying loudly. He was also losing control over bowel movement. Thankfully, our local vet hospital was still open and we rushed him there. After a brief while we were told of this diagnosis and that he had an enlarged heart and was in extreme pain. They mover him to a room where we could spend some time with him and made  the painful  decision to let him go.  It was our final act of love so he wouldn’t suffer any longer. We stayed with him until he left us. Our hearts are broken but we know our sadness will turn to wonderful memories some day. We miss him tremendously.

Maggie
April 22, 2020

I just lost my three year old, Theo from this. It was the most heartbreaking thing i've ever had to deal with. He was so young and had zero symptoms leading up to this. We went to bed at 11:30PM and around 12:30AM he woke us up meowing in pain and we noticed his hind legs were dragging behind him.  We just had his yearly physical and the vet found nothing wrong which was also just so sad to me. Days before this happened, he came to us limping, it was his front left paw but this resolved within hours, we thought he just stubbed it or got something in his paw even though we found nothing when looking at the paw. I couldn't even say bye to him because i work in healthcare and have been exposed to COVID so the vet made accommodations so that we could say goodbye to him over the phone. Im just so heartbroken. My heart goes out to everyone who has had this happen to their pet. It is awful.

Paige
April 21, 2020

I have had 2 cats die from this.. Leo- the first one, died a little over 2 years ago (he was 6.) He was fine one minute then I found him collapsed, panting, and lost control of his bowels. He had no medical issues prior. Jax- my second one who was 4.5 years old, (who had been there for me after Leo died), died 2 days ago to the same exact thing.. this one had heart issues so we knew clots could be possible (he had been on 2 different heart medications, one being a blood thinner,) but Saturday he was fine and playing, then started to flail around while losing function of his legs, panting, and howling.. This is something that I wish pet owners did not have to go through, with how abrupt and completely devastating it is. I'm a vet tech and both times I knew what the prognosis and outcome would most likely be.. and even after going through this before, I am just completely broken now after this just happened again.

Miss P
April 4, 2020

I had a 14 year old Calico friend that went to curl up in my arms one morning in bed, then let out this most awful howl and was instantly gone..I could not believe my eyes. I dont remember anything much different going on with her health wise ...I think maybe she was slowing down a bit, but still naughty as ever! I fed her the best of everything too! It just happened :(

Lisa Hale
April 3, 2020

On Tuesday evening 3/31/20 at 6:30 pm my precious Henry was put down peacefully in my arms, my husband and I watched as his traumatized body drifted from our world.  He had just suffered from Saddle Thrombus on Monday 3/30/20 somewhere between the hours of 2:45 pm and 8:45 pm.  My husband and I with our 2 boys were out of town in TN a week ago today (Friday 3/27/20) when I told Henry when we left I love you and I picked him up and kissed him on the head and said see you soon.  That was the last time I saw him healthy.  My cat sitter (Jessica) had texted me Saturday night to let me know that the kitties were inside and seemed tired.  I didn't think nothing of it because she said "kitties" our other cat is Hayley.  Sunday night she texted me and said she thinks something is wrong with Henry. I said I would call his vet in the morning and let them know he would be coming in.  On Monday morning, she checked on him before going to work and said she felt he was 50% better and she would have her kids check on him through the day.  They saw him around 10:30 am and sent me a picture...my gut told me he didn't look right but I assumed it was because a strange kid was petting him and he was sad we were not home so I let it go.  At 2:45 pm they checked on him again and sent me another picture and he looked completely normal...sitting on the couch...I didn't have any feeling in my gut at that point. I showed my family his sweet face and said Henry is doing better! Jessica called me around 9 pm and said, "I think something is wrong with Henry!" "I am taking him somewhere TONIGHT!" She called his regular doctor and they referred her to a 24 hour vet around 25 min away. I awaited the call from the doctor.  This was the WORST CALL OF MY LIFE! The doctor called around 10 minutes later and asked me if Henry every had been diagnosed with a heart murmur?  Frantic and 5 hours from home in TN I couldn't think straight and said I couldn't remember if he had.  I didn't think so. Then she proceeded to tell me that Henry was struggling to breathe and she put him in the oxygen chamber and he was in severe pain because of a blot clot...I asked, "so what are you trying to tell me, my cat is going to die?"  She replied.."he will"...we need to put him down due to the pain he is suffering or he will die on his own within probably 2 days but it will be inhumane because of the pain.  I couldn't think!! My heart was crushed and hurting but my brain couldn't fathom what she was saying was a realty.  I asked for options...long story short, she didn't have the means to attempt to treat him so she referred us to another vet around 25 minutes away.  So off my pet sitter went with my mom who I had called to help Jessica.When they left the first vet she told them he would probably die on the way to the next vet. She sped down there and they called me on the way...my mom said talk to him...I talked to him and told him to be strong and fight, mommy was coming home tomorrow to help him...I sang his song that I came up with years ago and our youngest talked to him.  Our voices seemed to calm him that they were asking us to keep singing and talking to him.  They arrived and immediately took Henry inside.  Around 15 minutes later, the doctor called and confirmed it was Saddle Thrombus but she didn't agree completely with the first doctor.  She gave us hope and looking back I think it was because we were so far away.  She stated they were going to get him stable...so they put a pick line in his front left paw, gave him fentanyl and blood thinners.  She took an xray and said nothing stood out.  Blood work came back normal...but his body temperature was 89. My husband called the next morning and Henry made it through the night.  He was stable but really no change in his status.  The night doctor told us, the morning doctor would come in at 8 am and she had already briefed her on Henry's condition and she would be doing an ultrasound to further determine and that doctor would call around 10:30 am.  At 11 am my phone rang.  The doctor stated his heart disease is severe.  This was the first time we heard he had heart disease!  She recommended euthanasia.  They kept him comfortable until we could get there with the steady fentanyl drip.  My husband and I headed to Henry and arrived around 5:30 pm the front desk assistant let us both in a room, thank god because of all the coronavirus protocol's.  As we waited to see him, I heard 3 meows and it was Henry I could tell it was his meow, then the door opened and she laid him in my arms.  It was Henry, he had a 3rd leg that he was loosing the use of and he didn't howl in pain but he was breathing hard and shallow.  He was instantly comforted by our touch and voices...I sang his song to him and told him how sorry I was for not being there with him.  We got to spend around 45 minutes with him and in that time, his breathing became more labored and you could tell he was going down.  So, we asked the doctor to come in and proceed.  I held my sweet boy all the way home, kissing his head and petting him and telling him how wonderful he was....this has been the hardest most empty feeling because he was so young 4.5 years old and it was so sudden.  We brought him home, so our boys could hold him and say goodbye as my husband dug his grave.  Around 9 pm that night we laid him to rest. I am so hurt thinking maybe I couldn't have gotten him help and prevented this for him??  A couple of days before we left, he was laying in our closet...not hidden just in there...I also felt it was weird he didn't want to go outside as much but was content with going on our screened back porch instead.  Jessica told me  when I asked how did he look tired when he came in the other night...she said it was weird he had a different strut.  If we had gotten him to his vet on Monday, would they have detected something was wrong????? Could this have been prevented?  Henry was a 4.5 year old male orange tabby and was so lovable, friendly and a big snuggler with a HUGE heart...he loved so much! He didn't discriminate with anyone in our family...he loved us all equally.  He was the best cat ever and it is so unfair...and I am mad it happened to him! Thank you all for sharing your stories...it gives me some comfort to read them.

Fatine
March 17, 2020

We lost the most beautiful boy last night to this. He was only a year and a few months. The happiest most loving cat in the world. He was our families best friend. One minute we’re playing fetch and the next the vet is telling us this is one of the worst cases she’d ever seen. I made the hard decision to let him go. I’ve been searching to see if I made the wrong decision or if there was anything I could have done to catch it but nothing. It’s comforting but not comforting that there was nothing we could do to stop it. I hope you’re all doing okay.

Jill Gergerson
March 7, 2020

My vet told me my cat Kismet might experience this. Thursday night this occurred to my cat. I thought about taking him to a 24 hour emergency, but opted to sooth and comfort at home. He died on my chest.

Blue
March 7, 2020

To those that think releasing your pet from suffering is wrong It is not You are the one who is now suffering *YOU have lost the one you love* but animals have no fear of death ,pain yes but not death WE are the ones who have fear of letting go again animals do not They understand way beyond our understanding It is not heartless It is love in the purest form to release the one you love from pain and suffering It is the outward love instead of in-ward  Know that your perfect angel only gave and now it is your turn to give Its not about what you want it is about what is right Your fear of death is your fear Not the fear of Angels

Lee B
February 25, 2020

Echoing comments below we lost our gorgeous Molly to this today, last night around 5pm she was fine half an hour later showing all these symptoms at first we though she must have been hit by a car.  The really was no warning with this as well.

Mary Lou
February 24, 2020

And in my grief I forgot to add that Lily was not even three years old yet.

Mary Lou
February 17, 2020

We just lost our funny little calico Lily to this horrible condition earlier today.  We're in shock as to how quickly it happened. She was fine earlier in the morning, then at 11:30am I found her panting and unable to move, crying in pain. By 1:00 pm she had been put to sleep to end her suffering. All cat owners need to know about this.

Nancy Osmond
February 10, 2020

I lost my gorgeous persian boy Simba on 29/01/2020 to this! He was the most loving and purry baby who loved a cuddle more than anything! He was perfectly healthy and only 2 years old! So heartbroken to have lost him so suddenly and far too soon! Miss him so so much!

Bonnie Ruso
February 1, 2020

I lost my 15 year-old turkish angora princess yesterday afternoon. She was cuddling with me in the morning as usual and by 10 am would not even look at me , no purring, she wandered through the house, and later in the afternoon she was howling and had this stare I had never seen. I rushed her to the ER vet and found out she had a mass in her abdomen and a straddle thrombus, I had to make the decision to end her suffering. As we spent our last minutes together she was on pain meds and so peaceful and calm. Saying good-bye was very difficult . Our family is devastated, we will miss her so much. Our home feels empty without her. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost a dear pet.

Richard
January 27, 2020

We lost our cat this morning. He was super fine last night but this morning he could not walk.. it was all too sudden with no time to prepare. The sadness is extreme but nothing compared to the pain he was in. RIP my good buddy Mira.

JM
January 27, 2020

Our cat had a CATE, but in one of her front legs.  The outcome was very different than if it had been the more common saddle thrombosis, so I wanted to post something here for others who may have the same circumstance. Our 15 year old cat was walking on the knuckles of her right front leg when we got up yesterday morning.  We took her to the local emergency vet, who thought the prognosis was very grim.  She couldn't find a pulse in the leg and the paw felt slightly cold.  She felt that the cat was probably in a lot of pain, because that is a very common issue when the rear legs are involved -- even though the cat wasn't crying out in any way and didn't seem to be in pain.  She said that there wasn't a cardiologist at that location on call, but that these clots are usually caused by severe underlying heart disease.  She said that we could take the cat to one of their other locations that did have a cardiologist on staff for an evaluation, but that the likely outcome would be (at best) supportive therapy and that the cat would likely die.  We decided that we wanted the cardiac work up before making any decisions and drove the hour to the other clinic.  The cat was still alert, although frightened and didn't really seem to be in any pain. From the outset, the larger clinic vet seemed to have a different attitude.  The GP we saw said she could detect a faint pulse in the foot and didn't notice a difference in temperature.  She also didn't think the cat was in pain, as she showed no signs of it.  She also seemed to think it was a good sign that the cat was able to make motions with the leg -- it was never completely paralyzed, just with the foot "knuckling" under.  She confirmed that we wanted to have the cardiac workup, and suggested some labs as well.  We agree to all of that, and then waited for a couple more hours. She called us back into the exam room, and the first thing she said was "we're sending Fiona home with a prescription for Plavix.  There's no sign of heart failure, she's able to stand on the foot."  The cardiologist joined us and affirmed the good news -- although she has an enlarged heart, there was no sign of additional clots and no sign of heart failure.  Her breathing was strong and regular, so he didn't even think it necessary to have a chest xray to check for fluid around her lungs.  Both of them cautioned us, though, that her heart condition can deteriorate, these clots can form out of nowhere.  Having had one, she would be more prone to others, but the Plavix should help minimize the potential.  We will follow up in 3 months, and probably bring her back for another check in 6 months, unless she shows signs of deteriorating. I wanted to post this because while we were waiting yesterday, anticipating having to make the decision to put her to sleep, everything we could find about blood clots in cats was about the more serious, and frequently fatal, saddle thrombosis.  I did find one study that showed that 75% of cats with a front leg clot go home from the event.  Also, that the front leg clots don't always cause pain.  And the Plavix substantially extends the lives of cats treated with it. If you have a cat with a lame front leg, bring him or her to the vet right away and don't lose hope.  You may have a better outcome than those people whose cats have the clots affecting their back legs.

Natalie
January 27, 2020

Hi everyone, My heart is breaking reading all of your touching stories. As an animal owner and lover myself, I can relate to the pain and suffering deeply. I have a bit of an impossible question to ask, but my sister's 15-year-old Siamese survived a clot and has had a scan to check for any further complications(no more clots seen). He has a heart condition and he is 15, so we're not under any illusions that he'll live to see age 20 or anything like that. The joy (and agony) is that he is showing miraculous improvement and has regained the use of his legs. If he does get released, he'll go onto chronic heart medication, but the problem is that there is no guarantee that he won't go through the same ordeal again. In fact, it's a 1 in 4 chance it will happen again, I read somewhere...I'm not sure my sister and I could live with knowing he suffered pain again, especially if we happen to be at work, for example, when it happens. But how do you euthanase a brave cat who's fought to get better and now appears healthier and ready to go home? I would appreciate any and all advice if anyone has it....

CR
January 7, 2020

So sorry to hear about all the pets that have had this horrible thing happen to them.  My beautiful little ridiculous sweet baby puss  died 3 months ago. I keep googling why, but to know they were in such pain when it happened that’s the killer. She was fine we were even playing around, she was jumping up n all around I just popped out to do the weekend shop for 1 hours came home to fine her gone.  Just be happy that we had the opportunity for their sweet love. XXX

Lesa Dunphy
January 5, 2020

I’m so sorry for everyone’s loss. My Ursa just passed away today from this horrible event. Just as all the articles and stories have read...one minute we’re peaceful and snoring and the next he’s thrown himself on floor, meowing and dragging his hind legs. It was so horrible. I’m so thankful for my friends who love me and my kitties. They helped out and we got him to the vet. I’m just glad that the last thing he experienced is being in my lap and out of pain. She gave him a good sedative before he went to sleep. He was my wonderful weird Maine Coon with a heart of gold.

Dolores Krisky
January 3, 2020

Cleopatra left me the morning of Dec. 28.  No indication anything was wrong.  In 15 years we became senior citizens together. RIP my baby girl!

Ania Mos
December 31, 2019

Stu, my heart goes out to you. I just lost my Dexter tonight for the same reason. 8 years old, perfectly healthy until today. My heart has shattered into a million pieces. On New Years’ Eve, of all nights. No part of me was ready for the diagnosis. As I drove him to the vet and prayed he would be okay, I honestly thought that as long as I could get there in time, they would be able to fix him. Then I was told the terrible news. Just like that. There was no way I could prolong his suffering. Let him try battle this disease, while no longer being able to jump or go to the toilet on his own. Tonight I have lost my best friend.

Stu Bowles
December 26, 2019

I just lost my baby boy Dexter to this last night (yep, christmas night), it was the worst thing to witness, he was in so much pain bless him that I had no other choice but to put him to sleep. Please if anyone is reading this get your cats checked regularly, he was 6 years old and seemed perfectly healthy

Cath
November 21, 2019

This just happened to our 7 year old tuxedo cat,Elephant. He was fine, frisky and chasing around his two siblings. Next thing we knew his rear legs were paralyzed and cold to the touch. No crying or yowling. He just seemed very scared. We took him to the emergency veterinary hospital and within in five minutes of walking through the door he was diagnosed with "saddle thrombus", a condition I have never heard of. I have been a cat owner and lover my entire life. Instantly we were faced with the agonizing decision of euthanasia. There was really no choice as the vet explained he could die at any moment, was in extreme pain and recurrence was all but guaranteed. Looking back, the only symptom I could identify was the fact I had taken him to the vet less than 6 months prior for what I thought was lethargy. Vet found nothing at that time. A few months later, he is gone. So heartbreaking to lose a pet this way.

Stephanie Barton
November 11, 2012

I just lost my 7 year old baby Mickey to this nightmare, saddle thrombus. I still don't understand it and I don't think I ever will. He was my best friend and I feel like I've let him down! I will never forget him!! I will miss walking into a room and he just plopped so hard on his back, rolling side to side meowing and purring waiting for his belly rubs!! I will never forget the laughter and joy my poor baby brought to me and ALL my visitors (even people who didn't necessarily like cats). I would never wish this on anyone

Lori
September 13, 2019

I lost my 6 yr old cat Myles last year 10/15/18 It was the most traumatizing thing I have ever been through! I do foster and rescue and never saw something so sad I still cant deal with it. Today I lost my 2 yr old cat to the same thing,less than 1 year later it just hit, I don't know how to deal with this.Is it common? I'm so scared because Myles has a sister and I am afraid it will happen to her to, I don't think I could go thought it again. My poor Angels I let them down

Susan
July 21, 2019

I lost my 12 year old tabby yesterday. She had gone off her food and checked by vet, he found nothing. A day later she started eating and usual bouncy self. Suddenly collapsed, panting, floppy, crying  and blood from mouth. She died within 20 minutes. I am in shock and guilt I didn’t know she was that ill.

Gail Panici
July 15, 2019

3 wks ago today i had to pts my 17 year old b a baby jaxii from saddle thrombosis he was my angel my protector my anti depressant. He was such a perfect good kitty. God must had mistakely put this angel cat on earth. I had brought him to the vet 2 wks before it happppened o noticed he was a little sluggish. She just looked at his teeth a nd gums and said if no systoms he was fine as he just had a blood test in feb exam in march said he wasnt due for another blood test till august. Why didnt i ask or demand an exam or ultrasound i kick myself everyday for believing her and not acting on my instints. I cry everyday for my baby that loved tummy rubs and tummy kisses

Tigger
June 21, 2019

Came a across this site to find some comfort and to understand about saddle thrombus better as we had to make the decision to put our Tigger to sleep. I am still in shock and don't know if we made the right decision.  He was doing great went outside with me just to hang out in the grass as I did some watering, we came back in and I left for work. Came home after work and made dinner as usual he would hang out in the kitchen and lying on your feet while we sat down to eat.  Started to clean up when all of a sudden he lost control of his back legs. There was no crying out loud no breathing hard. Just a different meow of being scared, his ears were hot and lucky for us we had some pain medication from having a previous urinary track infection. We just had him at the vet a week before and waiting on blood test results. We gave him the pain medication and called the emergency vet clinic of what happen and they told us to bring him in.  It did not take long and the vet came back in to tell us what had happen and those terrify options. We knew he had a heart murmur and he was 16 yrs old.  I still don't know if we did the right thing and not given him a fighting chance. This is the hardest decision I have ever made. We didn't want him to suffer, his feet were ice cold no movement not even his tail was moving.  I miss him and the house is not the same. Rest in peace Tigger.

Jasper
May 27, 2019

I am thankful that VetzInsight Team responded to Anna Turenador comment.  I am curious on how there cat is doing. I know the loss that everyone has gone through on this sight and pray that some day vets will be able to have a better treatment that works for blood clots. For the vets this can't be a easy choice to tell someone these are the only options. They feel just as hopeless as you do and to judge them may have just been out of anger and scared. It's been 2 years and I still miss my beautiful boy Jasper. 

Kayleigh
May 23, 2019

All of this just happened to my car in the matter of 5 days. The first day, he seemed to be in pain and he was urinating all over himself and not moving much. We were told it was a bladder blockage. She kept him overnight and cleaned the bladder and then he was sent home. He seemed alright the next day, running around and purring, but not urinating or deficating yet. The next day he was very sluggish and he kept to himself the whole day. I hardly saw him. Then, he woke everyone up in the middle of the night with a haunting howling. It seemed that he had lost control of his bladder. Now, previously, the vet had said that a little blood in his coughing was normal and his sluggishness was normal too. He was probably scared he'd be sent to the vet again and he was just worried. Turns out that "a little blood in his coughing" was a sign of a blood clot somewhere in his respitory system. He did not make it through the night. It's crazy because I wish there was something I could have done to catch it before it caught him. I wish we saw the signs and I wish the vet did not tell us everything was fine.

Claudia
May 21, 2019

2 days ago I had to make that hard decision of euthanizing my 14 year companion, he sat at the table with us for breakfast, went on the balcony for a little bit as it was sunny, came back in and I brushed his hair, he seem so pleased even my husband said he looked like he was so happy,  a few hours later, I went to the kitchen, saw vomit on the floor, went looking for him, he was next to his water bottle with many small clear foam vomits around him, dragging his back legs n when he saw me he cried, we rushed him to the hospital, nothing was opened near our home, it was a 35 min drive, I held his carrier on my lap as my husband drove us, the screams he was making really sounded like “help” I have never seen him which such painful agony! We had to wait another 30min for the vet to see him, anaesthetics were not taken effect due to low blood circulation finally later they kicked in, after some blood work the bad news were given: saddle thrombosis.  The whole I was crying, he was not going to recover due to his age and his diabetes, we knew he was suffering sooooo much, we said yes to the injection and I held his paw and his head while the vet injected him, I will never forget this! This condition is so devastating for them, the agony he was in was so horrible, and I could do nothing to help his pain for the hours he suffered until he was sedated and then euthanized. He was my most beloved companion and friend. I miss him and if I knew there was a chance he would have survived and have a normal life, I would have paid any money, taken vacation from work to be with him as I have done in the past but his suffering would have continue while treatments while his chances were slim to none, I would make the same choice for me or my loved ones if need be.  No one knows real pain until they have it.

VetzInsight Team
May 16, 2019

Anna, We understand that everyone has their own opinion about when to euthanize a suffering pet. In the case of a blood clot, the pain is extreme, and the treatment is as bad as the disease. As Dr. Johnson says, "pain alone can tip them over the edge into heart failure and lead to their death." Please remember that the people who have posted here have loved and suffered losses.  Also, euthanasia is anything but a "cold, merciless" sleep.  It is relief from suffering, and veterinarians take their duty to relieve animal suffering very seriously.  We are anything but "harsh and emotionless".

Anna Turenador
May 4, 2019

My kitty Splodgy is only 6 months old and hasn't been able to use her back legs recently. I will take her to the vets tomorrow. I have read some on here describing their decision to euthanise their cat on a fly visit to the vet. To put down. So you just take a loved one to a cold harsh emotionless place with strange people, and you come back home without them. I don't understand. A 'difficult' decision? Difficult. Why did this happen? Why was she born like this, to only grow enough to know the world a little, full of curiosity, and then have it taken? Its not that its cruel, it just doesn't make sense. Is this evolution? Creatures evolved into a form that grants perpetual suffering? So you take them to a vet who will put some needles into them. "It's ok. Shshshsh. There there." Make them comfortable. "Mommy's here" the cat thinks. Everything will be ok." The vet injects the death concoction. Cool. Calm. "I trust you mommy". Baby goes to sleep. No more tears. No more pain. No waking back up again. Into darkness. A cold merciless sleep for baby. If you can do this, you don't understand life.

Susan
April 28, 2019

My 19-year old Kitty Sam has survived 2 instances of saddle thrombus, one about 2 years ago and a more severe one last week. The odd thing is that this time he didn’t seem to be in pain. He just suddenly lost the use of his hind legs. He has improved to the point a week and 3 days later to where he can walk although his right hind leg is quite stiff. He is eating and drinking well and can use a litter box with one side cut out to make it easy for him to get in and out of it. He is sleeping a lot more than usual, even for his age, and has lost his playful personality, that is to say that he goes about his day but isn’t interested in doing much besides the basics of living. He grooms himself periodically. He sometimes acts confused but prior to this last clot he was experienced symptoms of dementia anyway. Just when I think that he doesn’t really recognize me he will cuddle up next to me and purr as I dote on him. At his age I don’t expect that he will be around much longer but as long as I can keep him comfortable and he is not in pain I will continue to care for him as best I can. He is on both generic Plavix to reduce the chance of clotting as well as Amlodipine applied topically to his ears for high blood pressure. He obviously has way more than the fabled 9 lives that cats are supposed to have!

Aarin
April 20, 2019

I need to vent. My beautiful Orange and white mittened and tummied tabby with yellow eyes.... Milo, April 17, 2014 - April 14, 2019. Six months ago a murmur was found. Two months ago ohcm. Than Sunday out of nowhere it hit. One minute he was fine. Then next I noticed he wasn't walking properly as I put on some music after ordering his birthday supplies, later canceled. Trying to jump into his favorite chair, the one he loved to steal from me each tine I got up, like he was trying to get comfortable but moving strange. I feel guilt for picking him up off to try and see what his "walk" looked like and he was having trouble controlling his legs. I knew right then. I feel like it was my fault. Did I give his Atenolol wrong? Why didn't I ask the cardiologist for blood thinners like I felt was needed with it? It took me what felt like forever to get my family to come and take us a few cities away to the emergency vet. I couldn't bare to see him try and scoot around to try and hide or find comfort so I tried to keep him on our bed till our ride came. His meow killed my heart. Being near him made him cry out worse like he wanted me to help him and I was trying. So I had to step out several times to pack what was needed and cry because I was afraid my presence made him more distressed and he meowed more. I was afraid the clot would go to his lungs or something more horrific. I feel so guilty for that. I feel guilty my selfish ibs kicked in and I had to constantly use bathroom while we waited for the car a room from where he needed me but where I brought him more distress. I don't think he was fully paralyzed yet since he moved his feet but I think it was just to painful to move his legs properly. I want that image out of my ocd head. Though I remember the majority of good times it makes me feel so bad for him. I feel guilty for not holding him but I didn't want to make it worse. I feel guilty I didn't brush him the night before when I found his favorite pink brush. I feel guilty for not giving him a nice new can of the food he liked and tried to get him to finish the fridge one he didn't so much. I feel guilty for stopping the treats when I thought he ate to many. I feel guilty for watching too much tv instead of playing with him. I feel guilty for scolding him when he scratched at things. I feel guilty not holding him closer for longer snuggles at night before he retired to his tree or was a lazy human who knew I needed to do more with him..... So many regrets. I wish I knew if he would forgive me. When we got him to the vet I told them what I knew it was. A little later the vet tells me I was right. She tried to reassure me I did good by knowing the signs beforehand and bringing him in as soon as I could. But any further treatment would just prolong the pain or it would happen again if they could even restore flow... So that was it. I spent a few minutes with him in a private room as he laid on a table covered in thick blankets. When he saw me he tried getting up but not wanting him to focus on his back legs I held him down a little hugging him near. I wish I could have held him but that would have caused more issues possibly. I know he wanted to tuck into my neck and be held. He always turned into my big baby at vets despite being a sly guy. I looked in his eyes. I know he was scared and high from the medicine but he knew me. I know he just wanted me and home. I hope he knows I tried to get him those pain meds sooner and I was sorry for that terrible drive there and being a crate. I wanted to hold him in car but jy mother instead pushing him into it. Not to be mean but she was afraid moving would make the clot slip and it would be worse. Idk which choice would have been right. He saw the white sleeping medicine when it started going toward his iv after a few minutes and as it flowed he tucked his head into a nook in my jacket so I didn't see his face. Holding him around his body. While holding his face in my other hand, fingers massaging his ear, and my head tucked on the other side of his cheek and neck. Thankfully the vet gave him a ton of Fentanyl before bring him to be seen in a room, which ai had the lights dimmed in, so he would be in the least bit of pain or none at all by than. So I'm glad he didn't pass in distress from that at the moment. But she only gave us ten minutes tops till it was going to where off so I aired on caution and let then proceed sooner than I wished. I wish I could have kissed, hugged, rubbed his ear and told him how sorry I was and how much I loved him forever as ai did then. But at least we had that. His head tucked in as he found that comforting, ear and face rubs, my voice and face and kisses and arm around his body. He was given propofol to fall deep asleep before the last two. This was my first experience with such things. I stayed with him after for a little. Accepting this state. Looking at him. Petting him. Trying to be tough and scientific instead if a mess with the vets there. His eyes slightly opened like they would be when he was half asleep or I woke him with loving words as usual. I even tried talking a little dark humor as they let me rant on my feelings about it all. Than as the warmth faded I said I loved him and kissed him. I don't recall saying "goodbye". I guess its never goodbye anyway... he was gone away. I regret choosing cremation as I keep having intrusive thoughts about what that means, not him, destroyed, just mineral.... But his. What held up all that I loved. Or who does it or all those theories where people say you don't get them back, its scams. I don't know how I will handle it when he "comes home". I wish I had taken him and done it naturally and made a spot and tree at my sisters home.... I am one if those death positive thinkers but in these moments I was in shock. I feel messed up but okay almost a week later. I knew this might happen and sort of grieved months before taking as many pictures and videos as I could. But I hate this. Im not sad for me but for him. The first day was numbing. The second I had a breakdown. Third numbing and breakdown. Fourth blame. Fifth I did better and started eating more. Sixth...I hate that I feel okay. I have my moments but Im enjoying tv and food and it feels so wrong. I feel terrible for enjoying things when he cant. I know when people love each other they would want them happy. So as I love him and want him happy he might want me. And he loved me in every-way so I would be doing him a disservice by neglecting myself. But I want him home, every hair that no doubt is gone to the atmosphere now. I hate how everything feels normal except home doesn't feel safe and there is this strange anxiety in the air. I fear this means I ignored him too much by doing my own tasks and thats why it feels okay. Im trying to let myself enjoy things but I get this off and on guilt. I want my "mymy" back. He deserved a longer life and to do all the things he loved and I want his little ideas back in my life. He was/is so smart, knowing words and communicating so well. I hope I get to see him again someday after I die. And if there is nothing I will hold him in my heart and mind as I go into that same eternity together though apart. I hope he forgives me if I ever try to find comfort in another. He will always be my baby and the patron of any kitty to be given a chance at a good life which I learned to give from him. I wish my family was supportive. I feel I was forced to move forward and hide my emotions to fast....I have annoyed them... But whatever. Milo loved me and better to have loved and lost than never loved at all. I will listen to our songs, not avoiding the one I liked that played when the scary moments started, and try and laugh and be happy as I hope he would want for me. I hope I gave him comfort when the eternal sleep took him to the place where we can be again together in some form someday or back to the home we lived in without knowing it before our births. Milo was unique. As all pets. But he was more to me than any other or any that might cone along. I still talk to him. Even though I sound crazy and it might be for nothing. He taught me a lot. I just wish I didn't have to learn some things the hard way. Its not even a week. I cry. Am I crazy for being fine and laughing one moment. Than the next I see him in my mind in his places doing his things and it hurts. Falling asleep is hard but sleeping is easy. Maybe I am screwed up. But I know it doesn't mean I love him less for not dying inside myself each day every second. I feel like I should be though like I did before it ever happened in the months after his diagnosis living in dread of this future. He was my only friend, baby, love and family who loved me without judgment unless I was withholding a scratch or treat.. ugh. I have nobody to hug anymore. I guess imaginary friends will have to do lol.....Yea Iv lost it. I love you Milo, MyMy buddy. Please forgive me for what I failed to do those last days and love me for what I did before those failures.

chie
April 11, 2019

I lost my precious Kweeny last April 9, 2019. I'm still in shock, the last time I saw her standing, she was even asking me to play with her. It was already midnight, so I told her we have to sleep and after an hour, I was awaken by my sister that Kweeny is howling in pain and cannot move her hind legs. I waited till morning and brought her to the vet who did lots of exam. They tried some treatment and waited 24 hrs but she didn't respond, so I made the painful decision of putting her down. This is really a cat owner's nightmare. I will truly miss you, my precious Kweeny.

Tonya
April 10, 2019

We lost our dear sweet Mr Boots last night. Took us all by surprise . One moment he was fine next he is howling in pain and cant use his back left leg. He was only 9 yrs old and not a heavy cat. The vet said that his  heart was enlarged which led to the clot. I can't  believe  how quickly  it escalated. Still in shock  that he is gone. He was our brave boy, our smart cat, if something  scared him he always came back to face it, never one to run and hide. We will miss you forever  Boots

POPO
March 31, 2019

I woke up Friday morning to my cat lying on bed and had no use of hind legs and was clearly in a lot of pain. I thought maybe he broke his leg but I could feel that they were on the cool side.  I immediately took him to vets and basically in. Round bout way diagnosed him with saddle thrombus. They gave him pain meds which really didn’t seem to help. He started having seizures and by 5 pm I had to make the inevitable decision!it was horrible to see him like that! Again I had no idea he heart disease! I had just had him for his annual check up in November and said his heart sounded good! Anyways I know I made the right decision after reading up about it. But it certainly was not something I thought I would have to do to my 7 year old boy. He was a great cat. Having a hard time with it for sure!

Ange
March 19, 2019

My beautiful Nyla had to be put down this morning. She was only a year and a half. She was drinking water out of the faucet (as bengals like to do) and then I saw her fall over. She couldn’t use her back legs. I immediately rushed her to the vet where they ran some tests. $800 later and a trip to a more specialized vet, sitting in traffic with a cat in excruciating pain. I get there and they run some more tests and she has a blood clot. Poor prognosis. I can hear her screaming in pain even though they gave her methadone. I had to have her euthanized. I’m so devastated as this is the 2nd pet I’ve had to put down in 2 years. Life isn’t fair.

Jill
March 8, 2019

I lost my dear Garfield on March 2nd 2019 to this disease unexpectedly. He was a Persian, with such a sweet and affectionate disposition...such a sad loss, he will be dearly missed.

CM
March 7, 2019

I am still in shock and devastated from what happened to my sweet boy Harry (Maine Coon mix). He was put to sleep yesterday. He was 10 years old. My room mate heard him crying in his litter box and couldn’t get out. And when he did, He was dragging his back legs. She took him to the emergency right away, and that’s when the vet told us the horrible news. He had saddle thrombus and there’s a slim chance of survival. I asked If there’s any other options or treatments out there, she said she can refer us to a specialist but there’s no guarantee that he’ll survive. I took him to his vet to get a second opinion and he had x-ray. He showed us his heart had lesions and his lungs are collapsing and he had a heart enlargement. He just had his checkup, lab works 2 months ago, and results came out ok. He had a history of a slight heart murmur 3 years ago and the vet told me just to monitor it. When he checks him again 2 months ago, he couldn’t find anything. Maybe it’s a red flag that when they have a heart murmur, it can lead to that condition. That further test could be done and monitored it closely so that it can be prevented. It was heartbreaking to see him in pain and suffer. It was the hardest decision that I ever had to make. How I wish there’s a cure for this condition and it can be prevented.

JL
March 5, 2019

I am relieved to find this site and so many comments on this horrible condition. Three days ago on Saturday my sweet kitty was fine after lunch, and by 5 o’clock I was signing to have him euthanized. I am heartbroken. I returned from running errands to find him under the table unable to move his back legs and howling. I rushed him to the after hours vet and was completely shocked that they recommended putting him down. Because it was Saturday evening there was no way to ask anyone else or get a second opinion. I’d been feeling horrible that maybe I agreed to that too fast, that I didn’t do enough. It helps to know that others with this same diagnosis were told the same thing, there is pretty much nothing that can be done. My heart goes out to all on here who have lost their precious pets so suddenly and horribly.

Hugh Walton
February 27, 2019

We're in London UK and we had to have our 6 year Turkish Van cat Kit Kat put to sleep yesterday. He suffered a saddle thrombus on Monday. When I went shopping he was happily running and climbing. When I returned less than an hour later his back legs were paralysed and he was howling in agony. Luckily our vet saw him immediately and gave him pain relief. We read up on the condition but it was the comment on this website "I feel worse about the ones I have tried to treat than the ones we have euthanized" that made us finally decide to say goodbye to him. There is no real chance of a proper cure and every chance of a recurrence so I'm sure we made the right decision. Thank you for your wise advice.

Brian
February 25, 2019

Tank was a good cat.  She was the best cat.  They type of cat that would jump on your lap if you just looked at her.  a heavy purrer and the best bed warmer.  She meowed very loud.  She was six years old and was having a good day. As we ate dinner, we heard her cry out in pain and rushed to her side.  She was trying to crawl under the bed, but had no control of her back half.  She was panting and howling.  I pet her. I got her water, and then we rushed to the emergency vet. They came back to me so quickly with a diagnosis of Saddle Thrombosis, the vet drew me a picture and told me the options.  I cried.  I called home, and we made the tough decision to let her go. It all happened so fast.  All day I have been wondering if we made the right decision.  Reading these comments has helped ease the pain.  But it wont go away anytime soon, she was a good cat.

RobInPA
February 19, 2019

So sorry for all of your losses. Our 7 1/2 year old "Fluffy Fluff", as named by my then 4 year-old daughter, became afflicted with this condition last night at around 8 PM. By around 10:30 PM she crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. So sad.  We are all devastated by the sudden loss of our Fluffy.  She was perfectly fine all-day, and then she's gone. So not fair.  She was a good kitteh who only want to be a constant companion, to be petted and loved, etc. RIP Fluffy Fluff!  We miss you so much already!!  You made all of us so very happy with your love, kindness and cuteness!!! Love, Rob, Cindy, Benjamin and Johanna

Megan Tidman
February 7, 2019

I just lost my best friend, Minka, to a saddle thrombus on Tuesday. She was a 15 year old barn cat whom I've had by my side since I was 12. She was literally fine one moment, and gone the next. She waited until I could see her and passed away while the vet was talking to us about our very, very limited options. Like so many of you, I have been blaming myself for not being able to save her from such pain. She lived a long, wonderful life - but saddle thrombus happens so fast you are truly never prepared for it. Thank you so much for this article, and for helping me understand why I couldn't prevent this - it's just a terrible thing that happens to our beloved fur babies, especially when they have lived well into their 'teens'. I miss her like crazy but it's comforting to read this and understand that there truly were no signs or symptoms that could have resulted in a different outcome. While I would have liked her to live forever, this was her time. I am sending good feelings to everyone who had to experience this and it is honestly one of the worst things imaginable.

Valerie Belisle
February 6, 2019

Trying to find some comfort in the loss of my baby, I looked for answers on the web concerning this condition known as saddle trombosis as I lost my beloved Savannah cat to this condition two days ago...The big boy was fine at lunch, walked in Sunday late afternoon and heard him howl.  I really thought he was stuck somewhere and broke his back so quickly and delicately put him in his cat carrier with rolled up towels so he would not move too much...I had no idea how this episode could possibly happen so suddenly...Had his castrated a few months ago and vet detected a slight heart murmur...Asked me if I would want to have his checked out by a cardiologist..."A what?  For a cat?"  so I said to myself, how silly is this...So I said no.  His heart murmur graded 2-3/6 at the time was not too much of a concern I was told but seems that it got dramatically worst very fast with the sad outcome that so many of us here seems to have experienced.  I replay his last minutes in my arms when we put him down, as I told him he was a good brave boy and he purred his live away while we gave our last nose to nose kiss...The pain is so raw...

Ria P
January 26, 2019

Our wonderful Mookie died two days ago of this condition. He was perfectly fine in the morning and a few hours later he lad lost control of both hind legs. The vet that initially checked him out did not offer a definitive diagnosis but he suggested that we go get more testing done at a special animal hospital. We rushed there only to confirm what I intuitively knew was the diagnosis (from my online symptoms search) but did not want to accept. At this joint I was still praying that it was some broken bones or a pinched nerve. After consulting with two vet plus a family friend who is a vet we had no options but to let Mookie go. Mookie was a family member. I had heard that before from pet owners but never knew the depth of that statement. We are devastated. Mookie was only four and a half years old. He was an amazing being.

C.C. Barton
January 9, 2019

I just lost my tiny and beloved 18 year old tabby to this only four days ago.  I'm still reeling from the loss of my wonderful companion who looked to be extraordinarily healthy for her age - beautiful soft thick coat, etc. She, like Elizabeth's magnificent Maine Coon, woke me at 4:00 on Sunday morning with the most horrible howl.  I went to her bed and found she had lost the use of three of her legs. A friend with vet experience told me sometimes they will spontaneously recover from a stroke so I didn't take her to the emergency clinic but waited for the regular clinic to open.  I held her until the clinic opened and now feel just bloody awful that she had to suffer for those extra four hours.  Soon after we arrived at the clinic I was given the bad news. I realize I'm so lucky to have had her so long, but it would  never ever be long enough.

Elizabeth Dichmont
December 28, 2018

Christmas morning approx 4:00a.m. I woke up because my magnificent orange maine coon was meowing in an unusual way.  When I got up to investigate I realized he was paralysed from the waist down.  I called the emergency vet in Victoria and they said to bring him in immediately.  When we got there a technician took his history and sort of prepared me as to how serious this situation was.  They had given Rudy a shot to dull the pain and he was obviously sedated....the vet came in and explained what was happening.  When she said that with some treatment they might be able to buy him another one or two months but another clot could appear as soon as tomorrow I knew what must happen.  I miss him terribly.  For a big cat, he was timid with everyone but me. I loved him dearly.  How unfair that his life was so brief!!

Susan Stoddard
December 28, 2018

I just lost my 10-year old mixed breed dog to this awful condition.  A few days ago, Max suddenly lost feeling in both legs and was screaming in pain.  I rushed him to the ER Vet and they diagnosed him with saddle thrombi.  I was shocked to learn that the prognosis was grave.  The vet said that euthanizing him was the best option, but I chose to immediately put him on pain medication and start treatment to dissolve the clot.  The treatment did not help and his condition deteriorated, so I ultimately made the decision to let him go because he was in so much pain and discomfort and the chances of any improvement were slim to none.  I am beyond devastated about losing him so suddenly.  He was my constant companion and my best bud.  Thank you for sharing your stories.  Reading them has helped me feel less alone. My heart goes out to all of you. Thinking of you and your beloved pets.

Moira
December 25, 2018

My poor cat sassy  died last nite from a blood clot so sad  and so quick.

Eden
December 20, 2018

I am grateful for this article.  I just lost my 4 yr old, black male cat, Sven this morning to what may likely be this problem.  The vet said that her experience is black cats at about 4 yrs of age seem prone to having their body throw clots.  I am truly devastated to have lost Sven as I rushed to the vet 6:30 in the morning and know that he was in great pain.  His howling was unlike anything I've heard before. 

Jenny
December 13, 2018

We lost two cats in October.  I wrote about Wilson already. Three weeks before Wilson died, I came home to find our cat Boots "sleeping" in his cat tree, only he didn't wake up.  He seemed so peaceful.  About 6 weeks prior we had taken Boots to the vet.  The original reason for the visit was a routine check up and for a rash on his back that wasn't healing. But we moved the appointment up when he started to limp on his front let.  Unfortunate they never did examine his leg, and I found out later that no x-ray was done either.  In the weeks that followed he exhibited symptoms that very well could have been a sign that his heart was in trouble, but he also seemed to be having a reaction to the cyclosporine he was prescribed so we never even thought of his heart.  He had a heart echo just 9 months prior as he did have a murmur but it was pretty normal.   In hindsight, I now wonder - was that limp on the front leg a blood clot?  Could we have made a difference if he had that x-ray as that was initially how we found Wilson's heart was bad.  The thing I have learned - anytime any of my older cats develops a limp I want an x-ray (or if we are following up for potential of heart disease).  And check the respiratory rate at home - Boots was 48 at the vets, which I didn't notice in the vet notes until after his death.  I felt so bad that with everything going on, we maybe could have had him longer just as we did Wilson with regular heart medications.

Amy
December 1, 2018

Reading this article really reassured me in knowing that this isn’t uncommon. We had to put down my precious boy last night and because it was so unexpected, I feel like I’ve been hit with a bag of bricks. It feels good knowing other people know my family’s pain, and that we did the right thing. My best wishes go out to those who have lost their cats because of this unknown heart disease. We’re feeling your pain too.

Lisa Caffee
November 29, 2018

Thank you for this article.  Our beloved cat died on the way to the emergency vet clinic last Sunday morning.  I've been playing the "what if" game, but reading your article tells me that dying in my lap spared me and my husband.  She had visited her local veterinarian this summer, and  at that time he told me her heart and lungs sounded excellent.  Very heartbroken, but I think I can lay to rest the "what if I had" guilt.  Thank You.

Shannon
November 25, 2018

Reading these comments, like most others say, give me some comfort in the decision I made this Thanksgiving. My Binxy was just 8 years old, and aside from slight anxiety I never really noticed anything different in him. He was a relatively calm and quiet cat, so it was hard to tell when he was sick. I woke up at 5 am though, as my roommate texted me that she heard a distressed sound from one of the cats. I found him, laying on the bathroom mat, clearly showing a struggle as it was disheveled. I try to block out the sounds I heard that day, but I can assure you they were horrifying. I was panicking, I'd never known such a thing could happen to cats. I picked him up carefully, and took him in a blanket to the 24 hour vet. Thankfully, one place was at least opened on the holiday. They took him in immediately and gave him the strongest pain killers, but I could still hear him crying out. That's when I got the news from the vet, who was so kind to me about giving me the options. She recommended the most humane route to take due to his heart condition, and that was to humanely euthanize him. I couldn't believe it, honestly. Just the other day he was laying next to me, with no sign of problems. Now, I had to contemplate whether to end his life prematurely so he wasn't suffering, or make him suffer even more during a treatment that had such low probability of working, that it wasn't worth it. I felt sick, helpless, like I couldn't protect him. I WAS his protector, and now when he needed me the most I couldn't. It's a terrible condition, and it's so sudden that it threw me in a haze. I've always been a cat person, even when I didn't have a cat, so losing him was like losing a piece of me. I hope they find a way to treat this, or a better preventative. I can't imagine another cat owner going through this. The only event in my life that made me more emotionally distressed was my own father passing away.

Jenny
October 27, 2018

We put our sweet cat Wilson to sleep yesterday morning.  Wilson was diagnosed with HCM, pleural effusion, and congestive heart failure July 2017.  We had taken him to the vet due to reduced appetite, and decided to do an x-ray and discovered the enlarged heart.  The vet that did the heart echo over a year ago made it sound like his death would come very soon, and the vet that put him to sleep yesterday described the echo as horrible.  We were blessed that with his daily heart medications and GI medications he continued to bless our life for more than a year.  In July he had a decline, this time adding gabapentin to help with pain and his x-rays showed arthritis in his spine. The week of 4th of July was very sad as we thought Wilson would need to be put to sleep the following week, but on that Sunday he rallied again.  During the following months, his appetite would decrease again, we would adjust his medications, and he would improve again. On October 4, 2018, my sweet cat Boots died while lying in his cat tree.  He looked so peaceful but we had no warning at all, he was just gone.  As we entered mid-October, I became concerned that WIlson was again declining, and a change in food and increase in gabapentin seemed to give a very short improvement, but as his last week started I felt something wasn't right, and on Thursday night he seemed very quiet.  As I woke early in the night, I found him lying oddly by his water bowl, very quiet.  Something wasn't right.  In the morning we woke up.  He had gone down the half flight of stairs to his litter box areas.  I read Paula's story from earlier in 2018, and it reminded me of Wilson.  I already knew what saddle thrombosis was and that it was a risk, and as I saw him lying with his head up on the carpet but not moving, poop all over in the box, the floor in the next room, on him, I immediately knew he couldn't use his back legs anymore. My husband carried him upstairs, and as he placed him on the kitchen island he leaked diarrhea.  He placed him in a cardboard box with a cushion that Wilson liked to sleep on. As I went to the kitchen sink and started washing his food bowls from the night before, Wilson perked up, lifted up on his front paws and looked hungry!  I was amazed as he ate 1/4 can of Z/D cat food!  As we waited for the vet office to open for the day, we took turns petting him as he lay in his box, he kept his head up and was alert.  Similar to Paula, he did not seem to be in extreme pain, although I am sure pain was there, he periodically would try to change position and would cry a little when he did, because his lower half simply didn't cooperate.  Once the clinic was open, we placed his box on the floor of the car in front of the passenger seat and I sat in the seat and pet and talked to him as we drove.  He showed his normal panic in going in the car, but responded to our talking and petting, calmed down and tried to look around.  At the clinic he also seemed rather calm.  As they placed him on a soft pad on the floor to put him to sleep, he noticed the lounge chair and started to pull himself towards it. They lifted him to the chair, where I sat in front of him talking to him and stroking him, and the vet and tech on either side of the chair. He was so sweet to the end.  I don't know how long he was by his litter boxes when we found him, and we knew he had tried to drag himself around based on where the poop was, and I know cats are experts in hiding pain, but similar to Paula, I feel he had pain, but he did not appear to be in agony at the point we found him.  Wilson was a very sweet and loving cat.  We were so blessed to have over a year with him after his initial "horrible" heart echo, and then even another three and a half months or so after he started to loose weight again. 

Paul Fachada
October 22, 2018

just lost Buki last night to this,only 3yo siamese. we missed the very subtle signs of heart disease described because who expects in a young hellion. in retrospect the crash after periods of manic activity and vomiting which we attributed to hairballs in a fastidious groomer. weight loss in an already runty kitty.anyway had been out of sorts for couple of weeks hiding in the closet more and constipated with no appetite which improved with IV fluids.  was due for bloodwork and workup this am, but never made it.crying for help as he dragged his useless back legs down the hall was awful to see and will be hard to forget among the good memories. emergency 24 hour care was an hour away and what a devastating diagnosis. euthanasia was an easy choice as he was still in pain after max dose of pain meds. second guessing it this am with questions if teaching hospital could have saved him so this article and comments has been very helpful. thanks.

Lori
October 21, 2018

My little bottle fed baby who was 4yrs old Dide last Sunday, I heard that scream and I have love other pets that have passed but I just am not doing well with having had to put Myles to sleep last sunday. I will never forgot the scream he was so scared He couldn't breath,I knew what happened and grabbed him ran to ER he was in so much pain and the said he had a bad heart news to me They said I could they to save him between$7000.00-$10,000 I am disabled live on $960.oo a month, They charged me $273.00 But my heart is broke. Im glad I am not alone and having a hard time getting past the teriable sound he made and how quick he was gone

Carol Ann Tiberia
October 9, 2018

I appreciate this information and the dialogue. Just this past Saturday my 17-year-old cat experienced a paralysis in his right front leg. I noticed it because it felt so cold to touch. He didn’t seem to have pain with it but it bothers him of course. I immediately took him into the vet and she suspected a blood clot. It has resolved on its own but now I fear that it will pre-disposed him to this horrific diagnosis. I’m not sure what next steps should be taken  it has resolved on its own but now I fear that it will pre-disposed him to this horrific diagnosis. I’m not sure what next steps should be taken.

Chris Thornley
October 2, 2018

PS to my earlier comment, reading these accounts from other traumatised cat parents has given me a measure of solace. I felt guilty that I may have given up on my little poppet too soon, but I now realise that my decision to euthanise, though very difficult was the kindest thing I could have done for my little one. This is a truly vile and terrible condition for any poor cat to go through, and the worst nightmare for any loving cat owner. Utterly dreadful!

Chris Thornley
October 2, 2018

So very sorry for all you have left comments here because I know exactly how you all feel. I've just lost my beloved Mrs Kitten to this dreadful condition, she was about ten and a half. One moment she seemed fine, the next both back legs paralysed, in terrible pain and gasping for breath. It was quite late at night so I rushed her to an emergency vet. She almost immediately diagnosed a saddle thrombus and said the prognosis was poor and recommended euthanasia. The vet administered pain killers and allowed me some time alone with Mrs Kitten and to come to a decision.I was reeling and traumatized and to have to ponder this dreadful decision as well. I loved my little poppet so much. I stroked her and kissed her but was sobbing at the same time. I didn't want to see my gorgeous, pretty girl in such pain and suffering so I agreed to allow the vet to put her to sleep. The worst decision I've ever had to make. I am devastated, my heart is shattered. Mrs Kitten was my sole companion. I loved her so much and miss her terribly. The bond we had was so strong I can seriously say I'm grieving more than when I lost my parents.

Kathy B
August 17, 2018

I am just learning about this condition and reading through many of the comments.  My own sweet cat,Betty, about 10 years old, has just 'thrown a clot'.  In Betty's case it came after a horrible 8 days.  Betty was attacked by two dogs 8 days ago as she was resting under a tree in my front yard.  I heard dogs barking, looked out the window and saw they were attacking her and ran down the stairs to get them to get off of her.  She was very injured.  She could not seem to use her hind legs, or at least one of them.  She was in shock and breathing heavily with her tongue hanging out of her mouth.  I rushed her to a local animal hospital and they gave her fluids and oxygen over night, also treated her for low blood pressure and pain.  They did a couple of x-rays but could not figure out what was wrong with her hind legs(s).  They thought it could be neurological but did not have a neurologist  on staff.  I read articles on the internet that stated it was better to have neurological injuries looked at as soon as possible so I moved her to a higher level animal hospital about 45 minutes away.  The last week has been a series of ups and downs.  This hospital was optimistic at first, but then I got a call saying her kidney numbers are risen to very high levels which could mean kidney damage and if that was the case then Betty would probably not make it.  The plan was to treat her with lots of fluids to retest.  They also mentioned that she had a heart murmer and a minor level of heart disease which they had to consider as they treated her as too much fluid could lead to heart failure.  I was very depressed that night, but the next day - things looked more hopeful, her kidney numbers were more normal.  They still could not figure out what was happening with her hind legs, especially the left one, but thought it was all the trauma from the dog attack.  She was bruised with swelling from all that.  So I am feeling more hopeful when I get another call - this time that she needs surgery because some muscle tore from a pubic bone (there might not a great description but I am too upset to get the terminology right at the moment).  They wanted my permission to do that, saying without it abdominal tissue could leak out, leading to death of that tissue.  Of course I said yes, all along I decided to do all that could be done as long as there was hope.  Then I got another call the day of the surgery - saying her red blood count had gone down and they need to do an ultra sound of the heart and give her a blood transfusion before the surgery.   I approved it all.  After her surgery the surgeon called to explain what was done and I felt hopeful again.  I went to see her the day after that and while she was weak she was happy to see me and purred for a while.  The next day I did not visit her but was in contact with the Vets who said she was doing better and they were working on her walking.  We agreed to move her Medical boarding 2 days after her surgery.  I went by to see her today and she seemed weaker than I hoped she'd be.  The Vet I talked to said she had not seen her before so she could not really tell me if there was any kind of change from yesterday but she seemed OK.  In this care she would also get laser treatment for her hind legs and they would continue to encourage her to walk.  Then here is where the latest bad news comes in - that same vet sent me an email after not being able to reach me at home and in she said that a nurse had noticed that Betty's right hand leg (not the same one that was most injured from the attack) was cool beneath the knee.  So this Vet and the incoming vet checked her out and she doesn't seem to feel anything below the knee.  She can still move the leg somewhat, but apparently not as well as the day before. (Meanwhile the left leg which had been the one that was injured as a result of the attack was getting better).  Three of the vets talked about it, all three have worked with Betty and they think she 'threw a clot', that she has a partial thrombus.  They invited me to call one of them and I did and she was not exactly hopeful, but far less negative about it then what I am reading here on the internet.  I plan on stopping by there tomorrow.  To make matters even worse I have to catch a flight two Europe- a trip that was planned for 6 months to spend time with my son who is over there doing a college internship.  He is counting on my visit, I can't let him down.  But I am very sad to have to leave Betty like this, before things are resolved.  I will have to see if the hospital can keep in touch with me to help me make the right decision.  I will see her tomorrow before I go, but it won't be for very long and it might very well be the last time I see her.  Not only is there all the sadness about probably losing her, regret about all she has been through for the past 8 days, sadness that I'm not going to be around for two weeks, but also fear about how much this is all going to cost.  They said she has a few risk factors for the clot - mild heart disease/heart murmur, but also trauma of the attack, the operation.  Maybe the blood transfusion as well I suppose.  It was all so much done and maybe it was all too much for her.  I'm very sad.  I have not been talking about why this matters so much, I think that anyone that is reading this knows the answer.  These little kitties just get to us.  She was very affectionate, very proud.  She did not like to be held, but she would always come around for love.  She would lick my hand to reward me when I would pet her.  That is actually the reason I chose her.  She was at a local shelter, already middle aged and overweight.  I was trying to decide between waiting for a younger, pretty kitty or choosing an older one that needed a home.  I met her and reached to pet her and she licked me.  I knew I could not leave her there. I found out that she'd already had two homes, the last one due to illness of the owner. I promised her she would never leave my home, this would be here home for as long as she lived.  It took her a long time to adjust becuase I have a dog and she was very much afraid of him.  But she and my dog learned to live with each other with no problems.  It just breaks my heart that she was attacked by two neighborhood dogs when she had gotten used to mine.  She was very much an indoor cat, just would go outside once a month to eat a bit of grass.  So much regret about that - so much.

Tracy Bechard
July 29, 2018

This is so sad.My cat of 7 years, Mr.Chickles had to be euthanized exactly 1 month ago today.Now I look back and realize there were warning signs, I just didn't know how to read them.Last year it seemed he'd slowed down a lot.. he always had this cough which I had always assumed was a hairball.He threw up more often than my other 2 cats and he didn't like to be bothered sometimes which I attributed as his unique personality.He had a habit of I'm getting those abscesses on his skin from fighting( and yes he was fixed but not till he was 4 and by then they can't help but want to fight and spray still) anyways he also had dermatitis which was quickly cured by flea treatment and a cortisone shot.He had gum disease and all these things combined should have given me a clue.The one thing that always made me dismiss there was possibly something wrong was his appetite.He never lost that and so with that and his playfulness I always thought ..he's ok.About 2 weeks before he passed I noticed one day he was panting and seemed tired.laying in the middle of the yard ( unusual ) and playing only to stop and lay down.Someyhing was off.He wasn't cleaning himself hardly and it seemed he was walking funny due to his big belly which I now know is a sign .He lost that sparkle in his eye.I said to my husband I think he's dying..slowly ..but I don't think he's well. He also had a sore under his armpit from a fight ..this is what made me take him to the vet.They checked him out and said there was pus under his skin that had not Come out because the wound healed so fast before the pus was out.His temp was taken and he was also given an antibiotic injection.He was such a good boy at the vet that day.I mentioned he wasn't himself but they jyst said probably from the bacteria from the infection.He was prescribed an antibiotic and away we went.2 doses of the medicine was enough.it made him throw up.the day he had the saddle thrombolic event he seemed himself ..then without warning he was panting heavily and his mouth looked funny and pale.i was right there from the moment it began to the moment he passed.He looked at me at kinda growled then attempted to go up the 2 steps in the house and managed to drag himself in and I knew .I had heard of this.His hind quarters were paralyzed and he was having difficulty breathing.i was freaking out.I shoved him in his carrier ..I was so frantic I was trying to get him in the little door.. not remembering you can take the whole top off.my neighbor was with me ..thank God.told me be careful.i was frantic in the worse way.we got him to the vet 3 minutes away and i yelked help my cats is having a stroke.they diagnosed him with saddle thrombosis and said I should know what to do ..I will never ever forget seeing my cat ..my baby thrashing his body .scrambling on the table to breathe.the panic he must have felt ..he was drowning from the fluid in his lungs.my poor kitty had such a horrible death .not fair..he was quickly sedated and we laid him on his side and then he wss euthanized. As he was dying there wss fluid coming from his mouth.i can never and will never forget that..My cat did not pass hearing calm soothing peaceful words.He would have heard me crying like a  small child .I just wailed and wailed .loudly as I stroked him.That was the most pain i have ever felt.i was in so much shock and pain.i still am.he is buried in my flower garden and I say good morning chickie and goodnight chickie every single day.

Jennifer
July 28, 2018

We lost our 18 year old baby, Tigs, yesterday presumably to a stroke that occurred 4 days earlier.  We've always mourned deeply for the loss of a pet, but this time, it's almost unbearable.  Tigs was the greatest and a real fighter, having overcome several obstacles....falling about 15 feet as a small kitten, being bitten by a copperhead, and dealing with diabetes.  She was the most wonderful cat and it was so hard when the time came to make the dreaded decision.  We brought her home to be buried in our pet cemetery, next to her sister, MamaGirl, who passed at 15 due to cancer, another difficult decision to let her go.  Depe in our hearts, we know we made the right decision, but it's so hard.. We asked her if she was ready to go home, she turned her head and meowed at us., which she did whenever she wanted something. We knew it was time.   We've cried so many tears and we are trying to focus on good memories.  Tigs was the boss of the house, she had us right where she wanted us.  We were at her beck and call.  She never wanted for anything.  She was the best cat ever and we know she's waiting with all our other furbabies when our time comes.  So sorry for anyone dealing with the loss of a pet, just know you're not alone.  We all mourn the loss of our beloved pets.  We miss and love our Tigs dearly and pray that there will be a day we can talk of her without shedding tears.   RIP my sweet Tigster!  4/5/00-7-27-18

Michelle C.
July 25, 2018

We are devasted by this. We lost our big old boy Rock to this disease on Monday morning. He was about 18 and always in good health. He wouldn't eat over the weekend which was very strange so we were going to take him to the vet Monday afternoon, leaving work early. As we readied for work my husband cried, "Rock can't walk!" We were terrified. Being 6am we rushed him to the emergency Vet as he cried in his carrier. When the vet came in we knew - 5 years ago our beloved Milo had the same thing! We just started crying. We went to the back to see him, he was suffering so bad I couldn't deal with it, we had no choice seeing him like that. There were no options. My husband is crying because he didn't stay with him but the vet said due to Rock's distress or something she couldn't get a catheter in him and it could be upsetting for us to be there. So, after it was over, we went in and told him how much we loved him. We still feel traumatized. He ran our house, he slept with us every night, greeted us every time we came home, he ordered us around and he was a huge 18 lb lovebug. He did not deserve to die this way.  He was black and white with the softest, thickest fur ever. The vet could not believe we'd been through this twice. It is gut wrenching to watch our other two cats look for him. Finding this site has been a comfort for me, although I still feel completely traumatized.I am so sorry for all of us who experienced this most awful nightmare.

Jennifer
July 7, 2018

I couldn’t find my nugget Luke. I searched the whole house and I found him hiding behind the dryer. I moved the dryer and he couldn’t move. I picked him up and noticed he couldn’t move his legs. I carried him like a baby and drove right to the ER. The ER was closing in 10 minutes but the dr told me he had a clot and needed to be euthanized. She recommended going to the dr down the street who had more time to diagnose. I drove down the street to the Dr and his diagnosis was the same. I feel incredibly shocked, saddened and guilty to make the choice to euthanize him. I was just cuddling with him the night before. Luke was in my life for four years and truly helped me through a difficult time but I can’t believe he’s gone. I can’t stop thinking about how he felt when he was hiding and I can’t stop thinking about if I made the right decision.

Anna Novak
June 14, 2018

Again, this happened last night to my 14 year old cat Davey.  He was fine when I got home from work.  On my way to the bathroom before bed I almost tripped over a nearly paralyzed cat.  I ran him to the vet, and within a couple hours, made the tough decision to euthanize.  To all the others, I'm sorry for your loss.  This is a particularly traumatic way to lose an otherwise healthy happy household member.

James Cloud
June 4, 2018

We just dealt with this last night. Our 17 year old tuxedo Sagan was perfectly happy, purring away on top of the couch. He got down and walked into our room. Two minutes later, he staggered out of our room, crumpled up on top of a lame front paw. He started howling pretty much right away and then began mouth breathing. Less than two hours later, he was euthanized... he had congestive heart failure, fluid on the lungs, and really advanced age. And we didn't want Sagan to continue suffering. It was a rough night, last night, and we just finished burying him this morning. Horrible condition.

Victoria
May 31, 2018

This happened to our precious cat last night. We rushed him to the emergency vet this morning but due to the poor prognosis and his obvious pain we had to let him go. He was fine last night, my heart is shattered...

Bill Nash
May 27, 2018

This happened to my 14 year-old sphinx last night. She was in extreme pain and could not use her back legs at all. I rushed her to the animal. The vet gave me the options. I chose to end her pain. What an awful condition.

Meowme
May 14, 2018

My beloved Syb had this on friday. She had hcm and crd and was on all the meds but plavix did not stop it. She was open mouth breathing and iI rushed her to dvm. By the time we got there her back legs were paralyzed. First they put her on oxygen, and dvm said she suspected a blood clot to legs.  Went to see her and she was dragging her legs and git very upset, and screamed a bit, before that she was only meowing in the car and did not seem to be in pain to me. Then we saw her later after tests and she was more comfortable on oxygen for 3-4 hours. Dvm said there was no bo in all 4 legs so her heart was very weak and she would not last a day even with treatment which could kill her. I don’t think they gave her a pain killer. She talked to us and wanted to come home. It was heart breaking. I told her mom was here and she was going to be ok as she went to heaven peacefully. 

Bea Bridgmon
May 11, 2018

My sisters cat "miss kitty" was DX with diabetes 1 week earlier and now she had to be euthanized because she started throwing blood clots. Shocked and devastated as this was a total shock. I hope that vets can help their "patients" moms and dads deal with such a terrible situation. My heart breaks for all that have to go thru such an experience. I have 2 cats inside (1 is my moms which she has passed) and 1 that is a rescue, 8 outside that showed up several years ago which have been spayed and neutered, down to 1 dog and some fowl. I am an animal LOVER!

Kim
May 3, 2018

We just had this happen within two days of our cocker spaniel showing signs of leg problems. He always had a little wobble on one but he was 15 and we thought he hurt it somehow. He was running around with our younger girls two days ago outside and all the sudden couldn't use his back legs. This an awful disease. It's hard because there is no warning. I now think he did have thyroid issues or Cushings. We would have been prepared to fight and gone to the UT vet schools had he not been so old and crying last night b.c he was hurting. He had kidney stones as well we didn't know about. We were told we can try to treat the condition by going to a vet school and try to break up the clot but he would be on pain meds and not able to move. I had been carrying him up and down our stairs to go outside and holding him up the past two days and couldn't see myself doing it another two months. Seeing him look at me wondering what happened to his legs. My poor buddy. I loved him so much. We are devastated.

Heather
April 27, 2018

Just lost our almost 15 year old Himalayan guy to this a few hours ago.  Just before it hit, he was happily walking across my desk.  The next thing I know, he is laying on the floor and cannot move.  I'll never forget the way he looked at me and the sound of his cries.  So very sad.

<br="" clear="all"> Teresa L.
April 21, 2018</br="">

First I am so sorry that everyone on this site had to go thru this horrible experience as well. I had to lay my 8 year old rescue kitty to sleep over 2 months ago due to this condition. It happened the night before his 8th Birthday. I rescued him at 4 years old. I had 4 beautiful years with him. I am still having a hard time dealing with this as well. He was perfectly fine, eating, drinking, playing. 2 weeks before I had bought him to the vet because he was sneezing. I came home from work and found him yelping in pain. And you know the rest of the story :( What a sweet loving boy. It was such a shock and I am still missing him. I feel your grief all..Hugs and peace.

Donna Jones
April 14, 2018

We lost our precious 10+ year old cat, Ace to this horrible disease! It was terrible having to see him suffer while we hurriedly put him in the carrier to take him to the animal emergency clinic. It happened right after we got home from work last week & I'm still grieving. We are heartbroken. The vet said she knew right away upon bringing him in what was wrong because of his howling/thrashing to & fro with paralysis of his back legs. After administering pain medication to him (he had to get a double dose because he was a big boy)the vet only had to spend about 15 minutes on him before she came to tell us his prognosis was probably only about 10% chance of surviving this. She said we could take him to the UGA animal clinic  (which is a 50 minute drive from where we're located), spend what could be hundreds to a couple thousand dollars worth of care only to have his prognosis be about the same percent. She highly recommended euthanasia. We were in shock! This whole episode happened within a matter of 90 minutes! We had our hopes suddenly dashed of him being successfully treated & coming home with us.  So, we were given a consent form with three different options of euthanasia to choose for him. We were devastated! She allowed us to be with him while he was put to sleep. My husband gently rubbed his belly (Ace was the only cat we ever had that liked his belly rubbed). I softly spoke to him while petting his head & shoulder, telling him what a good boy he is & how much we love him. He immediately started purring!!! The ONLY comfort in this terrible ending was that he passed away, finally pain-free, knowing we were right there with him. This was one of the saddest things we've ever had to go through & I'm crying as I write this! Thank goodness I found this site to be able to relate with others that had to endure a nightmare such as this. 

Sara
March 29, 2018

Almost positive I experienced this with my 15 yr old kitty this morning, and it took him almost as soon I did enough research to find a probable cause. When you wake up at 5:30 am to find your cat screaming in pain is terrifying, especially as an 18 year old kid.

Amber Reimer
March 21, 2018

I am so thankful I found this site and hope that it will eventually help ease this pain period a few hours ago I had to put down my 14 year old tuxedo cat Jazzy due to saddle thrombus. I am a vet tech at A Small Animal Clinic. My sweet kitty vomited last night but seemed fine this morning. I told myself I would take her to work tomorrow if something changed. I went to work and when I got home tonight she was paralyzed on my bed. When I walked into the room she started screaming. I freaked out, and put her in her carrier and headed back to work unfortunately 45 minutes away. I made it in 30, but it wasn't enough. I recently switched from large animal to small animal medicine and had never heard of this condition before, but when I temped her the thermometer would not even read in her back feet were already cold. I couldn't believe it. One minute she was there, and the next minute I had to put her down. I had four vets helping her and me, all while crying. She had the best care possible and it kills me that it will never be enough. Researching this and reading this article has helped. I got my kitty the day I turned 18 moved out for college, to go to vet school. She saw me through many years of my mom's chemotherapy, College breakups, the heart breaking realization senior year that vet school wasn't an option,  mom's death after college and then 8 amazing years with my husband and I. She finally started getting on his lap 6 months ago. I haven't lived a day of my adult life without my "child" and while I'm so thankful for the 14 years I had, I feel like I will never get over this. I will definitely never stop hearing her screams.

Pat Sherrer
March 18, 2018

I am going through this right now with my 16 year old manx. It started 2 weeks ago with one leg... My vet checked her, did blood work said her heart was good... no improvement last week and she was put on steroids... both legs are involved.. her feet are cold. Honestly does not appear to be in pain... I am trying to prepare myself for the worst.

Toni
March 6, 2018

I am so grateful to know I am not alone in dealing with the trauma of watching my kitty go through this.  I lost him 5 days ago and I am still in shock.  He was so filled with unconditional love and did not deserve to die this way.

Tara
February 26, 2018

I just came across this article. I’m still trying to make sense of what happened to my sweet kitty, Blossom. She had this saddle thrombus last month. On January 11, 2018 she was literally laying in my lap an hour or less before she started howling & screaming in pain and quickly lost use of her back legs, as well as lost control of her bladder. I got her to the vet as quickly as I could - thank goodness they are close to our house. I normally keep my cool in an emergency, but I was crying & hyperventilating. It was so horrible to hear her in so much pain. The vet immediately knew what it was and dosed her up on pain medicine so that I could say goodbye. We couldn’t even wait for my husband to get there to euthanize her. It was, I believe, the worst thing I’ve gone through. Blossom was 16, so she lived a good, long life. But I find myself sometimes feeling angry that she died that way. She was so gentle & sweet. She deserved a peaceful death. On the other hand, I do feel blessed that I was able to get her pain relief quickly because our vet is nearby. And that she was euthanized so she didn’t have to suffer too long. But I think it’s going to take me awhile to get over the trauma surrounding her death. It’s been a month and a half, and I can still hear her painful cries. My heart goes out to everyone else dealing with losing a beloved cat in this awful way.

Jo
February 21, 2018

This has just happened to us a matter of hours ago with my fur baby who was only 2 years old. Devastated doesn’t begin to describe how we feel.

Suzanne
January 29, 2018

I just lost my beloved 10 yr old cat this morning. I was leaving for work and looked down and he dragged his back end. He had just eaten, played with his toys and was running around. He started to rip his fur out, heavily pant and then he rolled on his side. He vomited his breakfast and clear fluid. I grabbed him, put him in his carrier and within 20 minutes he died while I drove him along the freeway. The vet said a clot moved and cut off the blood supply to his legs. The clear fluid was from his lungs filling up as the heart was not pumping. His howls were awful. After reading this I am grateful that maybe we didn’t get to the vets. It sounds like it would have been even worse. The vet did say Addy had a painful death. I am glad it lasted 25 minutes and not hours.

Liz
January 6, 2018

I am so very grateful I found this article and these comments from others that are going through what I am. I was feeling alone going through all the grief and guilt of making a decision to euthanize my beautiful black cat, Misty that I loved so much. Yesterday, January 5, 2018 Misty started screaming in agony at the bottom of the stairs. She had no use of her back legs. I gently picked her up and screamed for my daughter to help me get her to the emergency hospital. The Doctor told me she had Saddle Thrombus, a clot that cuts off the circulation to her legs and he said it is extremely painful. After a brief explanation he advised the most humane thing is to euthanize her. He gave her pain medication and I was able to spend a few minutes with her to tell her how much I love her. Other family members don't really understand what I'm going thru. I had a dog named Pepper for almost 16 years that was my constant companion. She passed away in December, 2009 from seizures. I was devastated when I lost her. Then..in March, 2010 this beautiful, skinny, shy, stray black cat came to my back door wanting food. I fed her for 4 weeks but she was too shy to come in the house. Finally, one day I left the door open and put the food inside. She timidly came in, ate and them jumped up on the chair and has been with me for 8 years. Misty was my savior and helped me with my mourning over the loss of my dog, Pepper. She showed up and taught me that I could help an animal in need of that same love. Now I have lost her and it's devastating for me. Like any pet owner, you hope the animals that you love will live long, have a good life, and die peacefully. I'm having a lot of difficulty accepting the loss of my cat Misty and what she went thru. It did just happen yesterday, and I'm in deep mourning, and also have the guilt that everyone does when you have to euthanize your pet even though you know there was no other choice. I find myself still looking for her to run across the room. She was only 8 years old, I wish I had her for a longer time. I do feel good that I did spoil her like she deserved. I'm feeling lost, sad, and missing my baby girl so very much. It's just so very hard to know how to deal with this. And I truly believe she was sent to me at the time I was in deep mourning when I lost my dog, Pepper. Now I'm not sure how I will ever get over the loss of Misty. Thank you everyone for your comments, it helps so much to know I'm not alone.

Jane
December 25, 2017

I am sitting here streaming with tears because we lost our beloved boy to this yesterday, on Christmas eve. He came in from being outside, all wet, after we had been out visiting. In the time it took me to go to the bathroom and come back down my daughter said he was screaming and lying on the floor. We had no idea what was happening, but just tried to keep him from trying to move. My husband and I realised when we saw his back legs had gone that he was not going to make it. I took him down to the vet, who was still half an hour away, and she diagnosed what this was. She explained treatment for our prince, who could be aged anywhere from 12 to 15 as he was stray when he came to us 11 years ago. I took the decision that the prognosis was not good and that over Christmas it would not be fair to him to have him a limited service vet's surgery, in pain, scared and alone in a cage. So he died in my arms. I have begun trawling around the internet looking for answers on Christmas Day because I hope I wasn't too slow to get help for him. He has been breathing rapidly for a few weeks but still eating, running around and coming for cuddles like normal. I took him to the vet's last week and they checked him over. They said his breathing was fast but this could be a repeat of a chesty cough he had. Checks for his heart rate and blood pressure didn't arouse concern. He was given a steroid shot to clear the chest, but I just hope this was not a problem I could have forestalled if I had gone to the vet sooner. I had no idea that quicker breathing might have signified a clot. They never said the other day that this might be a complication. I hope it isn't something that could have been foreseen. He was 12 to 15 and had a lovely life when he chose us. I hope that was enough to make up for the half hour of pain he suffered at the end. I hope I was able to comfort him enough. I will never celebrate Christmas again.

Nancy Kilpatrick
December 22, 2017

My calico Fedex, an abandoned girl who appeared at my door like a parcel in 2007, began having mini seizures early October. She had maybe 5, would fall over, couldn't right herself, but then did within a minute. The vet did blood tests and diagnosed her with hyperthryodism and she was taking meds for that. Then she had a seizure Dec 12 and her right back paw was paralyzed. The vet said blood clot or neurological issue. Fedex wasn't good that first day, but she began eating and drinking the 13th, moreso on the 14th, then the vet put her on predizone on the 15th for a week to increase her appetite. Today, the 22nd, she went to the vet for another blood test to check her thryoid levels. Down but needed to go down further. When I got her home and opened the carrier door, she came out then had another seizure. This time the right front paw is bent under, paralyzed. The vet was leaving for the day when I phoned but said I could bring her tomorrow, the other vet would be there, and there's a clot-busting drug but it's strong and if Fedex cut herself she could bleed out. I made an appointment. The other 2 options were a 24 hr. animal hospital an hour away by taxi (I have no car), or euthenasia.  I've read all the information all over the net and all the heart-rending stories here and I am so torn. I'll see what transpires tomorrow but if this other vet who knows about the clot buster drug can't tell me there's a good chance of reversing at least this newest clot in the right front paw, and if he can't give me some assurance this won't happen in future, this or a worse clot with more pain and more horror for my baby girl, I will have to go the way almost all of you have gone and I don't know how I'll cope. I've had many dogs in my earlier life (until I discovered I'm allergic to them) and cats in the last 30 years (also allergic, but it's managable), and I've never had to put one down. I'm so broken up all the time now that I can't imagine how I'll be able to be there and support my dear, darling Fedex, the sweetest cat I've ever had. I don't know if I'm strong enough to be there for her.  This is so horrible, but I won't let her suffer more, or be more paralysed. I hope I can be strong for her. This is a nightmare, and so many of you have gone through it. I'm glad I'm reading these painful stories, sobbing as I do. Maybe I, too, can be strong for this lovely creature that chose my front door and me to share a life with.

Jason
December 18, 2017

I know this article is almost five years old, but thank you for posting it and keeping it up. I lost my two and a half year old cat to this a couple of days ago. It was sudden and horrific, but I'm grateful I was home and able to get her to the veterinarian so fast. The decision to put her to sleep was terrible but easy to make given the pain she had already gone through and her prognosis... I wasn't going to put her through all that just for my own benefit. Reading this article filled in some of the blanks and made me feel like a less terrible pet owner. Thanks again.

Anne
December 16, 2017

I'm sorry I must be added to this horrible club.  My happy, loving sweet 10 year old cat was taken down by a saddle thrombus 3 days ago. He was fine, then suddenly paralyzed from the waist down.  He was not comfortable but did not appear to be in horrific pain.  The car ride to the ER, then all the things that are done at a vets office were torturous.  At least he was given pain meds right away. The vet diagnosed him with aortic thromboembolism and recommended euthanasia.  I cannot understand how he could be completely fine, running around, no signs of heart disease, no illnesses, then be suddenly paralyzed and 3 hours later have to be euthanized. The experienced vet tech at the ER said she sees 2 cases of this a month and it is one of the worst things she sees happen to cats.  I am now left totally bereft, unable to comprehend the cruelty of the situation that happened to him and how I will ever be able to cope with such a loss.

Nicole
December 11, 2017

My kitty was diagnosed with this disease this weekend, but it affected just one of his front paws, not his back.  Sadly, the X-rays showed a large mass in his lung area, though, and an enlarged heart.  Either could have caused the clot, I'm told. However, we brought him home, and are using Buprenex, clopidolgrel, and Enoxaparin Sadium injections, and he seems to be doing ok.  I know the odds of another clot are high, and that the mass and heart issues may shorten his life, but for now, he is doing well, even with just three legs working, and seems to not be in pain.  He started purring again today as well, and jumped onto my bed to sleep next to me last night. I am cherishing all moments with him and am so sorry we, and everyone else who's posted on this site, have had to go through this with our sweet, innocent  babies.

CR
December 7, 2017

We lost our beautiful boy 6 days ago. We awoke to howling from the other room. I immediately knew something was wrong. I will never forget the sight of my normally strong and happy boy dragging his legs behind him trying to walk. It was 4:30 in the morning. We immediately rushed him to the 24 hour vet about 15 minutes away. On the way there my poor baby was in so much agony he bit me so hard on my hand and arm. Something this gentle boy would never have done before. On arrival the vet immediately diagnosed him and we were told the most humane thing to do was euthanize him. We discussed treatment but the vet said it would lead to more suffering. We sobbed and comforted him in his final moments but I am still struggling to come to terms with the fact that this boy, who had been through so much in his life and had overcome so many other health issues, was going to end his life in such a traumatic way. It is so unfair. I just can't get those images out of my head. I miss him so much and my other cat is pining for him, crying and looking for him everywhere. It is utterly heartbreaking. Does anyone have any experience with the best way to help her? We are obviously showering her with love and attention but I don't know how else to help her :( RIP My sweet, strong and one in a million boy.

CMidnite
November 30, 2017

My sweet, sweet black 14 year old boy passed away this morning all of a sudden with no warning at all and I never knew the nightmare of Saddle thrombus until I was reading the comments on this site. I was told when I rescued him years ago that he had a heart murmur but nobody ever addressed treatment for it as there was never an issue with his heart except a heart murmur. He did develop pancreatitis and was diagnosed with such two days ago. I just recently moved  a month ago and he seemed okay with it. he became lethargic not wanting to eat or drink or even urinate on Mon., so I took him to the new vets and he did a CBC panel, gave him a steroid and an appetite pill. I brought him home Monday night and laid with him all night crying and thinking to myself something is wrong. I just didn't know what. When he started hiding under the beds that's when I started to worry. He woke up Tuesday morning and I put food in front of him to which he ate and he seem to be feeling better but still not himself. I later realized that the steroid shot given was making him feel a little better and making him eat which made me feel better. this morning I woke up; he was sleeping under the bed he was fine he wasn't himself still, so I thought maybe he's just trying to get better. I had him on an antibiotic and was just watching over him. As I was in the shower he came in the bathroom, barely able to walk hitting the door as he was coming in screaming in pain. I ran out of the shower and found him under the bed on his back with his hind legs limp n a saddle position. It was out of the blue. I didn't know what to do. Hewas screaming in pain. I proceeded to put him on top of the bed and watch over him as I wrapped him in one of my favorite t-shirts and rushed him to the vet. When I arrived to the vet he had already passed away. I didn't know what happened. Somebody at the vet had mentioned saddle thrombus so I came home and researched it and found this wonderful sites with people having to endure the utter nightmare that I just did. Poor baby! watching my favorite cat in agony and pain and not knowing what to do for him. I guess I should be thankful for him not being in any more pain than sum I read about. He quickly passed away on the way. He like every other sweet cat on this site didn't deserve that sudden quick intense and for him-  fatal pain Everybody on this site who has commented about their sweet babies didn't deserve to go through what we all just went through and didn't deserve to see them go through sudden intense pain and paralysis of their limbs. My sweet sweet boy at 14 years is gone and I will miss him dearly but I wasn't going to let him suffer  and so I'm glad that I didn't have to make the decision like so many do. I will never be able to cuddle with him again. Somebody definitely needs to get back to the research table and find a cure or some preventive maintenance for this sudden nightmare illness. It's also sad that even if your cat has a heart condition things don't show up in Labs or blood work like they should so you know what to do for them.

Cari R.
November 28, 2017

We lost our beloved Casper yesterday .. he was 7 yrs old and was on atenolol and plavix for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It happened so fast and I’m feeling so guilty for putting him down. We loved him so much and his sister is lost, meowing for him and my daughter is devastated. I heard a big crash in the middle of the night and somehow he did not cry out. He made it to our bed and it wasn’t until I got him up for his morning pull did I notice he had no function in his back legs .. he will be so missed.

Loretta Miller
November 27, 2017

I'm having a hard time believing in god at the moment. Fine, maybe people deserve what they get, I know some good ones... But don't do this to our best friends, our babies..what did they do to deserve this? On Saturday this happened to my 13 year old calico, BeeBee. Breathing a bit heavy, then trying to vomit, then her back end getting wobbly and going out from under her. I was freaking out, doing that- nononono, not again, I can't do this, I can't lose her. We live in a town that NO vets work past noon on Saturday until Monday morning. I know for sure because I called EVERY SINGLE ONE. My vets office is suppose to put the call through to the emergency clinic, (which by the way, is 40-45 minutes away), but the message said that mailbox was not taking any more calls... WHAT? My vet is 5 minutes away, (owned by a company in California, huh, I live in Pennsylvania). BeeBee didn't seem like she was in a massive amount of pain, but we were told the same as everyone else- pain, not good prognosis...yes, happening so fast. The vet asked me if I wanted them to try to resuscitate her if she went into heart failure. How did we get here already? Half the building probably heard our breakdown, I don't cry softly, delicately, or ladylike- I cry loud and ugly. The worst part was when they brought her in so we could say goodbye. I knew they had given her pain meds, but she just looked like, "Thank StarClan, my humans..it was getting crazy and scary back there, it's cool now, we're back together..." Then I had her euthanized. Wow, what a great weekend. When and if I get to see her again, she'll probably try to scratch my face off. But now she's with Sammy, the only other cat she ever got along with. We lost him in 2012 to cancer. This comment probably won't get posted, I apologize, I have some anger and a lot of sadness to work through...Oh, did I mention the $300 bill that had to be paid up front? Talk about adding insult to injury...

Sandy Pepper
November 27, 2017

We lost our beloved Weezie this morning to this....literally one minute he was absolutely fine and the 10 minutes later he was lying on the floor in pain and making horrible noises...we had him at the vet in 20 minutes and they diagnosed him - his back leg was paralyzed...he had a heart murmur and was 9 years old.  My entire family is in shock and devastated we lost our "Big Boy"....we miss you Weezie...

Jana
November 24, 2017

This site has been such a support to me since last night. I have felt much grief for letting my beloved 9 yr. old Samson (aka P) go at 3:00am. He woke me at 2:00am when he fell off the bed. I thought he had a nightmare, but now I know it was a seizure. I reached over and picked him up off the floor to put him back on the bed, and he let out a loud cry (I could tell it was pain because normally when he meows, nothing comes out). He's a really quiet kitty, so when he makes noise, you know something is going on. When I put him on the bed, I felt something wet. He had peed on the bed. I got up, picked him up, and placed him delicately on the floor, where he peed more. He just laid there panting, and what I didn't notice at the time was that his legs were stretched out, and I'm guessing he couldn't move them. I just knew something bad was going on, so I threw on some clothes and rushed to the ER vet that is closeby. After they had him in the back, the doctor came out and told me she thought it was a clot and that it didn't look good and I should really think about euthanizing him. I was completely in shock. All I could do was bawl my eyes out. I asked if there were alternatives. I don't know why, but she gave me hope by saying that I could get a bunch of tests done, but it would be a minimum of $2,000, but then ongoing medical costs would be expensive. Basically, she gave me hope when there really wasn't any. I asked to see P before I made my final decision. He was on oxygen, and they were heating his body up because his temperature had dropped. She also said his gums were pale. I loved on him, cried, told him how much I loved him, but I was still distraught and couldn't make the decision. Right about then, P was trying to stand up on his hind legs and then suddenly started having a seizure again. In that moment, I made the call to let him go. Even though I had to let my 14 yr. old cat go many years ago, this was different. I had driven 2 hours to get P from a rescue group. He only had one eye, and at one point had dental surgery to remove most of his back teeth. He was healthy though, and happy and normal just the night before! This is why it was so hard for me to make the call. I couldn't understand how he could be fine one moment, and then not the next. Reading your stories has really calmed me down today and reassured me that I made the right choice. Based on his yowls of pain alone, I know he was not in a good place. He is at peace now. I chose to bring him home, and my ex came over and helped me bury him. He had been part of P's life for a long time, so it meant a lot to have him there. Thank you everyone here for sharing your stories. My heart is shattered at the moment, completely blind-sided. P was something really special, my wingman. I will miss him most when I go to watch tv, put the quilt over my legs, and wait for him to take his position between my lower legs. We used to call him P-pedo (because he looked like a torpedo...LOL). Sitting on my lap for tv time was his absolute favorite thing, so much so that sometimes he'd be waiting on my seat. LOL My sweet P, I will miss you forever. Strength and love to all of you, this silent killer is horrible..

Baby Carlos
November 18, 2017

It's so sad to see so many posts of pets who just passed within a day or two of writing it. We are all looking for answers. I l9st my baby Carlos two day ago to this horrible disease. He was a stray that I took in, the sweetest goodies m9st docile and loving boy in the world. He made me laugh every day. I greeted me at my car every day I came home from work. But not today, because he's gone. I still can't believe it. I saw him sleeping in the corner at 6am and thought it off. Then he was on the bathroom floor, looked ok but I could see he was breathing a bit fast. No howling, seemed calm...it maybe confused. Then he tried to get up and he was dragging his back legs. Then I noticed my other cats were all staring and looking terrified. I put him in a carrier, sped to the get. He started howling in the car but I thought it was the ride. Diagnosis was saddle thrombus, his temp was 97. Said his arythmia sounded like shoes in a dryer and that he probably wouldn't make it through any treatment. I could hear him screaming from down the hall. I chose to let my sweet boy go, he was in so much pain and the outlook so poor. As i write this he should be snuggle on my lap. I'm in shock he's gone, so fast. So unfair that he had to be so scared and in such agony before he left this world.

Lin
November 18, 2017

About two months ago I noticed my cats hind legs were bothering him Took him o the vet they diagnosed him with diabetic neuropathy but his sugar was fine he couldn’t walk when you return from the vet but  A few days later he was able to get around then about two weeks ago his hind legs went completely  paralyzed  and he collapsed healthwise he was fine he was eating using the litter pan etc. he was hyper thyroid and a diabetic and took his medicine well two days ago before his death he wouldn’t eat the treats that contain his medication and I had to administrate by mouth then on Wednesday he didn’t want to eat anything and just lick the juices of the food slept  most of the day as usual he drink himself under the Ottoman Asleep  as usual when he couldn’t get out of an area he would cry and I would move him he cried I moved into a different area and then he started to really cry as if he had to vomit I notice he was dying to vomit and held him if he vomited he went limp his head drop to one side and his body went completely limp I shook him he seem to regain consciousness then slipped off again covered him with a blanket put them on the chair he was gone there was this sound coming from his mouth like a low moan  wrap them up immediately took him to the vet he died on the way I am devastated because I don’t know what happened to him he was 18 years old and I felt the beds just gave up on him they said if I wanted to pursue anymore I would have to take him to a Doctor Who specializes in his problem I opted not to do it what I don’t understand that day  he wasn’t himself but it was only one day other than that he was fine now I have this horrible guilt feeling could I have done more

Jodee
November 17, 2017

We lost our little "Baby" last night to this.  He was 8 years old.  We were feeding him and all of a sudden he lost all feeling in both back legs and went down.  He was in such pain.  He was a wonderful little guy and was active and playful.  We are heartbroken and still can't believe he is gone.  We weren't even aware of this condition.  Today is going to be a hard day.

Fiona
November 16, 2017

I'm so sad and shocked to see how many of us have lost our beloved kitties to this awful condition - just in the last couple of weeks. I lost my lovely Gingie-boy yesterday - I am devastated as are my kids - he was just 2 years old and such a love. Blessings to all of you suffering such a loss as well.

Mitra
November 14, 2017

I just lost my big beautiful boy to this condition this morning. Monty was the most amazing cat and had such spark. I noticed the last couple days he was a bit wheezy and fast breath but thought I’d just keep an eye on him and that he had a hair ball. This morning his back legs wouldn’t move and he was hacking up white foam. He was only 4 years old. I’m so sorry for anyone that loses they’re loved one this way. There is nothing we can do. RIP Monty.

Erin
November 11, 2017

Finding this site has been the only thing that has helped me these last two days. My precious baby Arlo died suddenly, and traumatically, on late Thursday afternoon, November 9th. He was 2 year old orange persian with the sweetest disposition. He was the kind of cat that people, who weren't even "cat people", instantly fell in love with. When I got him, my daughter lived at home and he became her baby too. Since that time, she has moved out and has a little place of her own. So every so often he would go visit her at her house, especially if I was going out of town or something. This past Thursday was one of those days. I got to her house and we unloaded Arlo's things, and let him out of his carrier. He was an indoor-only cat, so he started re-acquainting himself with her place. Everything was fine as it had been every other time. I left, only to have her call me shortly thereafter. She said I needed to come right away because Arlo was panting with his tongue out, and that when she picked him up, he urinated on her. I rushed over within 5-minutes, and he had gotten worse. His front legs had gone limp and he was trying to stand up, but only his back legs worked. This made him move backwards and he was also gagging as if trying to cough up a hairball. We grabbed the car keys to take to an emergency vet a couple miles away, but within seconds he was laying on his side spitting out pink fluid. I didn't know if picking him up would make it worse or not, so I gently rubbed his side to keep him calm. After a couple of labored breaths, he was gone. I was sitting beside him on the floor, and my daughter was standing at the edge of her bed, and we literally wailed with grief. It was the most horrific experience. What had started as a happy afternoon, like so many others, turned into a nightmare. My daughter Katie, kept saying he didn't deserve this, and I agree. None of the kitties people have written about on this site deserved it. Thursday night, I needed answers. I didn't understand what had happened and that made it even worse. Then I found this site. I was heartbroken to read that others had gone through what we had, but at the same time it gave me comfort to know that I hadn't caused it or missed any symptoms beforehand. Arlo will always be a part of my heart.

T. Miller
November 10, 2017

We lost our beloved Ginger to this horrific condition on Wednesday and we are utterly devastated! One minute she was a vibrant, happy little kitty and the next she was screaming in agony. We are lost without her and her brother, Snap, is still searching for his sister. My heart goes out to anyone who has suffered a loss of a pet, especially one to this terrible condition.

Jaine
October 20, 2017

Lost my 2yr old cat Bonkers yesterday to saddle thrombosis. Heard a howl, went down & saw him trying to drag himself up the cat tree, he was just panting but no other noise at all, stroked him & rang vet, went down straight away & 5 mins later he was gone, just like that. This amazing little rescue cat that was so loving & bubbly was now lifeless & my heart is broken.

Brittney
October 5, 2017

My boyfriend and I just lost our cat today at 3:56 pm from this horrible disease :( He had beautiful big emerald green eyes and his name is izzy, he was 11 years old and I'm lucky to spent one of those years with him. In the last 3 months we found out he had beginning of heart disease and he had to be given insulin everyday for the last 3 months (he was like 25 lbs) he's been losing weight and he seemed to be better! - he also was introduced to my boyfriends ex-roomates kitten for about 8 months and to be honest caused a lot of stress on izzy... When I met izzy I knew he had underlying issues..he was overweight, his belly inflamed, his back legs - he had trouble walking (arthritis probably). My BF didn't shrug it off, he loves his cat...but I don't think he fully took me seriously...than when he noticed him panting hard three months ago (that's when he was diagnosed with heart murmur etc) Just like everyone says, happy - playful, purr'ing, walking....eating...everything than BAM, he is unable to move :( I was at work and my boyfriend said izzy isn't doing too well..I rush home from work - he's at the vet and he was told he has a blood clot and his legs have become paralyzed :'( He was heavily sadated and we just held him and cried and cried...told him what a sweet gift he was to both of us.... so sad watching half his body and trying to lift up and all confused as to why he couldn't...incredibly heartbreaking....he was completely fine and all of a sudden he can't walk and won't be returning home with us... My boyfriend said he threw up everywhere, and he watched him about half hour before he took him to vet... he thought he was just in shock and he didn't want to move..well nope, he was paralyzed, and panting :( :( shaking :( :( Oh god, my heart is broken and my heart goes out to all of you whom are experiencing this as well..very comforting reading these comments...our fur babies physical is not present but their souls and energy are always with us... Feels weird to come home and he's not sprawled on the floor and he used to eat hilariously! He's lay down and paw his bowl to him and literally scoop out individual pieces of cat kibble! SO FUNNY! LOL God bless our animals who had to be helped to heaven, where there is lots of catnip and their free of any pain. God bless everyone and four on the floor

Tamsin
October 2, 2017

I almost lost my 17 year old cat Polly to a saddle thrombus today.  When I adopted her 7 years ago, I was told that she had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  A few years ago she was successfully treated for hyperthyroid as well.  So I knew.  Nonetheless this morning her yowl and sudden inability to use her hind legs was not unexpected but still awful.  We raced to the vet. She was panting a bit.  Her left hind leg seemed more affected than her right.  The vet immediately gave her pain relief, aspirin and acupuncture.  Within an hour, she was walking again, wobbly but walking.  I've re-ordered some dermal Plavix.  Although she is curled up next to me now as though nothing had happened, I am grateful but concerned about recurrence. The vet and I sort of agreed that if/when this does recur and if the pain is worse, the heparin treatment is probably not going to happen because of the extreme pain and bad prognosis.  At that point, Polly and I will have to let each other go.  I hope that day is still a way off.

Lori
September 20, 2017

I lost my beloved Frank last night to this horrible disease. It's true what everyone says...fine one minute and near death the next. He was laying on the floor, couldn't move, vomiting, and digging his teeth into the carpet when we tried to lift him...possibly his way of letting us know he wanted to lay there and die. We took him the the Pet ER late last night and they immediately recommended euthanasia. There was barely enough time to say goodbye. He was only 17 months old and otherwise a very healthy cat. I feel so bad that he had to go through this and that I won't be able to see his sweet, innocent, beautiful face ever again. I will miss him forever. His brother is not eating today as they were best friends....I just hope his brother will get through this. I will hope for a cure  for this....this is a terrible situation for a cat to go through and I had never heard of this until my cat suffered it. Hug your kitties every day...this comes out of nowhere.

Amanda Radtke
September 18, 2017

I lost my sweet baby girl to this on September 11, 2017.  I feel so guilty I can hardly stand it.  I got the bill from the vet and it did not include pain meds.  She may have had them  with no charge, but I have yet to encounter a vet who gratuitously gives meds. She was fine one minute on the couch with me, then collapsed and began panting. The screaming I attributed to my mad ass drive to the vet 10 miles away was her in absolute agony.  I waited about 30 minutes when the vet said they were having a hard time stabilizing her.  I asked if she was in pain and she said yes, but was fading.  I requested euthanasia, but she was rushed into my arms already dying before they could do it.  I cannot describe the guilt. These kids are our babies.

Manny and Michelle
September 17, 2017

Our little boy, Oscar just passed away of this horrible condition today. He found us last year, a stray that became our little boy, best cat ever, so sweet and gentle. Now he's gone to be with his friends in heaven. My heart goes out to everyone who have lost their beloved cats to this awful and silent killer. God Bless, and take care.

Sarah
September 4, 2017

I lost my cat to this today. He was absolutely fine and rambunctious yesterday, and then today he was dragging his back legs around and howling. We brought him to the vet and he had all of these issues. The only option was to say goodbye.

Jo McClure
August 15, 2017

Reading all these messages is really eye-opening to this devastating condition. I lost my little cat just yesterday to this and I think I'm still in shock with how sudden it all happened. On Sunday evening her breathing was faster than normal and she had lost her appetite so I called the emergency vet for advice and was told just to keep an eye on her. The next morning it was clear that she hadn't moved from the same spot all night and when she got up she was a bit wobbly. I took her to the vet and they kept her in, all day the believed in was an allergic reaction to something. However, later in the day while still in their care she lost the use of her back legs and they realised it was a clot. I'll never forget the call from the vet to say she was in extreme pain and we had to let her go. If only I'd known that morning that it would be the last time I'd see her. Most of the stories on this forum start with the cat losing the use of its legs and howling with pain, so I'm thankful that I didn't have to see that. It would have been devastating. It took quite a long time for the vet to realise what was wrong, but reading this thread it seems that nothing could be done for her even if they would have realised on Sunday, so that is also reassuring. It's insane how quickly circumstances can change one day from the next. Here I am typing this on the sofa, alone. My thoughts go out to all the other people that have lost their precious pets this way.

Jennifer O.
August 11, 2017

We lost our 8 year old precious baby last night to Saddle Thrombus. It is amazing how quickly the evening's events unfolded. One minute happy and healthy, the next minute he collapsed and could not longer use his back legs. We are devastated, but have incredible vets. We will miss Robot so much!

Jason
July 12, 2017

We just lost our 5 year old cat yesterday to saddle thrombosis.  Our cat had HCM (enlarged heart) and had two congestive heart failure episodes prior to yesterday.  I knew this day would come someday, but I was hoping having him on Plavix and Lasix would have given him an almost full life.  Unfortunately we could not additionally give him an Ace Inhibitor (Elanipril or Benazapril) because he was allergic.  Before learning about the HCM issue he had stomach issues and had a urinary obstruction.  For the stomach issue he was continually given steroids and after that when he had a urinary obstruction they pushed fluids and that is when the HCM presented itself.  Be very careful with Vets that use too heavy of doses of steroids.  Maybe that contributed to his heart getting larger, maybe it didn't, but being that he had all these issues after the steroid doeses, I can't help but think this may have contributed to the progression of his HCM.  Also, once your cat has a congestive heart failure episode you will be asked to see a cardiologist and get an EKG every 6 months.  After this has happened I wonder how continually going to the cardiologist (which I did) to do this test would have prevented what happened yesterday.  It's not like his HCM would reverse, they said he was born with it.  Anyway, he was only 5 years old and was a great cat.  I really hope this information helps somebody else.

Lori
July 7, 2017

We lost our wonderful white kitty on July 1 due to saddle thrombosis. He was perfectly happy that morning playing with his girl friend. We came home to the most horrific crying and saw bitten boxes and blood. Poor Mario was paralyzed. We rushed him to the emergency vet where we were told what happened. We had him put to sleep as he was also in congestive heart failure. He had been on atenelol for 12 years and we had blood work and blood pressure checks periodically. I had no idea that such a horrible thing could happen to him. Poor, sweet baby.

Lilian Chapman
June 26, 2017

We have just had to have our beautiful cat Spooky pts.she was such a beautiful friendly cat.although we knew she had tumours,and had taken her the same morning to her vet for a little check up,we were not prepared for this awful episode,I was at work &my daughter rang me in tears as Spooky had lost the use of her front paw & was clearly distressed I could hear it over the phone! Spooky had been thrashing around in agony,she was such a placid cat, i rushed over from work,to find Spooky sedated.the emergency vet told us the blood clot which could have been a part of her tumour & the kindest thing was to let her go,such a sad decision to have to make for a much loved pet.but we could not let her suffer, we said our tearful goodbyes and let her go

Janet Heath
June 21, 2017

We lost our precious furboy this past Friday.  We had to have him euthanized due to a blood clot that paralyzed his hind legs.  We had been dealing with Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease since his diagnoses 2 months ago.  We were getting a handle on the kidney disease.  He had been hospitalized for 2 days getting flushed out.  When he came home and was let out of his carrier, he staggered for a bit.  But he was walking later and able to stand.  He had arthritis and would tend to stagger when he first got up after being off of them a while.  He was eating and drinking.  We were to give him iv fluids 1-2 times a day for a week then take him back in for bloodwork, in a week.  We were hopeful as the 2 day flushing had gotten rid of toxins and his #s was down that indicate kidney disease.  We knew we wouldn't have him too many more years but had hoped for a couple more years of good quality of life with treatment.  The disease is progressive and eventually the treatments quit working.  He was still eating and drinking fine.  My cats slept with me but would get up in the middle of the night.  They did their usual and got up in the middle of the night.  I noticed the next morning that Butler had not moved.  He was in the same exact spot that I put him in before I went to bed.  He did not get up on his own.  I had to pick him up and put him down.  However, he could not stand.  I thought he would after he was up a bit.  I finally got him to stand and walk towards me a few steps.  My husband gave him his iv fluids.  He never walked after that.  He wanted to eat and drink after his fluids but fell on the floor and crawled to his bowl.  He meowed a bit.  I think he was in pain.  He ate a little and drank.  That was the last he ate and drank.  We put him to bed.  I took food to the bed but he was not interested.  I knew it might be time to euthanize him.  I called the vet that morning to tell her what was going on.  We concluded that would probably be best.  She said she was busy but could make time for him if I made that choice.  I called the vet's office back fighting back tears and made his appt.  I got him in that afternoon.  In talking to the vet while there, she had no doubt that he through a clot due to heart and kidney disease.  In his charts, it was stated that he had a grade 3-4 heart murmur.  He developed that in later years.  He was 17-18 years old when he passed away.  I loved him so much and miss him!  He was my baby.  We had quite a bond!  He has a little brother who we took in a year later after we got him 14 years ago.  The little brother is getting up there now at almost 14 years old.  There is a lesson learned as I had not had cats long term before and had not experienced any of this.

Erin Michelle
June 15, 2017

Today my mom went into mu room around 6am to close window. Both cats fine, snuggling on my pillow as usual. I arrived home before 10am & noticed my little cat laying in a strange area. I went to him to see what was up, noticed he was panting with mouth open, lots of drool, no vomit, coughing & then the awful crying. He tried to get up & that's when I panicked, realizing his hind legs were dead weight. The most energetic cat I've ever had couldn't even stand. So I finally found a vet to see his asap. She said it was a pulmonary embolism & basically there was nothing to do. They seemed to know right away, only had me waiting 15-20 minutes. So I got on the net to understand more. Thank u all for posts. I was so confused. How could he turn this bad in this short of time? So thank u all for helping me understand, which may slide the grieving along a little smoother.

Lisa Maldonado
June 12, 2017

We lost our baby to this 5 days ago, Hans was only 3 years old . I had never even heard of this condition before this incident . As I read the comments I can see it happens to cats of all ages. It's so heartbreaking because it comes on very suddenly and has no previous warning signs. He was absolutely fine when we went to bed and when we woke up Wednesday morning he was walking strangely and wanting to hide from us. We took him to the vet, got the word that he had thrown a clot and there was nothing that could be done and within minutes we were holding him as he was put to sleep. We brought him home and made a beautiful flower garden where we laid him to rest. Such an unexpected and sad day!

Lynne Ann
June 9, 2017

P.S. to the story I just submitted.....the one thing about my Sydney and the mutual love we shared and tho my heart was in a zillion pieces he inspired me to rescue 2 cats...one was 7 months old Riley Salem and the other was 8 weeks Jesse Dakota....by rescuing these 2 babies it was a true tribute to my baby....because of him 2 cats have a home that may not have had one...at least not a good one lol.....this is a retreat/spa for them

Lynne Ann
June 9, 2017

Dec. 26 2014 my beautiful, sweet loving stray cat I had brought into my life and home many years ago named Sydney Romeo (his middle name gives a clue at loving he was)  pawed my leg to go outside but before he could take 2 steps he cried and fell over....long story short it was that hideous deal talked about here....it hit only one hind leg and we were able to get him back to walking again ect. after about 5 days.....the Vet said he was going to happen again within a month or so.....and it did....Feb. 2015 after sitting on the lap loving to be petted he got up and went to his fav chair by the fireplace peacefully watching the flames when suddenly he half fell half jumped to the floor writhing in pain....this time it was both his legs....it was 10 at night and we called the emergency place and they said there was nothing we could do except one thing and that was the last thing anyone wants to do....so since I still had two needles from the last event filled with pain meds I gave him a shot and wanted to wait to see his Vet first thing in the morning in hopes that another miracle might occur.....I laid with him all night long and when he started crying again I gave him my last syringe of meds.....it helped some but the poor thing was frustrated because he kept trying to stand and he couldn't...he was dragging himself across the carpeting and I was sad sickened frightened and helpless as to how to help him.....but I knew that by morning he would be leaving me forever......I still cry thinking about him and my heart breaks all over again....breaks due to having to let him go and beaks due to the pain and confusion he was experiencing ....Sydney was the most loving, loyal, sweetest cat in the world and did not deserve what he had to go through.....I loved him so very much and still do......  The thing about this whole disease is that there is NO cure......I am not sure how old Sydney was since he had been a stray but guessing he was between 15 and 17ish......I know that there is NO cure because I consulted with 4 different Vets.....you can spend a ton of money to go to a specialist and they try to help using meds but it is NOT curable or a guarantee of any sort....I don't understand with technology/medicine being what it is today that there isn't anyone who can cure this disease or slow it down.....It is horrible ....horrible to the cat as it is the worst pain in the world and horrible to watch your baby go through it.....The thing is we moved from the only home/territory he ever knew about 10 months before he went through this.....I had the Vet check him out before we left and he was in good health....then we moved 200 miles away and he was so good....he took to the new place right away without any problems.....but then a few months later I took him to his new Vet because he had allergies and needed some meds.....the Vet informs me that his heartbeat is irregular.....so basically within 5 months after his A+ physical he now had an irregular heartbeat and KIDNEY disease to boot....I was stunned and wonder if this all happened because he was actually so traumatized without showing it from moving away.....anyway when the irregular heartbeat occurred I asked the Vet what to do....he said really nothing because we would just be throwing money away if we went to a cardiologist because he knew there was nothing they could do about it especially since he was an older cat.......and my new Vet only treats cats so I was confident he knew what he was talking about...even tho I checked with 3 other Vets plus researched on line.....so even tho I know what could happen when it did it was like everyone is saying....all was fine and then it wasn't and became a tragic situation.  I feel for all of you that have experienced this and I wish and PRAY that someone somewhere comes up with a solution other then euthanasia.  God Bless all of you and your precious fur babies.

Bandit's Mom
June 4, 2017

We lost our big beautiful 8 year old boy last night to this horrific and unforeseen nightmare. One minute he was fine as I was loving on him and petting him.  I went across the house and 15 minutes later heard 3 meows that sounded like he had brought in a lizard...we live in Florida.  I came into the kitchen to find him panting hard and his tongue hanging out.  We scooped him up...in our pajamas...thinking he ingested something...and rushed him to the emergency as our vet wasn't open yet.  When we took him out of the cage we realized he could not put weight in his right front  leg and he had inflammation and tenderness in his back and home quarter.   They took xrays and even did a heartworm test.  We were wondering why they were looking at that but heartworms can cause a clot.  That was negative but the did find his heart was enlarged. They did mention a possible clot but they thought he had hurt himself some how and sent us home with pain meds.  He seemed ok but favoring the one leg.  He rested comfortably all day until 9pm in the evening when the episode happened again with no warning but this time with horrific screaming in pain.  We could do nothing to console him and he was thrashin, howling and even biting us. Our vet rushed over but he was becoming unresponsive. We all rushed him to emergency which was closer than her office where he passed on the way.  Based on the pink fluid coming out of his lungs she said he had thrown more clots.  She and they told us there was nothing we could have done and we were lucky to have gotten thru the day with him.  There is no cure for this and the treatment is worse than the condition.  It is so hard to lose a 7 year old boy who appeared,so happy and healthy mi utes before in such a horrific way.  Until reading up on this and reading your comments I had the guilt of could we have done more.  It helped me to know I did the right things and all I could where there was no hope ...no matter what.  I hope anyone reading this gets that same comfort.  This is a horrible immediate thing that comes out of no where and takes our babies.  Love them all you can because we never know what awful thing tomorrow holds.

Susan Barbour
June 1, 2017

My beautiful girl was as fine as could be yesterday afternoon. I had to visit the doctor myself and this took about an hour. I got back home and my son had our girl in his arms, she was crying, growling and had gone off her back legs. I thought she may have been clipped by a car because she had been fine an hour earlier. Took her straight to the vets and they told us she had one of these clots. I rang this morning and they say she had improved overnight but the outlook isn't brilliant. She might be able to come home on aspirin but another clot could emerge as early as next week. I am heartbroken, she is only four. I really don't know what to do for the best. I just don't want her to suffer.

ang
May 26, 2017

My sweet angel Tiger (12y) was put down yesterday evening. I came home from work and shut the closet door that usually is not open. I heard a horrible yell and thought I had slammed it on Tiger. I hadn't he just started crying and never stopped after that. could only move front body. I went to the vet who told me about this and because I wanted to be sure the emergency room. Same diagnosis. His legs were paralyzed and he was panting hard, heart racing. I never saw him like that. I agreed to put him down. Stayed for quite awhile but he never stopped trying to get his legs to work. It was heart breaking. I only got him calm once and then when they gave him the sedative. I was shocked he had been walking that morning. Haven't stopped crying but I'm glad such a sweet patient boy is no longer in pain.

RIP Jasper
May 24, 2017

We just lost our loving 15 year old cat Jasper last night.  The blood clot went to the legs, he was fine one minute then trying to walk and meowing in stress. Took him to the emergency vet and told us what happen. We choose euthanasia. We got to say our good byes and stayed until he passed. I miss him with all my heart and feel broken without him. RIP my sweet boy.

Lucky's Mom
May 18, 2017

I'm so glad I found this site, and read these comments I lost my beautiful boy 3 days ago, to this horrible "thing". I was in such shock, as all of you were that the vet was not able to fix him. Your stories broke my heart all over again, but it was good to hear, I was not alone. Prayers of strength to all who are missing their babies.

Missingmyfurbaby
May 10, 2017

Lost my beautiful boy 3 weeks ago and still utterly devastated. I'm due to pick up his ashes tmrw and it's breaking my heart all over again. He was born in my flat, a massive grey fluffy bundle compared to the other tiny scrappy black and white kittens. He was my best friend,study buddy, spooning partner and home stalker for a mere 7 years before he was stolen away from me by saddle thrombus. His story is so similar to all yours, sudden, vomiting, paralysis and so much pain. I knew. I knew when I saw him that he was broken and that he would not be able to be fixed. I knew when I made the call and rushed him to the vets that I was going to lose him. I had no idea what had happened to him,I thought he'd broken his back. I'd never heard of saddle thrombus until my baby died. The vet informed about saddle thrombus and as she told me I knew it wouldn't be good. I knew where the conversation was going. All whilst hearing my beautiful boy yowling in the next room. She said it wasn't fixable, she strongly recommended euthanasia. My husband, of whom had witnessed my breakdown at home when I kept saying over and over 'im gonna lose him' and he was so sure that I wouldnt, broke down. My husband is a dog man, but he freaking loved my cat.They go in the back to bring my baby for good-byes and to put him to sleep and I'm just losing it,at one point I threw up in the vets sink. The grief and shock completely overwhelmed me (and still does). When they brought him in he was panting,in agony and looked like he was going to have a heart attack. Thy left him with us but I called them back in after a minute as it was so distressing to see him like that. He was lying on the table when he passed away, as I smothered his face with kisses, and told him how much I loved him. He love-bumped me twice just before he passed away. That moment kills me. It's like he knew it was goodbye, it was this moment between two souls who adored the other so deeply, and now it was goodbye. I lay on him and felt him go.I don't remember driving home. Telling my kids was awful. His absence was and is overwhelming. He was my cat officially but really he was everyone's, he was such a love whore and really adored the kids, he helped me bring them up in a way. For the first week I drove myself crazy, read how he could have been fixed, some cats do make it, that wasn't an option presented to me. I felt I gave him up too easily. Mainly I just miss the bejesus out of him. He'll always be my beautiful boy and I'll miss him forever. RIP Woody, thank you for being mine.

Jamukhas Mummy
May 7, 2017

We lost our 18 month old boy to this within a 6 hour period.  It was the most horrific thing to watch in such a beautiful young cat.  Our story is similar to yours - healthy and happy then we found him paralysed.  We rushed him to the vet on a Sunday night, was told it was saddle thrombosis and to bring him back in the morning for an MRI to find the clot and we would get medication then to break up the clot.  Imagine our horror when we took our little boy home and he just went downhill and died before midnight.  We experienced terrible guilt feeling we had let him down and insisted on an autopsy which confirmed that it was blood clots and lots of them.  At least he had a beautiful life with us.  It is very hard to get over.

Hobbes Mom
April 30, 2017

My cat has heart disease (started as a murmur when he was a kitten) which we've been treating for years and Thursday he got his first blood clot in his front paw. He was in pain.   His heart is enlarged and he's on meds.  He's around 6 years old.  Doc says he will likely get more blood clots and I'm scared to death of the pain he will likely endure, based on what I've read here.  It appears to be fatal.  I'm really struggling with whether I should put him down before he has to experience this again.  This way he can be in the calm, painless environment of my home.  Thoughts?  I love this cat madly and it's heartbreaking.  I feel like we are all just waiting around for the other shoe to drop.

Shelz
April 29, 2017

We just had this happen yesterday. So awful! Tiger normally came inside at night to sleep with us but he didn't and when I wasn't woken up to feed him the next morning I knew something was wrong. I went looking for him and there he was lying next to the sliding glass door making awful sounds. I thought he had broken a hip or something. I told my daughter who's 10 he'd be fine and I was going to take him to the vet while he was at school. When I got to the vet I knew it wasn't going to be good because of how everyone was acting. The vet pretty much said he was paralyzed, body temperature low, respiratory problems...I've never had to put an animal down before and it was awful but I know it was the right thing to do. My daughter is having a rough time with this one and is very sad but it's part of life. I couldn't believe how fast this happened.

Sad in Montreal
April 23, 2017

My cat Onno came home tonight with paralyzed hind legs. I thought he got hit by a car so I thought, at least he’s still alive he can be fixed!. After a quick exam by me, I could see no visible wound or broken bone so I was extra concerned. He was also very loud and vocal telling me something was wrong. I rushed him to the vet and was diagnosed with aortic thromboembolism. With such a horrible prognosis, we elected euthenasia. He was only 3 years old and I’ll miss him. Thank you all for your stories I feel less alone

Andypie
April 22, 2017

To rip mojito. I started crying reading your story:( Mojito is in a better place and you sound like such a caring pet parent. Glad you are not blaming yourself anymore, there is no way you would have known. You did the right thing ending his suffering. Sorry for your loss.

RIP Pierre
April 20, 2017

I lost my sweetie boy, Pierre, to this last night. He was around 12, though not sure of his exact age. I got him at a shelter 7 years ago. He was never diagnosed with a heart murmur and showed no signs whatsoever of any heart problems or illness. Feeling very sad today.

RIP Mojito
April 15, 2017

I lost my cat Mojito on Friday to this horrible onset disease. He would have been 10 on May 19th. He was my loyal companion and we traveled together. He lived life as a king taking total control of me and my house. Every morning he woke me up for work and then rested on the bath mat until I got out of the shower. Friday he woke me up and I got up to tell him I'm up Mo stop hollering. I found him in the hallway screaming bloody murder. I began to panic and I begged him not to play like that. I watched him pull himself through to my bathroom but something wasn't right he laid on my mat but he was defecating on himself. The dog ran up to him and he kissed him. I began to cry hysterically because I knew that was the end. I got his carrier and he actually got in it by himself, something that never happened. I got him to the ER and they told me that he had thrown a clot and recovery was slim. They did offer me some options to try and treat him but provided some info. I researched it and knew if i kept him a live it would be inhumane and greedy. I placed phone calls to our family and allowed everyone to say bye. I held him and told him I was sorry and that I loved him. He was screaming in agony and couldn't be consoled. I called the Dr in and I held him until he took his last breath. I then cleaned him up, brushed him and closed his eyes. I cried hysterically. I wrapped him in the towel and told them not to move him until I left. I opted for private cremation and a paw print. I'm waiting on his ashes. My dog is sad without his companion. I blamed myself for this and have been extra hard on myself because I had to end his life. I have read the comments and I feel better because there was nothing I could do. RIP my sweet boy. Daddy forever loves you and again I'm sorry!

Stacy Wilde
April 14, 2017

Just lost my 13 year old boy Montgomery to saddle thrombus. He had his first attack a little over a month ago and was diagnosed with heart disease. He was in emergency for a few days and sent home with medication to reduce the fluid around his heart. He did well until last night. This was a much more severe blood clot, his hind legs were completely paralyzed and he was screaming and howling out in pain. I rushed him to the closest emergency. His time in the hospital and with meds for the past ruffly six weeks came to over 5k. I know that's not an option for many people. It gave us a month together to spend every minute we could with him so for us it was worth and something we could provide for him. I'm writing for those folks who may not have that option. It only gave him a month more to live. I'll miss Monty forever. I have a huge hole in my heart. My other 3 babies are helping me get through it but he was my special little fighter.

Susan
April 8, 2017

My cat Bobi died today from this - she was 14.  No indications of any problems.  Her paralysis was on toal left side though, left rear paw and front.  I heard her howl in the other room and found her bowels moving but she could not get up.  Took her to the emergency vet right away and they basically kindly said they could do nothing.  So glad now we put her out of her pain.  The vet was leaning toward euthanasia and I flat out asked if she would get better.  The answer was no and it would probably get worse.  It happened in a matter of an hour. I a so devasted but I know we did the right thing for her and we were with her till the end. So sad.

Julie
April 8, 2017

sending prayers to each and everyone of you who have lost your babies to this terrible condition...I lost my precious 12 yr.old baby only 2 days ago, still in shock over what happened.  So hard to lose such a special friend unexpectedly,  rest in peace sweet Monkey.

Paula
February 19, 2017

My 13 year old female cat Patches was euthanized yesterday (Saturday) for this.  She was perfectly fine Thursday.  Friday she was very lethargic and had no appetite.  I wasn't concerned then because in the past after a day like that they'd be fine. I have 3 cats btw.   Saturday she seemed worse and I expected a trip to the vet Monday morning.  But 5:30 I noticed she was lying in the hallway panting heavily.  I brought her to the living room and lay with her until she calmed down.  Then she'd try to move and start meowing at me...not the painful cries mentioned in the article.  It was then I realized she was paralyzed and leaking poop. I called the vet and she explained what it sounded like a blood clot and unfortunately the only option would be euthanizia.  So I brought her to the vet and in 15 minutes it was all over. I don't believe Patches experienced the pain mentioned in the article.  Her cries where more of confusion and panic and stress...like why the heck won't my legs work???  And while difficult, I kept my emotions in check to keep her calm.  In fact while the vet was shaving the injection site, she was relaxed and purring...actually purring!  The vet did not give any painkillers.   I stood in front of her and was the last thing she saw. I'm heartbroken and spent most of today crying.  My other two cats are figuring out something happened.   They're also getting hugged and cuddled to death by me.   I felt guilt at first...I've seen stories about paralyzed pets who were almost euthanized and almost wondered if I moved to quick.  But then I read this article and realized this was the right decision.   I'm now at peace and am grieving the loss of my little princess. I'm having her cremated and the ashes will be put in her favourite spot in the flower garden.

suzie
February 10, 2017

My cat Charlie has saddle thrombosis i found him early one morning he couldn't walk and his breathing was very fast he cried when i picked him up so in the morning we took him to the vets he was given pain killers and what ever else they gave him after a week three young vets said we should put him down so we brought him home for the week end he picked up but still needed help this practice told us the success rate was 5% we got a second opinion .Charlie has had two clots now but he has regular meds and can walk properly again he purrs eats drinks and he has survived now for over a month now. dont ever let someone tell you that your is ready to go trust your instincts get a second opinion we have spent alot of money on him but hes worth every penny . Lida vets in Newmarket Suffolk are very well informed on this condition they saved my cats life he may only live another week month months who knows but hes back home and enjoying what time he has got left . Never give up i didn't.

Chanda
February 1, 2017

My sweet kitty Selene suffered a blood clot two weeks ago and to my heartbreak I found out that she has heart disease. She is home now and seemed to be making progress, but blood tests now show that her kidneys are not functioning properly. So I am at a loss and my hope that things were becoming better are now becoming worse. She is only 2 1/2 years old and had a whole life ahead of her. I was trying so hard to give her a frighting chance.

Laura
January 27, 2017

I lost my beloved cat Bacon a week ago to this condition. Its been very hard on me as this particular cat was my favorite pet off all time. He was always on my lap or next to me,  would follow me around and was with me for six years.  Thank you all for sharing at least I feel less alone. Ive shead so many tears I just wish he was still here life is just not the same without him.

Brittany
January 24, 2017

I just lost my 8 year old cat barely 2 hours ago and I can't stop crying. He was fine when I got home from work and was curled up next to me purring. It was so sudden, he goes to the litter box and next thing I know, he's crying and struggling to get out. After picking him up and putting him down I saw he was dragging his back end so I immediately called my mom so we can take him to the animal hospital. We thought it was because he was constipated - I had just moved and brought him home 3 days ago so I thought it was stress. The hospital took him back immediately and the vet came in a little while later saying she's sorry but he's paralyzed and there's nothing they can do. We asked to see him and the vet explained that he appears to have heart disease and that a blood clot did this to him. Hearing him cry and seeing him drag himself with his front legs was the most heartbreaking thing I've ever seen. Deciding to euthanize him was the hardest decision I've ever made and now that it's over I can't help feeling like there was some way to have prevented this or cured him. I feel so guilty but the last thing I'd ever want was for him to be in any more pain. I wasn't ready to say goodbye and I wish his last few days weren't in a new environment so he could have been content. I'll be getting his ashes but being home without him and knowing he won't be sleeping curled up next to me with his crazy loud purr ever again breaks my heart.

S. Kelly
January 14, 2017

Anyone ever hear of a thromboembolism happening to a cat 2 years old or younger? On July 3, 2016, my beautiful kitten, Oreo, barely 20 months old, was just fed and was playing with his big Brother, Chance. All of a sudden, Oreo made an ungodly noise he never made before. I jumped right up to see what happened. Oreo wad vocalizing in pain and he was dragging his front right paw. I scooped him up and took him to the emergency vets just 5 mins away! He was in so much pain, I thought he broke his leg.  Little did I know, before the night was over, I would wish it was JUST a broken leg. After hours at the vets and me going out of my mind trying to get someone to tell me how to  "fix" my cat, I get told my cat will never be a ten year old cat even with medication treatment, and that my other option is euthanasia. I was not ready to give up so they gave me pain meds and the medication and I took my kitten home. I tried to massage that leg and gave him the medications religiously.  But after a week his leg wasn't moving and was actually "dying". After ten days, the leg was gangrene, I had to let Oreo go.  I had no idea it was even an issue with cats. Definitely not a cat this young. I did ask the vet if there was something i could have and should have done...he said there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. I see a lot of comments about how this happened to cats that were much older than my Oreo. I have not found anyone that had this happen to a very young cat like Oreo, not even 2 yrs. old.

Amber Genett
January 8, 2017

Last night my 12 year old loving, sweet cat Toga was put to sleep because if this terrible, terrible affliction.  There was nothing wrong with him - sitting with me on the couch purring one minute - the next minute vomiting and paralyzed the next.  He just was given a good physical a few months earlier.  I'm devastated.  It was the hardest decision I had to make in my life - and the pain he was in and he was still purring and sweet.  He was so special....I will miss him terribly.  I send all of you who posted warm thoughts...this is just overwhelming.

Melissa Lorenzana
January 2, 2017

Yesterday, my 7 1/2 year old, Pumpkin was put down. There was nothing wrong with him.. then he threw up and became paralyzed in both of his hind legs. On the way to the vet, I searched the internet and learned about Feline Aortic Thrombosis..and feared that it might be the case. He was screaming bloody murder, and was taken into ICU and diagnosed, right away. I am getting his ashes and clay paw print next week. I still can't believe that he went from a clean bill of health, to having an enormous blood clot. I'm not thrilled with starting the new year this way, but I'm glad that he's not in pain. He was a special being.

Alyx
December 29, 2016

We just had to put our baby boy Axel to sleep last night. He was only 6 years old. One moment he was fine and the next he was howling this terrible howl and was rushed straight to the vet. While there we found out he also had a huge tumor in his abdomen that appeared within weeks since his last checkup along with the blood clot that was hitting his spinal nerves. I'll never forget my baby.

Marie
December 10, 2016

On 11/30/16 my cat Tasha was diagnosed with saddle thrombus... She seemed fine all day a little needy, then she always was, at 4.30 that evening I noticed she was trying to get comfortable on the couch and I noticed she was dragging her legs.. I immediately picked her up and put her on the floor... I had to see what the problem was, she started dragging her hind legs We immediately took her to the vet which was an agonizing 25 min ride.  There they took her in to examine her and about 20 mins later gave us the bad news. The vet said she must have had a heart condition  and that her prognosis was not very good and that she would probably not regain the use of her hind legs and would be incontinent, even with treatment.  So we made a very very hard decision  and put her to sleep. We decided to take her home I didn't want her to die there.  So we took her home put her on the couch gave her lots of loving, she was full of Morphine and did not seem to be in a lot of pain, but her eyes were like saucers and darting allover the place, it almost seemed like she couldn't see,  she kept trying to move herself, I then felt guilty for bringing her home.  7.45 pm a vet came out to euthanize her.  I CAN'T STOP CRYING. The feeling of loss and guilt I feel for my decision is too overwhelming.  I hate going home the place is so empty and cold without her. I just don't know what to do, she was my Baby. We found her as a little Kitten wondering the streets 14 years ago, so we took her home. I work from home and had her around me all the time. She has had a few medical problems...over the last year and a half:  Breast cancer, she chemo for that,  the lump was removed. Pancreatic cysts which was operated on. We did notice over the last two months she was sleeping a lot, lost her appetite and lost 4 pounds in 4 weeks so another trip  to the vet, they gave her  prednisone to help with the lack of appetite, the vet did an ultrasound of her heart and said it was good and TWO weeks later this happened, did he miss something!!!! can somebody tell me would this clot have shown up in the ultrasound???

George Steen
December 7, 2016

BELLA i lost my 5 year old british shorthair mix the sweetest cat I've ever had one minute eating a treat and happy to see me after i had been home for 30minutes ,,, the next running around crying with her hind legs dragging a bit then i picked her up and placed Bella on the couch and placed her in a sold carry cage and off to the vet i drove 80mph through traffic like a madman to save my Bella - when i got to the 24hour emergency vet ,,, everything else local was closed on sunday ,, this was 15 to20 minutes away i made it in less than 10 in a panic they took her in the vet gave me the impossible to believe news saddle thrombus ,,, my faith in God is gone after a 5 day 2 vet ordeal , rest in peace Bella i cannot wait to see you again - very very hurt and still in shock this was 2 weeks ago.

Jane Workinger
December 6, 2016

I lost my boy yesterday morning due to a blood clot and I can't believe that he is gone. Just a couple of hours earlier, he was sitting in my lap happily purring away. I noticed that he was panting heavily and so I  picked him up to hold and comfort him, and he continued to pant. I placed him on my bed and noticed that he could not stand up, it appeared that he suffered paralysis with his back legs only. I rushed him to the emergency vet and waited a few minutes, before the nurse called me back to the exam room to speak with the Veterinarian. I expected the Vet to tell me that he would be fine and what the course of action would be. She told me that a blood clot had formed and was blocking the flow of blood to his back legs. I asked her if anything could be done and she said that there was a slim chance of recovery. Blood thinners could be administered, but due to the location of the clot, it would not sufficiently dissolve the clot and my boy would require a lot of pain medication throughout the procedure. He was administered pain medication upon arriving, but I could see that he was still in a lot of pain, and I just couldn't let him suffer knowing that the procedure might not be effective. I choose to have him euthanized. I stayed with him throughout the procedure petting him gently and letting him know how sorry I was and how much I loved him and would miss him terribly. After it was done, he looked so peaceful and I knew that I had made the right decision. Kashmir you brought such joy and happiness to my life, and for that I feel blessed.

B. Galbraith
November 15, 2016

Lost our cat Oscar 3 months ago to a saddle thrombus As in other descriptions  it came on very suddenly with no warning. We  knew he had cardiomyopathy after a echocardiogram was done a year ago  and had him on blood thinning meds but obviously this was just a stop gap measure till the heart got to a point where they ceased to help. The hardest thing to deal with is the guilt and postmortems you go through even months after because of your decision to euthanize. You pay a hell of price for playing GOD with your pets' life but on the other hand you have to thank GOD for having had the pleasure and wonderful companionship of your little pet for as long as you did . I miss Oscar every day and the house seems so empty and devoid of energy without him but I try to think of the great times I had with him and that keeps me going.RIP Oscar.

Marlena
November 13, 2016

I lost my 5 year old baby 2 days ago. I knew he had a heart murmur. They told me a few years ago. No one mentioned I could have been doing something to help prevent this. I thought it was just like humans. It didn't effect his activity. He was my spunky one. Always up to something. I decided to let him go and do the humane euthanasia. I feel like I gave up on him. I didn't give him a fighting chance. Reading this and some other articles about the pain he was in makes me feel a little better. But I feel selfish. I couldn't bear the thought of him sitting in a cage while I was at work and dying all alone from another clot. But I still don't feel confident in my decision. And I'm riddle with pain because he wasn't sick. He wasn't old. This came out of nowhere.

Linhandley
November 12, 2016

Lost the best cat I ever had last Sunday evening to this unknown condition. He taught me to like cats really, as I used to be more of a dog person. I adopted his mother Mommie Kitty pregnant and hanging around my apt 12 years ago. She had eight kittens all but one siamese like herself. One solid black. I thought I'd keep the last one nobody wanted. Truly thought it would be the black one but ended up being Alex. He was a beautiful large,loving,verbal cat, with lovely Siamese markings. At one point in his 12 years he weighed 18 lbs. Mommie Kitty loved on him throughout his lifetime. He enjoyed hunting outdoors and normally slept right up by my head at night. Occasionally he would want me to lift the covers so he could crawl under and he would put all four paws up against my leg to warm them. I let him out Sunday morning before I left for my 12 hr shift. I headed home from work just after receiving news my 83 year old mother had fallen and was heading to the hospital up in NC. I live in SC. Pulled into my driveway and it's dark. I see Alex's eyes glowing when I pull in. At the moment I didn't notice he had a problem. He moved fast enough to get in the door before me and the dog jumped him as usual and there was some scrambling going on. I turned around he was lying on the counter as usual. It wasn't til he got on the floor that I realized there was a problem. I was on the phone with my dad and began freaking out some. I told him something was wrong and I had to take him somewhere. A friend gave me the name of s vet Hosp. I really thought he had been hit by a car or something like that. I called and they mentioned the possibility of a clot and I needed to get him in there. I had the very best, kind doctor who explained all this to me. Alex was not in pain, when I found him he was past that point. He was numb and quite nad because he couldn't do what he wanted. I work in the medical field and I was floored by this diagnosis. I had never heard of anything like it. Looking back it makes a lot of sense now. I did the best thing I could for Alex. He laid in his cushy bed and I stroked his soft fur as the doctor first gave him propranolol to sleep and then the medicine to end his life. And my heart was broken, just torn apart over my loving cat. I have yet to pick up his ashes and the hospital made a paw print for me to keep. He leaves behind Buddy my 1 1/2 year old dog whom Alex tolerated graciously when he was brought to our home. KitKat my 2 1/2 year old calico whom he became friends with and enjoyed some tumbling with. Mommie Kitty who cleaned and took care of him his entire life. And myself who is probably more a cat person than a dog person because he came into my life. Alex will forever live in my heart.

Dorothy McLean
November 6, 2016

I, too, just lost my precious boy Jonathan Bear a week ago tonight to a sudden saddle clot. He was 5 yo, had a clean bill of health as recently as a vet check-up in the end of July. He was adopted from the NYC high-kill shelter system in June. A big brown tiger who was the kissiest cat around. I greatly appreciate the kind words here. I have to say even with a cat sanctuary I am really grief-stricken. I was making myself nuts with what I had to have missed that this happened. One minute he was up on the table looking into my eyes asking for smooches and half an hour later his back legs were limp and cold. I rushed him to the 24 hr vet hoslital nearby but nothing could be done. Four months with this fabulous baby wasn't anywhere near long enough but it will have to do for the rest of time now. And I'd still adopt him again in a heartbeat even if I had known I would lose him so soon. Some cats just bond to you like Krazy Glue. He was my beautiful Jonathan Bear, an old soul. My heart goes out to everyone here who has lost their furry kids. This really sucks.

Michele Gaspar, DVM DABVP (Feline Practice)
November 4, 2016

Dear Melanie, I know how grief-struck you are by the loss of your dear boy.  The love you had for him shows through in your words.  As a board certified feline specialist, I want to tell you that missing a dose here and there in no way contributed to the death of your boy.  You were not negligent and even daily therapy would not guarantee that he would not have passed away. Heart disease in cats is tricky.  Some cats have no murmurs or rhythm disturbances and succumb as your boy did.  Others have echos/scans that look great, but the disease progresses silently.  So, it's even possible for a veterinarian to give a cat a "purr-fect" exam report one day and have the kitty die the next. I know how devastating it is to lose a companion cat while one is away.  The same happened to me several years ago.  We blame ourselves for our absence as if anything would have changed if we were there. Please take care of yourself in the days and weeks ahead.  I hope that in time my words will be taken into your good heart and believed.

Melanie
November 4, 2016

I lost my beautiful boy to a blood clot a few days ago - I wasn't at home but a plane ride away - he was found in his usual sleeping pose on my bed and looked very very peaceful. The vet said he was definitely in no pain when he died and it would have happened whilst he was sleeping but I am absolutely riddled with guilt because my boy was diagnosed with a heart murmur nothing major but I followed up with a heart scan again to be told all was fine and nothing major to worry about - as a precaution we put him on a quarter tab of Clopidogrel daily but there were times he didn't have it - either he wasn't around or I was working or I just plain forgot and I never really grasped how bad he was I just listened to experts telling me it was nothing major to worry about and at times he missed it I thought well he has had this for over 2 years with no ill effect so missing one day or two days won't hurt - the day before he died I had managed to give him a tablet the day he died I didn't give him one because he was sound asleep and looked so comfortable I didn't want to disturb him instead I just gave him a kiss and went off to catch my flight. I have been so torn up about this I feel totally responsible and I absolutely hate myself for what I basically feel I killed my cat - There are no words that will console me an anyone reading this can call me all the names they want - I deserve it - I feel lazy and irresponsible and believe in my heart if I had given him a regular dose he would be her now giving me his usual aloof miaow - I am so gutted plus he left 2 other cats and ever since it happened I am looking at them to see if they are grieving in - they all grew up together and often you couldn't see where one started and the other ended when they were curled up in a ball together - time is a great healer but this will take me a long time to get over the guilt I feel.....Please all follow the instructions from your vet don't ever be stupid like me...

Mark Capeling
October 16, 2016

I lost my beautiful 9 ½ year old chocolate British short hair cat Horace to this one Tuesday.  No signs that he was suffering from a heart condition.  He had been his normal cheeky self all day but one minute he was fine and the next his back legs were all funny.  I called the vets and got him there within the hour thinking perhaps he was constipated as he had had a few bowel issues in the last few months, had just eaten white fish and whilst he was using the litter tray there was a lot of noises as if he had an upset stomach.  It’s when he exited the litter tray I noticed that he was uneasy on his rear legs.  The vet knew straight away what was happening as his rear paws were cold as ice and he was in a lot of pain to the point he was hissing and panting.  Horace was the most laid back funny cat you would ever meet.  After a night of being on a drip to try and dissolve the clot and lots of ring to other vets for help and even though there was a glimmer of help from a vets 2 hours away, I had no choice but to ask the vets to put him to sleep as the vets said he would never had made the journey.  I'm now taking his brother to the vets tomorrow for a heart scan to make sure  his heart is OK as he was from the same litter. Such an awful way to go for a cat so special.

Taryn
October 12, 2016

I lost my 19 year old cat early hours this morning. She had gone in for an enema due to constipation. When we got home she started crying and kept falling over. Called the vet to check if she was given any sedatives and she wasn't, advised I should keep her comfortable and see how she is in the morning, that perhaps she had a small stroke. As the night progressed she just got worse and worse, intermittent spasms of pain, I was so helpless. Just tried to comfort her until the morning came for me to take her back to the vet and end her suffering. That time never came, she let out a final screech and died in my arms. It was so traumatic to watch my baby suffer this way, I didn't want it to end like this. I feel a lot of anger towards my vet, he should have told me to bring her straight back when I called, even if it meant her being put to sleep, atleast she would have gone peacefully. If your cat is ever acting out of sortstock, don't ignore it.

Candy E
October 10, 2016

We had to lay our cat Kitty to rest last night as well.   She was stray we found 2 years ago all skin and bones.  She was so happy t o come live with us.  She talked all the time and stayed by our side. Yesterday our dog alerted us to her crying and dragging her back legs as well. She had a great life with us and we will miss her daily.

Beth
October 7, 2016

This just happened last name to our sweet boy, "Boss".. He was such a wonderful cat with a great loving personality. I had never heard of this before and am still in shock at how suddenly it all happened. My heart is just breaking.. I Love You Boss Forever & Always...

Alex W
September 29, 2016

We had to put down our beloved JJ today at 11 years old. Exactly the same symptoms as has been described: fine until painful meowing, then hind-leg paralysis. RIP Buddy :-(

Kate
September 6, 2016

This happened Sept. 2 to my Atticus. I've had several family pets but he was the first one I was responsible for and The absolutely loveliest guy you'll ever meet.  Recently,  he started spraying and that so wasn't like him but we thought with a new baby and several family members and friends staying with us because I've also recently broke my ankle that he was stressed out. I now wonder if his body was slowly failing because he'd also lost 2 pounds over the last year (we found this out when we took him in for spraying) and he was only 10, now down to 8. But of course, blood work showed nothing.  Because of the spraying, we had put him on medication and when I first found him I just thought he was a bit groggy from that but it became clear really quickly that something else was seriously wrong. He made my life happier every day and I will forever love him.  I'm absolutely devastated. I don't know what to do without him. He should be here.  I am now very grateful for my broken ankle because it gave me a couple weeks more with him that I would have been at work.

Nadine
August 31, 2016

Same thing just happened to my cat on Sunday. Seemed perfectly healthy on Saturday, didn't come home Saturday night so out looking for him. 5.30am Sunday morning whilst out looking for him I seen him dragging himself out from under my neighbours car whilst meowing in pain. Picked him up and immediately took him to the vet, on the cat journey to the vet he was struggling to breathe. Thought he may of been hit by a car as he couldn't use his back legs. Vet informed me that he hadn't been hit by a car and in fact it was a blood clot and there was nothing more she could do. She said in 25 years she had only seen 1 cat who made a recovery and the humane thing to do was to put him to sleep. Absolutely heartbroken he was 7 years old and I adored him. The house isn't the same without him.

Barb Call
August 18, 2016

My cat is in the ER right now with this condition affecting both hind legs. His temp has dropped from 97 to 91 but his blood values are ok so there is 50/50 chance he will pull through. I don't like the pain aspect of all this but he is very medicated and his eyes have some life in them. There is no easy way out of this one. Have to see what tomorrow brings.

Dana
August 14, 2016

I just lost my Moo to this on August 12, 2016. She was 14 and a very happy cat. I'm still in shock over how quickly things changed -- exactly the same as most people are expressing here. She was happy in the morning and ate her breakfast. Then suddenly she let out a yowl and her hind legs were paralyzed. Within a half hour she was at the vet and being given pain medication and were being told that humane euthanasia was the only option. Before the vet could put her down, she passed away on her own. We are just so distraught. In hindsight, Ms. Moo was giving us signs of what was to come six months ago. She had a string of what were diagnosed as seizures, three days in a row. We put her on anti-convulsants. Now we think it's possible she was throwing smaller clots then. I miss Moo terribly and feel for every single person on this thread whose kitty had to go through the same horrific thing.

Lisa
 August 12, 2016

I am dealing with this issue now and also a lot of quilt. I brought my cat to the vet for something totally diff and the stress of going to the vet and being there for almost 6 hours set my poor cat into throwing a clot i think. Because ever since we got home he has not been the same. I thought it was maybe from being sedated and it needs to wear off its been more then 24hours and he just doesn't seem to want to walk or have much energy. Plus his rear legs seem wobbly. I know i caused this on my lil baby but i was trying to do the right thing and bring him to the vet for the other issue of not eating or going to bathroom for 2 days. He does have a heart murmur. I want to bring him back to the vet but i really don't want to put him through all the stress again. I dont know what to do

Will
July 25, 2016

I am very grateful for those of you that have shared your experiences about your beloved pets in such a sad time. My cat Zelda was 14 when today we had to put her down due to this sudden clot disease.  I had no idea it ever existed until today and was absolutely stunned at how my girl went from being so happy playing outside to crying in pain and unable to move her back to legs a few minutes later inside.  I was terrified for her and just knew that when we got to the vet that they would make her better.  When they saw that she had many of the same common symptoms that many here have described and I too felt how cold her back feet were we were forced to humanely allow her to go on to a better place without undue pain and suffering that trying to do very low percentage procedures would probably entailed and also in the company of complete strangers.  Out vet was so kind and gracious and allowed us time to say our goodbyes in our own ways.  I feel for everyone here and elsewhere who gets blindsided by such a rapid and unexpected fate to such sweet members of our family who have no idea why it is happening to them.  Rest in peace Zelda.

Anita
July 6, 2016

We had a bit of a different experience with our cat, Oscar. He was fine with my husband and I left for work, when we got home he was sleeping on the front porch steps, a favorite place for him in the summer since it is shaded and cool in the afternoon.  I went to check on him a bit cause he usually gets up and greets us.  He was lethargic and breathing heavy.  When he stood up his front paw was hanging and limp.  He let us touch it and his whole leg so he was not in pain.  It was almost looked like a person who had a stoke and their hands seize up.  Took him to the vet that night and got x-rays done to rule out a break.  The only thing they could find was an enlarged heart so she determined he must have "thrown" a blood clot. She said it much more common in the back legs but it can happen in the front.  She was also baffled by his lack of pain. He was very docile when touching him and even purring. She gave him a steroid pill and sent more home with us to give him.  He does have heart disease and he wheezes so this is how she determined it was a clot.  She let us take him home to make him comfortable and love on him and keep him in his normal routine since there is no cure for the heart disease.

B.C.
July 3, 2016

Mr.Kiitty died of a very painful death from this syndrome for lack of a better word. From what I'm reading on this website, there is nothing I could have done. No pet clinic that was close to my house would take him on an emergency basis even though they could hear the horrible pain the cat was in. I had to drive this poor kitty 12 miles away to have Mr. Kitty put out of his misery . I will never get over the inhumaine disregard vet. Hospitals have become these days. They should be ashamed and they know who they are. Even though Emergency Vet was 12 miles away they were so gentle and kind to Mr Kitty to help end his misery. Thank you Emergency Vet
Roanoke, VA

Ellyn LaVine
July 3, 2016

I lost my 17 year old Nigel to this horrific disease. I got him at 3 days old when I was working at Ann Arbor Animal Hospital. He did come with 4 other siblings that I hand reared. They were left outside the back door of the humane society  in a box with a note that told us their age and that they had been taken away from Mom right after birth! I couldn't believe they were still alive! They all were slated for euthanasia and thank goodness our Oncologist Dr. Hale brought them to us. She owns and operates the Midwest blood bank and was there to adopt a large kitty who would service a year of blood and then be adopted out by our hospital. Nigel was a true poly cat with 5 digits on all four paws, the runt of the litter. He almost died twice and was deemed not suitable for adoption, but that didn't matter because I had already decided to adopt him myself. So sweet, so lovable, would wrap his arms around your neck and pull you close to lavish you in kitty kisses. He loved to be held like a baby and took advantage every time I sat down. I've worked in animal medicine and been in feline rescue over 20 yrs. as well as a foster Mom. I have been responsible for hundreds of kitties through my home, their care, their adoption and have never had a cat this wonderful. He was my love. He was a gray and white medium haired tuxedo cat, but not very large. He was absolutely beautiful! Being as responsible as I am I knew years ago he had a heart murmur and was placed on Atenolol medication as soon as I found out.  Because I've worked in hospital I knew immediately what had happened to my baby boy. I had seen it before. As soon as I picked him up to wisk him to the hospital he pushed me away with great strength because of the severe pain he was in letting out a cry I will never forget!. The night before I was to take him into the bedroom for I sleep with my door closed, but he was curled up sound asleep, dreaming in his favorite bed and I didn't want to disturb him. I'll never forgive myself for that. His cry is what woke me up and I've no idea how long he layed on the dinning room floor next to his vomit. His feet were ice cold to the touch. Saturday morning on May 21st this year 2016 my worst nightmare. And just 1 month after his 17th birthday on April 8th. Being a Saturday my hospital is only open to noon and my Dr. wasn't there. A newer Dr. I had seen before, but barely knew came in to the exam room. I did tell her sadle thrombus and she decided to prolong his agony wanting to discuss his treatment and starting to explain. I know I was rude. I yelled at her not to touch him let alone exam and knew had I taken the option he probably would have died alone in the hospital. Worse the tech that came in was new as well and was trying to scruff him with her hand under his throat to hold him for euthanasia. I lost it again telling them both I had worked there years ago and would hold my baby myself. Even worse while I'm consoling him at his head and not looking  this new Dr. actually tried to go through his thigh vein to euthanize. Again I lost it telling her there could be no pulse, how could you get a vein! He's paralized! I was so upset with the reality of what happened to my baby, how fast everything happened with no time to digest and who was to euthanize my angel. Nothing could've been worse! I'll probably never get over how this happened and how utterly messy his euthanasia was. Of all my cats this is how his last minutes on Earth were spent. Severe pain so bad he couldn't hold his head up and the two idiots that were involved in his euthanasia. And to think I had lost another hand rear, Bobby at age 12 just one month prior on April 19th and one month after his birthday in March! A year prior in May another to cancer, but none of their euthanasia's were as awful (thank god) as my Nigel's. The most wonderful, loved by all my friends and family alike. Rest in Peace my sweet boy. I'll see you when I get there. P.S. My sincerest condolences to all that have lost their precious angels to this cruel disease. I promise they are all safe at Rainbow Bridge and beinv cared for by loved ones passed. My Nigel and all my others are beinv cared for by my maternal Gramma Marie

Sandra
July 2, 2016

I just lost my beautiful ginger Olly to this awful thing. He was 17 and fit and well, iv been off sick from work and we had been sleeping together one minute and I got up to try and make some food and I heard this noise and he was paralyzed. I thought he had some how broken his back.  I rushed him to the vet and they put he in a little oxygen tent with pain meds. The vet said there was nothing they could do, so he was put to sleep while i sat with him telling him how much I loved him. I have never heard of this before its just such a shock, its been 24hours and I'm just so lost.  He was amazing and I will miss him forever. It's really helped to read all your stories, it makes me feel better that I didnt do anything wrong.  So sorry for all your losses

Mandi
June 26, 2016

I actually lost my dog to this on April 15, 2016. It was absolutely horrific to hear my angel, Winnie, yelping in pain. It was so sudden. She lost control of her bowels, and couldn't walk. Her gums turned white. The vet let me lay with her at home before we said goodbye. We decided to put her down. Winnie passed away in my arms. I still kick myself for not preventing this. This happened over two months ago, and I am still sad and shocked. My heart goes out to anyone here who has had to experience this with their pet.

Tracy
June 7, 2016

I just lost my lovable fur baby Mr.Nicky on June 6. Nicky was 12 years old. He was such a fun loving cat that I had ever had. We loved to cuddle, sing, dance and play. I fed Nicky in the morning before I left for work he was great. I came home around 4pm and heard my baby crying, he was laying on the basement floor and his breathing was laboured. I knew that he could walk and his hind legs were paralyzed.  I knew this wasn't good and needed to take him to the vet right away. I received the news that I already knew. I had to let my fur baby go to heaven. I didn't want him to be in any more pain. I feel so lost without him here. I always looked forward to seeing him and getting our cuddles in. I just can't believe that he's gone. I love you so much Mr. Nicky. Love mommy

Janet Lattanzi
June 3, 2016

Today we lost our beautiful 12-year-old Siamese/fluffy cat mix, Sam, to this awful syndrome. He slept with me last night and my husband fed him this morning. I came downstairs a few hours later and found him lying on the floor in a puddle of urine, unable to move his back legs or tail, both of which were ice-cold. We got him to the neighborhood vet clinic in ten minutes but the damage was done - no pulse in his back legs, not even a temperature reading in his rectum. Mercifully, he didn't seem to be in much pain, but he was terrified and his breathing was labored. After taking x-rays and blood work to confirm the diagnosis, the vet told us that there was no chance for a positive outcome. We tearfully said goodbye and petted him as he passed away. I take comfort in knowing that there wasn't any way of predicting this or preventing it - his last checkup was absolutely fine - but I will miss my fluffy angel cat.

Dr. Tony Johnson
June 3, 2016

Dear Lynda, Although anesthesia carries some risk for any patient, and that risk may go up a little with any sort of heart condition, I don't think of anesthesia as a major risk factor for clots. It may be related, but it's impossible to tell with any degree of certainty. I think having an open-minded conversation with your veterinarian is a good idea.

Gigi
June 2, 2016

We just lost our beloved Jingles from this awful disease. The sweetest cat ever, he was just a bit over 3 years old. We are all still in shock how quickly it happened and how incredibly awful it was to see.  We thought he was bit by a snake when a few days ago just one leg was affected.  He was treated but had a more massive stroke two days later.  I will never get over how cruel this disease is and the look of fear on my kids' faces when it hit and heartbreak when he died (mercifully while on painkillers and asleep).  So sorry for all your losses.

Lynda White
May 31, 2016

I lost my 8 year old cat Kimba on Saturday.  He exhibited all the same signs that I'm reading about - fine in the morning and all of a sudden he's paralyzed and in pain.  I knew he had a heart murmur but did not know that blood clots occur because of it.  He had received a dental cleaning on Monday and was under anesthsia but was fine when he came home and on the following 5 days.  I am wondering if the anesthesia could have triggered the blood clot in any way?

Jennifer
May 31, 2016

We lost an 8 year old cat last year to this, and now our younger male cat, Eddie, showed the same symptoms this morning (lost use of back legs) and was rushed to the vet, where they diagnosed a blood clot and they recommended having him put down, which we agreed to as it was so distressing for Albert last year and he ended up in so much pain at the end, after hanging on for a week after first symptoms.  Eddie was a very active cat, very alert, always into everything, and caught a wren just yesterday.  It seems unreal that two cats would have the same thing so close together with no previous problems - I thought maybe there was an infection or something but I'm told not.  Albert was very lazy and sedentary but Eddie is the opposite, so why would he have heart disease?  They are also unrelated.  We made sure they had the best diet, and I would love to know what else we can do to help prevent it in other cats in the future.

Tyler
May 26, 2016

I lost my 3 year old cat Moe to this just yesterday. It's devastating and comes with no warning. One moment Im watching him play with our other cat while Im making my lunch, 1 minute later he is paralyzed and howling in pain. 3 years old. We opted to euthanize Moe after seeing the pain he was in and seeing his heart beating so aggressively. It's only been a day and I can't seem to grasp the reality of losing Moe so quick out of the blue.

Michele
May 1, 2016

I am so glad that I found this article yesterday morning. My son called me in a panic telling me our 16 year old cat Faith, who he had just let out, was wailing in pain and appeared to be paralyzed. I had him take her to the Emergency Vet and while I waited to hear, I frantically searched the web. Faith had all the symptoms as indicated. After having xrays done and confirming that she indeed had an enlarged heart and was in distress your article left me with no doubt that her quality of life was gone. My poor son cuddled and loved on her and held her while she passed. I am devastated that I could not be with her.

Cindy
April 26, 2016

We lost our beloved Samantha, 15 years young and vibrant.  On April 21st, 2016 my husband found her lying in the sun on her favorite rug paralyzed in her back legs, panting, heavy heart paplations and making a very howling painful sound.  We rushed her to our vet where they proceeded treatment with oxygen and trying to get the fluid out of her lungs.  Samantha passed away during treatment.  I felt so guilty that we did not find her sooner but after reading this article and all the comments I know know that we did all we could do.  Thank you all for your comments and to this this article as it helped me make more sense of my cats death.

Janine
April 22, 2016

I lost my Itchy on the 29th.  We came home and she couldn't stand. Her head lobbing to one side.  WE took her in and they said she has little chance of a recovery.  I had to let her go.  We are devastated. So sudden. I keep thinking, she didn't know that would be her last day. I know I shouldn't think about it, but it hurts.

Jill
April 18, 2016

I just lost my Tigger this morning.  He was 13 and was fine yesterday.  This morning he was howling in pain, laying on his side with his tongue out and shaking.  I took him to the vet immediately and he said we could do all these test to find out what was wrong but he suspected this and he would not recover.  It's such a shock that it happened so fast.

Kathleen Stevenson
April 9, 2016

i just lost lucky kitty of 17 yrs he had chf with pancreitis for a over a year.this morning he was drinking his water and fell over tongue out shaking legs where stiff no howling.took him in gave oxygen ran test was given plavik and another drug was told blood clot atrial enlargement and decreased motion of the free wall of the heart i found this sight will ask the vet but from what i am reading it sounds like what my poor baby went through.within an hour of them sending me home he collapsed after making a gut wrenching sound rushed him back he was shaking tongue out gasping for air.with in minutes of arriving at the vet again he died.i knew with the condition it wouldnt be another year.didnt expect this fast.has anyone ever had the sense something was wrong before it happened this death is new atm.i had a bad feeling when i woke up today then it totally went downhill fast i feel like i failed him

Eaurina Clay
April 8, 2016

I lost my dear cat Jasmine to this two days ago.  She appeared to be acting normal all day until around midnight when I found her in the kitchen by the refrigerator unable to move her hind legs.  I immediately picked her up and placed her on the bed and begin calling around for a pet emergency clinic.  It's unfortunate that our town had none and the closes one was 50 minutes away. She died on the way to the clinic.  This illness struck her briefly and she only lasted less than three hours.  I am so heartbroken because I had her since she was a kitten for over 16 years.  She was my baby and she loved me unconditionally.  She would stay by my side and follow me with joy in her eyes.  She didn't have to suffer the way she did.  I would never forget the look of confusion she gave me before she passed. I would always love her.

My Beautiful Sweetpea
April 5, 2016

My beautiful sweet cat, Sweetpea, has died. I came home to fined her unable to walk and crying. Although she was in terrible pain, she started purring the moment I picked her up and started rocking her. I immediately took her to the vet and they started performing tests on her to rule out any possibilities. The Dr. told me she has a blood clot and that I could do many more tests to substantiate the diagnosis, but there is nothing they could do for her. At this point she was is so much paint she couldn't eat, sleep, get comfortable or use the litter box. I felt hopeless...shocked...as if I failed her. The Dr. assured me that these events cannot be controlled nor predicted. Worse of all, they couldn't do anything to make it better.  I had to make the terrible decision no one ever wants to make for their baby. Either way, she would continue to be in pain. I had to think about it. It was 2:30 AM when I finally got home and slept on the floor with her that night. I did some research and call my family. I finally made the decision that it was time for her to go to heaven. She was such a happy, sweet, loving cat. So funny and full of joy and I was blessed to have her for 15 years. I just couldn't see her go through this any longer, knowing this is how it's going to be. I took her in that afternoon to a different doctor and they confirmed the diagnosis of the original doctor. At, 3:30 she passed away in my arms and looked so peaceful and sweet.  My Sweetpea will always be the sweet little girl I could never have.

Leejames
March 31, 2016

I lost my 1st of the 3 I have to this.  We knew she had a murmur.  She lived like a queen, all our cats won the lotto with us.  This killed me just walking in the door from a long trip.  Within an hour of being home, everything mentioned on his happened.  She was gone within 20mins.  We did make it to a vet, I hope she got those pain meds.  I still cry for her & this is only 2 months ago.

Gail West
March 28, 2016

I lost my little man Maurice a week ago to a saddle thrombosis I had never heard of this I found him &he had lost the use of his back legs, I took him to vet & that is what he had. I miss him so much, he was little but he was the boss of all my cats. I couldn't let him suffer. He was 11yrs.

Laurel
March 20, 2016

My beautiful tabby Gus was euthanized on Friday and I am going through the usual grieving process. I rushed home from work after my husband called to say something was seriously wrong with gus. he had urinated and defecated and was panting and lost the use of his front leg. we rushed him to the vets and was confirmed that his heart was enlarged and a clot was causing the paralyses. he told us the most humane thing to do was to euthanize gus. so within 1 hour of finding my baby like this we had to say our goodbyes. I am also glad I came across this site because I was feeling that I could have done more, or seen some signs. he was fine that morning and I always pat him and say goodbye see you soon. I still can't believe he is gone. the vet said he was surprised gus made it to this age without something happening sooner. I found gus as a young adult and had him with me for 13 years. I love him and miss him and I know now that there was nothing I could have done. sorry for everyone else's loss.

Kristen
March 7, 2016

My 4 year old cat was just diagnosed with this about 5 hours ago, after no signs whatsoever and then bam, she had peed on herself and was vomiting and howling in pain. Brought her to VET immediately and they told me she had this. They gave my cat heparin, a pain medication injection, plavix, and we are now home, my cat is wrapped in a heating pad and blankets (trying to keep her body temp up since she isn't getting any blood to her hind legs - she was 92 degrees) and we are monitoring her. We will give her another dose of pain meds in a few hours, and hopefully she recovers. However, she did puke about 2 hours after we gave her plavix and the puke was pink tinged just like the pill, we hope and pray enough got into her system to help break apart the blood clot. We are going to access her in the morning and decide if putting her down is the best option. I've read that plavix works best after 72 hours, so I'd hate to put her to sleep so quickly and the medicine have a shot at saving her. We are going to hope she makes it three more days and the plavix helps her...but all we can do is wait and see. If she gets worse, or her body temp is decreasing, we will have to say our goodbyes to our most amazing cat ever. This is the hardest thing I've ever had to go through, I'm so terribly sorry for everyone who has written about their loss, I truly can't imagine, I am so not prepared for this.

Jake
February 28, 2016

This hit home. I just got back from the vet from a humane euthanasia. She had showed some signs. Threw up twice, little interest in activity and food. She would still eat cat treats and allow me to brush her. She even went to sleep with me the night before.. The next day I was on the phone and she began yowling. I ran her into the nearest ER for the bad news. Wasn't much that could be done. She was nine year old I had rescued at seven. Life won't be the same w/o my Kitty Kat Johnson.

Charlie
February 21, 2016

I lost my 4 year old hopscotch today. I could not sleep during the night. I awoke at 4 am and he was by my side. We played and watched a movie. We went back to sleep only to wake up to the horrifying screams that I will never forget. I found him and he was lying with his hind legs behind him (as a dog sometimes does), with gray gums and difficulty breathing. I immediately took him to the er vet, Where I was asked if he had heart disease? I was unaware of any issues and explained that he was fine at 4 am. However now that I look back, I realize he was trying to warn me. I had to euthanize him due to a embolism that dislodged from his heart and caused paralysis. He was in too much pain and I did not want to be selfish. I will never forget the howls and the look on his face. I continue to blame myself and still feel as if he were here. I hope to never experience this again.

Marina
February 8, 2016

We lost our 13 and yr old female tuxedo cat to saddle thrombosis on Feb 5, 2016.   Our situation was similar to many of the commenter's, we had no warning at all.  We had no idea that our cat was hiding a serious heart condition and hyperthyroidism.  She looked and acted youthful and healthy until the last minute.  At midnight on a friday night, we were left scrambling to find an emergency vet to perform euthanasia.  It was instantly obvious that our cat had suffered a life ending event although we thought it was a "stroke" until the vet explained about saddle thrombosis. I still feel shock.

Ann Ohl
February 3, 2016

I lost two of my beloved cats to this disease. Bobbi Sox was a 7 yr. old neutered male Manx & Cappy was a 7 yr. old neutered male Himalayan. They were perfectly fine one minute & dying the next. I miss them every day.

Dee
January 19, 2016

Sweet kitty Precious just got this diagnosis.  Last night she howled a few times...we got up to check on her and she couldn't walk.  Her clot is affecting her right front leg.  We're meeting with Precious and the vet in a few minutes.  I could tell the vet tech was concerned when I described the symptoms.  Such a sudden thing - no time to really adjust.

Jeff
January 16, 2016

On January 14th 2016, what started off as any other day turned for the worse.  My wife just happened to be home when my 17 year old cat Gizmo started screaming in pain. She had found him behind one of small personal refrigerators.  He was laying on his side and she had picked him up.  She put him on one of the recliners and he somehow managed to crawl into one of the cat tunnel toys. He started to throw up. She frantically called me in a panic telling me to come home from work.  I told her to call the vet down the street. I was home in 30 minutes and when I saw and heard how he was screaming I knew something was very wrong.  We got to the vet, admitted him and were told what the problem was; Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  She gave us the options but it really was a no brainer, as hard as it was to do, to have Gizmo peacefully euthanized. I am still in shock at how this disease manifested. Over the years Gizmo lost weight, would throw up a lot, etc.  Things you would just chalk up to his age or him eating something off of the carpet. I will always ask myself what I could have done differently to help prolong his life.  I really thought he had a lot left.  But 17 years is a great run for an indoor cat.

SM
January 16, 2016

My daughter and I just dealt with this same thing on Jan. 11. She woke me up just after midnight telling me something was wrong with our cat, Eddy (which I thought was not possible because I had just seen him maybe 30 mins before that). I went downstairs to find him panting and meowing so loud. As I immediately put him in a crate to take him to the emergency vet, I noticed he was dragging his back legs. As soon as we got to the vet, I told them he couldn't move his back legs and the nurse said "uh oh" and ran him to the back right away. Not even 10 mins later the vet came in and informed us of the clot and said the only option was euthanasia. So we said our goodbyes to our 8 years young cat and three days later I am still in shock. I couldn't believe at the time that there absolutely nothing they could do. My (what I thought) healthy, young fur baby was just fine and here they were telling me they had to put him down now. I am glad I can across this article because now I know for sure that I made the right choice that night. Especially now knowing that he was in so much pain (the vet told us he wasn't in pain, just uncomfortable..I'm sure she was just trying to ease our pain at the time). Unfortunately, now I will constantly worry about my other kitty and pray the same thing doesn't happen to her. It's just heartbreaking. Thoughts and prayers to all of you that have gone through this.

MW
January 8, 2016

My almost 13-yr.-old male cat had to be euthanized on Jan. 6 due to this horrifying malady.  He'd been playing with his sister and all of a sudden, he screamed and fell on his side, paralyzed.  He'd always been healthy & had had a complete physical with blood panels in Oct., 2015.  As he screamed, I rushed him to the ER vet; talked to his regular vet on the phone - but there was nothing anyone could do.  I ask myself, did I fail him?  Meanwhile, his sister walks around the house, looking for him...  This is just heart-breaking.

Sheila Mombourquette
January 3, 2016

I found this article helpful in settling my mind. I lost my cat yesterday in the very way that you described. She was 12 and a half yrs.  She was fine, always. She was a real hunter except in the winter months. She played with toys all the time and used to sleep on top of the clothes dryer. I was just looking at her and she fell over and was shaking and instantly paralyzed. I took her to the vet, which is about a forty min drive but unfortunately, there was nothing they could do. There was no femoral pulse and she couldn't move. I had to then make the heart wrenching decision to end her suffering. After reading your article I am sure I made the right decision. Thank you

SteffaniandRascal
December 22, 2015

Last week my kitty Rascal (15 yrs old) didn't come to dinner. He was upstairs lying there unable to use his back legs.   Strictly indoor kitty. I picked him up and both back legs the paws tucked under and he couldn't stand on them. I quickly Google it. I felt all kinds of fluid in his abdomen.  I gave him an enema to clear him out and manually massaged his whole belly gently. He seemed OK a minute so I Google it. Saw saddle throbs and watched videos.  I knew this was it. I gave him a baby aspirin and called the vet. They advised euthanasia immediately if he was in bad pain.  At that moment he was not.  I said S soon as he pants or shows me pain, I'll bring him.  Well, I read more and took the 50/50 chance at massaging the body and MOVING his legs.  Either it would do good or be his demise if I dislodged the clot and it stuck somewhere else.  I did bike pedaling with his legs and massages hI'm everywhere. Carried him to his litter box and helped him go. Bathed him and slept with him tucked under me. He made it through morning.  I cried the whole night. Knowing this new killer was upond us. I know movement breaks up clots in humans, so off I went gogling. I stood him up and placed his feet and walked him.  The clot must've moved or dissipated. ..he is still here 8 days later.  His movement improves daily.  Still can't use much of back right leg.  I am so sad it could be hours to days any minute. I am more than thankful we had time, to a knowledge our last moments together as quality.  My three boys are terribly sad, and don't know why mommy cries so much right now before Christmas.  My first baby is inevitably dying.  There is nothing to do to fix that.  Thank you for the support, and your stories.  They are touching.  My heart begs for more time....and so does Rascal's.

Craig
December 12, 2015

Thank you so much and ive never responded to anything online ,but last night i had to put down the best friend i had ever had.he didnt seem n pain when he was found but couldnt use his back legs and flies had started laying eggs on his rear end and vet just said it was best to put him down...Just wish i would have at least asked them to try something

Linda J.
December 9, 2015

Thank you so much for this article. Last night we put our beloved 10 year old Burmese cat, Champ to sleep. During his life he had excellent medical care and check ups. He showed no signs of having heart disease. Yesterday I brought him to the vet because I suspected that he might have an ear infection. During the appointment he all of a sudden, lost the use of his back legs. He was immediately admitted to the hospital and was later diagnosed with Saddle Thrombus. The vet kindly explained the grave situation. He was put on strong pain medications and we were able to spend time with him before we put him to sleep. He was a true "Champ" in all ways and he is greatly missed. Thank you again for this article. We take so much good care of our cats. Our animal hospital is one of the highest rated in our area. They are also a recognized Feline Practitioner hospital. He had all is regular check ups by excellent veterinarians, and there were no signs that he had heart disease. We as a family are still in shock over the sudden loss of our pet. Our vet explained this as a silent killer. I hope that in the future veterinary science will be able to find a way to prevent and treat this condition. My heart goes out to all others who have experienced the same loss of a pet.

Christine
November 23, 2015

I lost our Mitten to cardiomyopathy some years ago. Tomorrow I have to lay her daughter to spirit for the same. She is 17 beautiful Torrie like her Mom. I am struggling so bad right now. Being a furbaby Mommy is so hard. She have lived a long happy and spoiled life. But it is still hard.

Charlotte J.
November 21, 2015

I forgot to mention last night while writing about my cat Roscoe to thank you for publishing this informative article that explains this horrible event.   I have never heard of it and my Vet explained it to me but at the time, I was so upset over having to put Roscoe to sleep, I did not take in all that he told me.  I looked back at when I took him to the Emergency Clinic in Sept. for what I thought was a broke front paw.  Now, after reading the other comments, it makes me wonder if he had a stroke at that time.  Over the next few weeks, keeping him contained to a large dog kennel and brief walks with me, he got better but never did quit limping.  I am so mad at myself because I did not know of this disease or I would have requested to have blood pulled.  They did X-ray him and assumed he must have jumped off of something and overcompensated.  There was nothing noted on his record for his temp, his respiration, or BP, it only stated 'purrs'.  I have had cats all my life and this is a first for me and I honestly thought I had seen and dealt with it all, lol.  Like I told my devoted local Vet, it was his time, the Lord called him home.  At least I find peace in knowing he is resting in my Mom's lap as she adored these 2 kittens we bottled raised.  Bosco died a couple of years ago, had a large tumor that was found in his chest. It happened on the weekend when my Vet was not opened and had to take him to a ER clinic.  I told them I wanted to wait until Monday but they said he would be in so much pain and suffering so I went ahead and had him put to sleep.  These 2 are going to haunt me for a long time as I am feeling so much guilt that I let them both down.  Bosco's came on sudden as well.  Fine up until that Saturday.  Well, I got into more detail than I should have but wanted to thank you for explaining this in simple terms and hopefully I will find peace one day knowing there was nothing i could have done to prevent it. Thank you and God Bless you!

Charlotte J.
November 20, 2015

I lost my beloved cat Roscoe Wed (11-18-2015) to this horrible thing.  He was fine when I put him to bed  the night before and when I went to feed him that morning, I found him, screaming on the cold concrete floor, not in his warm safe bed and he could not move at all.  I gently put him in his carrier and took him to my vet immediately.  There was no hope. He explained basically everything mentioned in this article and had no choice but to put my baby to sleep.  I had raised him and his brother from a bottle. I found them when they were not even 10 days old as their eyes were not open.  My horse was standing guard over them protecting them from any harm!  I don't know what happened to the Mom, she was feral and had taken up at the barn and had the kittens.  He was only 12 years old.  If there had only been some kind of sign but it appears to be a silent killer.  He is in Heaven now with his brother Roscoe and my horse as well.  My Mom helped me feed the kittens and she enjoyed it as she was getting sick with severe dementia by then and it was a God Send to give her something to do to make her feel like she was needed and she was always needed.  I am sure they are both in her lap now in Heaven.  It has taken me this long to even be able to write about it.  It has upset me to no end.  I can usually tell when any of my animals are sick but this silent killer completely caught me off guard.  I shall miss you my sweet Roscoe <3 You will never be forgotten!  Love you!

Susanne Basque
November 16, 2015

I feel numb. Today our beloved big boy Poots had to be put to sleep BC of this horrible illness. Same story as I've read here over and over. Happy seemingly healthy, then boom. Fighting go his life, for each breath. Heartbreaking having to say goodbye to our beautiful big black monkey boy. Rest in piece Poots, run free without pain. Till we meet again buddy boy.<3

JewelD
November 11, 2015

My cat actually survived this at approximately age 15, and after 6 weeks of convalescence (3 of those weeks confined to his sleeping box, since he couldn't move) - he had a pretty normal life.  But the vet didn't mention underlying heart disease, nor did I suspect it.  I should have known better, actually.  I mean, I know blood clot means heart problems in people.  That was 3 years ago. Last week, at age 18, he apparently suffered another blood clot to the heart.  We were able to save him, since he was in otherwise amazing health for an old guy, but then another blood clot to the brain got him yesterday.  Even though he was an old cat who lived a great life, we were still devastated to lose him. Lesson learned: since economics prevented even better preventative care of my cat, from now on I'm getting a credit card just for vet bills.  There are also financial deals like Care Credit and others that work similarly.  That will allow me to get annual, in-depth checkups for my favorite furball, just like I do for myself.  (Yay, Obamacare!) And remember: saddle thrombus points to an underlying heart condition.  Somehow the vet never mentioned that, and I didn't figure it out until recently.  By then, I was lulled into complacency by my cat's apparent lack of symptoms.  Don't make that mistake.

Sue
November 8, 2015

This happened to my 15 yr old Monkeyboy last night-one minute he was sleeping next to me and within 1/2 an hour I had to make the decision to put him down. For Monk, his front paw was affected--I found him near the litter box with one front paw hanging in the box and he was as still as a statue. I picked him up thinking he was just being his crazy self but when he tried to walk he just collapsed and lay on the floor panting. Luckily we have an emergency vet within five minutes of our apartment so I got there minutes after it happened but it didn't matter. He was frantic with pain and confusion and started having trouble breathing and I knew I had to end his suffering right away...nothing I did seemed to calm him and I'm ashamed to say I was so frightened and freaked out I asked them to euthanize him without me being there. He was ok one minute and the next minute he was at deaths door-it still seems surreal. Hopefully this next part doesn't make me seem nuts, but first thing in the morning I went back to the vet and asked if I could see my boy. They were very gracious and brought him out for me to say a proper goodbye. My loyal friend actually looked like he passed on peacefully and I was able to let him know how much he meant to me and how ashamed I was that I was unable to protect him and help him when he needed me most.

Carol
November 4, 2015

My cat passed away yesterday and I suspect this was the problem.  She was recently diagnosed with cancer and I took her to see an oncologist.  We scheduled surgery and when I walked out of the office she seemed fine. Not a minute or two later she was laying on her side in her carrier but I thought she was groggy from the medicines they'd given her. Instead of taking her back in to the emergency clinic I drove home.  When we got home it was obvious something was very wrong and she started howling. She passed when I was just two blocks away from the clinic.  I only adopted her 10 months ago and I'm just heartbroken. I know her death was not quick nor painless and it just kills me.

Christina
November 1, 2015

I just lost my cat Woody on Friday to exactly this...he just collapsed in front of me, couldn't move his legs.  No howl of pain, though.  Rushed him to the ER in 15 min, but his heart stopped within the hour.  He had HCM, unknown by anyone.  I'm devastated, and I understand logically that there was nothing anyone could do.  But he was so young (3 yrs old), and I had just rescued him 9 weeks ago.  Such a painful loss, and my heart goes out to anyone who has lost their furry friends this way

Valarie
November 1, 2015

I just lost my little boy two hours ago to this. My heart is broken. I felt helpless finding him unable to move his back legs. I could tell he was in pain and rushed him to the emergency. They told me the prognosis was 50/50. After she explained everything she mentioned euthanasia and I knew it was the right thing to do and not prolong the pain. After saying good bye and being guilt ridden, I did as much reading on it and know in my heart of hearts I did the right thing for my little boy. I am thankful that he did not die alone and in pain and that I was there for him and was able to say good bye and tell him that I loved him very much. I am sorry for anyone else who has had to go through this grief, it is heartbreaking. Peace, strength and love.

Chris
October 27, 2015

Just lost my cat Charlie to this last night. He was 13. He was fine earlier in the day; I went out to the store and came back and he was lying on the floor with his back legs splayed out.. They were cold, and he was howling. I rushed him to the vet, and they gave him heparin and morphine.. Then an xray showed he was also riddled with cancer. I so didn't want to say goodbye; I had never done that before.  But the vet told me since his rear body temperature was 90 degrees, his prognosis was extremely poor even without the cancer, and even if he made it, he'd be in pain until the cancer got him - and that this would likely recur before then as well. I never felt so helpless - I wanted to help him so badly, but couldn't. I still am riddled with guilt, but I don't know what else I could do.

Linda
October 26, 2015

Kim, So sorry to hear about your Rocky.  It's devastating, and happens so quickly that it's hard to make a decision -- that decision.  Even if a cat is brought in immediately after the clot happens, the chance of it recurring are great and within two weeks.  It is very painful on all levels. My heart is forever broken over this loss.  My boy Simon was, and is, a great love of my life.  He taught me so much, and continues to every day.  I have been forced to look at the afterlife, and am starting to believe it is possible. Peace to you, Linda

Kim
October 25, 2015

I lost my 11 1/2 year old cat, Rocky, due to this horrible condition early Saturday morning.  He had come into the living room to lie down around 2:30 a.m.  Almost immediately, he panted several times, which concerned me.  I started talking to him, and he stopped panting.  He rolled over on his back and then back on his stomach.  All of a sudden, he started to get up and couldn't move his back legs.  I was stunned, as he'd been just fine moments before.  I quickly realized he might be suffering a stroke or blood clot, so I took him to an animal emergency clinic.  We arrived there around 3:00 a.m.  He was given pain medication, and then the vet informed me of the Saddle Thrombosis diagnosis.  He said that's the worst thing they see.  I was stunned, when he said there was basically nothing we could do to assure a good prognosis.  He recommended euthanasia, which I, reluctantly, agreed to.  I'm struggling with this.  I thought they'd give him heparin, and he'd be fine.  The vet said it was difficult to determine proper dosing and how much damage may have already occurred to tissues, nerves, & blood vessels because of lack of O2.  I was so devastated to know I wasn't able to help my sweet Rocky!  I had never heard of this before.  BTW, I stopped by to see my vet yesterday to tell him about Rocky.  He said he had had a mentor, who had this happen.  He did not survive.  I'm sad for all of us who've lost our special friends to such a terrible condition.

Ashley D.
October 21, 2015

Today I had to put my cat down due to this same issue. My cat Blanca was laying on the ground howling and wasn't able to walk. I was worried he had broken a leg since he was just fine the night before. I took him to the ER to find out that his back legs were paralyzed and that he was in excruciating pain. He had a low temperature, and was miserable. I'm still in tears now because I lost him so suddenly. It seems that blood clots are common with cats which makes it harder for me to ever think about getting another

Lorrie
October 19, 2015

I have the same story as Mr. Bud below.  My cat Jelly was perfectly fine and in the blink of an eye he began howling.  I thought he was locked in a closet so I wasted time checking each closet.  I have never heard such howling from him before.  I finally found him lying on his side, he had vomited and he couldn't stand up.  I thought he may have been choking on a hairball.  We immediately took him to the ER vet and he was diagnosed with saddle thrombus which we had never heard of before.  I took him for annual physicals and he was due to one in two weeks.  I could feel that his heart seemed to be out of rhythm, but the vet never mentioned it so I thought the heart rhythm is different in cats. He was immediately given oxygen and pain medicine, but it didn't seem to help the pain for he was still howling but a little softer. He had no pulse in his legs and he had to be euthanized.  I have been crying my eyes out for two days and I don't understand how a healthy cat (or so I thought) could fall to this disease in a blink of an eye.  We will not get another cat for I cannot go through this agony again.  We will never find another "Jelly" who was so well behaved and followed orders as a dog.  He was the light of our lives and now he is gone.  RIP Jelly.

Eileen S.
October 17, 2015

Thank you all for your insights... I lost my beloved 11 yr. old kitty, Bella, in July to a stroke which incapacitated her back legs, followed by horrific, gripping seizures (and of course it happened at 2 AM) She had been to the vet for a full panel just 6 wks. prior and showed no issues of concern at that time. I have felt burdened by guilt since she passed in my arms that night, wondering if I had compromised her health in some way. Reading these accounts, and Dr. Johnson's comments made me see the randomness of this cruel event, While I miss my girl tremendously, I hope to now think of her only with all the love and pleasure that she brought to me. I have another cat and 2 dogs, each one well loved, but my girl was extra special and will always be remembered that way.

Lisa Benne
October 7, 2015

My Thelma is 20 years old!  She had her first saddle thrombosis last year. Luckily, she wasn't in tremendous pain but she was uncomfortable. Her long time vet said that I owed it to her to try and see if the clot will dissolve. He said that it sometimes can. She couldn't use her hind legs so I carried her to the litter box when she tried walking. I also brought her water and food. She drank & ate a little. After 3 days the clot broke and age started walking again. Vet has be giving her low dose aspirin cut into 1/4 pieces. I feed her one in cheese every 3 days. This has worked for at least 8 months. She is 20 years and 8 months old now  (that's 100 human years!). Unfortunately just yesterday she had another episode. I am following the same routine as last time. Hopefully this clot will dissolve as well.

Karen Quenneville
October 6, 2015

This happened to our 15 years old cat Trinity today.  Was so sad to see her go but she didn't suffer for long.  It's like losing a friend.  You never forget them and have memories of them.  RIP Trin.  You were very loved by us all.  We miss you xo

Lori
September 20, 2015

My 14 year old cat got blood clots and lost the use of his back legs for about a month. He now can walk but can't control his bladder or bowels. Has this happened to anyone else's cat. Thankfully my cat didn't seem to be in pain when it happened as I have heard with other cats. My vet said there's nothing I can do about his bladder problem...any advice?

Ryan
September 19, 2015

I hope they can develop a way of early detection and treatment for this terrible disease so no pet owner has to go through what my family and my M.J. just went through. This morning M.J. lost her battle with this disease after attempting to let her fight. A second clot developed and went to her lungs stopping her breathing. Her pain is over but every cat has a 20% chance of falling victim to this. Even though early detection is still difficult, I urge everyone to ask their doctor to check their pets hearts. Rest easy baby girl, my queen, we love you and you will always be with us.

JJ
September 14, 2015

9-12-15 I woke up this morning to a howling of my cat Murphy. He has howled before, usually when getting his hair cut or vet trip. This seemed way more urgent. I ran down the stairs to find him under a car. I pulled him out and noticed he couldn't use his back legs. Rushed him to the vet to discover saddle thrombus. It was difficult to come to a decision because I would have paid anything for him to come home again. I just frantically looked up info on my phone. It seemed the only humane thing to do was put him down. He was the sweetest cat we ever had never noting or scratching us or anyone ever. He used to pet me with his tail. I have guilt like some of you when I read about cats surviving this. But they are few. Our home is so empty now I miss my handsome boy. Saddle thrombus truly is a cat owners worst nightmare!  Love you murph

Nancy
September 12, 2015

My sad story is very similar -- my 11-year-old cat Tuffy passed on Sept 5th.  He jumped up on my bed to say Good Morning, and then collapsed and couldn't move his legs.  Luckily the emergency vet was close by, and they immediately gave him pain meds.   He passed very peacefully with me holding him and loving him.   I guess I take some solace in that this happened when I was at home so he didn't have to suffer for hours.

Jessie
September 10, 2015

Our 7-year old cat, Chatty, died from this just this past Sunday, Sept 6th.  As the article states, and others have written, it was so sudden.  He was in such pain.  It was at least comforting to me to find supporting articles like this.

Anne
August 31, 2015

My cat Puma died two weeks ago from this.  It is a terrible thing. It comes on so suddenly, and it's over so quickly. Barely time to say goodbye.

Stephanie
August 24, 2015

My sweet boy Duke. On July 16th we took him in for a routine physical, and his vet noticed a murmur in his heart. We decided to spend the $$ and had an echocardiogram of his heart which determined he had Congestive Heart Disease. He was diagnosed with HCM and put on 4 drugs to take. An ACE inhibitor, Beta blocker, and two blood thinners. Pilling him wasn't easy, but it was like he knew he had to take them so we could keep him alive. This past Thursday, 5 days ago, as my honey was leaving for work, Duke made a strange sound. We watched him for a moment, and then his hind legs stopped working. This was at 10am. We rushed him to the vet, it was less than 5 minutes away, he was in agony those 5 minutes: screaming, howling, digging into me with his nails. As soon as we got him to the vet,  they confirmed it was a blood clot and the best thing would be to put him down. We didn't even think twice. We knew we had to, he was in so much pain. When we went into the back to say our goodbyes, he wasn't himself. He was panting, drooling from his mouth staying open, and crying out in pain. He even bit my honey as he tried to pet him. We knew we had to stop his suffering, but now I can't help myself but to think I acted too quickly putting him down. He could have been one of the cats that can live after a blood clot. I have this horrible guilty feeling eating away at my heart now. My home seems wrong without him here. My second cat is depressed looking for Duke. My honey and I can't get over it, at least we still have each other and are both mourning the loss together. I will always remember Duke's soft fur, his purrs, his vocalizations, his amazing green eyes, and his tremendous love for me and my honey. We had him for 9 years, he even died on his birthday.

Liam's mom
August 19 2015

This past Sunday morning, a little after six AM, my handsome 6 year old tuxedo woke me with his howling. At first I thought he merely wanted to go out. He had been brought in earlier the night before because I stained my deck. I yelled at him to use his litterbox. Then I realized it was something more. He was laying in the middle of the livingroom floor. His back end was paralyzed and his breathing laboured. Immediately I started calling vets. No one was open and no local vets were taking emergencies so I had to drive him 45 minutes to get the diagnosis I knew was coming. On the phone, the vet told me he was too young for a stroke, but I knew; his predecessor had the EXACT same thing happen to him - also on a Sunday without vet care readily available. This cat was five. Once we got to the vet's office, he examined him and confirmed my fears. I instantly made the decision to euthanize him. The vet and technician were wonderful. They took him and tranquilized him and got him ready for me to be by his side. I said goodbye and let him go. Poor little fellow. Like so many of the other stories, he was a thriving and happy cat. He was gentle with his two large dogs and loved them dearly as they did him. I brought them with me for the 45 minute drive. They knew something was up. I held his little paw that he always held out through the cat cage (he hated driving in the car), caressed him the best I could and tried to bring what comfort I could. This is the second cat in a row of mine to die in such a tragic and horrific manner at such a young age. I thought it was rare, or so I was told. I feel empty because even though I have the dogs, cats add something completely different. I have never been without a cat for more than a couple of months of my entire 51 years but I just can't go through losing a cat so young again. That's it for me for cats for a while. The sudden demise is simply too painful.

Sandra C
August 8, 2015

I am going through this horror with my newly adopted torti named Sugar, She is a 2-3yo fast running, wonderfully tempered kitty. Twice in the past month, we have witnessed the yowling and legs going numb. But then she bounces back within an hour. The cardiac ultrasound is pending. Not looking good prognosis-wise. How do I prepared my 7yo that we are likely to lose the cat? On the one hand I don't want any one to have to experience a painful death, but I don't want to prematurely euthanize her either. Awful choices all around.

Karen Cudnohoske
August 4, 2015

Just lost my Mr. Noogler from this saddle clot.  A true lover of life and me.  We slept together and whenever I was on the couch, he was on my lap.  He was four and beautiful tabby.  Markings were incredible.  I knew he was in pain but he still calmed as I scratched his chin.  Vet was incredible with care and info. The only decision was to stop his suffering.  He had no quality of life.  His sister is on my lap now.

Roshelle
August 3, 2015

This morning, at 1:00 a.m., I very unexpectedly had to say goodbye to my 11 years young, beautiful Noche Onyx Resurrection. We fought his diabetes together for the past year, and IBD for five years before that, cancer added in there somewhere as well; 2 surgeries there & 2 more for genetically bad teeth, but heart disease crept in like an unwelcomed sonofa & threw a clot leading to saddle thrombosis & paralysis. Out.of.nowhere. There was nothing more I could do for him, that wouldn't have been traumatic at best & no guarantee. It was agony trying to make that call in a moment. I am grateful I was restless & couldn't sleep, however, so I clearly heard the howl & had him to the ER vet in 10 minutes. Not even the narcotic helped with the pain. Admittedly, I wish the ER DVM wouldn't have waited nearly 30 minutes to onboard pain meds,now reading your stories about how excrutiating the pain is, though they didn't seem to help my boy. He had one episode of panting/ howling 3 weeks ago when I took him to ER & they found nothing. His heart & lungs sounded "great." This is the ninja that CHF can be. I'm vascillating between agony & shock. Beside myself, really. He stole my rescue-happy heart on Easter Sunday, 2006 & has been my best friend since. He's seen me graduate college. Twice. Find love. Lose love. Bury five people I've deeply loved. He was my true North in feline form & my most faithful companion. I miss everything about him; his drool- ridden-bliss purr, the way he loved to roll over on top of my feet & his insistence on "marking" my nose. With all he endured, one would never know- he was just so happy. Grateful from day one, he let me know every day that he never forgot that. I am busted wide open, but I didn't let him see that. He was scared & in terrible pain & fighting for breath. So I sang to him and held him and kissed him until the pink juice took him away. Then I lost it. Heart.broken. RIP Black Beauty

Linda S
July 13, 2015

Hello to All, I keep coming back here to read and to learn more about this horrific condition.  Your stories are so incredibly sad.  Six months ago, I lost my great love -- my Simon kitty who had HCM and developed a clot very suddenly.  He was eating his treats and playing one evening, when he was paralyzed and had difficulty breathing.  He was on four meds, none of which were for felines. My heart is broken and will never fully heal from this loss. If any of you are in need of more support, please check out petloss.com.  There are people there who understand, who are grieving, and will welcome you. Peace to all who are in this terrible predicament.

Ariellah Shochet
July 9, 2015

I am brokenhearted. Yesterday I lost my beloved 11 yr old cat to a saddle thrombus. I have done cat rescue for 15 years and I have had 2 other kitties that experienced the same. One was 5 years old
and the other was 9 yrs old; both were being treated with aspirin and atenolol by vet cardiologists because of murmurs. My problem is this: my vet to me that Squeaker had a grade 3-4 murmur about a year ago. Seeing the vet cardiologist is even more expensive now ($750.00) than It used to be and I didn't have the money. I was saving for it and actually had an appointment coming up. But then this and I am feeling like it is my fault. That somehow his death was premature because of my inability to pay for the cardiologist. I loved that boy so much and I feel like I failed him.

Eric M
July 5, 2015

I want to add to the conversation because I am a dog walker.  I love my job and have been doing it for ten years.  On June 19th of this year one of my long-time clients, a Siberian Husky named Apollo, came down with this condition. It started as limping and we could only do short walks.  A week later he was howling in pain and rushed to emergency by his owner, and very sadly, put down.  I wanted to share this because it really shocked me how fast it occurred and how unknown this condition is.  The owner and I never heard of it, he was relatively young and healthy prior at only 7 years old, and he had even seen three specialists that week while still in the limping stage: his vet, who did X-rays and saw nothing wrong, figured it was arthritic or a pulled muscle and gave him anti-inflammatories, a neurologist, who found no nerve damage, and an ER vet who basically concurred with the first vet.  The next day he was howling, rushed back to ER and was gone, and that was the chosen path because the doctors, after doing a sonogram-type evaluation of his legs found the clots, felt treatment is too painful, and only a short fix.  Sadness all around.  Hopefully, we will learn more about this in the future, possibly have better diagnostic tests for it, maybe some preventive measures, and ways to educate more pet owners.  I, personally, had never heard of this before this incident, and I have had, or been around, dogs and cats my whole life.  Let's all hope there can be a treatment in the future.

lucylu
July 1, 2015

I've been crying while reading all of these. My beautiful 14 yo girl, Lucy, cannot use her back legs since 3 days ago. Sunday morning was normal, I even took a pic, which I haven't done in a while, of her sleeping in her bed that she loves. I went out for a couple of hours, and at 6:30pm saw her dragging herself across the floor. I took her to the animal hospital. The young dr. was nice, but I wanted to take her to my own vet the next day for any further testing. The ER didn't think it was a clot, since her legs are warm and pads are pink. My vet thinks it's something with her spine. When he examined her she meowed more when he pressed on her back and should could feel her legs. Maybe she landed weird from jumping off the couch. He thinks it's an injury. She has a hyperthryoid that she's been taking meds for. The tests from the other day show her thyroid is high. She also has a heart murmur, that we all knew she had. She doesn't labor her breath or pant. I thought she was doing okay because she's eating. Now, looking back the past couple of months, she has been drinking a bit more water and peeing more. I attributed it to the heat and humidity, since I do that too! As for her legs, she just doesn't move like she did when I adopted her 7 years ago. I've been attributing it to age. Now, I feel really guilty that I could have prevented this. I don't know. I won't have her take an MRI. My vet agrees that she isn't a good candidate, since they have to put her under. When she was put under 2 years ago to remove teeth, she had a reaction to the anesthesia and almost didn't make it. Her kidneys and liver were affected. But, she made it and was happy again. I won't put her through surgery. Today, I notice a very slight improvement in that her legs react more when I touch her. She desperately wants to go to the litter box, but can't use her hind legs to get in. So, I bought crib diapers to lay out on towels and she goes there, and I wipe her. If she doesn't regain use of her legs, there's just no quality of life for her. Other than that, she purrs, kisses, and cuddles when I pet her. She only meows when she needs to do her thing. I hate that I'm possibly facing a really tough decision. I love this furball so much, so gives nothing but unconditional love. The vet says to see how things go this week being on a steroid and 1/4 baby aspirin every 3 days. How long to give a situation like this to see if there's improvement? To top it off, I'll be losing my job at the end of the month (which we were given the notice 2 mos ago) and don't have a new one yet. I simply can't afford lots of expensive tests. I just don't want her to live without functioning back legs. I can see how frustrated she is when she tries to move around, looking at me for help. I feel helpless. I put her in the box and hold her so she can do her thing, but she doesn't. I just wish I knew exactly what happened to cause this.

Missn3priss
June 24, 2015

My cat Heston has this happen a month ago. After  going to the vet and staying 24 hours he made it. He came home regained his ability to walk and was acting normal. Two weeks later he began dragging his legs. I was at the beach and my friend took him to the vet where again he regained his ability to walk. They have sent him home on plavix but he just doesn't seem well. Today his one leg is starting to drag...they gave him no pain medicine what so ever. We have spent $400 in 3 weeks. I'm almost afraid I should have had him put down than suffer. I'm not sure what to do, this is heart breaking. I was almost thinking it wasn't a blood clot since he recovers and then goes back.

Joyce Aoyama
June 23, 2015

I can feel all your pain.  Today at 5 pm when I fed my three cats I suddenly lost my seven year old precious calico, Remy. I had my back turned for a minute cleaning their super bowls when I heard a commotion behind me.  I turned to see Remy in distress on her side on the floor.  It took me two seconds to get to her when she let out a little growl and was gone.  I tried CPR but it was to no avail.  I then sobbed my heart out and I am still in a state of shock.  In less than an hour I lost a beloved friend and took her to the vets so she could be cremated.  She was such a healthy little thing running around and playing with her brothers all the time. I miss her so very much and as I write this I can feel my heart in my throat. The vet said she had an embolism.  The only comfort I can find in all this is that she most likely didn't suffer very long if at all. My heart goes out to all of you who have lost your little furry kids to this terrible disorder.

Gloria
June 23, 2015

Hello everyone.  My cat Helms (Aka:Helmet) passed away last night.  Yesterday appeared like a good day for him, he was himself...cuddly, protective and fun to watch when he played.  I was in the kitchen and walked by his condo and noticed him come out of the condo through the bottom and he sorta staggered...I thought maybe his leg fell asleep? Maybe he took a bad step and would just shake it off but sadly that was not the case.  He dragged himself over to the stairs and looked upwards...probably contemplating how he'd manage get get up all that way?  I wanted to hold him, to carry him but I was so afraid I'd hurt him more because my initial thought when I saw this was that he broke his spine, or his pelvis, or hips...I did t know?!?!  I stayed by him tried to keep him calm but he suddenly pulled himself all the way up the stairs so fast and he then went under our bed.  He was panting hard, his tongue sticking out.  I noticed his mouth was turning pale and his feet were cold.  I knew that he knew I was worried and trying to help him.  He allowed me to gently glide him out from under the bed.  I was getting him ready to take to the pet hospital which unfortunately isn't very close to us at all.  The trip seemed to take forever.  Poor Helmet soiled himself.  He panted to whole way there, he was so stressed.  When we arrived the vet immediately told us what was going on and we decided to do what we could to make him comfortable.  He had a horrible sound which developed in his lungs.  We were told he could be treated in UC Davis but it was a lot to put a cat through plus he'd most likely develop another clot with some 6 months or so.  We decided to have him put to sleep.  This was soooo very heartbreaking, sad and horrible to have go r through.  I am glad that I happen to be home when this occurred, had I gone out and just arrived at home I probably wouldn't think much of him not being around...I'd think he was out in the yard or sleeping upstairs.  I can't wrap my head around this...how is it that it happened all of a sudden?! How is it that he's not here now?! I keep thinking of "what could I have done or what should I have done!?".
Helmet showed up by our home one day...I don't know if he was a stray or if someone dumped him off.  He's a tuxedo cat and his markings made it appear to me as if he had a helmet on.  He was a very big boy and had beautiful color eyes.  We lived in a small place and had other cats so we kept him outside but made sure he had shelter and food.  Little by little we got used to each other...so much so that he now stayed indoors and when we moved we brought him with us.  Not sure if his age...maybe 10?  He turned out to be an awesome furbaby.  He brought us much joy and he is so missed.
I am feeling not only sad but confused and frustrated that I had not been made know that he had this condition!? We took him to the vet regularly.  I looked online and apparently many things he had were indicative of heart disease.  He did have feline aids and figured he'd have some complications as time passed but not heart disease?!  He had a very hard and distended belly, he heaved a lot, he'd throw up his partially digested food and he had gotten heavier.  This was made known to the vet but they never diagnosed him properly!  Idk I just feel like I failed...maybe there was more I could have done, maybe a different vet would have seen the signs, I feel bad I didn't help him up the stairs.  I'm just a mess right now.  Thank you for allowing me to share and thank you for sharing with me.

Linda
June 20, 2015

Hi Nancy and all others who have had to endure this painful experience....I am so sorry.  Many of us, myself included, have heavy guilt in not doing more for our sweet babies. I just wanted to reiterate that meds aren't that effective.  We had our boy on four meds, including Plavix, and although they may have extended his life by a bit, they didn't "save" him.  He was only eight, and I miss him every second of every day. This is a horrid disease, stealing their lives in a second without warning.  There is no reason or explanation, it simply is. Extending heartfelt condolences to you, Linda

Nancy
June 16, 2015

I too have been experiencing  very similar guilt and frustration.  My cat Humphrey, I also call him "My Buddy", was flipping in his favorite chair one minute and then the next he had paralysis in his lower two limbs.  We did not know at the time it was a blood clot known as saddle thrombus.  He had experience a milder stroke 8 days earlier but was never put on asprin and plavix  to help with potential problems in the future. He is now dragging his left rear leg and we are managing his pain but from what I am reading the future is a little bleak.I do not understand why my cardiologist in 2013 did not suggest plavix daily  and aspirin twice weekly knowing he had a heart murmur and a high potential for  heart disease.!!!!!!!   I am slowly saying good-bye to my best friend  and buddy of four wonderful years.  He is a lynx-point siamese from the Virginia siamese rescue that in the beginning of our relationship  was a biter and had bad behavioral issues but as I always say," There are no bad pets just bad uneducated owners.  He has become the most loving and beautiful companion ANYbody would ever ever ever want and much too young (5 years old) to say goodbye to. As I read different articles about rescue cats, I really believe they know you have saved them. I just wish I could have done more. I am putting my trust in the Lord for a a miracle and I know God has a plan, even with his beloved furry creatures. . I am so sorry about all your babies.

Wendy
June 15, 2015

My cat Buddy died June 11, 2015 of an embolism. He came home late June 9th dragging his legs.  He was able to get home thank goodness.  I took him to the vet who identified the situation as an embolism.  I knew he had some kind of a heart murmur from prior vet visits.  I had no idea he could have had some kind of preventive aspirin treatment until researching feline embolism.  Not sure if it would have helped but I feel helpless and very sad I let him down.  We brought him home after vet gave him an anti-inflammatory shot.  No other treatment was suggested.  The vet said the clot may break down on its own with time.  He suffered the next night and I felt he was having a hard time breathing. We returned to the vet who said there was no hope.  I am so devastated and heartbroken.  He was a funny cat and had such an amazing personality.  I miss him greatly.  Finding this blog and reading all of these helped be so much.  Buddy was only 5 years old.  I rescued him from the city streets of Detroit when he was about 2 years old. I know he loved his forever home.

Linda
June 14, 2015

Hi,  if you want more support go to petloss.com.  I started a heart disease thread that may help.  I lost my soul kitty in January, and am heartbroken.  HCM is a horrific disease, with limited prevention measures.  Best to you, Linda

Mary Ellen
June 13, 2015

Our precious Buddy just died 2 days ago of this.  One minute laying on the couch, the next struggling to walk, then virtually paralyzed in the back legs.   He was euthanized 3 1/2 hours later.  With no symptoms, his heart was failing.  We was in end stage heart failure.  We never knew it.  His heart had been checked at annual exams but no murmur was heard.  He had no change in activity, appetite or behavior in any way.  I have read these entries and feel reassured that we did everything we could.

Sara
June 9, 2015

Our cat Livi died because of this early Monday morning.  What makes me somewhat angry is that the ER vet examined her without giving her pain medicine first.  When I read how painful this is, I didn't understand why he wouldn't give her some relief before he examined her.  We dropped her off at 7:30pm and at 6:30am he called to say that she had passed away some time in the night.  I was able to say goodbye before we left the vet, but now I wonder if she was alone or even conscious after the pain meds and blood thinners?  I want to ask more detailed questions but I am scared that they will be annoyed with me.  Our usual vet was out of the country and so we had to take her somewhere else for help.  I just had a bad feeling about the vet.  I understand our Livi probably would have had to have been euthanized anyway, but now I just wonder what her last moments were like and would she have survived a little longer if her pain would have been treated sooner?  I know I can't bring her back, but the memory I have now is of my poor kitty trying desperately to find a place to hide, confused, and dragging her legs behind her.  I know over time the grief will subside, I just want to ask more questions to get closure.  Like most of you said, it just happens so fast you have no time to process what just happened to your beloved friend.   

Mr. Bud 
June 1, 2015

We lost our sweet girl Ms. Cali less than a week ago to this terrible condition. She was a 12-year-old calico. She had been her usual self that day and we had gone outside to work in the yard. When we came in we heard her crying out in extreme pain and was panting very hard. She could not move so initially we thought she had jumped off something and hurt her leg. We quickly put her in the cat carrier and rushed her to the ER Vet about 15 minutes away. We got into the doctor right away and the diagnoses took only a few minutes. When we heard the shocking diagnoses we were devastated.  We had never heard of this condition and just thought this would be an expensive vet visit to have her leg taken care of. Ms Cali was having a hard time breathing because of fluid buildup in her lungs. We knew that she probably would not survive long so we said our goodbyes and took her pain away.  The hardest part about the whole experience was seeing such a sweet calm kitty in so much pain in her last moments as well as the suddenness of the whole ordeal that lasted less than 45 minutes. We have another younger cat that seems to have adjusted to the change better than we thought. She has been extra needy, but we’ve given her lots of extra attention and got her some new toys to play with. The experience made me realize that a pet can be taken from us in just a matter of minutes and we should cherish those special moments we have with them every day just as we should with our loved ones. I always thought as cats got older they just slowed down and we’d know when our time with was getting shorter. One regret that I had was that we had been very busy the last couple of months and she hadn’t received as much attention as in the past. If only I could have cuddled with her one more time. We have lots of pictures and video of Ms. Cali that I’m thankful for because we will be able to remember her forever.

Kevin Howard 
June 1, 2015

We just lost our baby, Bub, on Saturday night. He was gone within TWO hours. just earlier that day he was up on his hind legs trying to get at my lunch. I miss my Bubby.

Fatti Muhd 
June 1, 2015

i just lost my 12 years old persian booboo.his first heart attack was when he's 8 years old.he paralyzed from lower to back.he could not control his bladder and bowel...but after brought him to ER several test had been done they prescribe him with hebresser 30mg 1/4 twice a day with aspirin diluted w h20 once in 3days.he survived.but this times i can see that he's in pain he kept rolled his body and tried so hard to move his body.very uncomfortable and he's crying alot.i brought him to the hospital and get the doctor to check they told me his condition aortic thromboembolism and chances to survive is only 20%.they put him on heparin and monitoring 24hrs he look calm but weak.2nd day in hospital they call me and tell that booboo passed away on midnight. i feel so sad and cried out loud for him rip booboo

Mr. G 
May 27, 2015

Lost our boved boy kitten Shtitretz to what the vet could only describe as "he threw a clot". poor guy, always attentive to me in the morning, he came in to the bed as soon as heard I moved around. he jumped on as usual, licked my hands and face, then laid as usual right next to my head patiently purring and waiting for me to get up and feed him. I got up and went downstairs, and he happily followed me down, led to his bowl place, I opened a can of his favorite wet food, he chopped up half bowl, drank his water, purred and went to the window to seat on the sun light and began his daily self washing procedure. I gently pet him behind his year and went upstairs to shave and get ready for work. half way through my shaving I heard this scary loud crying noise with hissing and rapid meowing... I freaked out, thought maybe he saw another cat and was on defense stand for his place where he lived... I will never forget what I saw next, downstairs by the stairs case there he was stretched out in the puddle of his own vomit, making those scary loud noises, not moving at all, I tried to pet him and get his attention but when I touched him he felt like a rag doll all lifeless and his big eyes rolled out of the orbits fully black and lifeless... I ran as fast as I could, picked up a cover put him in it, he was so lifeless but warm, my hands were shaken. I put him in the car, and drove to the vet clinic through red lights and around cars, I hoped to get him there and save his life. I ran in asked the nurse what to do, that my cat is sick, she got my name and ran with me to the car to get him. then she took him back, asked me to follow her and put me in the empty room to wait on the vet to come out. when the vet came out, she looked sad and said that my kitten does not look good at all, and that they are doing all they can to revive him, gave him emergency medicine, put tubes in his lungs and we're doing CPR to get his heart beating again. she also said it all looks like he "threw a clot" and is probably not going to make it... she saw my dismay and sadness and I couldn't hold my tears balling out of my eyes... I said is there anything you can do? he is a picture of health, perfect furr and body shape, full of energy, he was just running around few minutes ago... she held my hand and said let's hope but be prepared we may have already lost him.. then she left, and returned after awhile... and she looked the same, no happy news on her face that's when I realized it was all over... she sat next to me and said, after everything we did he shows no signs of life, his heart isn't beating anymore and it is time to let him go. I cried like a little boy, then she said it was over and there is nothing can be done. it is just one of those many unlucky kittens who had a time bomb ticking in him and today was the day when it went off... we lost him, he is not coming back home with me, I felt so lost and scared. I witnessed how fast and sudden he was just taken away, and now can't stop thinking of I did give him all the love I had for him? did I kiss and hugged him enough? did I let him do those mad things that drive me crazy but made him happy? did I do all he deserved to have had, that little funny full of life furry kitten that he was?... I finish this story and the drops of tears fall on the phone as I finish typing this.... please, find where they are hiding right now, your little faithful companions, be it cats or dogs, and give them a big hug and a kiss, make them feel loved and cared for, because you just never know how fast they can be taken away from you.... and to never be returned back to you... rest well baby boy, we miss and love you forever!!!

Marti 
May 22, 2015

I too lost my Cocky to this condition three days ago.  I am still in shock really.  He was completely fine and happy the night before and the next morning BAM!  He was panting hard, paralyzed from lower back down, couldn't control bladder or bowels, and was in extreme pain.  We chose to put him down  because there were no guarantees, and we did not want him to suffer any more than he already had. He lived a long and happy 15 years almost to the day!  I had him longer than any other pet and honestly the fact that he was fine at 10:00 pm and in complete misery at 5:30 am has made it worse!

Susannah 
May 21, 2015

On January 13th 2015 I lost my beautiful pet Panda to a bloodclot that paralyzed his hind legs. He was fine and then suddenly he flopped and rolled onto the floor and let out a blood curdling scream. He lost his faculties and I rushed him to the hospital. He had had a terrible cough before and I was told he had asthma. The cough similar as if he had a hairball. His coughing spells seemed to become infrequent.  I thought he was getting better. Come to find out he had heart disease. Had I known what I know now, I would have seen a cardiologist and done a lot of research. Cats MUST have TAURINE in their diet which is essential for their heart and can help reverse heart disease.
A cat's diet should be only the best with no carbs or veggies only protein since they are carnivores. And no dry food, it dehydrates them. Carbs only contribute to possible future diabeties. The pain in my heart is still there. I can only share what I now know in the name of my sweet Panda kitty. I also suggest complete dustless kitty litter, this will prevent respiratory problems. RIP Panda, I love you

Rosemary Toth 
May 16, 2015

We just had our cat, Scully, put down. She was suddenly paralyzed in her hind quarters, but, otherwise, fine. No pain. Our family vet was not open on the week end, so we took Scully to another ER hospital.  The vet said it was saddlethrombus and said the blood clot treatment would cost $4,000.00. When we go back home, I went online. Every piece of info states the cat is in horribly severe pain. Ours was NOT. She just sat on Donna's lap in the SUV looking around like normal.  Scully had two past strokes and recovered just fine.  Could this have just been another stroke and not saddle thrombus?

Hanna
May 6, 2015

It honestly depends on the cat. We just lost our cat, Sage, to saddle thrombosis yesterday and honestly I'm still in shock. It hit her fast and hard. Bless her heart she hissed like a demon but never once bit me, dad, or the vet. On the other hand, a good friend of mine has an elderly cat who pulled through two saddle thrombosis episodes and is now just fine, albeit on aspirin daily. Sage's back legs were completely paralyzed and feeling was reduced. Her temp. was dangerously low and her circulation rate was low. She was panting and really beyond help. Rest easy, baby girl.

Karen 
May 3, 2015

I have never heard of saddle thrombosis and I have had several cats, one lived to be 20 years old. On April 30, I came home to find my 12 year old Shadow unable to move her back legs. Of course, we grabbed her up and rushed to the vet and got the bad news. We euthanized her and I'm heart broken by all of this. She was never sick one day in all of the 12 years and wham she's gone. This is a terrible thing, and I think cat owners should have some idea that this condition exists. I am so sorry for everyone's terrible loss.

Shelly 
May 1, 2015

My baby Thor was fine when we left in the morning.  Returned at night and found him laying in the cat litter box unable to use his legs.  We are devastated and relieved to know it wasn't something we did wrong

Scott 
April 30, 2015

Hello, Reading all of your unfortunate stories I feel at ease with my decision to euthanize "Rudie" She was almost 13 years old when the saddle thrombus happened on April 28th. Same thing as others said, her back legs stopped working and I could tell she was in severe pain. The emotions did not come out until about 1/2 hour after leaving the Vet. I woke up the next morning thinking of how several smaller versions of this happened to her but like others I thought she fell or twisted her leg or something. She always seemed to recover and never seemed to be in pain. I also knew she had a heart murmur. Rudie had it since she was a kitten. I was never told by any vet that the thrombus could happen. Had I known perhaps Rudie would be here now. Thanks for the support.

Deborah 
April 18, 2015

I too just lost my beloved Gino to this horrible condition. he was at the vet yesterday morning, by last night he was gone.they were monitoring a slight heart murmur, that just appeared.no one ever said anything about a blood clot. I can't believe he's gone, especially being told he was ok. I'm heartbroken.

Maya 
April 13, 2015

I'm heartbroken by all the stories about this horrible disease. We just lost our sweet boy Jack late Saturday evening. He was diagnosed with both forms of heart disease and have been treating his symptoms since December. Even though I know he was in the late stages of the disease I was hoping that we would have been able to manage the end better. He came in running what I thought was his usual enthusiasm. He rolled to the ground and what I thought was playful behavior turned in to his inability to stand. He started to cry like I'd never heard and I immediately knew what was happening and also knew the chances of recovery were not on our side. We immediately rushed him to the ER and although they were able to control the pain we made the decision to stop any further treatment and let him go. We are heartbroken and brought his best friend (dog) with us so he could say goodbye. For a while we were able to manage his other symptoms with medication 3 times daily including Plavix but it was his time. I came here to make sure we made the right and best decision for him and it looks like we did. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories and experience. Jack was almost 6 years old and so young. We miss him terribly.

Mark Burton 
April 3, 2015

We lost our beloved cat, Smudge to this awful condition on Saturday 14th March 2015. We arrived home from a short trip to town the previous day, to find him behind the TV in agony and having lost the use of his back legs. We rushed him to the vet having no idea what was wrong to be told he was suffering from a blood clot. Smudge had been diagnosed with a heart murmur when he was about a year old. Nothing was said about what could happen to him in the future, or about preventative measures to stop blood clots! We decided to give him a chance to recover, and he improved slightly overnight only to deteriorate the next morning. We took the heart wrenching decision to put him to sleep as there was no hope for him. We are devastated at the loss of such a loving family member, who cannot ever be replaced. All cat owners should be aware of Saddle Thrombosis, especially those with a heart condition. We had no idea that it even existed, the vets should have told us. Our hearts go out to everyone that has, and is, suffering like us. RIP dear Smudge, aged 7.

Dr. Tony Johnson 
April 2, 2015

Hi, If you have a neurologist or orthopedic surgeon in your area, that would be your best bet. If he's not in too much pain and you can do it safely, keeping his muscles and joints working properly by doing physical therapy will help when and if he regains function.  You can move all the joints through a range of motion every few hours. I think euthanasia (putting him to sleep) is an option as well, if you don't think he can continue or is in pain that can't be controlled.  Talking to your vet is the best idea - they can help lead you.  Good luck and I hope your cat finds relief soon. Best, Dr. Tony

Musa 
April 2, 2015

My cat was caught by dog and his back leg is not working (left leg back side). I took him to doctor they told he got paralyzed so it is not working and they have done x Ray but it's normal they gave two injection to my cat. But after 3 days no improvement seen on my cat still his leg is not moving at all so pls suggest me some remedies to treat him well

Kathi 
April 1, 2015

We had the same experience with saddle thrombus with our precious "Bentley", he was 2 1/2. The ER vet said that it is unusual in younger cats, but could be congenital heart defect.  We have siblings of Bentley's and are concerned for them.  I spoke with our vet about preventative treatment.  She was not optimistic and told me that cats cannot matabolise aspirin and while it is the only preventative treatment, it will cause liver damage.

Linda 
April 1, 2015

Janice, I'm so sorry to hear about your little Bumble.  I'm guessing you weren't aware of a heart murmur?  I've read only about half of kitties who experience this have heart murmurs. In our case, we knew but were not directed to preventative care.  It seems like it does help to extend their lives by 3-5 years, and I wished we would have seen a cardiologist much earlier.  By the time we did see her, the heart disease was advanced.  It is a genetic disease, and it will come up unexpectedly.  Like your kitty, ours was fine on the day it happened --eating and playing.  It is so incredibly hard.  Our hearts are breaking, our boy was the joy of our lives.  

Janice 
March 31, 2015

I too was horrified on Sunday last when my 3 year old lovely little buddy "Bumble" was having a perfectly normal sort of day or so I thought  until I spotted her lying on the lawn in the most awful pain.  She seemed to be paralyzed from the waist down and was screaming out in the most awful manner.  We rushed her to the emergency vet and I was in disbelief when he explained about the saddle thrombosis.  I was convinced she had jumped from a height and broken both legs or her back.  I asked for x-rays and the vet found no breaks!  We opted for euthanasia and I have sobbed for 2 days - I can't believe it she was a beauty!!  Reading the stories on this site has helped me to know I did the right thing.  I just wanted the pain to stop.  Thanks to the others who have posted on this site - your comments have helped me to realise I'm not on my own in this awful condition.

Dr. Tony Johnson 
March 30, 2015

Hi Sarah - The aspirin dose used for cats to prevent clots should be well below the amount that could cause kidney issues. I am sure you did what you were asked to do out of love and a desire to help and that it didn't harm him. I hope this sets your mind at rest.

Sarah 
March 29, 2015

My cat Severus had a grade 2 heart murmur. Was put on 81 mg of aspirin every 3 days. The vet wanted him on it since the murmur was a new thing. February 17 2015 he died while the vet removed bloody  fluid from his lungs. His vet said his kidneys were poor. He was 13 years old and had only been on aspirin therapy since 2013. I was told kidney problems could cause fluid in the lungs as well as heart problems. I just wish I knew what he died of or if I hurt his kidneys with the aspirin?

Vin 
March 26, 2015

So sorry for everyone .I have rescued 3 cats from our local animal shelter throughout my life and 2 have died from this terrible disease. My current cat is 7yrs old and of course he is my BEST LITTLE BUDDY. But 2 days ago he all of a sudden was falling over and couldn't get his balance and i jumped up freaking out saying to myself NOT AGAIN! He wasn't crying or anything and actually stood up after about 30secs which seemed like an hour. I rushed him to emergency care and of course they didn't find anything wrong with him except a heart murmur which I knew he had. Just from my experience with the other 2 cats I know he had a little stroke or blood clot but it didn't catch. But now I'm wonder to myself when will happen again? And will the next time be the last time. I'm bringing him to local vet to see if anything else can be done except for MONITOR him as they say. I love my little buddy so much and I hope I get the chance to catch what ever is going on with him early so he doesn't end up having the same thing happen to him as it did to so many others on here and also my other 2 cats.

Dr. Tony Johnson 
March 26, 2015

I'm very sorry to hear this, Michelle. This is an awful condition and you certainly made the right call. I hope reading this and the stories of others will help you deal with the grief. I never fault anyone for making the decision to euthanize with this disease as the outlook is so terrible. Please rest assured that you did the right thing for Pumpkin and he would thank you for it if he could. All the best, Dr. Tony

Michelle Flaherty 
March 26, 2015

Around 8 hours ago, my precious baby died from this horrible condition.  It all happened so fast and he was in so much pain. I rushed him to the emergency vet and the doctor told me there was almost nothing that could be done. He was fine earlier last night then out of nowhere he couldn't walk, was panting, and howling. I knew he was in pain.  My heart is shattered with grief.  Reading that he was in pain is breaking my heart.  I'm glad I got him care quickly and he's no longer suffering.  R.I.P. Pumpkin. <3

Dr. Tony Johnson 
March 20, 2015

Hi Sarah; If it was aspirin (and not Tylenol) and the dose was reasonable (around 1/4 to 1/2 baby aspirin) then you should be fine and don't have to worry that you harmed your cat. Aspirin is very safe when used in low doses. Hope this helps you and makes you feel better. Best, Dr. Tony

Michele Gaspar, DVM, DABVP (Feline)
March 20, 2015

I am so very sorry for the loss of your kitty.  There is no doubt when I read this that you loved him so much.  The aspirin that you gave lovingly and diligently did not harm your kitty.  The dose and dosing interval was a safe one.  There are many causes for the signs that your kitty had.  However, the aspirin was not to blame.  

Sarah 
March 20, 2015

My cat had a heart murmur the vet insisted he be placed on a small amount of baby aspirin every 3 days. That was around 2013. He died 2015 due to blood in his lungs and loss of weight and muscle.
He was vomiting and refusing to use his litter box to poop. I'm so afraid I poisoned him giving him the aspirin the vet insisted he get to prevent blood clots. I'm heartbroken.

Hmk
March 17, 2015

Just a few days ago i realized my cat who is under a year old was having trouble getting up. I walked over to help her up and when i sat her up she just fell right over. Ever since she's been laying and every once in awhile she'll try to get up but never succeeds. I bring her her food and water and bring her different places so she's not laying in one place all the time. But she sounds just like all of those stories. Fine one day and like this the next. Its tearing me up to think i may have to put her down when she hasn't even lived a life yet.

Dr. Tony Johnson 
March 13, 2015

EJR: Yes, it is rare, but cats can have strokes and blood clots without structural heart disease. In most cases, like with people, there is some underlying disease, like hyperthyroidism or blood clotting abnormalities. The true incidence and cause of many of them remains a mystery, however, and most blood clots in cats are associated with heart disease as described in the article.

 AMY:I have no experience using a laser for this, but as long as it does not cause the patient pain, delay other treatments or break the bank to the point that other treatments are not affordable, I see no problem with it.

Amy Storm 
March 12, 2015

Has anyone had any experience using laser therapy to treat saddle thrombus?

ejr 
March 9, 2015

Can a thrombus happen in a cat without heart disease and what could have been the cause?

Janice 
February 24, 2015

I happened to be at my Vet with my Lily yesterday to see why she wasn't eating (thinking tooth problem) when she suddenly started howling and lost the use of her legs.  I have never seen anything like how she was acting and hope never to again.  I am coming to grips with the fact that it was lucky we were right there so she didn't suffer long.  She was 13 so from reading here I am lucky to have had her that long.  Sorry for those who lost such young cats to this.

Dr. Tony Johnson 
February 17, 2015

I'm very sorry.  I also have seen so few outcomes that are positive that I'm quite certain you made the right call and did the kindest thing.  I'm very sorry for your loss.

Betty 
February 16, 2015

Today, I lost my   soon to be 3 year old cat. He was playing around with me around noon hours and perfectly fine. Around 2:00 Pm I heard him from basement with this loud cry. I run to him and noticed he is sitting on his back legs and unable to move. His cry was loud and heartbreaking. Being Family day in Ontario, We couldn't find a local vet. We drove him to Niagara Animal ER. The DR. told us that he has a blood clot and there is nothing he can do. We decided to let him go so he can be free from pain. He was a very nice DR. He said that he is been practicing for 25 years and never seen a positive outcome from this.  I miss my little guy so much. He is everywhere with me.

Linda 
February 13, 2015

I am so sorry for all of you that experienced this horrible loss.  Just over a month ago, I lost my sweet boy.  He had a heart murmur which was found years ago, but the vet did not recommend pursuing it with a cardiologist.  I wish to god I would have at that point. Last July, we took him in for a regular checkup.  The new vet heard a heart gallup, which is an irregular beat, and recommended we take him to a cardiologist.  We did, about 10 days later because everything was fine.  So we thought.  The cardiologist did and echo, and came out in the middle of it to tell us he was in heart failure.  They kept him overnight to drain the fluid off, put him on four meds -- including a blood thinner to prevent clots. None of the meds were for cats -- all were for either dogs or humans.   Our boy was happy and you'd never know anything was amiss. A recheck appointment six weeks later with the cardiologist went well, no changes. The next recheck was for 2-3 months, no specific date.  This is where I missed it and feel extreme guilt.  He was doing very well and we were giving him four meds twice a day without fail.  I didn't bring him back in for that recheck.  It will always be my fail.  On January 9th, he was doing fine as always.  Playing, eating.  In the evening he had a clot, which paralyzed his back legs.  We immediately took him in and were told that even if they could move the clot, he was in heart failure and would likely clot again soon. Although I'll never know if getting him in for that recheck would have made a difference, it is something I will have to live with. I do know for sure that heart disease is very serious and cats typically will not show they are in distress until it is very late. And, there is no cure or real prevention. The unbearable decision was made.  He was only eight years old.  The love of my life and the joy of our household. Peace be in your hearts.

Nel 
February 10, 2015

Our 9 year old female cat was just diagnosed with a saddle thrombosis, although it seems to have effected one leg more so than the other. It happened suddenly and with no warning. One minute she was sitting by my feet, the next she was curled up under the dining room table. A heard 2 or 3 hacks, like she was trying to pass a fur ball but much worse. Then hissing like two cats going at it but unlike anything I’ve heard before. We have two other cats so I got up off the coach and ran to see what the fuss was only to find her crutched down and not moving. She wasn’t panting or crying out, but when I went to grab her around her belly to pick her up, it was hard like as if it was bloated. I let go and she made a run for it, but dragging her legs as she clearly was running for shelter and scarring herself with her sudden loss of function in her hind legs. We grabbed her, immediately got dressed and drove to the vet. After describing what I had observed, the doctor stated most likely it was a blood clot. She checked her heart and no sign of a murmur. She even checked her pulse. Shaved a little patch of fur above the pad on each leg and taped a small transducer. Faint but you could hear her pulse on the monitor and it seemed to be within the limit which was promising. The doctor ran several exercises to determine her reaction including light pinching of the toes, knuckling (turning the paw over and seeing how long it took her to turn it back over and onto her paw pads), rotation of the legs and joints. The doctor also felt her spinal column and stated she could feel her react slightly when she pressed lower on the spinal column. The doctor stated that she seemed to have more function in one leg over the other but that we’d put her on medication (buprenorphine) 3 times a day to help with the pain as blood clots are very painful in cats when passing though. We took her home and returned two days later for a follow up. Although the improvement went unnoticeable in each day, there was improvement from one day to the next. It’s only been 4 days, but we’re heading back Friday from yet another follow up. Kitty is doing well and the progress is promising that she’ll have a full recovery at least in my eyes and I pray that this is true. I am however discouraged by all of the research I have found that states she is prone to having another blood clot before the year is over. Once she has recovered fully, I will place her on ¼ of a baby Aspirin every 3 days to reduce blood clots if the doctor agrees.

Lana 
February 7, 2015

Our beloved cat Casper had to be put down on February 5, 2015. I cried my eyes out, we miss him so much. He was only 2 and a half years old. I could never unseen his little body being twisted in horrible pain, it broke my heart. I heard him crying, ran from the kitchen to see what was wrong and found him not being able to move his rear legs. We immediately took him to the vet... His temperature was 93.1... Vet said it was the best to take him out of this suffering. My whole family misses him but I just can't stop crying, it is so difficult for me, it hurts so much... I love you Casper, you brought us so much joy, you are very much missed... My condolences to everyone who is going through pain of losing their beloved pet.

Kim 
February 1, 2015

I came home to find Piper (our 10 year old male cat who had just gotten a clean bill of health 2 weeks prior) on the kitchen floor meowing loudly. He wasn't crying but trying to talk to me. I noticed he had wet himself and he was paralyzed from waist down. He had no sensation and was trying to tell me. I knew something was very wrong. I took him immediately to vet and he did not have a pulse to his legs. I am a cardiac nurse and even though I know so much I was so confused by him seeming okay and with no pain other then he couldn't move his legs. Usually they would be in great pain. His temp was low though and stayed at vet to warm and get X-rays to check for enlarged heart and fluid in lungs even though his heart and lung sounds were normal. It was painful because I understood what was going on and when the vet called to tell me his heart was very enlarged and lungs were not clear my heart sank. At this time he was still stable with no pain but temp was low but the vet encouraged me to wait to see how he did.  We decided to leave him at vet over night to see how he did and by mid morning he started to have difficulty. He still was resting and such a strong cat. I chose to not treat him with meds for heart failure or clot and let him rest in piece. It was soooooo painful for us to let him go but I am glad that we saved him from unneeded pain or suffering. It came on quick and without a sign.

Tess 
January 31, 2015

My baby has been diagnosed with this too, she hasn't presented in the same way as most others here. She was slow to move for two days & in pain when picked up so thought cat fight & took to vet. We couldn't find cat bite but treated with antibiotic & pain relief. After two days & no change I took back, she was walking. I agreed to sedation so could X-Ray & have good look. Nothing was found, but her back legs are now paralysed. We've increased pain relief, her pads are not as cold as they were, I'm praying for that blood to start flowing!! I've been advised to have her put down but I feel there is still hope, she's not crying in pain, she's eating. I was told blood thinners don't work, was not offered any to try. This site has given me more hope & I pray I can get what she needs.  It's a week tomorrow that she started moving slowly. The hope!!

Nicole 
January 20, 2015

To Jennifer and all owners with cats who have had Saddle Thrombosis.  I just found my cat "Momma Kitty" today, when I got home from work.  She was already gone, but here's her story and I hope someone out there learns from my experience....(cause I wish someone would have told me). On Dec 13, 2013....I came home to Momma crying in pain and dragging her back legs the best she could, and the cry gave you goose bumps. This was late at night, so I ran her to the ER Vet about 30,min away. She lost her bowels at the vet and was still crying, so I feared the worst.  Sure enough he wanted to put her to sleep.  I asked if he could make her comfortable until I could take her to my vet the next day.  So, he gave her pain meds and some aspirin to take home....and to keep rubbing her legs, to get blood circulation back.  Well, my vet wasn't sure what to make of it, so I did all that the ER vet said for 5 days and it worked.  She was running and jumping less than a week later.  Oh yeah, I also used a heating pad on her leg, I believe.  So anyway....u asked my vet about getting some more aspirin, to keep momma's blood thin from clots.  She said it couldn't have been Saddle, cause cats don't bounce back that fast.  Well, the ER vet was right....he told me her next clot could be in her lungs, where she would be in enormous pain and drown in her own blood, from the lungs filling up with blood.  It did happen as he said and I wasn't here for her.  If anyone is or has experienced the same thing, please make sure to continue therapy and get aspirin.  I continued to rub momma's legs from time to time, just in case.  I should have made the vet give me aspirin.  I am kicking myself now and blaming myself for her death.  Based on how she looks, she went through a lot of pain.  Try to keep them from dying that way please!!!  But also maybe try to keep them alive.  I had Momma for another 13 months and she was perfectly fine, until today.  RIP Momma Kitty.....I Love you very much and will miss you greatly!!

Dr. Tony Johnson 
January 20, 2015

Hi Andra; I'm so sorry to hear about Squidward - I know how these things can really tear people up. Please rest assured that you could not have done anything to prevent it, and I also feel very strongly that you made the right decision in euthanizing him, as hard as it is to do that. It sounds like the vets helping you had a pretty good grasp of how bad of he was and their advice was based on empathy and good medicine. I am very sorry for your loss.

Andra 
January 15, 2015

My seven year old cat Squidward passed away January 15th, 2015 from saddle thrombus.  I am still in shock as he was perfectly fine the night before.  He had even been in for his yearly physical three months ago, and received a clean bill of health.  I woke up at 3:30 to a sound I had never heard before from any of our cats ever.  I found him on the kitchen floor, writhing in pain, and completely numb from the waist down.  There was no other recommendation than to have him put down.  I called three of my friends who are vets, and all recommended the same.  I did it because I wanted to end his suffering.  He was in so much pain.  I have a lot of guilt if this was something I could have possibly prevented in him, and also questioning if I did the right thing when I agreed to have him euthanized.  Could he have been saved?  I don't know.  My best guess is that if the vets offered me no other courses of treatment that they were doing what they knew was best for him, and I should accept their knowledge and diagnosis.   I still feel terrible that I lost him either way.

Jennifer 
January 19, 2015

Our 8 year-old cat Sonny continues to amaze his doctors.  On Thanksgiving weekend we found Sonny in the next door neighbor's yard, unable to walk, in the middle of a cold rainstorm.  Got him to the ER where we got the bad news that it was probably a saddle thrombus, since x-rays were normal, there was no pulse in his hind legs and they were cold.  He was not in pain, though, so after an overnight in the hospital we took him to the cardiologist, who found an enlarged heart but luckily no heart failure.  Still, he said, the prognosis was extremely guarded.  Within several days of starting treatment Sonny began to improve.  It took about 7 to 10 days before he began walking, at first just from his box to a favorite chair, about 6 feet.  One leg recovered more quickly than the other, and soon after he got circulation back to the more affected leg he developed a wound on the paw that wouldn't heal.  He also had probable nerve damage that caused his leg to buckle when walking.  So even though he had survived the first ordeal, we were told just before Christmas he would likely lose that leg.  Fast forward one month and amputation is no longer necessary as Sonny continues to amaze everyone with his progress. Every case is different, but this condition is sometimes treatable.  If you're visiting this site because your pet is ill I wish both you and your pet all the best.

Linda 
January 17, 2015

Jason, if you are still checking in on this thread, can I ask you some questions?  Your post really resonated with me as we also knew our sweetie had CHF six months ago.  Thanks, Linda

Lisa 
January 12, 2015

My 12 yr old cat smudge had to be put to sleep yesterday because of this, the blood clot had paralyzed both his back legs and it wasn't a very nice sight to wake up too.. his last hours must have been pure agony ,I was so shocked as it happened so suddenly as he was absolutely fine the night before, it was heartbreaking having to get him euthanized  and to let him go but I held him until he passed, I absolutely adored him and I'm truly devastated he's gone and will miss him terribly, so so sad wish there was something to prevent this.

Ashley 
January 2, 2015

My 20 year old cat died the morning after Christmas. She exhibited similar symptoms but it was in her front right leg. She was healthy but shocked us with this painful howl in the middle of the night. We thought she fractured her leg. She hid under my bed and began cleaning herself. I made an appointment to the vet asap (difficult due to the holiday) but it was too late. She died within a couple hours of onset. If anyone experiences these symptoms with their kitty, bring them to animal hospital asap!!

Glenna 
December 16, 2014

I have a cat right now at the vet.  She is a stray that I found in a parking lot.  I have had her about 8 months and adore her.  I took her to the vet when I first found her and they estimated her to be about 1.5 years old so she is now about 2.  She was fine walking around last night and jumped up on the sofa with me and then got down.  I looked up about 15 minutes later and she was dragging her back legs and bad pain you could tell by her cries.  She started flipping and flopping all over as if to try and get up.  I called the vet and they met me within an hour.  They have her on blood thinner and pain meds and thought she was doing somewhat better this afternoon and even moved her right hind leg a bit but then later when I called they said she seems to possibly have some damage in her brain as she acts very odd now.  We have decided to give her another day at the vet.  If you are reading this please I am asking for your prayers for my girl. 

Jason 
December 15, 2014

Unfortunately, I've experienced this twice, most recently on Saturday, 12/13.  This time, it was my boy Spartacus.  He was diagnosed with severe cardiomyopathy 9 months ago, so we were aware of the risks.  He was on all appropriate medications, including Plavix to help reduce the possibility of clots.   Even with all the medications and constant checkups, it still happened.  One minute he was playing, the next we was paralyzed.  Based on his history and the severity of the paralysis, we had to let him go.  For all of you questioning yourselves, we knew about the heart disease, were aggressively treating it, and had him to the hospital in less than an hour.  Best case scenario across the board, and nothing mattered.  And once you see the pain involved, waiting days to weeks to see if things get better isn't an option. I mentioned this was the second.  The first was Samantha.  She was 18-20, no history of heart disease.  One day she was acting a little weird, a little unsteady but still completely mobile.  I rushed her to the vet, and they suspected cardiomyopathy.  I got an appointment with the cardiologist the next day, and she had HCM.  Her walking was still unsteady, but nobody suggested a stroke. That night, she did have a stroke, to her brain.  She still had feeling in her legs, but her jaw was locked shut and I just couldn't see her recovering.  Turns out it was a series of strokes, so even if the first isn't major, there is a great chance there will be others, more painful and likely catastrophic.  With wait and see being the only viable option, it's up to each person to figure out what's best.  For me, as much as I was willing to do anything, I didn't want them to spend there last days in a hospital, in pain, and alone.

Karlyn 
November 12, 2014

November 09, 2014-we said goodbye to our black lab Bailey.  Fine on a Thursday, by Saturday she had trouble walking on back legs. Vet suspected arthritis, gave her an anti-inflammatory and meds, sent her home. She never walked again-her condition spread to her front legs and a blood clot was suspected. She couldn't get comfortable and panted continually. It was best to not have her suffer. Stunned, she was fine one day and gone so soon. Stunned and miss her terribly. Just cannot believe it happened so suddenly. 

TheAnomally 
November 11, 2014

My cat Bo died 6 months ago of a blood clot in his hind quarters. It was all very sudden and heart breaking. Last night the same thing happened to my friend's little 3yr old cat; he had to be euthanized. I wish something more could be done to predict this.

Harry
November 10, 2014

We are very lucky - as is our Onyx.  He's 15 and suffered this 4 days ago.  He however did not exhibit the sever pain, and is slowly starting to use his back legs again.  Currently his toes on one foot are still affected, and his entire foot on the other side is affected, with little or no control.  His more significantly affected leg has recently become much warmer to the touch, as soon after his event, his foot and toes were quite cool. Although it is symptomatic of a larger heart disease issue, we are guardedly optimistic that he may be one of the lucky ones and pull through this challenge, if only to live out the rest of his days in more comfort and mobility.

PG 
November 9, 2014

We had a cat who passed with this issue in May.  Never saw this coming.  Our cat Scarlett seemed fine but acting a bit strange the day before.  Didn't want to be touched and was a bit distant which is strange for her because she is lap cat.  We kept an eye on her and the next morning she didn't come for her food and found her in another room not moving.  I went to check on her and immediately felt her back paws and they were ICE COLD. I tickled her paws/hair between the paws which usually results in pulling back and found nothing and the leg plopped down.  I called the vet and they said bring her in.  Once at the vet they said what has been diagnosed and they advised to put her down.  She was a trooper during this whole thing but really got vocal once i got her in the carrier and i knew then this was not good.  It was a horrible day and still have not gotten over the final hour i was with her and now that i read this didn't know what type of pain she might have been in.  I hope this never happens to anyone else as it has haunted me after several months what i saw and what she had to experience.  It did come out of nowhere and so fast. I wish i could have helped her more. Very sad folks...very sad..

Beth 
July 23, 2014

I honestly can relate to these stories, especially Kayla's. Our Murphy was barely seven when we helped him over the Rainbow Bridge a week and a half ago. He also suffered a sudden clot, affecting his front leg. All the same horrible symptoms of pain I have read here happened. He was completely fine leading up to it, and had never been diagnosed with a murmur before. We had no idea, and are still in shock he's gone.

Lindsey 
July 18, 2012

My second Siamese cat died of this a couple of days ago. Is this common, or just really bad luck to have 2 cats die this same way? Timmy died on Wednesday, was 12, perfectly healthy, if neurotic, and then had paralyzed back legs that were cold to the touch, and he was in agony, almost identical to what my first cat went through years ago when he died. My other cat is a Maine Coon, and I am terrified that this is going to happen to him, too. I live about an hour away from emg vets, so Timmy suffered in a lot of pain for almost an hour until they could give him pain medication. How common is a saddle thrombus? I don't know if I can handle having to go through that again. Having to put down a cat is one thing; it is painful, sure, but a natural process. Having them dying in excruciating pain suddenly is something else. Is this going to happen again? Timmy was a sweet creature, never harmed anything, and he definitely didn't deserve to suffer. I can't find statistics anywhere about how likely a cat is to suffer from saddle thrombus.

Kayla 
July 7, 2014

I had 2 twin boy house cats.. They're my babies.. I don't have real children so they keep me a bunch of company while my husband is always working .. We came home from vacation (my mom and mother in law took care of the cats while we were gone) I walked thru the door and only one of my cats were around.. I knew something was wrong.. I walked in the back bedroom and heard him meowing.. There he was laying half way under the bed breathing so hard and fast.. Moaning every breath.. My heart sunk.. I had already took him to the vet once over this the month before because he was throwing up like crazy (which we seen he had done this time too) I was hoping this was all it was.. But when I picked him up he screamed in pain and I laid him down and that's when I seen his legs would not work.. I was devastated.. I knew something was horrible wrong.. It took me forever to find a vet that would actually meet me out since it was a holiday weekend during after hours.. We flew to the vet and that's when I got the news.. He had a blood clot and his back legs were stiff.. He was in shock.. His temperature was only 93 degrees.. He was in a horrible amount of pain.. He less than 5% chance to live and that was if he was completely healthy. The vet said him throwing up was not a sign of a blood clot so obviously he had some health problems.. I had to make a decision fast.. He said treatment would just most likely fail and he wouldn't make it .. It was the hardest decision I've ever made.. I put my sweet boy to sleep.. I still am not over what happened and I hate being home cause I see all his favorite spots.. I know I should be glad he's not in pain anymore and he's in kitty heaven but I want him home with me.. I loved him sooooo much.. I miss him soooooo bad.. I regret every time I yelled at him for getting into things.. I should have let the poor boy do all he wanted. He had such a short life.. I regret not trying to save him.. I'm mad at myself.. I hope I gave him enough attention and have him a good life and let him know he was loved because I will always love him !

Kristin 
June 9, 2014

I want to tell the story of Elliot. As I type I am watching him sleep, next to me. On April 17 Elliot threw a clot to his back legs right in front of me. Literally, one moment I was watching him lay on the floor and the next he was screaming and flipping himself around on the floor in pain. We rushed him to the vet and noticed he was fully paralyzed in his hind legs. The doctors wanted to put him down and we said fight. He made it through to the morning and regained full mobility in his left leg/paw and full in his right leg/partial in his right paw. We prayed a lot that night and on Good Friday we had an awesome miracle. We then took Elliot to a cardiologist and he begin a strong regimen of diuretics/blood thinners/and ACE inhibitors. Once his heart failure was stable for a month we began Atenolol which reduces his heart rate/work load. He is going back in about a week to check his stats and that there is no new clot formation. My family and I pray every day for him and keep up with his medication, reducing stress, feeding a low sodium diet, and giving love. I know that Elliot is an exception and that he is still ill, but he is happy now. Elliot is young (this is more than likely genetic for him as he is only 4) so that may have helped him pull through, we also got him to the vet asap and knew exactly when the clot was thrown because we were there. Had it happened while we were out the story may have looked different. However, I believe that through prayer and good veterinarians we are able to still have our wonderful Elliot with us right now. Not all cases are lost.

Tina 
May 27, 2014

My 13-year old Caesar had to be put to sleep because of a blood clot that paralyzed his front leg. I was gone all day at work and by the time I got home in the early evening, I could see my baby was in terrible pain and could not sit up and crying something awful.  I immediately too him to the Animal Hospital it was pretty much what was said in this article mirrored what had happened to Caesar.It was the most horrible thing to have to make a sudden choice to put him to sleep since there was very little they could do otherwise.  I was told he had a heart murmur and that most likely had heart disease which attributed to the clot. His age was also a factor and I am devastated as this happened so suddenly.

Selina 
May 10, 2014

My 17-year-old cat Heidi died to one of these just a couple months ago. I remember seeing her laying down with her back pressed against the front door, since it was still winter it was cold. I thought it was a funny thing for her to be doing, but I ignored it. A couple minutes later I heard a thumping, like a bunny hopping. Of course we don't have a rabbit, so I went out to see what it was. And there she was, dragging herself across the kitchen floor. She only made it a few feet before she collapsed down and started letting out these agonizing screeches. It was painful to watch. Her back legs were cold, so I started furiously rubbing from her hip down until they felt warm again. It helped for a minute, she sat up and took a couple of steps and then she went right back to the way I found her. We rushed her to our nearest vet, which is a 3 hour drive. The incident started at 2am, we arrived at the vet at 6am, but they wouldn't even take us in until 10am. The vet had one quick look at her before he told us that it was much too late and that because of her age we couldn't even try the medication to remove the clot. It was positively the most heartbreaking thing I've ever gone through. We still have her mother, who recently turned 19. She's incredibly clingy without another cat in the house. It would have been nice if there had been some warning, it was just too sudden. Now I live in constant fear that the same thing is going to happen to her mother.

Harry Bryan 
December 26, 2013

My 8-year-old cat Marshall developed what the emergency vet believed to be a saddle thrombus late Monday night (12/23/13).  He screamed intermittently while we tried to figure out what was wrong (he'd been fine just 10 minutes earlier, it was a scream that alerted us), but mostly just panted very hard, unable to catch his breath.  It wasn't until he moved that we were able to see he was unable to get his legs under him, and he had released some feces, which he had never done in the house before. We got him to the emergency vet, and he told us essentially what Dr. Johnson has written here, and put him to sleep (he was clearly in great pain, and we were afraid he wouldn't even make it to the vet). No warning, only 8 years old, gone like that.

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