Kitten brain damage :( PLEASE HELP

[TaraBryan]

My kitten got a severe head trauma 2 days ago and ive been told she is brain damaged and has swelling on the brain.
The vet has let me bring her home because she does know when you're there and still purs and responds to touch but her head constantly stays to the left and she keeps going round in circles.
She is eating and drinking with the help of me and my partner feeding her by syringe every 2 hours.
I want to know if anyone else has had the same problems with their cat and if there is anything else we can do to help her recover and hopefully help our little Star survive this trauma because she is trying to fight this and we want to help her recover the best way we can, we don't want to have her put to sleep because we love her too much :'o(  Please please, any help would be very much appreciated

[Bravy]

Dear all, i had a very bad experience with one of my kittens as well with a severe head injury. I have to say that when I found her she was bleeding from the mouth and nose and she was in shock!!! She didn't let anyone get close to her but I manage to take her to vet. They tried to give her some medications but i had to jump in and calm her with reiki in order for the vet to manage to do anything on her. We gave her Mannitol for a couple of days and i've been given her reiki healing energy every day 2 and 3 times a day. The vet didn't gave us too many hopes but I wasn't going to give up on her.  After a few days she slowly started to show some improvement. After a week or so she  i was able to bring her home and thinks started to move faster since then. She could recognise the place, sounds and etc but needed help to eat, drink. She was disoriented though when walking and out of balance. Using the litter box was out of the question. My reiki teacher, mentor and yoga teacher told me about a Homeopathic Remedy that is suitable for pets also. The name is ARNICA!!!! It promotes the self healing and speeds up the proses. We gave her a 2 drops in Saturday evening and 2 more drops on Sunday morning and another 2 on evening. We stopped there as we saw it took her quite back :( DON'T be afraid though!!!! This is the process. It's a sign that the remedy is actually working. Monday she stop using her front left leg. By Tuesday she had a swollen right chick. Wednesday I took her to the vet and we had to cat her chick open to release the infection. (God knows where the infection came from as she was sleeping on my bed all this time, but this is how the remedy works. It has to release all the negative energy somehow). The vet said that we will have to clean her wound for a few days. Amazing! By next morning the wound was closed! The cat had a terrible night obviously in pain from the wound on the chick but in the morning she was better than ever!!! She could see much better than before. Walking straight and using all 4 legs. The next day i saw her jumping on the couch. She started using her litter box as well. I am amazed! And it's said that the remedy will continue to assist her in healing for the next month or so.... Here is a link with some info http://www.petremedycharts.com/Learning%20Center/Homeopathy/Homeopathic%20Remedies/Homeopathic_Remedies/Arnica_Homeopathy_for_Animals.html

I hope this will help you as well as it did with my little cat as well. Just don't give up on your pets, show them love and affection and stay positive.  Your intention only can do wonders.

[opus88]

She needs to see a Vet ASAP, untreated seizures can lead to more damage to her brain. Seizure medications are not expensive, you owe this to her....poor baby

[CML2014]

Most vets are very happy to give you a payment plan. Also an Animal ER will also take her in immediately and work with you on cost......but you HAVE TO TAKE HER IN TODAY--with brain swelling this is a life or death situation--Emergency is you best bet!!!!
Please do not let this baby suffer--she needs help FAST.
Please let us know what happens .

Good Luck ,
CML

[cassie80]

Maybe they could open her head and relive the swelling?

[AriaVasRozen]

Hi Tara I know this an old post but ive been looking for things on my kitty i have a kitten that about 3-4 months ago my dog attacked and according to my husband it was a pretty nasty bite that punctured his ear and possibly went through blood squirting out of his ear and he was just in soo much pain. I was at work at the time that that had happened and he called me to let me know that he was on his way to the vet with him. Vet said he was a strong cat and that he would pull through (which he did for the most part)it was the longest and most horrifying month and a half for him myself and my kitty. Feeding him with a syringe and giving him water not really moving and soiling himself because he couldnt help it.Antibiotics, fluids all the works we got him to where he could atleast stand and eat on his own . Its now oct and hes still going strong minus the disabilities he has now walking in circles only (only turns to the right doesnt walk straight really just circles)h is head always slightly tilts to the side he eats on his own it has to be wet kitty food tried him with regular and he cant get any of it in his mouth he cant necessarily drink water on hisown but i still put it down for him and give him water with his syringe, and he is also blind from his left eye which I absolutely thought he was going to have to lose beccause it just wasnt healing right but now he has his beautiful ice blue eye back( he has oddball eyes he isnt deaf either :) ) looking into it more i found that idiopathic vestibular syndrome in felines could be why he walks in circles to this day.

[Leladela]

My kitten is one year old she is blind in one eye so we named her lela after the Cyclops from futurama she has siezers day and night and I'm saving up for a vet visit and I'm super scared my baby is well........my BABY I love her and all I can do is hold her tight she is is so sweet and doesn't deserve this she was found on the side of the road in the rain with her fur all matted and she's still nice please reply

[Leladela]

I'm sorry about the @%%&-+#)+$ they don't mean a swears my key board is messed up

[opus88]

yes they certainly do astound us for sure....so sorry to read abt little Ella, what a terrible injury she has sustained. I am happy you found us and read about the need for mannitol and gave this little girl a fighting chance.

you are asking for outcomes in others situations...unfortunately these posts are older and many never return as permanent members of Medhelp nor update us after the initial post....so all I know is what we can both read. there are other posts that you can find if you search the archives..but you won't get a reply since these people are no longer here:(

all I can tell you that its a slow process...months to recover as far as they are going to, but she is showing really good signs in that she can already eat/eliminate and stand on her own...the walking in circles is normal, I would think everyday you should see a slight improvement in some way or other..even in the circles. I would suggest you keep her in a small cage or box for awhile..this gives them the feeling of protection, the disorientation she is feeling right now is quite scary to her. keep her in a small enclosed area big enough that she is able to keep trying to stand and move around...and big enough to fit her food/water(low non tip bowl) and pee pad. slowly as she improves you can  expand this area.

as her disorientation improves so should her ability to find and use a litter box..right now she also may not have any bowel control nor the normal sensations of needing to go. again a smaller space would help since it takes her so much effort and time to reach her pad or box right now.

keep her on a high protien canned food...with real meat as the first ingredient on the label NOT meat by products. she will need the best nourishment for muscle strength. if she is on dry now, do the transition slowly so she doesn't have diarrhea.

I do wish little Ella all the very best, she has a real good fighting chance of recovering most if not all her normal self, but it will take time and lots of patience. you are doing an excellent job so far mommy:) keep posting with any questions that we maybe able to help with and also giving us updates. ♥

[russian830]

Just wanted to share my story since this board has given me the hope to have my precious ella with us. Anyways, I was putting the soft nails on my 14 week old kitten, with roughly 2 nails left to go without incident the ella bit me and would not let go. Upon hearing me howl in pain my 2 year old german shepherd came to my rescue ripping ella from my hand and flinging her aside in one move.  Ella just collapsed into the ground and started bleeding from her ear, nose and mouth.  She would not respond to anything and shortly pooped herself. I cleaned her off in the sink and all she did was open one eye at me.  Since i live out in the country i jumped on google and started trying to find the closest 24/7 vet as it was 9 pm on a saturday night.  Long story short, after an hour long drive of stoplights and checking her breathing we made it to the vet.  After a full medical workup of xrays and such they diagnosed her with several broken ribs, a broken collar bone and a fractured skull with severe brain swelling.  The vet told me that i should consider her quality of life and should put her to sleep. I asked if they could do 12 hours of medicine (mannital) since i read this forum before going to the vet and heard of the wonder stories it produced.  They said they would try it but were not hopeful as this was the most serious head trauma they had seen in a cat. After 72 hours in the Pet ER and several phone calls from the vet saying that she stood no hope i brought her home.  That was a week ago. Now she is standing on her own, abet not well. and also able to walk in tight circles.  She still falls over every time she shakes her head and is having accidents around the house.  But in terms of improvement, she went from no chance of living to eating on her own and excreting wastes on her own.  I hope she makes a full recovery and would love to hear whats happened in other peoples situations about how long before your cat could walk in a straight line again or how soon did the cat start going to the bathroom herself vs in a litter box.Im assuming that since it takes her about 45 mins to move 8 inches by method of tight circles she just cant make it to the litter yet? Also i poured her litter onto a pee pad as to make it easier for her to access.  Any suggestions would be great and dont give up early on cats, they do astound us

[opus88]

PLEASE DO NOT TRY AND STRAIGHTEN kitty's neck.....its not a physical problem he is having..its a brain injury and went one side of the brain is injured he doesn't know how to hold his head straight..or walk straight, just like a human having a stroke....if you had taken him in for treatment the Vet would have prescribed a medication to help take the swelling off his brain..

usually this will improve over time as long as he is still eating/nursing and able to evacuate his bowels and bladder ok....

the sight and hearing USUALLY improve as well, depends on if the damage is temporary due to swelling or if there is permanent brain damage, only time will tell.

wishing you and baby kitty the very best....please don't manipulate his neck ever, this could cause permanent paralysis...

[beccaboo111]

My kitten is about 4 weeks old , and One of my older cats had knocked down a mirror and it landed right on his spine/head. He was in shock for a good few hours and wouldn't open his eyes, when he did open his eyes they were rolled back. I thought I lost him. A acouple hours later after he had a good rest he starting to move around a little. His head was stuck to the left like you say, and he would only go in circles. What I did was, while he was sleeping I would tilt his neck the other way , and gently rub it. A couple hours after that he straightened his neck! and now he can walk straight agian! He isn't very good at walking, which is to be expected. I'm not sure if he can see or hear anything, but he does also respond to touch, and loves being held close because it makes him purr. Also this only happened a little over 2 days ago.

[veen0404]

Can u please tell me how long your cat took to heal from the brain trauma?

[soccermomoffour]

my 7 year old son fell on out 12 week old kitten cody yesterday, he started having seizures and haveing a hard time breathing. I took him to the vet she said he had a brain injury. he wouldnt move or anything, they gave  him mannitol we took him home after a few hours he slept all day, when I got home from work he walked very wobbly up to me and rubbed his head on my leg. he also walks on circles and hangs his head to the left. he then got back in bed and is just laying there. I hope he is ok, my son weighs 90lbs and to fall on the kitten who weighs about 3.

[opus88]

click on this site for more reading on how to assist feed...

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Pets/Syringe--Force-feeding-for-cats--Part-one/show/491?cid=2

[opus88]

I am so sorry abt your little kitty....give her time she should improve as many cats with a brain injury have. she just needs alot of love/care and patience for awhile.
tell me how much are you feeding her at one time? and what are you giving her?
a small kitten her age needs to be fed much more than 3x's a day IMO. even my fully grown cats eat such a small amount at one time that they require feeding about 5x's per day. so for a little one I'd be doing at least that often, preferably even more.
as for water...you had best ask your Vet for that amount based on the weight of your kitty.
I will send you a site with a video to follow on how to give food properly....I can't find the one I'm looking for of food administration, this one is how to administer liquid medications and you need to follow the same proceedure anyway....just go slow so kitty doesn't choke or inhale anything...watch the whole video ok.
best of luck, post again if we can help...

copy and paste the following link

http://www.partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/Cat-Liquid-Medications/Entire-Video

[taterbeans]

My kitten Penelope was hit by our sliding glass door and got a brain injury its very sad. she walks in circles and one paw folds over and she hasnt use the littler tray in 2 day i feed her throw a syringe as well 3 time a day. i dont feel it is every much she is about 9 to 10 week of age and i do the same with water but she wont eat  or drink from a dish but i have medical kitten food. How many times should i be feeding and giving her water? please help me she is doing so much better  im going to take her to the vet tomorrow.

[Kristi112865]

I'm so glad to read all of these stories!  We reused an orphan kitten 4 days ago and have been bottle feeding it.  Last night our peekaboo jumped in it's box, bit it's face and shook him.  This happened in a matter of seconds.  The bite at the edge of it's mouth went clear through into it's mouth.  I immediately called the vet on call and was told that there was not much that could be done to a wound in that location but to continue antibiotics it was already on for a sneeze.  During the night I noticed it's front legs are limp, it can only use it's back legs.  I took it to the vet first thing this morning and knew to ask about mannitol because of the posts.  Unfortunately, they could not get an iv started, but were able to give it injectible steroids to help if the swelling is around the spinal cord.  Can't stand waiting for more news

[Jade59]

Hi Wendy!  What a wonderful  and encouraging story!!  Thank you so much for sharing so others may have hope!

[opus88]

hi and welcome, thank you so much for posting this encouraging news. What a wonderful story of love and determination...for both you and Crash(appropriate name btw)....this is exactly what others in similar circumstances need to read, there is always hope with enough patience and care....he sounds like a special little guy!
We'd love to see some photos or video of Crash....keep us updated please!!!
♥Opus

[wendyd502]

Hi, I just wanted to send an encouraging story to anyone who has a cat with brain damage. My baby Cash is 3 yrs old now. I got him when he was still under a year old. I was working in a veterinary office and a good samaritan brought him in; they'd found him in the middle of the road, unconscious. We provided him with supportive care, as they couldn't afford extensive care for him. He was a fighter from the start. The front of his head was massively swollen, but after treatment for a week, he was able to go home with his saviors. Cash was very alert and affectionate, but could only walk in circles, We weren't sure how much he was able to see.
The wonderful family that saved him couldn't keep him, and I had fallen in love with him - so he came home with me. We took him to a neurologist and he was diagnosed as left-side hemi-inattention. This means that he doesnt process info from his left side - sight, smell, hearing. He also had a broken hip fixed.
  Today Cash does whatever he wants! He walks, runs, plays, jumps. He sometimes "forgets" about his front left leg, but that doesn't seem to bother him. He has no facial expressions and doesn't seem to know "kitty rules" about interacting with other cats. My wonderful brood seems to know this because they cut him a lot of slack. His progress was slow but steady - a year and a half after his accident he purred for the first time!
  Cash is very stubborn and determined. He gets SO mad at me if I try and help him do anything - he can do it HIMSELF! LOL I love him dearly and am so glad that we took him. The big thing is time and patience. I never tried to restrict what he could do, so he never knew he couldn't do whatever he wanted.
  These guys can improve. Just give them time and love!

[opus88]

I am so sorry to read about your dear little kitty. I hope there are some improvements today...otherwise you will need to make a very hard decision, honey its hard but do whats best for kitty, you have given him a chance and I hope he can pull through this but all head injuries are very hard to predict......
Bless you both, keep us updated...sending some prayers for little Gecko♥

[syds]

Hi. my cat gecko is 4 months old and got attacked by my 2 year old lab yesterday morning. they have been best pals since they met, god knows what came over them yesterday. anyhow, the cat got lifted by his neck and flung about a bit, till i was able to prise him out. needless to say, the dog bit down on his neck badly for about 3-4 minutes.
though there were no external injuries, geckos pupils were dilated, his eyes and mouth left open. he is not responding to anything. his vitals are perfect, an x-ray shows no skeletal injuries, but he is just not responding! he is unable to hold his head, but moves the tails and limbs slightly now and then. his one arm has stiffened and gotten immovable.
since last night there has been the minutest of changes that his pupils contract very very slightly.
the vet recommends putting him down if by tomm there is no change. i'm at a loss. i hope it doesnt come to that. i really really want him to live.

[jengary]

Thanks. I'm just glad he isn't suffering. I am also glad that my daughters are with their grandparents for the summer and they didn't have to go through it. They would have been more heartbroken then I am and watching them cry would have made it alot worse.

[AppleBr]

R.I.P Merlin
Sorry for your loss.He is now doing magic in another place...

[LivingInHope]

I'm sorry for your loss.  It must be heartbreaking right now.  It's good he's no longer in misery.  Thank you for sharing.  

[jengary]

Well I just got the call from the vet. Merlin passed away in his sleep.

[AppleBr]

All I can do here is pray for your baby and for you,for the better and for you to be strong.I do wish I could do more.
My deepest sympathy ,friend :-(