Cat choking? Passing out?

Hello,

Last night something strange happened to one of my cats. He was
perfectly fine within an hour, so I don't know if what happened was
"normal." This cat is 4 1/2 years and has never had health problems.

I heard him gagging as with a hairball. He rarely has hairballs, but it
didn't seem unusual until he stopped gagging but stayed hunched over and
got really quiet. I watched him to make sure he wasn't having trouble.
Seconds later, he fell over. Not sat down... he fell over. I ran to see
if he was okay. His eyes were open, but he seemed unresponsive, so I
rubbed his belly, (which he loves,) to see if he would respond. He
started twitching his feet a little, (as when a cat is asleep and
dreaming). I was afraid he might be having a seizure, but as I was
running to call for help, he got up and walked away. He was breathing
okay so I didn't see any reason to drive an hour to the emergency vet
who never really helps anyway =( He hid under the bed for about half an
hour (which he never does,) but then came back out to purr and roll
around at my feet (which he always does.)

This morning he was happy and playful as usual. He is eating and
drinking as well. Last night he did cough up a very small ball of human
hair. It looked like he'd gotten a hold of a hairbrush, although I keep
mine away from cats. I'm thinking that maybe the hairball came up part
way and temporarily blocked his air causing him to pass out. Does this
make sense? Has this happened to anyone else?
I'm going to call our regular vet tomorrow, but in the meantime, I'm
wondering what happened.

Thanks,
mjoann

I have had cats with hairballs all of my life and have never had that
experience. Please see your vet.


mjoann wrote:
Hello,

Last night something strange happened to one of my cats. He was
perfectly fine within an hour, so I don't know if what happened was
"normal." This cat is 4 1/2 years and has never had health problems.

I heard him gagging as with a hairball. He rarely has hairballs, but it
didn't seem unusual until he stopped gagging but stayed hunched over and
got really quiet. I watched him to make sure he wasn't having trouble.
Seconds later, he fell over. Not sat down... he fell over. I ran to see
if he was okay. His eyes were open, but he seemed unresponsive, so I
rubbed his belly, (which he loves,) to see if he would respond. He
started twitching his feet a little, (as when a cat is asleep and
dreaming). I was afraid he might be having a seizure, but as I was
running to call for help, he got up and walked away. He was breathing
okay so I didn't see any reason to drive an hour to the emergency vet
who never really helps anyway =( He hid under the bed for about half an
hour (which he never does,) but then came back out to purr and roll
around at my feet (which he always does.)

This morning he was happy and playful as usual. He is eating and
drinking as well. Last night he did cough up a very small ball of human
hair. It looked like he'd gotten a hold of a hairbrush, although I keep
mine away from cats. I'm thinking that maybe the hairball came up part
way and temporarily blocked his air causing him to pass out. Does this
make sense? Has this happened to anyone else?
I'm going to call our regular vet tomorrow, but in the meantime, I'm
wondering what happened.

Thanks,
mjoann

One of my cats had a similar thing happen--Hailey got very weak, didn't
totally lose consciousness but did lose bladder control, his gums were
white. I called the emergency vet and by the time I'd gotten off the phone
he'd recovered and was asking for his breakfast. The entire episode may
have lasted five or ten minutes. I took him in anyway and he was diagnosed
with heartworm--his blood films were loaded with microfilaria. He had no
other symptoms--just occasional coughing and gaggy sounds. He's doing
fabulously now and has been heartworm free for three or four years but he
easily could have died.

It very well might not be heartworm but it doesn't seem normal for a
hairball. We seem to be in an area endemic for heartworm--I lost another
wonderful cat to heartworm a year or two later so I'm quite paranoid about
heartworm and all 7 of my cats (and our 2 dogs) are on preventative
(Heartgard).

Good luck!

Bonnie


"mjoann" wrote in message
...
Hello,

Last night something strange happened to one of my cats. He was perfectly
fine within an hour, so I don't know if what happened was "normal." This
cat is 4 1/2 years and has never had health problems.

I heard him gagging as with a hairball. He rarely has hairballs, but it
didn't seem unusual until he stopped gagging but stayed hunched over and
got really quiet. I watched him to make sure he wasn't having trouble.
Seconds later, he fell over. Not sat down... he fell over. I ran to see if
he was okay. His eyes were open, but he seemed unresponsive, so I rubbed
his belly, (which he loves,) to see if he would respond. He started
twitching his feet a little, (as when a cat is asleep and dreaming). I was
afraid he might be having a seizure, but as I was running to call for
help, he got up and walked away. He was breathing okay so I didn't see any
reason to drive an hour to the emergency vet who never really helps anyway
=( He hid under the bed for about half an hour (which he never does,) but
then came back out to purr and roll around at my feet (which he always
does.)

This morning he was happy and playful as usual. He is eating and drinking
as well. Last night he did cough up a very small ball of human hair. It
looked like he'd gotten a hold of a hairbrush, although I keep mine away
from cats. I'm thinking that maybe the hairball came up part way and
temporarily blocked his air causing him to pass out. Does this make sense?
Has this happened to anyone else?
I'm going to call our regular vet tomorrow, but in the meantime, I'm
wondering what happened.

Thanks,
mjoann

mjoann wrote:
Hello,

Last night something strange happened to one of my cats. He was
perfectly fine within an hour, so I don't know if what happened was
"normal." This cat is 4 1/2 years and has never had health problems.

I heard him gagging as with a hairball. He rarely has hairballs, but it
didn't seem unusual until he stopped gagging but stayed hunched over and
got really quiet. I watched him to make sure he wasn't having trouble.
Seconds later, he fell over. Not sat down... he fell over. I ran to see
if he was okay. His eyes were open, but he seemed unresponsive, so I
rubbed his belly, (which he loves,) to see if he would respond. He
started twitching his feet a little, (as when a cat is asleep and
dreaming). I was afraid he might be having a seizure, but as I was
running to call for help, he got up and walked away. He was breathing
okay so I didn't see any reason to drive an hour to the emergency vet
who never really helps anyway =( He hid under the bed for about half an
hour (which he never does,) but then came back out to purr and roll
around at my feet (which he always does.)

This morning he was happy and playful as usual. He is eating and
drinking as well. Last night he did cough up a very small ball of human
hair. It looked like he'd gotten a hold of a hairbrush, although I keep
mine away from cats. I'm thinking that maybe the hairball came up part
way and temporarily blocked his air causing him to pass out. Does this
make sense? Has this happened to anyone else?

Yes. When I was 3 we had a cat that choked to death on a hairball. It
can happen.

-L.

22 brix wrote:

We seem to be in an area endemic for heartworm--I lost another
wonderful cat to heartworm a year or two later

Good luck!

Bonnie

Where is theis awful place with the heartworms?
--
John Kimmel

remove x

"He's dead, Jim."

Mendocino County in Northern California--tick country, too! It's actually
quite lovely here--wine country, redwoods, not too far from the Coast but we
certainly do have our share of parasites and bugs! My vet was quite
surprised when our second cat got sick--heartworm isn't (or wasn't) as
common in cats as in dogs so I don't know if this was really bad luck or
what. I don't ever want to see another cat with heartworm.

Bonnie

"John Kimmel" wrote in message
...
22 brix wrote:

We seem to be in an area endemic for heartworm--I lost another
wonderful cat to heartworm a year or two later Good luck!

Bonnie

Where is theis awful place with the heartworms?
--
John Kimmel

remove x

"He's dead, Jim."

22 brix wrote:
Mendocino County in Northern California--tick country, too! It's actually
quite lovely here--wine country, redwoods, not too far from the Coast but we
certainly do have our share of parasites and bugs! My vet was quite
surprised when our second cat got sick--heartworm isn't (or wasn't) as
common in cats as in dogs so I don't know if this was really bad luck or
what. I don't ever want to see another cat with heartworm.

Bonnie

That's a little too close for comfort. I was hoping you'd be in some
fetid, disease ridden swamp state, like Florida or Louisiana.

This map shows feline heartworm prevelance.

http://maxshouse.com/Heartworm_Illus...worm_area2.jpg

--
John Kimmel

remove x

"He's dead, Jim."

John Kimmel wrote:
Where is theis awful place with the heartworms?

Heartworms are endemic in most of the US. They are spread by
mosquitoes.

-L.

That's a little too close for comfort. I was hoping you'd be in some
fetid, disease ridden swamp state, like Florida or Louisiana.

This map shows feline heartworm prevelance.

http://maxshouse.com/Heartworm_Illus...worm_area2.jpg

--
John Kimmel

remove x

"He's dead, Jim."

Thanks for the map--we must be one of the isolated dots north of the Bay
Area! I think it's an anomaly even here. I had to take the kitty who later
had to be euthanized, to an emergency vet clinic about an hour south of here
and they hardly see any feline heartworm there.

Bonnie

Hi, I'm new around here and found your post by doing a google search on
"cat hairball seizure."

My cat does the same thing. It only happens when he's shedding hair in
the summer, but it is really upsetting. I've asked my vet(s) about it
but they haven't had any good ideas. I think I'll check to see if he
has heartworm based on the suggestions below (though he's an indoor
cat).

He starts out by gagging like there's a hairball coming up. He pants
really hard and when he tries to bring up the hairball, if it doesn't
come right away, he tenses up and falls over. Sometimes he poops too,
probably from the strain/tension.

The panting/drooling can continue for 20-30 minutes and then he
eventually gets back to normal. I brush him and give him hairball
treats, but it still happens.

If you or anyone else has any other suggestions, please let me know.
Thanks!


-Tania

mjoann wrote:
Hello,

Last night something strange happened to one of my cats. He was
perfectly fine within an hour, so I don't know if what happened was
"normal." This cat is 4 1/2 years and has never had health problems.

I heard him gagging as with a hairball. He rarely has hairballs, but it
didn't seem unusual until he stopped gagging but stayed hunched over and
got really quiet. I watched him to make sure he wasn't having trouble.
Seconds later, he fell over. Not sat down... he fell over. I ran to see
if he was okay. His eyes were open, but he seemed unresponsive, so I
rubbed his belly, (which he loves,) to see if he would respond. He
started twitching his feet a little, (as when a cat is asleep and
dreaming). I was afraid he might be having a seizure, but as I was
running to call for help, he got up and walked away. He was breathing
okay so I didn't see any reason to drive an hour to the emergency vet
who never really helps anyway =( He hid under the bed for about half an
hour (which he never does,) but then came back out to purr and roll
around at my feet (which he always does.)

This morning he was happy and playful as usual. He is eating and
drinking as well. Last night he did cough up a very small ball of human
hair. It looked like he'd gotten a hold of a hairbrush, although I keep
mine away from cats. I'm thinking that maybe the hairball came up part
way and temporarily blocked his air causing him to pass out. Does this
make sense? Has this happened to anyone else?
I'm going to call our regular vet tomorrow, but in the meantime, I'm
wondering what happened.

Thanks,
mjoann