Eight-year-old Hobbs was treated at the renowned Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Hampshire, which is part of Linnaeus
Vet's Lifesaving Treatment Sees Paralysed Cat Able To Walk Again
2 years ago 
579 views
A cat left paralysed in his back legs after jumping off the sofa has made an extraordinary recovery since undergoing life-saving management at one of the UK’s top animal hospitals.
Eight-year-old Hobbs was referred to the renowned Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Hampshire, which is part of Linnaeus, to diagnose the cause of his dramatic decline following what appeared to be an innocuous incident at home.
The hospital’s head of cardiology, Valentina Palermo, quickly realised that paralysis was only part of the problem and, more importantly, that Hobbs’ life was actually in dire danger following his fall.
Valentina explained: “Hobbs was referred to us after he suddenly became paralysed in his back legs when he tried to jump off the sofa. He just dragged his hind legs behind him.
“Hobbs underwent a number of tests including a heart scan, blood samples, an examination of his heart’s electrical activity with an electrocardiogram (ECG) and he had a 24-hour ECG monitoring device fitted.
“The tests revealed he was suffering from three serious conditions which, when combined, meant he was at real risk.
“The major problem was that Hobbs had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), where the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick and stiff.
“This had led to him developing congestive heart failure (fluid in his lungs and around his heart) and we also discovered Feline Arterial Thromboembolism (FATE). This is when a blood clot, that forms in the heart, travels around the body and most commonly the clot blocks the blood supply to the back legs.
“This is exactly what happened with Hobbs and explained why he was unable to move his back legs so suddenly.
“Clots like this can be life threatening so it was fortunate we got a quick diagnosis so we could take prompt action to reduce the risk to his life.
“Hobbs was hospitalised for a period of intensive management and nursing. He gradually started to improve; he started eating again, his pain reduced, and he started to slowly develop movement in his back legs.
“The congestive heart failure resolved with drug therapy and the arterial thromboembolism (clot) is under control.
“He went home with a whole host of different medications, some that he will need for life.
“He isn’t limping any more, his breathing is back to normal and so are his eating and drinking. It is safe to say his owners are very relieved and happy.”
Anderson Moores offers specialist care in anaesthesia and analgesia, cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, emergency and critical care, feline hyperthyroid clinic, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, orthopaedics and soft tissue surgery.
For more information on Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists, which is part of the Linnaeus Group, visit https://www.andersonmoores.com/home/.
More from Linnaeus Group
- West Midlands communication agency celebrates national award for veterinary marketing campaign
- Senior receptionist celebrates 10 years at Ashby vet practice
- Best 'paws' forward for worthy cat cause
- Dog cheats death thanks to surgery skills of Cheshire vets
- Elderly dog given new lease of life following complex spinal surgery
