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How Long Before Steroids Work On My Cat? in The AnswerBank: Animals & Nature
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How Long Before Steroids Work On My Cat?

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ladybirder | 20:27 Thu 04th Jul 2019 | Animals & Nature
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My cat has a brain haemorrhage and I forgot to ask the vet when I might expect to see an improvement, if there is going to be one. Anybody had any experience of this? He's been on the steroids for 48 hours. x
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Corticosteroids normally start to reduce inflammation very quickly, which increases the chances of recovery from a brain haemorrhage. However they're not a 'cure' in themselves. As with a stroke in a human, the actual recovery process might be long and slow.

I hope that your cat recovers in record time though!
There is mention of it here (not very comprehensive I`m afraid) https://www.catchat.org/felineforum/viewtopic.php?t=4329
I'm not sure what you mean by "work"......or what the symptoms of your cat are, but steroids are used to reduce the pressure inside of the skull, to reduce brain brain damage........in the human that would mean increasing the chances of recovering from a coma.
I am not much help here as you have given us no idea of the condition that your cat is manifesting from a "brain hemorrhage."
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Thank you Chris, 237 and Sqad for your replies. 237 I'll read your link when I've finished writing this, thank you again. Sqad, he can't walk more than two steps without falling over, seems completely uncoordinated and always falls to the right. His eyes can't follow the vets finger when he moves it in front of him, just keeps blinking. They (two vets) think he is blind or almost blind in his right eye. Oh and he stopped eating before we noticed he wasn't walking right and then it just got worse and the next day he couldn't walk at all.
He's only four years old. The first two years of his life were spent living under a car and he got abused by local kids. Two years ago he came to me and a sweeter more loving cat you couldn't find. But he was never able to groom his righthand side no matter how hard he tried.
He is eating now, about a 3rd of what he'd usually eat. But he can't walk and even has a job to stand at times and I wonder if the steroids are going to make a difference when I might expect to see it?

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237 I've read your link now and found it very useful thank you. Jenny1234 tells a story close to mine with her cat and more or less confirms what my vet said in that my boy could get better and then have another stroke and this could keep repeating itself. While he still has a good quality of life we can manage it with steroids until the time comes to let go.
ladybirder...thank you for your full and informative and helpful reply, i fear that my answer may not be so helpful.
Steroids first: the response or lack of will depend upon the condition for which they are prescribed, but i intend to confine my answer to your particular problem.

" Two years ago he came to me and a sweeter more loving cat you couldn't find. But he was never able to groom his righthand side no matter how hard he tried. "

That is the key sentence to your post, indicating that we are not dealing with a recent neurological condition, although there might well have been an added recent event.The results of steroids, if at all would be dependent upon them being prescribed within 48 hours.....which clearly isn't the case here unless we are postulating a new incident. I don't like "new incidents" I prefer to tie all the symptoms into one diagnosis.
Only an MRI scan could determine the cause of your cat's long and persisting brain problem and I would presume that the steroids were given as a hopeful prophylactic measure rather than a therapeutic procedure and hence their effect will not be clearly seen, if at all.

As you know i am not a vet, but the picture is not one of a brain hemorrhage,but I stand to be corrected by experts in that field.

You have a cat with a long standing neurological disorder, now cannot stand and may be blind.....eating poorly...and a poor standard of life.
Firstly extend my sympathies to you LB. This is one situation I can empathise with. Is the vet sure this is some disorder that has been developing over time or the result of a stroke? I only ask as I had a cat once who had all the symptoms you describe but was the direct result of being hit by a car. She was back to normal after a week but was left with permanent sight damage in one eye. Whatever wishing you a good outcome.
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Sqad thank you for your long, kind and helpful reply. I think this might be a new incident as he was a very happy boy until last Saturday morning when he preferred to sit under the sofa all day and not eat. I thought it must be the heat. Same on Sunday. Monday he was a little unsteady when he walked to his litter tray, still not eating, and we saw the vet in the afternoon who gave him a jab to encourage him to eat (no steroids). Tues back to vet as falling all over the place although he did eat a little and was given a steroid jab Tues pm by the vet. So IF this is a new incident and he was first ill on Sat and didn't get the steroid injection until Tues pm that ain't 24 hours. However, today as soon as I got out of bed he followed me for food (still falling over)and ravenously ate a whole 100g packet and after a head butt for a fuss he's now back under my bed.
We are not due to go to the vet again until next Wednesday unless he deteriorates of course. But Sqad I forgot to mention both vets who saw him said their was a very small chance (1%) chance it could be an ear infection so you have made me think it could be that!! I was asked if he had been shaking his head and as far as I can see under the bed and sofa he hasn't. But he did yesterday, only once that I saw but ...? I may go back to the vet before next Wednesday if his walking doesn't improve today.
Prudie Thank your your message. I'm glad your cat survived. As you can see ^ no they are not sure and after Sqad's reply neither am I. My boy mainly stays in my flat or in my garden, he doesn't roam so I doubt he could have been hit by a car especially as the vets felt every part of his body and no reaction or signs injury. Keep your fingers crossed for him please. xx
ladybirder.......thank you for the feedback and i look forward to further assessments.
Does the description of this match that of your wee boy?
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feline-vestibular-disease

They always look so pathetic when they are ill, he is just a baby so I hope that it is just a blip in his health.

What is his name?
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Wolf thank you. Yes, it is what they think it might be if their first diagnosis is wrong. In other words it's second on the list.
After what Sqad has said above, and we are now 72 hours into steroids and no improvement I have managed to get a 5pm appointment with the vet. Must go, got to get him into his carrier - easier said than done even when he's ill. x
Frankie is on steroids each day for his asthma. Initially, we just went to the vet when he started wheezing and got a jab of steroid - it usually worked really quickly/

Alas going to the vet is a terribly stressful experience for both of us and he is unsettled for about a day after a visit. He is very vocal at this time and drives me nuts.
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Back from the vets and we continue giving steroids until at least Wednesday when I have to go again. Vet thought he looked better, especially as he shot across the surgery floor and only wobbled once, plus the fact he is eating more. So we'll see how he goes. The dog doesn't help, walking around after him with his nose glued to cat's bottom!
Update much appreciated.
I hope your cat recovers well, lb. Obviously, I'm not a vet either, but my sister's cat has neurological problems, they think, due to some kind of poisoning. She has either eaten or drunk something while out. She was also on steroids at first and although still often holds her head to one side, seems perfectly happy otherwise. The symptoms were very similar though. I hope you get to the cause of it xx
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Thanks Pixie. I don't mind if he has a head tilt like your sister's cat as long as he is OK with it I will be as well. Doubt I will ever know for sure what caused it other than it is related to the time he was living under a car as he has had trouble reaching his right side ever since.

Wolf, how do you give Frankie his tablets? Have you found an easy way?
Frankie loved Dreamies. I still little holes in his Dreamies and put crushed tablets into the hole. The hole is then sealed with a little bit of Easy Pill putty.

Or crush the pills and mix them in his Webbox yoghurty stuff.

The Dreamies method is time consuming but it almost almost works.

Have fun with your boy.
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Thank you Wolf. Never heard of the putty! They think of everything nowadays:-)
Hi, my dog has recently been diagnosed with vibulitis, the vet said steroids could work, but recommended Vivitonin, which helps with blood flow to the brain, I saw a difference within 24 hours, hope this might help. Hope all is better soon
Olliedog - did you really mean vibulitis and not Vestibular disease. I made the same mistake and found that it's at the other end of the body.

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