My cat has a head injury and is now drowsy and weak. What to do?

Oh no, I'm so sorry! It sounds like Jane suffered some significant head trauma and is showing signs of traumatic brain injury. I would recommend taking her to an emergency veterinarian as soon as possible. Prompt intensive care, oxygen, and IV fluid support are usually recommended and depending on how severe her neurologic signs are and how she responds to therapy she may be able to make a full recovery. Good luck to Jane!

Poor kitty! Unfortunately, a lot of the time when it comes to neurologic trauma time and small signs of improvement are what you are looking for. X-ray only tells us if there are fractures in the skull and are very difficult to see the full scope of the trauma as so many structures are superimposed on top of each other. The best diagnostic to give you an idea about extent of trauma and prognosis would be an MRI. It sounds like the kitten is making some progress, but only time will really tell us how much progress he will make. He may never be completely healed and functional, so you will also have to decide how dedicated you can/willing to be for a potentially special needs kitten. Hopefully this provided some help and guidance. Best of luck to you and the kitty!

Poor little thing. The appearance of the abnormal eye is concerning. There may have been enough trauma to the eye to have caused glaucoma which can be very painful and should be addressed. In many cases, mild head trauma signs will slowly resolve and the fact that she is already showing improvement is a great sign. It is still best to have her checked out, have the eye evaluated and also begin her kitten preventive care requirements suck as deworming and vaccines. Thank you for helping her!

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! O am very sorry this is happening! I think it depends if your cats skull was crushed or he just has head trauma. Animals can survive concussions and head trauma. The neurologic system can heal but it can be very very slow to do so. It depends on whether you have the emotional and financial means to give your cat time. I have seen animals that have been hit by a car have blood from their nose and ears. If your cat is unconscious, starts to have seizures or suffers cardiac arrest I would consider human euthanasia. I would need more details on what surgery your Vet is thinking of doing. I wish you the very best and I am very sorry you are going through this!

Keep an eye on her mentation (is she acting normally, responding normally, she doesn't seem "depressed" or "dull"), the way she's walking (is she bumping into walls, does she have a wobbly or drunken appearing gait), and her desire and ability to eat and drink. Also keep an eye out for vomiting. If it gets to be 12-18 hours after the incident and she's showed no symptoms, you should be in the clear. I hope thats helpful! Thanks for asking PetCoach! Here's some good info regarding brain injuries in pets: http://download.skyscape.com/download/ota/5mvetcf5/documents/pdf/brain_injury.pdf

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Sebastian! You are describing head trauma. It sounds like he was hit hard enough in the head and face to have concussion symptoms. He may have fractured bones in his face or nasal sinuses. The blood indicates trauma to his nose which you are seeing by the swelling. This could be inflammation or something is broken. Sneezing is a normal response to inflammation/pain/irritation in the nasal cavity or sinuses. If the bleeding continues, he acts abnormal or extra sleepy, wont' eat or play then he needs a Vet exam. Otherwise you can watch the swelling and sneezing. If there is no improvement by Monday in the swelling he should be seen. I wish Sebastian the best!

It's hard to say if this is a permanent change or not. The injury that is listed on the paper can be life-threatening. I would recommend strict confinement in a small kennel (like bed-rest for a human) to avoid aggravating the injury. After 4-6 weeks of rest, we will have a better idea if it is a permanent change or not.