I just had a fright :(

Hi, As you may know my Kaytee has many health problems, We have taken her to newmarket animal health trust who found she has SM, MVD, Dry Eye and a elongated soft pallet.

Well A long time ago now over a year ago I was a sleep with kaytee and I have become in-tuned with her now, (I know it sounds daft) but since she has suffered with her cough and sometimes sickness I sit up with her at bad times until she is a bit brighter and I seem to sleep really light waking on her every move.
This time I woke and kate was being sickly, gulping and ready to be sick and then as I stood her up to support her and sorry to say catch her sick in a bowel she collapsed.
It was only for a few seconds she was limp, I held her up and checked her tongue which seemed to be in it's normal place, her eyes were vacant and I thought I had lost her...then she was back to normal again.
I rushed her to my vet who said she seemed OK in herself and maybe she had had a small stroke.
It did seem strange that after that I noticed her face was funny, and we found out she has facial palsy so if you tap the side of her eye she cant blink as the natural reflex is with a normal eye.

Newmarket later went on to say this could be due to ear problems deep routed problem but as I couldn't afford to pay them at that point they wouldn't treat her and my vet later went on to say that if the ear was the case after all the months it has been we would have noticed more things by now.

Well all was fine, kaytee didnt pass out again until today
I was in the garden with her and my stupid neighbour was about (sorry but he waves his walking stick at my dogs and wonders why they bark)
Kaytee was eating grass and a little bit sicky then she started heaving anf gulping again, I sat down and moaned at her she shouldnt have eaten the grass then she fell again.

She went all limp, her legs spalled out, she rolled down the grass and lie on her back on the pavement with her legs in the air, it al happened to quick for me to catch her.
I quickly checked if she had chocked on her tounge it seemed flat??
Now she is OKish again.

I dont get it? it is almost as if she is being sick and gulping then her breath gets cut off? could this be anything to do with the pallet? should I take her to my vet again? but it's weird she isn't showing any signs of illness now?
I am so scared to leave her, what would happen if she chocked when I was out sometime? she did seem to recover by herself but next time she may not.
Would appreciate any advice? I just dont get it? xxx

That does seem like a terribly freightening thing to go through. I would take her back to the vets immediately. If they can't find anything, I think I would try another vet. I know these things can be expensive and I can sympathize with you. Just do the best you can.

I sounds like one of 2 things. She may be going into an arrythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) due to her enlarged heart. She needs an echo and/or ECG to look at this. Or she may be having fainting attacks due to her retching/vomitting and not being able to catch her breath.

Of course it may be neither of these but these are probably the most likely.

The other thing is that due to her SM, the distorted neck bones maybe cutting off the blood supply to her brain via the vertebral arteries momentarily in certain positions. However, I think the 2nd is the most likely. Either way have your vet check her out of course and I wish you and her the best of luck. xxx

Wow, I would be getting her to the vets immediately. I don't know what is wrong with her but I don't like the sound of it. Please don't delay getting her there and let us know what the vet says eh?

Just on SM -- this doesn't cause distorted neck bones so that shouldn't have anything to do with arterial blood flow. The malformed bone is at the back of the occiput (lower back skull); syrinxes (fluid pockets) form within the spinal cord but don't affect blood flow; but do press on nerve endings.

As advised I'd suggest talking to your vet about her heart in relation to this.

The palate problem when extreme cab cause serious problems as well, blocking the airways (has nothing to do with the tongue but with the palate).

It may have something to do with the lowered head position rather than with eating. I'd raise her food and water dishes s an aside to try and prevent this.

But really, you do need to see a vet urgently to try and find a cause so that she doesn't suffer unnecessarily, and to make some decisions about her care and management.

Thank you, Kaytee saw the vet she thinks it is her elongated soft pallet as kaytee is retching to be sick she thinks her throat could be closing up and when she faints and relaxes this helps it do drop back again, we are not sure for definite as yet but as this has only happened twice in about a year and a half my vet has told me to keep a close eye on her, I hope she will be OK. xxx

Actually, that makes a lot of sense. I've been known to hyperventilate to the point where I pass out from lack of oxygen, and, like you say, the fainting fit tends to um.... reboot you, as it were.

Poor Kaytee. I hope she improves for her sake and yours!