See
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2607 too re Bengal Polyneuropathy.
Aortothromboembolism(ATE) is an acute event where the clot lodges in the main artery in the body before it splits to give blood to the legs. It is very, very painful, the cat is in dire straits, with partial or complete paralysis of both back legs. The cat will be lying down.
The cat is often panting and breathing very fast and may be yowling too, or very depressed in appearance due to the pain. There is a video on the HCM Awareness Group of a cat with ATE.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=72 ... =2&theaterQuentin, doesn't sound like ATE at all, but HCM can reduce the blood flowing into the body causing weakness. When my Barrie first presented with HCM, he had short episodes of being unable to use his back legs and he had short fainting liike episodes too. That was not caused by a clot but because his heart was intermittently incapable of pumping enough blood to all parts of his body. The pulses in his back legs are reduced due to his HCM, but in a cat with Aortothromboembolism the pulses are absent as NO blood is flowing to the legs.
My cat Montana, who had Bengal Polyneuropathy (B P-N) I immediately thought had ATE when I saw that she couldn't walk, but her pulses were fine. She actually had an period about 6 months of being unable to jump up, prior to her main episode of B P-N, that episode resolved itself over a few weeks with anti-inflammatories. We thought it was an injury but she showed no signs of pain or tenderness. Now I think it too was B P-N.
Since the severe episode which I have talked before about here on the forum, she has had no further issues.