Cat Seizures
The other day our cat, Chunk (2 years old), had a grand mal seizure. I woke up in the middle of the night to him darting off of our bed and when he got to the floor he collasped on his side and started seizing. He also started salivating profusely. All of this lasted for several minutes before the seizing stopped. It took him a couple of minutes for him to become coherent again.
The next day we called an made an appointment with the vet who did some blood work and offered to do a CAT scan. The blood work came back normal. She then told me that she highly didn’t recommend getting the CAT scan don, as she put it then you would know one way or another if he has brain tumors but what are you going to do with that knowledge? Good point. So right now we are assuming he has epilepsy as when the blood work is normal thats what they then assume. She told us that we could start medication right away, 2 times a day for the rest of his life, or we can monitor it for now. What they recommended is that if he has more then 1 major (grand mal) seizure in a month or 2-4 cluster seizures in several days that he should get put on medication. Since this medication is really hard on a cats body we are monitoring him for the time being.
Has anyone else had a cat who has epilepsy? Any advice you can give us? Did you put your cat on medication?
my lovely cat Elvis (14) had a gran mal seizure last week – he flew off the bed landing with a crash and I found him on his side under a chair where his mum was sitting, looking down on him with interest. He was fitting for around 3 minutes though it felt like much longer – I just held him gently down while he thrashed – I thought he was going to die of a heart attack but he slowly stopped and then came round slowly but was very weak for a while. Completely ok now after two days and a large vets bill for blood tests which I am still waiting the results of! Hope he doesnt have to go on any meds, he has never been ill in his life apart from getting past injuries from fights with other toms in his patch – it was a horrible experience, more for me than him I think, as he didnt really know what was going on and I was really traumatised by it for a while!! Needless to say he is having loads of TLC now and his mum Marmite is quite neglected for a change – she is the poorly one usually, with hyperthyroidism and a weak heart! Sorry to go on but I am just relieved he seems ok again now so fingers crossed and thanks for all the information about this. Pen
My husband and I had to put our cat Bernie to sleep last wednesday. He was short of 9 years old. We had had him since 5 weeks old. It was brutal and we are really crushed. He had seizures a little over 2 years ago and the vet put him on Phenobarbital and the moment he started taking it he was fine. They never said for sure what caused the seizures but now we know it was some kind of tumor because he was bleeding internally and was in pain before he died. He was the most affectionate cat anyone could have. I will miss him forever.
Ray,
I am sorry to hear about Charley. Can I ask how old the cat is? If the cat is older than 7 or 8, he very well could have some sort of tumor, either in his head, or body that can also cause these seizures you described. My cat, Sniffy(who is turning 18 years this month) started having the same seizures as you described about a year and a half ago. I thought the same thing you did, did some research(on my own), and discovered the seizures were in fact caused by what appears to be a tumor in his brain. I took him in, told the Vet of my findings, and she agreed with me that that PROBABLY was the cause of his seizures, we put him on anti seizure and steroid meds to shrink the tumor, and low and behold, no seizures since.. NOW, the thing about these meds is, it takes awhile for them to get to the tumor and do its job. So dont expect after the first round(or rounds) of meds, that he stops having them all together, BUT, these meds will greatly improve his status so that he can live a normal kitty life. I hope this helps you and Charley out! Stay strong!
Eddie
TO THE PERSON GETTIING A KITTY,WHATEVER YOU DO,NEVER FEED HIM PEOPLE FOOD,I FED MY CAT PEOPLE FOOD AND HE NEVER WOULD EAT ANY KIND OF CAT FOOD,NONE, NEVER,
WOULD ONLY EAT PEOPLE TUNA,CHICKEN,ROAST MEAT,TURKEY,
HAD HIM 13 YEARS AND HE HAS NEVER TASTED ANY KIND OF CAT FOOD,HARD OR SOFT,EVEN THE EXPENSIVE CANNED FOOD.
MY CAT CHARLEY IS HAVING SEIZURES AGAIN,LOSES CONTROL OF HIS BLADDER,INJURED HIS HIND LEGS WHEN HE HAD 1 SEIZURE, NOT DOING WELL, AND LOOKS LIKE I WILL HAVE TO HAVE HIM PUT TO SLEEP,CANT STAND TO SEE HIM SUFFER.
VETS SAID HE WAS ALLERGIC TO FLEAS,BUT HE DOESNT HAVE FLEAS,ANY HELP OR ADVICE, HATE TO LOSE HIM.
Kylie,
Kylie,
Just give the kitty lots of love. Everything else will be learned, “On the job” sorta speak… Anita.. You mentioned you notice a diference if you are off 20 mins each day of giving your kitty meds? Thats interesting because my cat gets meds daily too, but RARELY is it the same time each day and he has been seizure free now for a year and a half, so I dont really think its THAT neccesary to be THAT ON TIME daily with the meds, or my cat could be the exception, who knows?
this week i am getting a kitten it well be my first kitten i dont no much about thim can any one give me some advice
My cat Bob is 7 now started seizures within first year. He was an abandoned kitty with a severe bite on his front leg. Thy thot it was needn to b amputated but luckily took well to drainage and meds. The trauma of this is likely the cause of his seizuring. I agree with the woman…even if its a brain tumor wht do u do. If ur are capable of all the cost go for the scan. If not get kitty on meds.
Bob is takn pills now without a struggle but for awhile I had the meds compounded and used a syringe made it quik and ez.
IMPRTNT: meds Must be given at the same tme every day…I notice a diff even 20 min off…(Make sure u find a reliable sitter/family/friend to b avail. To b thr whn u can’t.
Secondly, meds can b tough on livr so reg blood work Needs to b done.
May sound like. A lot but it just becomes part of ur routine and worth any bit of effort….
Donna:
Take kitty to the Vet.. I think He might be having seizures due to possibly a brain tumor, or another tumor somewhere. Ask the Doctor about brain tumors and associated seizures. He might need to be put on meds to stop the seizures.. If they are happening this frequent, I am afraid to tell you, they won’t most likely stop.
i’m so scaried my simba just had a long siezure . He was getting them once a month, then hadn’t had any for a year. Then one, and then another, in A year. He has now started getting them once a month for the last three months. I don’t know if this is from the new dog chasing him around or if his always having the runs has anything to do with it. He had been to the vet when this first happened. they thought it could be from a fall he took (he thought he could fly when he was a kitten). i FEEL AWFUL FOR HIM
Eddie S,
Take kitty to the Vet.. He/She needs too be put on meds to stop the seizures.. If they are happening this frequent, I am afraid to tell you, they won’t most likely stop. For SURE stop with the catnip… I am sure that’s not helping… Good luck!!
Eddie
My cat has seizures for 4 years now. She used to have them like one a week and she stop having them. Then like a month or two ago she had one. Two days ago she started to have them and up till today she has had 10 seizures since two days ago. I have given her catnip latly is that the cause?
Michael,
Save yourself 10 bucks and get some cheap cheese slices,(thats what I use), like 99 cents for 12 slices. These last months. Trust me, as long as your cat likes dairy products, this will be a far cheaper solution for ya. Keep in mind SOME cats don’t like dairy products. I have 2. My eldest(the one with the brain tumor) LOOOOVES milk and cheese, my other, 6 yr old, really has no great interest in dairy products.
Eddie: My vet sells me “Greenies Pocket Pills” for about $10CND. There are 45 cat treats which you can insert the pill into (much like you do with cheese).
Tigger loves these things, my other cat Elly gets very jealous.
Ray, I am glad my advice helped save your kittys life about giving him the pred…
my cat had the worse seizures a cat could have,biting himself until he bled,flipping over,running into furniture,losing control of his bladder,took him to a vet,$300.00 later,the vet said he was allergic to fleas.brought him home,the seizures continued,even though he didnt have fleas,another cat lover emailed me and and said to get prednisone from my vet.the vet wouldnt prescribe any for my cat unless i brought him in again, so i said screw the vets.
my wife suffers from polymyalgia,the only medication that works for this illness is prednisone,so i began
giving my cat charley 5 mg’s of her prednisone,if it didnt work,i had nothing to lose,because the cat was suffering so,i was preparing to have him put to sleep to end his suffering and mine.i gave him the prednisone on a friday evening,i was expecting to find him dead saturday morning,instead i found him still asleep in my chair,when he woke up i fed and gave him another tablet of prenisone,he ate went back to sleep,when he woke up,he began chasing my other cat around the house,playing having a great time, no seizures,he wasnt even scratching or biting himself,
all the hair he bit out of his back has grown in,
he’s 11 years old but looks like he’s 5,that was about 2 months ago,he was having up to 10 seizures a day,since i began giving him the prednisone,no seizures,he sleeps well,and he is a happy cat.good for another 11 years i hope.ray