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| FELINE SEIZURES |
| As I covered on my Canine Epilepsy Page, Seizures are very serious and a direct sign of a possible underlying illness. Though there are herbal treatments that will help, it is always best to contact your local veteranian for help and advice on how to treat your specific pet. ------------------------------------------------------ Feline Seizures are different from Canine Seizures. If you witness your cat having what you believe is a seizure, be VERY observant. You will need to describe fully to your vet what the cat was going through to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment. Observe your cat's breathing patterns, motion or rigidness of limbs. Eye dilation, salivation, body twitching, muscle twitching and the duration of time these things occur. Be calm, as calm as possible, once the throws of the seizure subside, your cat will need your attention and calmness to help it to also relax. Generalized convulsions are a rarity in cats during a seizure. The most common type of seizure that occurs in cats is called the "Partial Complex Seizure". This involves an "altered consciousness state" and can involve anything happening from lack of motion and mobility, to attacking invisible objects or frantically running in circles and colliding with other objects. (Most cats do this anyhow which is why it has to be diagnosed if it happens too frquently) The best way to tell if your cat is playing or if they are in the throws of a seizure is to Observe. If while chasing the invisible dog or cat toy that isnt really there, and they are salivating or have facial twitching, it is a fairly safe bet that your cat is having a seizure. |
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| IAGNOSIS |
| A complete physical and neurological examination should be performed to accuratley diagnose exactly what is causing the seizures in your cat. Epilepsy is only one cause and can be chalked up to the same basic types of seizures as dogs suffer from. In a cat, partial motor seizures are more indictive to epilepsy in a cat. This can but does not always indicate an underlying disease. Blood tests are almost always done because they are very decisive at detecting many illnesses that could be causing the seizures. Further tests may include analysis of spinal fluid to detect encephalitis, and imaging procedures such as CT scans and MRI'S may also be done to test the nervous system and check for any tumors that may be the direct cause. I have recieved numerous emails from people asking about seizures because they know I have two dogs who suffer with them. However cats and dogs are two different breeds of animal and I am NOT a vet or a doctor. Some vets have very little knowledge in Feline seizures, unlike those who have a vast knowledge in Canine Seizures. If you do not trust the first opinion given, your vet should NEVER be offended if you want a second opinion. Always be sure that bloodwork is done to help detect the underlying causes if any in fact exist. |
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| REATMENTS |
| If it is a disease that is found to be causing the seizures, the best form of treatment is to remove or correct the underlying problem. Removal of a tumor for example. If the diagnosis is in fact epilepsy, then the same basic treatment of Phenobarbital or Potassium Bromide to help get the seizures under some form of control. Some vets will prescribe Diazepam (Valium) as an effective treatment for epilepsy as well. For more information, see my Canine Epilepsy Page Here. |
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