So Now My Cat Is Having Seizures

All my years of having cats, and I've never had this one.

We have this wonderful, mellow Ragdoll boy named Teddy Bear (just Teddy for short). He's the sort of big lump of cuddle who never met a stranger. And yesterday afternoon, late, he suddenly has a seizure out of the blue. There were no other symptoms, no warnings. One minute he's peacefully sacked out on the suitcase from this weekend I still haven't put away, and the next I hear a frantic thrashing and he's sidling across the floor and looks like he can't control one side of his body and drooling like he's rabid.

It only lasted 30 or 40 seconds, but then he spends the next few hours acting like he's coming out of anesthesia.

We, of course, call and get him an appointment as soon as we can with a vet, but it wasn't until this morning.

Then last night we had some nasty storms, and my husband and I wake to more violent crashing. Sure enough ... he's having another one only this one is much worse. It's his whole body and it had to have lasted longer than a minute because it woke us up. Strangely, once it had passed and he's regained his breath, he acted like normal and came to us for reassurance and cuddles which we gave him. How could you not? He had to have been as confused as we were.

So this morning I'm at the vet trying to explain why my cat who's acting and looking like the very picture of health and trying like mad to get her to scratch his chin instead of palpating his belly is there at all.

And this seems to leave us with two options, assuming his blood work comes back clean tomorrow - epilepsy or brain tumor.

Big guy is only 7 or 8. Brain tumor would be a horribly rough thing. I suppose it could be metabolic - liver or kidney or diabetes - but those usually come with other symptoms, none of which we've observed in him.

And do I want to hope my cat has epilepsy?

a reply to: ketsuko

Any chance he has got at some anti-freeze? Cats love the taste for some reason.

a reply to: ketsuko

We had a cat that started having seizures, turned out it was a tumor on her thyroid gland. It's pretty common and some types of cats are more prone then others, a blood test could tell you a lot.

a reply to: ketsuko
Did you put a flea treatment on your cat? The reason I ask is that my brother gave one to his cat and didn't notice that it was for dogs. The kind for dogs is toxic to cats. His cat had the same symptoms you described.

a reply to: ketsuko

What kind of food do you use? My dog started randomly having seizures years ago, wound up being the crappy food Beniful. I only use the expensive stuff now (taste of the wild) and she hasn't had any since then.

She had a bunch and it was pretty scary. I hope you can figure it out.

No to the anti-freeze.

No flea treatments. He's strictly indoor because his previous owners got him declawed on all four for some strange reason. We have had fleas in the past, but they are a rarity.

Both cats got Friskies wet to supplement Blue Buffalo dry. So they do get a cheap wet food, but the Blue Buffalo is quality. Our other cat is quite fine.

If there was a tumor on his thyroid, I would expect him to show others signs of thyroid dysfunction. We just got done with a cat who had hyperthyroid disease. She had all the signs and symptoms of it. Teddy's only apparent symptom is sudden seizures - no altered appetite, no drinking changes, no weight changes, no urine or bowel movement changes, nothing.

That's what made it so scary.

Surely there are extensive online sites that deal with pussy problems?

a reply to: ketsuko
never mind, you've ruled out my idea...

originally posted by: dawnstar
a reply to: ketsuko
does he go outside?

Nah, we'd be signing his death warrent to let him do that. His first owners declawed him on all fours and he has no sense of danger at all. He's way too friendly with anyone and everything.

Neither of them do. Peeps doesn't want to, and while Teddy would, we just couldn't let him do it safely.

Do you have any low or high frequency buzzing as a constant like a schumann or entrainment music going on? or if you live in an apartment/town house or close to neighbors that play such a thing?

If so those frequencies can cause seizures in humans and animals in making new brain or signaling pathways to the brain for better connections.

When removed from the stimulous they usually clear up.

If not there may be some sort of smell like perfume, carpet cleaner or something else you recently picked up as a perhaps cleaning product, shampoo, detergent, deodorant etc.

so checking your old shopping lists if you cannot recall... would be of some great help in narrowing down the culprit.

Sorry to hear about your kitty having issues... hope this solves the issue.

We have a cat that gets seizures. She attacked the epsom salt box near the tub, so we took it away. After that she had more seizures, self medicating I guess. I will put a pinch of epsom salts in the cats water once in a while, but she hasn't had any seizures lately so I can't tell if it is working.

I have epilepsy and I make soups with cabbage a lot, like chicken or beef. She doesn't have seizures when I give her some, I am sure of that because I have been doing it for a while. But I started to add garlic, so now she quit eating it. I need to stop.

Our oldest cat was having problems with her walking, I did research and found it was actually a problem with sugar because she was eating too much fish and fish based foods. It causes a manganese deficiency if they eat too much fish, she will not eat maple syrup either. So now I give her a sprinkle of my multimineral pill most mornings and no more events. We also do not get fish based cat foods that often anymore, between that little sprinkle and cutting way back on fish based food, she is up and running again with no ill effects. She is almost twenty and she is constantly moving around when compared to the other two cats. The one with seizures doesn't eat much, she knows how to self medicate. Epsom salts in the water may help a bit in your case. just a pinch is all that is needed.

a reply to: ketsuko

Geez, I'm sorry for you and kitty. Hoping for best news possible for you both

Do you have any lily plant where cat gos? Its classic symptom for for lily poisoning.
We been there.

a reply to: Pandaram

Nope. I am terrible at growing things inside unless they're in an aquarium.

I have a catnip plant and some herbs on the patio with my pond, but he's not getting free access to those. I bring in leaves for him on occasion which he loves.

Talking about aquascaping. Do you know humen urin + 5500k t5 would make your tank a jungle. Obviously run some fe2 btw

Hope your cat get better soon. I would see a vet asap.

I'm sorry Ketsuko.

I dunno what to tell you. There was a German Shepherd that lived next door to me who had seizures and it was awful - the howling and the helplessness....he was miserable, they were miserable, we were miserable.

And a lady who worked for me had a Golden who was subject to seizures and thunder storms set him off in the worst way. But, they were able to use that "thunder shirt" and it did help, though he literally gnawed at the sheet rock or the plastic crate, wherever they put him.

My current opinion is that Vets are a racket beyond fixing and shots. They will guilt you into bankruptcy. Your pets will not be helped all that much but your wallet will be empty.

We have two feline friends. One 14, one 18. One has thyroid issues and the other - just last week - has clearly had a stroke. He disappeared for 4 days When he came back, he opted for sleeping in the cat box.

Now, I am a reformed CCL so, my tolerance is very low and the cats are relegated to the basement, nether regions by night and patio by day. But, for the 18 year old seizure sufferer, it's 30 minutes with someone hanging around to corral him so he won't wonder off again. We are also Catholic and my teen is very against euthanizing either of them. As a realist and an older, more experienced person, I lean toward "cruel to be kind".

Still pending outcome....

All prayers out to you and your kitty. I have no solutions. Just empathy.

originally posted by: Skid Mark
a reply to: ketsuko
Did you put a flea treatment on your cat? The reason I ask is that my brother gave one to his cat and didn't notice that it was for dogs. The kind for dogs is toxic to cats. His cat had the same symptoms you described.

Want to say too that I think this is a very important observation. DO NOT use off brands or incorrect dosages of this.

originally posted by: Pandaram
Do you have any lily plant where cat gos? Its classic symptom for for lily poisoning.
We been there.

It is lily season. I'm seeing them everywhere. So, good suggestion for those who may be having issues with outdoor cats.

That's too bad Ketsuko, i have a couple of cats black and grey that always stay indoors. You've gotta be careful cats carry stuff and spread stuff. I knew a guy whos cat got something called cat leukemia if you can believe that, it's more common than people think along with cat aids.

Sorry to hear, very scary, of course. I'm happy you're using a good pet food like Blue Buffalo as steering clear of the "grocery" store brand cat foods, if one can, is good to follow. As they can not only bring on allergies but be deficient in vitamins and minerals.

I assume the Vet may encourage a prescription version Blue Buffalo or other(I'd skip Science Diet if possible) of the dry and wet food if it comes down to a nutritional cause for the seizures, though seems like it's something other than that. Hope you guys find out what's going on quickly.