Cat Seizures - Causes and What to Do

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 27 January 2021
Update Date: 4 November 2024
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Causes and Symptoms of Cat Seizures
Video: Causes and Symptoms of Cat Seizures

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At PeritoAnimal we know that taking care of your cat's health is essential for the quality of life it deserves. Cats are usually strong and resistant animals, not very likely to contract diseases. However, this does not mean that you should let down your guard against any strange behavior.

A cat having seizures is a situation that generates high levels of discomfort in its human companions, as it is a very distressing situation to witness. So is it for our feline, who doesn't understand what's going on. However, remain calm, assist you in the moment and consult your veterinarian and the right way to help you. That's why we're going to explain to you what the causes and what to do in case of seizures in cats. In this way, you will know how to face this problem in the most adequate way.


What are seizures?

These are a series of repetitive and uncontrollable movements, produced by an alteration in the normal functioning of brain activity. A simple way to explain the process is to say that they originate when neurons, responsible for carrying electrical impulses through the nervous system, receive a greater excitation than they can withstand, causing abnormal electrical discharges in the brain as a product of excessive stimulation.

When the brain receives these abnormal discharges, it responds with the obvious signs of a seizure. The danger lies not only in the attack itself, but it can also lead to brain damage and affect other organs such as the lungs. Because of this, early diagnosis and timely treatment are crucial to avoid lethal consequences.


Seizures are not common in felines, and usually occur as symptom of another condition. Not to be confused with epilepsy. Epilepsy occurs by itself and is for life, without any other disease that could influence its appearance. On the contrary, seizures are accompanied by other conditions and are a product of them and, even with treatment, they may not disappear completely, although it is possible to control them.

Causes of Seizures in Cats

There are multiple disorders that can have seizures as a symptom in cats, below we explain what they are:

  • Infectious diseases: toxoplasmosis, meningitis, encephalitis, peritonitis, among others.
  • congenital deformations: hydrocephalus, among others.
  • Traumas in the head.
  • Illnesses cerebrovascular.
  • Intoxications: with insecticides, poisons against pests, antiparasitic for external use, home products with toxic and dangerous labels.
  • Diseases of metabolic origin: hypoglycemia, thyroid pathologies, liver problems, among others.
  • tumors brain.
  • Anger.
  • use of certain medicines.
  • deficiency of thiamin.
  • Leukemia feline.
  • presence of certain parasites that migrated abnormally in the cat's body.
  • immunodeficiency feline.

Seizure symptoms

In felines, the convulsions occur in different ways. In some cases the symptoms are quite obvious, while in others the signs may be difficult to detect. The most common signs are:


  • Uncontrolled paw movement
  • rigid body
  • Loss of consciousness
  • uncontrolled chewing
  • Salivation
  • defecation and urination
  • fall to one side

the crisis can last 2-3 minutes, and before it, the cat can try to attract the attention of humans or, on the contrary, hide. These types of episodes are simple to identify, although other milder signs may also occur, manifesting in behaviors such as obsessively chasing the tail, uncontrolled movement of the features and searching for something that is not there, among others. In these cases, the cat only partially loses awareness of what happens. Any kind of abnormal behavior must be consulted with the veterinarian immediately.

What to do during the attack?

When there is an episode of seizures in the cat, you need to be prepared to know what to do, as any mistake will cause the feline or you to be hurt, or the attack will last longer. That's why we recommend that:

  • Keep Calm: Avoid crying, making a loud sound and even talking to him, as this type of stimuli can further excite the feline's nervous system.
  • remove any object that can hurt the cat, but avoid touching him, as it could bite you or scratch you, as you are not aware of what you are doing. You should only touch it if you are in danger of falling from somewhere. In this case, we recommend that you pick it up with a towel and place it on the ground or stir it with kitchen gloves.
  • mute any sound that may exist in the environment, such as television or music, turn off the lights and close the windows if bright sunlight is entering.
  • Do not wrap the cat if not necessary or expose it to the heat of the heat.
  • Don't try to give him water or food., nor offer them when the tremors are over.
  • Never self-medicate your cat, only a veterinarian will be able to tell you how to proceed from now on.
  • Once the attack is over, take him to a cool place under your surveillance and contact your veterinarian.

Diagnosis

For the diagnosis to be satisfactory, you must provide the veterinarian with all the information about signs that it was able to detect, this will help you know which exams are best suited to detect the root of the problem. Diagnosis is aimed at determining whether it is epilepsy or seizures, and what could be causing them. In this sense, it can include:

  • Complete medical history: information about all illnesses, traumas and illnesses that the cat has suffered throughout its life. Vaccines administered and medications used.
  • General physical examination.
  • Neurological studies.
  • Electroencephalograms, electrocardiograms, radiographs and magnetic resonances, among others.
  • Urine and blood analysis.

It may not be necessary to perform all these exams in all cases, it will depend on the specific case.

Treatment

Treatment against seizures is aimed at both reduce frequency and intensity of the same, as the end what causes them. Therefore, depending on the cause, specific treatment will be required, which should be prescribed by your veterinarian.

With regard to seizures, in animals it is customary to use phenobarbital to prevent seizures, and diazepam to control them when they occur. However, the medications must be prescribed by your veterinarian, as well as their dose and frequency. These two components in particular cannot be used in cats with liver problems.

Usually, medications should be administered for life, always at the same time and in the same dose. Seizures may reoccur, but the animal will be able to continue a normal life if the veterinarian's recommendations are followed.

Early diagnosis and continued treatment can considerably improve the cat's condition, but the longer you wait to see a specialist, the worse the final prognosis, reducing the chances of the cat following a normal life and increasing the risk of seizure episodes occurring. more often.

As an extra recommendation, it is best to prevent your cat from leaving the house, to avoid suffering an attack while outdoors, exposing itself to all kinds of dangers against which it will not be able to help you.

This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.