My cat had a seizure last night.

Laurabear44

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Hi Everyone!

I have an indoor cat roughly 6 years old.
She is the sweetest most lovable cat I’ve ever had. She’s never had any health problems. (Besides a wound on her paw a couple months ago) she’s up to date on all her shots..

Well last night my husband screamed for me to come to the bedroom. On the bed she had a seizure for about 2 minutes. It was horrible to witness. We rushed her to the vet and they took her blood, gave her an X-ray and everything cane back okay. They have no idea what caused it.
today is very lethargic and not her normal self. I guess my question is should I be worried about it happening again? I read online and they have natural supplements to help prevent seizures. Does anyone have experience with that?
Any advice would be much appreciated. I’m so worried. Thank you! 🙂
 

Margret

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My only experience with seizures is in a human (me). I've never used natural supplements to prevent seizures so I have no knowledge of that. Here is what I do know about epilepsy (in humans):
  • It's highly individual. What works for one person may not work for another.
  • It's quite possible that it's secondary to some other condition - in my case, I only ever have seizures when I'm hypoglycemic and ignore the symptoms, and now that I recognize the symptoms that doesn't happen.
  • One of the most prescribed drugs for epilepsy is Levetiracetam (trade name Keppra). Until your body gets used to Keppra it can cause dizziness. In my case it was full-fledged vertigo - around the house I stayed near walls or furniture so I'd have something I could grab on to; when out of the house I carried a quad cane, not because I needed to lean on it but because I needed something that I knew to be vertical that I could hold onto for a physical reference. Fortunately, it didn't affect my driving because it didn't bother me when I was seated. I do know that Keppra is sometimes prescribed for cats with epilepsy, and there have been threads on this site about cats having problems dealing with the dizziness.
All that said, your cat does not have a proper diagnosis. This could be epilepsy or it could be a symptom of an illness that's just starting and doesn't show up in tests yet. It may also be a one-off; this may never happen again. What does your vet advise you to do, and do you trust his or her judgment? The problem, as I see it, is that seizures can be life-threatening, so at the very least you need some training in how to help your cat if it ever happens again. And if it does happen again it's time to go all out on getting a diagnosis, including looking for a specialist vet if necessary.

Margret
 

white shadow

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Hi Laurabear44 !

This must have been truly frightening for you.

There is a specialized online community for folks whose kitties have experienced seizures. They have been active for many years, are very well-informed and would be my own first choice for answers and advice if I were in your position.

They have two 'locations' online........perhaps the FB link would be easier: Epi-Felines - FB

Keep us updated in the meantime.
.
 
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Laurabear44

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My only experience with seizures is in a human (me). I've never used natural supplements to prevent seizures so I have no knowledge of that. Here is what I do know about epilepsy (in humans):
  • It's highly individual. What works for one person may not work for another.
  • It's quite possible that it's secondary to some other condition - in my case, I only ever have seizures when I'm hypoglycemic and ignore the symptoms, and now that I recognize the symptoms that doesn't happen.
  • One of the most prescribed drugs for epilepsy is Levetiracetam (trade name Keppra). Until your body gets used to Keppra it can cause dizziness. In my case it was full-fledged vertigo - around the house I stayed near walls or furniture so I'd have something I could grab on to; when out of the house I carried a quad cane, not because I needed to lean on it but because I needed something that I knew to be vertical that I could hold onto for a physical reference. Fortunately, it didn't affect my driving because it didn't bother me when I was seated. I do know that Keppra is sometimes prescribed for cats with epilepsy, and there have been threads on this site about cats having problems dealing with the dizziness.
All that said, your cat does not have a proper diagnosis. This could be epilepsy or it could be a symptom of an illness that's just starting and doesn't show up in tests yet. It may also be a one-off; this may never happen again. What does your vet advise you to do, and do you trust his or her judgment? The problem, as I see it, is that seizures can be life-threatening, so at the very least you need some training in how to help your cat if it ever happens again. And if it does happen again it's time to go all out on getting a diagnosis, including looking for a specialist vet if necessary.

Margret
Thank you for your response. I'm sorry that you've had to deal with this yourself. :( My vet said to keep an eye on her and if it happens again she can see a neurologist and put her on medication. I'm just so worried because after her seizure last night they had to put her on oxygen. I'm afraid to leave her side.
 
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Laurabear44

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Hi Laurabear44 !

This must have been truly frightening for you.

There is a specialized online community for folks whose kitties have experienced seizures. They have been active for many years, are very well-informed and would be my own first choice for answers and advice if I were in your position.

They have two 'locations' online........perhaps the FB link would be easier: Epi-Felines - FB

Keep us updated in the meantime.
.
Thank you so much! It was so frightening. I have no prior experience with seizures. At first, I thought she was choking bc her jaw was moving up and down and she was making weird noises with her mouth. It was terrible. I will definitely join that group. Thank you!
 

RangersMom

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Hi Everyone!

I have an indoor cat roughly 6 years old.
She is the sweetest most lovable cat I’ve ever had. She’s never had any health problems. (Besides a wound on her paw a couple months ago) she’s up to date on all her shots..

Well last night my husband screamed for me to come to the bedroom. On the bed she had a seizure for about 2 minutes. It was horrible to witness. We rushed her to the vet and they took her blood, gave her an X-ray and everything cane back okay. They have no idea what caused it.
today is very lethargic and not her normal self. I guess my question is should I be worried about it happening again? I read online and they have natural supplements to help prevent seizures. Does anyone have experience with that?
Any advice would be much appreciated. I’m so worried. Thank you! 🙂
I have a friend that had a cat that had seizures a few times a month, and this went on for years... she started the cat on CBD oil oral drops (per vet recommendation) and the cat has not has a seizure since! Coincidence? maybe, but my friend is very pleased, and im sure the cat is too.
Not sure what state you live in (Ohio here), but our local grocery/health stores sell CBD oil, usually at the lotto ticket area and not straight off the shelves, but no prescription needed. Sorry to hear about your kitty, and hope she will be alright <3
 

white shadow

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Laurabear44 Laurabear44 - Margret gave you the link to the original site of that group, and she used the term "email list".

These 'email lists' are the early-Internet online forums, used before software developments made forums like TCS a reality. (I apologize if you already know all this!) I've participated (as a member) in several of these email list groups, and, I've also looked through the FB postings of a few other groups as a non-member.

Perhaps if I browsed the FB posts as a member I would see more of the content...I don't know. However, my observation is that what I did observe on FB was far inferior to what I experienced from membership in the 'old fashion' email lists. I found the FB posts 'skimpy', and without 'substance' /depth. OTOH, messages on the email list group were fulsome and pertinent, and addressed the details that folks needed to know. As I say, perhaps FB membership might have leveled the field, I don't know.

Secondly, I see (from the traffic/message counter at that Yahoo Group link) that the volume of messages going through there has almost dried up. It may be that the group has moved and is using a new host/server (many of these groups have done so because of problems with Yahoo).

If you find that the FB exchanges aren't satisfying your needs and you're curious about the email group, first ask about/confirm the group's other 'location' - that might save you waiting around on Yahoo for naught. I hope I'm making sense!:lol:
.
 

white shadow

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And, about RangersMom's excellent suggestion.....put that issue/question to the group. They would be the best source of info on current trends in treatments, being (historically) usually way ahead of the average general-practice Vet.

The use of CBD for epilepsy is well described these days, though less so in research/studies.
.
 

pearl99

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Hi Everyone!

I have an indoor cat roughly 6 years old.
She is the sweetest most lovable cat I’ve ever had. She’s never had any health problems. (Besides a wound on her paw a couple months ago) she’s up to date on all her shots..

Well last night my husband screamed for me to come to the bedroom. On the bed she had a seizure for about 2 minutes. It was horrible to witness. We rushed her to the vet and they took her blood, gave her an X-ray and everything cane back okay. They have no idea what caused it.
today is very lethargic and not her normal self. I guess my question is should I be worried about it happening again? I read online and they have natural supplements to help prevent seizures. Does anyone have experience with that?
Any advice would be much appreciated. I’m so worried. Thank you! 🙂
I had a cat in the 1990's who started seizures. He had one, I took him to the emergency vet, then my regular vet. My vet said it can be a one time thing, or can recur.
Well it recurred 6 months later so Tiger was put on phenobarbital, and never had another one. After he was kind of lethargic for a few hours, I just put a towel over him- not over his head- in case his paws flailed to his face, placed him in the carrier and drove to the emergency vet in the middle of the night. Crying most of the way!
It is so scary, isn't it. I can sympathize with your experience. A cause was never found.
This was before the days of CBD oil, so Tiger got the phenobarb. He had no side effects from it.
My vet said there are a lot of causes, and it's not really all that uncommon in cats.
So your kitty should be seen by your vet and go from there. Poor kitty! But they can be treated.
Keep us posted!
 

fionasmom

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I am sorry that you have experienced with is your beloved cat. I have had two cats with seizures and the first round of ER treatment amounted to "it could be a lot of things and we just don't know." Given your bond with your cat, I would pursue this now as the reasons for seizures can be minor or serious.
 
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