My cat is having 19 seizures per day

[sceva glenn]

I am not even sure this forum is still active as I have seen posts that are 3 years old. But I sure hope so, because I need answers and I need them soon because I am trying to decide if I need to have my 3 year old car euthanized. He has been having grand mal seizures for over 2 weeks. He always has been a 75% outside/25% inside cat but since he's started having the seizures I was told to keep him inside until they can get his meds regulated.

I want to know, how LONG does it take for the meds to get regulated? He was started on Phenobarbital 2 weeks ago. After a week of no improvement other than a slight lessening of the severity I took him to a 2nd vet (for a 2nd opinion) and they added Keppra and diazapam. He has been on both for only a few days. His seizures have actually increased in number since putting him on the medications. He had 19 seizures on Wednesday (2 days ago) and 16 yesterday. They are still less severe but have increased in total number. I am a total wreck and afraid to go away from the house because i might miss a dosing schedule.

Oh, my cat's name is Waylon (as in Waylon Jennings) and he is my favorite of the 4 we have. He is a rescue cat. He was put out as a baby 3 years ago on our family's farm and he wandered up to our son's house. He was small enough to fit in the palm of our hand. Later we also found a litter mate out in the pasture that had died so I guess Waylon was pretty smart to seek out humans. 

After seeing him falling around the house last evening like a drunk from all the meds I had decided that it was no life for him. But I can't make myself make that call this morning to put him down. I keep hoping maybe he will eventually get used to the medications and his quality of life will continue. Should I wait a few days longer?

I don't know what to do. I have already been to the new vet 2X this week and I hate to keep calling and showing up on their doorstep. It would really help to hear from anyone else whose cat had this many seizures a day and survived. I need some advice and I would appreciate any and all help that I can get, especially from someone whose cat has multiple seizures in a day. Most I have read about are freaking out because their cat has a seizure once a week. But 19 times a day????? Help!

 

[catpack]

I am so sorry to hear about Waylon! (Love the name BTW!)

Have the vets given you any idea as to what is causing the seizures?
When did the seizures start?
What tests have been done?
Any blood work?
What flea/tick medications do you use?

Waylon very well may need to see a neurologist.

 

[foxxycat]

there are other drugs that can be combined-do you have faith in your vet?

I will reread your entry. If you are on facebook there is a page called Andy needs your help=this cat has seizures caused from water on the brain=she explains a lot about the dosage times of the pheno that is given and how she manages. they can also add other meds to help. hang on-let me read your entry-just wanted to pop in quick to say I am sorry you are here and hoping we can find an answer to keep your baby healthy and happy.

I know for awhile Andys mom had to get the vet to raise the amount given in order to stop seeing the seizures...sending you hugs!

 

[foxxycat]

ok I see that they have added valium and keppra-usually those together help stop the seizures.

when did this start? Yes you may very well need to see a neoro,. was there a recent injury or other illness that brought this on?

I don't know much about seizures other than the cats I follow on facebook but they have water on the brain which is why they have seizures.

I also notice that the change in air pressure has a lot to do with it-whenever we get heavy humid air with lots of thunderstorm type air-they seem to have a harder time controlling the seizures.

Where do you live?

Hoping others chime in who have experience.

there are two other pages you can see if they have info:

Spot the Seizure Cat-

Spot The Seizure Cat | Facebook

or

Super Hero The Hydrocephalic Cat and Zeke - SHAHS ... - Facebook

Andy Needs Your Help | Facebook

maybe you can message them to ask this question-they have been dealing with seizures for some time.

I hope the links work-they don't allow me to go on facebook on this computer but I copied the link from google search-I hope these work-and I hope we find some answers asap for you!

 

[red top rescue]

If Waylon is still hanging in there, it is really important to know if you have used any flea medications on him.  You said the seizures started 2 weeks ago, and that he used to be an outside cat.  Did you happen to use any flea medications or any other medications before the seizures started two weeks ago?  There are some ingredients in some of the flea medications that are safe for MOST cats but can cross the blood-brain barrier in certain other cats and cause neurological symptoms; some of these can be fatal.  However, if the animals are treated with gastric lavage with charcoal and with lipids IV, they can be saved if it is caught early enough.  If it isn't too severe, they may recover on their own as long as the flea medication or drugs that act like it are not used on him. 

Ask your vet if anything was used on him that might be in the avermectin family, i.e. a medication that might kill heartworms or intestinal worms along with fleas.  I had a cat who had this kind of reaction to the moxidectin in Advantage Multi.  There have also been some cats with reactions to spinetoram, which is also in that same drug classification.

 

[Margret]

I've never had to deal with epilepsy in a cat, however my brain tumor left me with a tendency to have seizures any time my blood sugar gets too low, so I'm on Keppra.

At first when I began taking Keppra I had extreme vertigo -- the only way I could get around the house was with a cane or walker, or hanging onto the walls and furniture.  I wasn't actually using any of these for support, but rather for a tactile reference to which direction was "up."  Something like this may be Waylon's problem.  There are other anti convulsants besides Keppra, which he may have less of a problem with.  But even if there aren't, at some point (at least for me) the body builds up a tolerance to the Keppra which makes the vertigo go away, while it still works to prevent seizures.  I'm more concerned about your report that he's actually having more seizures on the Keppra.  This is something that definitely needs to be reported to the vet.

As for putting Waylon to sleep over this, it really is much too soon to decide that.  You don't yet know what is possible for him; give the vets time to adjust his meds.  Also, since he's been primarily an outdoor cat, I wonder whether he may have been exposed to something poisonous to cats, that has caused this problem.

Margret

 

[mandeville]

What is the dosage of Keppra - how much does Waylon weigh> My 1 year old had 2 X month seizures and within 3 months was having tonic clonic seizures - which is a 30 minute non stop grand mal - horrible - I know you are so depressed over this - I was - after $6000 to find out it was idiopathic - no known cause seizures - vet put him on Keppra 3 times a day dose - pill form 125 mg per does and he has never had another one since (6 weeks later now). Med is given by weight - he weighs 10 lgs.  I never ever allow any of my cats outside - so many things can happen. I made my 3 kttens an outside covered sitting area under my deck attached to the house with a cat door.Hopefully your baby is doing better by now - I have him on nothing else - no phenol etc - and I give NO flea meds ever to any of them  - never had fleas but they are inside babies.

 

[Draco]

@Sceva Glenn  how is your kitty these days?

 

[Margret]

 
@Sceva Glenn  how is your kitty these days?

Margret