On our site we know that taking care of your cat's he alth is essential for it to have the quality of life it deserves. Felines are usually strong and resistant animals, not prone to contracting diseases. However, this does not mean that you should lower your guard against any strange behavior.
A cat convulsing is a situation that generates high levels of discomfort in its human companions, as it is a very distressing situation to witness. It is also for our feline, who does not understand what is happening to him. However, staying calm, helping him at the time and going to your vet is the wrong way to help him. That's why we want to talk to you about seizures in cats, causes and what to do when they occur. This way you will know how to deal with this problem in the most appropriate way.
What are seizures?
This is 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 are caused when the neurons, responsible for carrying electrical impulses through the nervous system, receive an excitation greater than they can withstand, causing abnormal electrical discharges in the brain as a product of the overstimulation
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 also that it can cause 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 cats, and usually appear as a symptom of another pathology They should not be confused with epilepsy. Epilepsy occurs by itself and is lifelong, without the occurrence of another disease that could influence its appearance; convulsions, on the other hand, are accompanied by other conditions and are a product of them, although they may not disappear completely with treatment either, despite the fact that it is possible to control them.
Causes of seizures in cats
There are multiple disorders that can have seizures in cats as a symptom, below we will explain what they are:
- Infectious diseases: toxoplasmosis, encephalitis, meningitis, peritonitis, among others.
- Congenital deformities: hydrocephalus, etc.
- Traumatisms to the head.
- Cerebrovascular diseases.
- Poisoning: with insecticides, poisons against pests, antiparasitics for external use, household products with toxic and dangerous labels.
- Metabolic diseases: hypoglycemia, thyroid pathologies, liver problems, among others.
- Brain tumors.
- Rage.
- Use of certain medicines.
- Deficiency of Thiamine.
- Leukemia feline.
- Presence of certain parasites that have migrated abnormally in the cat's body.
- Immunodeficiency feline.
Seizure symptoms
In felines, seizures present in a variety of ways. In some cases, the symptoms are quite obvious, while in others the signs can be difficult to detect. The most common signs are:
- Uncontrolled movement of legs
- Rigid body
- Loss of consciousness
- Uncontrolled chewing
- Falling to one side
- Salivation
- Defecation and urination
Crisis can last 2 to 3 minutes, and before it, the cat may try to attract the attention of humans or, on the contrary, hide. These types of episodes are easy to identify, although others with milder signs can also occur, manifesting in behaviors such as obsessively chasing one's tail, uncontrolled movement of the features and chasing something that is not there, among others. In these cases, the cat only partially loses consciousness of what is happening. Any type of abnormal behavior should be Consulted with the veterinarianimmediately.
What to do during the attack?
When a cat has an episode of seizures, you need to be prepared to know what to do, because any mistake will cause you or the cat to get hurt, or the attack will last longer. That's why we recommend:
- Keep calm: Avoid crying, making a loud sound and even talking to him, as this type of stimuli can excite the system even more nervous of the feline.
- Remove any object that could hurt the cat, but avoid touching it, because it could bite or scratch you since it will not be aware of what it is doing. You should only touch it if it is in danger of falling from somewhere, in which case we recommend picking it up with a towel and placing it on the floor or handling it with kitchen gloves.
- Eliminate any sound that may exist in the environment, such as television or music, turn off the lights and even close your windows if strong sunlight enters.
- Do not wrap the cat if it is not necessary or expose it to the heat of the heater.
- Do not try to give him water or food, or offer it when the shaking has stopped.
- Never self-medicate your cat,only a veterinarian can tell you how to proceed from now on.
- Once the attack is over, take him to a cool place under your supervision and contact your veterinarian.
Diagnosis
In order for the diagnosis to be satisfactory, you must provide the veterinarian with all the information about the signs that you have been able to detect, this will It will help to know which are the most appropriate tests to detect the root of the problem. The diagnosis is aimed at determining whether it is epilepsy or seizures, and what could be causing them. In this sense, it can include:
- Complete clinical history: information on all the diseases, injuries and various ailments of the cat throughout its life. Vaccines administered and medications used.
- General physical exam.
- Neurological studies.
- Electroencephalograms, electrocardiograms, X-rays and MRIs, among others.
- Urine and blood tests.
Of course, not in all cases it will be necessary to carry out each of these medical studies.
Treatment
Treatment for seizures is focused on both reducing their frequency and intensity anderadicate what causes it Of course, depending on the cause, a specific treatment will be necessary, which must be prescribed by your veterinarian.
With regard to seizures, phenobarbital is often used in animals to prevent seizures, and diazepam to control seizures when they do occur. However, the drugs must be prescribed by your doctor, as well as the doses and frequency of them. These two specific components cannot be used in cats with liver problems.
Usually, medications must be administered for life, always at the same time and in the same dose. The seizures may return, but the animal will be able to lead a normal life if the veterinarian's recommendations are followed.
An 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 will be, reducing the chances that the cat will lead a life normal and increasing the risk of seizure episodes occurring more frequently.
As an extra recommendation, it is best that you consider that from now on your cat does not leave the house, to prevent it from suffering an attack while outside, exposing itself to all kinds of dangers in front of which you will not be able to help you.
