Epilepsy can also occur in cats. Although such seizures are usually not as bad as they look, the causes should be investigated. Find out when you should contact your vet and how an epileptic cat can be treated.
How does epilepsy manifest itself in cats? A typical seizure is preceded by a phase of restlessness or clinginess. Suddenly, convulsions set in, the cat falls over and begins to twitch or jerk its legs. It is no longer responsive, urinates or defecates and may foam at the mouth. The epileptic seizure rarely lasts longer than a few minutes, after which consciousness returns and the cat behaves completely normally again.
What to do if your cat has a seizure?
Although this usually looks quite dramatic for the owners, the cat usually suffers little from the epileptic seizure as it hardly notices anything. During the seizure, owners should therefore exercise restraint, not touch the animal or carry it around and simply make sure that it does not injure itself, for example by falling objects.
Following a seizure, you should take your epileptic cat to a vet , who can administer sedatives, investigate the organic causes of the condition and treat them if necessary.
In most cases, however, the cause will remain hidden in the brain. Treatment then usually depends on the severity of the illness. Seizures that only occur occasionally and are short-lived may well remain untreated.
What happens in the brain of a cat with epilepsy? There are many simultaneous short circuits in the nerve cells. The functioning of the brain is disturbed.
What triggers epilepsy in cats?
Epileptic seizures in cats can also be triggered by other diseases such as meningitis or a metabolic disorder .
Poisoning can also be a possible cause. Before the vet can make a diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy, other diseases that could have caused the epileptic seizure must first be ruled out.
Keep a diary of your cat's epileptic seizures
It can be helpful for the vet if cat owners keep a diary and document their observations during an epileptic seizure in detail. The following information is important for the vet:
- On what day and at what time did the epileptic seizure occur?
- How long did the cat's convulsions last?
- What symptoms were observed during the seizure?
- How did the cat behave before the seizure?
The vet can draw valuable conclusions from these observations.
When should the epileptic cat be taken to the vet immediately?
If you notice the following, you should take your cat to the vet immediately:
- if a seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes
- if the cat has more than one epileptic seizure in one day
- if several seizures occur in quick succession
Treatment of epilepsy in cats
If there is a tendency towards increasingly shorter intervals between seizures and/or increasingly severe episodes, the vet will suggest lifelong treatment with epilepsy medication.
These often have some undesirable side effects such as tiredness and apathy during the acclimatization phase. However, owners should not lose confidence too soon: After a few months, these symptoms subside and the cats often become as lively as before.