You know that caring for your favorite feline involves watching for subtle health changes and problems. However, some health issues are far more obvious, like seizures. Learning what to do if your cat has a seizure is important to help the animal with its initial symptoms before it can receive treatment from the caring veterinarians and staff at Penny Paws.
How To Recognize When a Cat Is Having a Seizure
Several symptoms can occur when a cat has a seizure. Some animals will experience pre-seizure symptoms that can help you prepare for more severe symptoms. Others will have major symptoms with no warning.
Pre-Seizure Symptoms
A cat in the early stages of having a seizure might begin acting strangely. It may whine, pace, or try to hide underneath furniture. Some kitties might begin drooling in addition to the other symptoms.
Common Seizure Symptoms
When a full seizure starts, the cat may fall over or start to lose its balance. The cat’s legs might begin moving uncontrollably with jerking motions. Some cats lose control of their bowels and bladder, and they may act like they’re unable to hear or see you.
Post-Seizure Symptoms
After the main seizure symptoms stop, the cat may show signs of stress from the fit for a few minutes to several hours. Some cats struggle to walk normally, dragging one leg or even stumbling. It may take some time for the animal’s vision and hearing to return to normal.
Some cats sleep more than usual after having a fit. Others may want to eat more than normal afterward.
Immediate Care Steps To Follow for Feline Seizures
To prepare yourself for this scenario, you need to understand what to do if your cat has a seizure. The signs of a seizure in your pet can be scary, but taking some immediate steps can help the cat recover faster. Taking notes about what happened can help your veterinarian more successfully diagnose the underlying condition.
Learning how to help a cat during a seizure involves taking a few steps, including:
- Remain calm
- Reduce the intensity of lights
- Eliminate stray noises
- Don’t grab or restrain the cat
- Remove nearby sharp items
Only move the animal if it’s in a place where it could fall or injure itself further. If you must move the cat, one of the key steps in learning what to do when your cat has a seizure involves protecting yourself from potential bites. Some cats bite and scratch if you touch them during an episode.
Try to track the length of the seizure and take note of symptoms before, during, and after it occurs. Such information will help with the diagnosis.
If the main seizure symptoms don’t alleviate on their own within four or five minutes, you should call your veterinarian for an emergency visit. Explain whether this is the first episode the animal has had and describe the symptoms you’re seeing. You should also call your vet if the cat is having more than one seizure a day.
Why Cats May Experience Seizures
Beyond learning what to do while your cat is having a seizure, you may wonder why the feline is having the problem in the first place. The animal may have suffered physical trauma that’s causing bleeding inside the skull, leading to a seizure.
Neurological disorders in cats are additional causes of fits and seizures. If the cat has a tumor or develops epilepsy, seizures may suddenly begin happening and occur with frequency.
A kitty who has a severe illness may experience seizures related to a high fever. Animals with liver or kidney diseases may suffer seizures as one of the first symptoms of this problem.
Seizures in cats may occur after exposure to a dangerous substance or to a higher-than-recommended dose of medication. If you gave the animal a new tick or flea treatment that wasn’t prescribed by the vet, it could have a severe reaction, including a seizure. Mistakenly giving your feline a medication that’s made for dogs could lead to seizures, too.
A cat that inadvertently ingests poison or eats a mouse that has ingested poison could have seizures. Make an immediate call for help after a poison exposure, too much medication, or the wrong medication, even if the animal is not yet showing signs of seizures.
Long-Term Treatments for Felines Who Suffer From Seizures
If your cat is having seizures, veterinarians will take note of the signs. Treatment of seizures in cats involves both short- and long-term plans for care. Figuring out what to do if your cat has a seizure is an important step to take at home for its short-term recovery.
However, a veterinarian’s care also involves developing a long-term plan to minimize the health effects of the seizure over the next several years. Ideally, long-term treatments will reduce the number and severity of the seizures.
To diagnose the cause of the seizures, vets will start with a complete examination of the animal. They’ll perform blood and urine tests. Veterinarians might check the cat’s balance, vision, and hearing.
Once they believe they understand what is causing the seizure, veterinarians may prescribe medications. Some seizure medications might require an injection at the vet’s office, while others might allow you to deliver pills or capsules at home.
Some vets might give you tips for managing the effects of the seizure at home to try to protect the cat’s health.
Why the Experts at Penny Paws Are the Right Choice for Caring for Your Cat’s Health Issues, Including Seizures
Understanding what to do if your cat has a seizure can be the difference in helping your pet survive this potentially dangerous health concern. Prompt first aid for cats experiencing seizures is important.
You should then reach out for help treating the underlying condition. Whether your kitty suffers a seizure because of an insect bite, as a consequence of cat allergies, or because of a chronic condition, owners should ask for help from our veterinarians at Penny Paws. To schedule an appointment and learn emergency care tips for cats with seizures, call Penny Paws today at (817) 993-1234.