Cat seizures

(Johnny Comelately) wrote in message m...

Here is some info you might find useful. I also included the URL in
case you need more info. HTH


http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/People/lowek..._epilepsy.html


Thanks Johnny, there is a lot of helpful information here. I am taking
my girl back to the vet tommorow for a second opinion. I printed this
info to take with me. Thanks again.

Hugh Jardon

"Wendy" wrote in message ...
"Hugh Jardon" wrote in message
om...
Hi all, one of my cats has been having seizures. I noticed a month or
so ago that she was accidentally bumping into objects, and thought,
that is normal for cats, because all cats do this periodically. But
she kept getting worse, and had a full-blown seizure (very scary) so I
took her to the vet. The vet ran several tests, FIV, FIP, CBC etc.
with no conclusion. My vet admitted that he wasn't very familiar with
seizures in cats, but after observing a seizure while in his office
said that he thinks that it is epilepsy. I have been giving my cat
diazepam and she hasn't had a seizure since she started this
medication. I have been told that diaezapam is really just a generic
form of valium and can cause severe liver damage in cats. Has anyone
here had any experience with cat seizures or epilepsy in cats? I don't
want my girl to end up with liver damage from the meds but I don't
want her to die from a seizure either. I am caught between a rock and
a hard place, and I'm not sure what to do. I would be greatful for any
advice concerning seizures or otherwise. Thank you.

Hugh Jardon

A friend's cat had epilepsy and they gave him Phenobarbital. I understand
that Phenobarbital is the initial drug of choice.

W

Hi Wendy, I think that is what the vet tried the first time. What ever
it was my girl was allergic to it and it caused a knot to appear under
her skin. Thanks Wendy.

Hugh Jardon

"Wendy" wrote in message ...
"Hugh Jardon" wrote in message
om...
Hi all, one of my cats has been having seizures. I noticed a month or
so ago that she was accidentally bumping into objects, and thought,
that is normal for cats, because all cats do this periodically. But
she kept getting worse, and had a full-blown seizure (very scary) so I
took her to the vet. The vet ran several tests, FIV, FIP, CBC etc.
with no conclusion. My vet admitted that he wasn't very familiar with
seizures in cats, but after observing a seizure while in his office
said that he thinks that it is epilepsy. I have been giving my cat
diazepam and she hasn't had a seizure since she started this
medication. I have been told that diaezapam is really just a generic
form of valium and can cause severe liver damage in cats. Has anyone
here had any experience with cat seizures or epilepsy in cats? I don't
want my girl to end up with liver damage from the meds but I don't
want her to die from a seizure either. I am caught between a rock and
a hard place, and I'm not sure what to do. I would be greatful for any
advice concerning seizures or otherwise. Thank you.

Hugh Jardon

A friend's cat had epilepsy and they gave him Phenobarbital. I understand
that Phenobarbital is the initial drug of choice.

W

Hi Wendy, I think that is what the vet tried the first time. What ever
it was my girl was allergic to it and it caused a knot to appear under
her skin. Thanks Wendy.

Hugh Jardon

"Hugh Jardon" wrote in message
om...
Hi all, one of my cats has been having seizures. I noticed a month or
so ago that she was accidentally bumping into objects, and thought,
that is normal for cats, because all cats do this periodically. But
she kept getting worse, and had a full-blown seizure (very scary) so I
took her to the vet. The vet ran several tests, FIV, FIP, CBC etc.
with no conclusion. My vet admitted that he wasn't very familiar with
seizures in cats, but after observing a seizure while in his office
said that he thinks that it is epilepsy. I have been giving my cat
diazepam and she hasn't had a seizure since she started this
medication. I have been told that diaezapam is really just a generic
form of valium and can cause severe liver damage in cats. Has anyone
here had any experience with cat seizures or epilepsy in cats? I don't
want my girl to end up with liver damage from the meds but I don't
want her to die from a seizure either. I am caught between a rock and
a hard place, and I'm not sure what to do. I would be greatful for any
advice concerning seizures or otherwise. Thank you.

Hugh Jardon

My girl has ideopathic epilepsy - in other words, no known cause. Thankfully
all but one of her seizures have been very mild. She was on phenobarbital
for close to two years before being weaned off of it, and has had no fits
since. Valium is also a possible drug. Do your research on the diazepam and
possible side effects. Most vets will encourage you to eventually wean your
cat off of the medication, as in some cases, if the treatment goes long
enough, suddenly not having it can -cause- the seizures (chemical dependency
in cats, you know). If you notice her having a fit, turn off the lights,
turn off anything that makes noise. Quiet and darkness can help the cat
relax and shorten the fit. Try to keep a running mental time of the seizure.
Three minutes is the danger zone: at three minutes, there can be brain
damage from which the animal may never recover. I imagine that during a
grand mal seizure, however, that the danger zone might come up faster.

My girl has only had the one grand mal, as I said, and that was in the
carrier on a three hour drive. That's terrifying. Her petit mals were really
only a loss of coordination and a lack of ability to stand. She'd sprawl on
the floor, purring like mad, stretched on her side. Turning off the lights
and just petting her and talking to her quietly always seemed to help her
come out of it faster.

"Hugh Jardon" wrote in message
om...
Hi all, one of my cats has been having seizures. I noticed a month or
so ago that she was accidentally bumping into objects, and thought,
that is normal for cats, because all cats do this periodically. But
she kept getting worse, and had a full-blown seizure (very scary) so I
took her to the vet. The vet ran several tests, FIV, FIP, CBC etc.
with no conclusion. My vet admitted that he wasn't very familiar with
seizures in cats, but after observing a seizure while in his office
said that he thinks that it is epilepsy. I have been giving my cat
diazepam and she hasn't had a seizure since she started this
medication. I have been told that diaezapam is really just a generic
form of valium and can cause severe liver damage in cats. Has anyone
here had any experience with cat seizures or epilepsy in cats? I don't
want my girl to end up with liver damage from the meds but I don't
want her to die from a seizure either. I am caught between a rock and
a hard place, and I'm not sure what to do. I would be greatful for any
advice concerning seizures or otherwise. Thank you.

Hugh Jardon

My girl has ideopathic epilepsy - in other words, no known cause. Thankfully
all but one of her seizures have been very mild. She was on phenobarbital
for close to two years before being weaned off of it, and has had no fits
since. Valium is also a possible drug. Do your research on the diazepam and
possible side effects. Most vets will encourage you to eventually wean your
cat off of the medication, as in some cases, if the treatment goes long
enough, suddenly not having it can -cause- the seizures (chemical dependency
in cats, you know). If you notice her having a fit, turn off the lights,
turn off anything that makes noise. Quiet and darkness can help the cat
relax and shorten the fit. Try to keep a running mental time of the seizure.
Three minutes is the danger zone: at three minutes, there can be brain
damage from which the animal may never recover. I imagine that during a
grand mal seizure, however, that the danger zone might come up faster.

My girl has only had the one grand mal, as I said, and that was in the
carrier on a three hour drive. That's terrifying. Her petit mals were really
only a loss of coordination and a lack of ability to stand. She'd sprawl on
the floor, purring like mad, stretched on her side. Turning off the lights
and just petting her and talking to her quietly always seemed to help her
come out of it faster.

Hugh -

The vet can check your cat's blood sugar by means of a blood test. The
process is very similar to that for checking a human. To do a thorough job,
the vet would need to take several small blood samples over the course of a
day to see what happens to the cat's blood sugar after eating, between
meals, and when it is getting hungry.

In a diabetic cat, for example, the blood sugar would tend to spike up to an
abnormally high level after eating , stay high for a while, and then drop
off to abnormally low levels before the next feeding time. In a normal cat,
the blood sugar would start to go up, then be offset by the cat's secretion
of insulin into the blood stream, which would keep the blood sugar within a
normal tolerance band over a period of hours.

For those who are interested in human dieting and weight loss, it is this
insulin cycle that underlies the medical theory of "low carb" diet plans.
High carb diets drive up blood sugar, which then triggers insulin production
to get the blood sugar back down. Insulin tells the body to convert the
blood sugar into fat to store it for later use. Continued intake of carbs
keeps the body from tapping the fat reserve for energy, so the fat never
goes away. Also, the body tends not to tap into its fat reserves unless it
is starving or is being properly exercised. Thus, high carbs equals fat
production and weight gain. On the other hand, limited carb intake and
proper exercise means tapping the body's fat reserves, which equals weight
loss.

Interestingly, extensive medical research indicates that the human body
cycles its fat reserves - that is, old fat gets replaced by new fat when
there is sufficient intake of oil and fat in the diet. Since the body also
tends to store toxic substances and chemicals (and even prescription and
illegal drugs) in fat, this normal cycling of fat sheds potentially harmful
substances from the body. For example, simply by adding two tablespoons of
olive oil to the daily diet, medical research shows that a woman can cut the
odds of breast (high degree of fatty tissue) cancer by 30% to 60%!! You
would think the medicos would realize that low fat diets can actually be
quiet harmful in the long run, and that it's the type of fat (trans-fat and
saturated fat) not the overall amount of fat that counts.

Oh well, I've strayed off the topic.

Best wishes.


"Hugh Jardon" wrote in message
om...
"Jim D" wrote in message
. com...
Our cat briefly suffered from seizures and motor control problems when
she
became diabetic and was given too much insulin.

Severe hypoglycemia can result in seizures and muscle control problems,
so
be sure to have your cat checked for blood sugar problems.


Would that show up on a blood test, or would the vet have to check for
that independantly? My vet ran several tests but said they were
inconclusive. Thanks Jim.

Hugh Jardon

Hugh -

The vet can check your cat's blood sugar by means of a blood test. The
process is very similar to that for checking a human. To do a thorough job,
the vet would need to take several small blood samples over the course of a
day to see what happens to the cat's blood sugar after eating, between
meals, and when it is getting hungry.

In a diabetic cat, for example, the blood sugar would tend to spike up to an
abnormally high level after eating , stay high for a while, and then drop
off to abnormally low levels before the next feeding time. In a normal cat,
the blood sugar would start to go up, then be offset by the cat's secretion
of insulin into the blood stream, which would keep the blood sugar within a
normal tolerance band over a period of hours.

For those who are interested in human dieting and weight loss, it is this
insulin cycle that underlies the medical theory of "low carb" diet plans.
High carb diets drive up blood sugar, which then triggers insulin production
to get the blood sugar back down. Insulin tells the body to convert the
blood sugar into fat to store it for later use. Continued intake of carbs
keeps the body from tapping the fat reserve for energy, so the fat never
goes away. Also, the body tends not to tap into its fat reserves unless it
is starving or is being properly exercised. Thus, high carbs equals fat
production and weight gain. On the other hand, limited carb intake and
proper exercise means tapping the body's fat reserves, which equals weight
loss.

Interestingly, extensive medical research indicates that the human body
cycles its fat reserves - that is, old fat gets replaced by new fat when
there is sufficient intake of oil and fat in the diet. Since the body also
tends to store toxic substances and chemicals (and even prescription and
illegal drugs) in fat, this normal cycling of fat sheds potentially harmful
substances from the body. For example, simply by adding two tablespoons of
olive oil to the daily diet, medical research shows that a woman can cut the
odds of breast (high degree of fatty tissue) cancer by 30% to 60%!! You
would think the medicos would realize that low fat diets can actually be
quiet harmful in the long run, and that it's the type of fat (trans-fat and
saturated fat) not the overall amount of fat that counts.

Oh well, I've strayed off the topic.

Best wishes.


"Hugh Jardon" wrote in message
om...
"Jim D" wrote in message
. com...
Our cat briefly suffered from seizures and motor control problems when
she
became diabetic and was given too much insulin.

Severe hypoglycemia can result in seizures and muscle control problems,
so
be sure to have your cat checked for blood sugar problems.


Would that show up on a blood test, or would the vet have to check for
that independantly? My vet ran several tests but said they were
inconclusive. Thanks Jim.

Hugh Jardon

(Hugh Jardon) wrote in message . com...
"Jim D" wrote in message . com...
Our cat briefly suffered from seizures and motor control problems when she
became diabetic and was given too much insulin.

Severe hypoglycemia can result in seizures and muscle control problems, so
be sure to have your cat checked for blood sugar problems.


Would that show up on a blood test, or would the vet have to check for
that independantly? My vet ran several tests but said they were
inconclusive. Thanks Jim.

Hugh Jardon


You should have your vet test you for a brain, apparently you are lacking one.

(Hugh Jardon) wrote in message . com...
"Jim D" wrote in message . com...
Our cat briefly suffered from seizures and motor control problems when she
became diabetic and was given too much insulin.

Severe hypoglycemia can result in seizures and muscle control problems, so
be sure to have your cat checked for blood sugar problems.


Would that show up on a blood test, or would the vet have to check for
that independantly? My vet ran several tests but said they were
inconclusive. Thanks Jim.

Hugh Jardon


You should have your vet test you for a brain, apparently you are lacking one.

On Fri, 21 May 2004 12:26:15 GMT, "Jim D"
dijo:

In a diabetic cat, for example, the blood sugar would tend to spike up to an
abnormally high level after eating , stay high for a while, and then drop
off to abnormally low levels before the next feeding time. In a normal cat,
the blood sugar would start to go up, then be offset by the cat's secretion
of insulin into the blood stream, which would keep the blood sugar within a
normal tolerance band over a period of hours.

Diabetic humans and cats do run too high because of insufficient
insulin. However, the rebound effect (i.e., going too low) is very
unusual. In fact it is more common among chronic hypoglycemics, who
are not at all diabetic.

For those who are interested in human dieting and weight loss, it is this
insulin cycle that underlies the medical theory of "low carb" diet plans.
High carb diets drive up blood sugar, which then triggers insulin production
to get the blood sugar back down. Insulin tells the body to convert the
blood sugar into fat to store it for later use.

This is all wrong.

Fat cells are the only cells in the body that can admit glucose
without the presence of insulin. All other cells in the body require
insulin to trigger the opening of the cell wall to admit the glucose
molecule from the blood.

Thus, when your blood sugar is high and there is not enough insulin (a
diabetic condition), the sugar goes into the fat cells. When there is
an adequate amount of insulin the sugar is absorbed and burned by
other cells and less so by the fat cells. Insulin does not "tell the
body to convert the blood sugar into fat to store it for later use."
The truth is more or less the opposite -- sugar ends up being
converted to fat in the absence of insulin, not when it is prevalent.

Overweight conditions are caused by dozens of different factors.
Indeed, each overweight cat or human is overweight for a combination
of reasons, including eating habits.

Interestingly, extensive medical research indicates that the human body
cycles its fat reserves - that is, old fat gets replaced by new fat when
there is sufficient intake of oil and fat in the diet. Since the body also
tends to store toxic substances and chemicals (and even prescription and
illegal drugs) in fat, this normal cycling of fat sheds potentially harmful
substances from the body.

So I suppose the narcs should stop using blood and urine testing and
just slice a rasher of fat out of the suspect's bacon, eh? It is true
that some substances (including a lot of vitamins) are stored in fatty
tissue, but they are stored there in small amounts and slowly.
Furthermore, when the fat is later burned the substance remains behind
and goes back into the blood stream. The substance doesn't "burn up"
along with the fat. The liver and kidneys take care of most of the
impurities by cleaning them out of the blood; impurities are not
removed by "cycling" of fat.

--
Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here.