Hi XXXXXX,
I'd like to help you and your boy, but need a bit more information.
When did this first happen (ie how old was he the first time?)?
How often does this happen (daily, once a week, once a month, other?)?
How long does it last when it is happening?
Has he ever urinated or defecated during one of these episodes?
And when it is happening, is he aware of his surroundings? If you called his name, does he look over at you?
Fiona
Hmmm... thanks for your answers.
You said he is eating normally between episodes. What kind of food does he eat? I would like to know brand, and type (dry versus can).
Any vomiting or diarrhea? Any changes in how much he is drinking?
Do you have water radiators in the house as a source of heat?
Can you go have a look at him right now for me? I would like you to look at his eyes. Hold his head still, with your face fairly close to him so you can watch his eyes closely. Does he look back at you (you can call his name or whistle or whatever to hold his attention) or are his eyes flicking back and forth or wobbling?
Does he hold his head up straight when he walks, or is it tilted over a bit?
Interesting. So, he always stumbles to the RIGHT?
Ok, Cath, thanks for all of your very prompt answers. I have to go do an appointment and then I will come back and work on your answer. So... maybe 40 min or so?
See you then!
Hi again,
Sorry that took longer than I expected. I have been thinking about your kitty a lot, wracking my brain to come up with all the possibilities...
So, what you are describing sounds as though your cat is indeed having seizures. I'll give you a link to a couple youtube videos that show seizuring cats, so you can compare. Seizures in cats can look quite different from those in humans or dogs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS3yRmPv1Po
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgTpumg6jJg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i0APMfyZfo
Seizures can be caused by a large number of different things. Some of these things are things INSIDE the brain, and some are by things OUTSIDE the brain. Examples of things inside the brain are infections and trauma (a recent hit on the head), and epilepsy. Examples of things outside the brain are low blood sugar and certain toxins.
The way we determine what is causing the seizures is to start with checking to see if this is caused by something outside the brain. This is done by taking a blood sample and running a number of tests. The vet would check your boy's liver and kidney function, check for diabetes and test him for feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus and various parasites (which can migrate through the brain and cause problems).
If these were all normal, your vet might suggest further testing aimed at seeing what is going on inside the brain. These tests might include a CSF tap to get a sample of the fluid around the brain, and/or an MRI of the brain. Many owners find these brain tests prohibitively expensive, and may elect to attempt treatment without test results. In that case, the vet would make a presumptive diagnosis of epilepsy and start anti-convulsants (such as phenobarbital, but there are many other drugs now too).
I'll give you links to more information about seizures:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1321&articleid=224
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=560
I'm very concerned about your kitty because of how many seizures he has had in such a short time. Often, when seizures start, they are many months apart, and start getting closer together very slowly. We generally treat an animal once the seizures are closer than one a month. Your boy worries me because he went from zero to 7 seizures in a week. It is this that makes me most concerned about him, and makes me really urge you to get him to a vet promptly. I'm worried because seizures often get more aggressive the longer they are untreated, and his already sound very frequent.
Until you can get him in (hopefully tomorrow!) here are some ideas on how to keep him as safe as possible during a seizure:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=376
The other thing that I should mention is that it would be very helpful to your vet if you were able to video tape an episode! It really helps to be able to see the whole cat during an episode, but also to see his face and jaws and eyes during the episode.
So, in summary, your cat sounds like he is having seizures. It is very worrying that they have started with so many close together. He needs to be seen by a vet as soon as possible to have an exam, bloodtests and treatment. I wish there were a quick, easy and inexpensive home solution that I could suggest to you, but there just isn't.
If this has been helpful, please hit the green Accept button. I will still be here to provide more information if you need it!
Good luck with your boy!
Cat Veterinarian
15 years experience as a companion animal veterinarian in British Columbia, California and Ontario
You are so welcome! Videos are really helpful, aren't they? If you can't take one of Riley, maybe you could write down the URL to the video of Roos so you can show your vet? Good luck with him! I will leave "positive feedback" for you! :-)