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Advice needed !. Our 10 year old cat has started to have seizures. In short the vet has advised barbiturates or/and a visit to Glasgow Veterany University for CT scan to determine whether they are due to a brain tumor or not. The nervous disposition of our cat has made us weigh up the situation as to whether to make the 300mile trip or not. Blood tests have already shown that his liver and kidneys are fine. Obviously if we thought that the trip would save his life we would not hesitate but if it is only to confirm that it is a tumor which may be operable or not is it worth it? We have also have to bear in mind the fact that even having his teeth cleaned under anesthetic he has had to have a certain anesthetic. Advice, experiences please. Pam Lumsden
usually tumors can cause a behavioural turns in cats… one minute they can be fine the next they will claw and growl out at you for no reason… due to the pain i expect…. being at a old age now, it is a good thing to keep a good eye on him…. though you obviously dont want him in any pain…. a 300miles 4-5 hour drive probably is a risk with cat being like this and putting under sedation probably not good either… unless you can find one closer…. though the ct scan will determine either way.. it will be a relief if its not a tumor and then thinking oh that was worth it huh…. and be really upset if it is a tumor…. but then you know what to do next….. does the cat have any insurance… its worth using that for all this…. or on anybenefits where a charity can help you…. barbiturates? what does this entail? sorry not heard of this…. sorry i can not be of anymore help as of now…. hugs tasha x
Hi Pam, I am so sorry you are having problems with your furbaby. It is never easy to see our pets suffer and in your situation, having to make the decision on how to treat your kitty. I am not a fan of using much anesthetic with cats or dogs and some cats just cannot tolerate it at all. As you stated, that is a long trip for your kitty in his state of health. You also stated your vet has ruled out some possible causes for the seizures. I am enclosing an article on sizures in cats for you to read. The thing is, Pam, and I know you know this, our pets cannot talk to us to tell us what they really want or how they really feel. We have to make those decisions for them, based on our love for them. Of course, you want what is best for your kitty. I will say a prayer for you and for your kitty that this will all work out. Please take care and let us know how your furbaby progresses and what you decide to do. Maybe the alternative of treating with barbituates, if it gives your kitty a decent lifestyle would be the best. I cannot answer you, for this is something you must decide. God bless. Seizures are not as common in cats as they are in dogs and there seem to be fewer common inciting causes. Primary epilepsy (basically seizures that can’t be explained for any other reason) may occur in cats, especially pure-bred cats. Feline infectious peritonitis causes seizures and feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus probably do, too. Toxoplasmosis, a protozoal infection, causes seizures in cats. Some cats have liver or kidney problems that lead to seizures. Cats can have seizures after ischemic neuropathy (loss of blood flow to a portion of the brain). Trauma is a possible cause. The seizures can occur a long time after the initiating trauma. Some toxins cause seizures, such as lead and insecticides. Brain tumors can cause seizures but this usually occurs in cats that are older than yours. I think it is a good idea to try to rule out feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) since there are good tests for these problems. It would be a good idea to consider bloodwork to check on liver and kidney disease, at least. Ruling out toxoplasmosis and FIP can be difficult but there are some clinical signs associated with these diseases. Your vets will probably suggest these things, too. Sometimes, there is a tendency to wait until the seizures recur (since that doesn’t always happen) but with the close occurrence of the two episodes you have seen, I really think a good lab workup is in order.
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