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Hi all. I'm new here. I have 6 cats: a mama kitty, 4 of her offspring, and one from another mama kitty - all of whom i began feeding on my back porch years ago. They were all feral. My kitty Nat is 8 yrs old. He is one of the 4 siblings. I witnessed his first seizure about 6 weeks ago. He was sleeping at the back door and then got up and turned 4 circles and had a long drool hanging out the side of his mouth. I knew this was a partial seizure. Two days later he and all my other kitties had their rabies vaccinations. I told the vet about Nat's partial seizure two days before. I insisted on the Merial Purevax (after reading about the reasons why Dr. Pierson recommends it on catinfo.org.) so that's what she gave them. Two days after his rabies shot, i witnessed him having a grand mal seizure. He was asleep under my bed. I heard what i thought was fighting between him and another cat, but saw that he was running in circles, then came running out from under the bed sideways and fell down, rolled, continued 'scampering' and ended up twitching all over with his back against the toilet where i had hopped up on quickly for safety. I was crying and shaking, turned my iphone video on and caught about 2 seconds near the end of the seizure. From start to finish it must have been about 15 to 20 seconds as i barely had enough time to react and to get my iphone camera on.
Since then he has had more seizures, mostly grand mal, which have increased in frequency but not in duration. One day he had 6 seizures between 7am and 1pm. He has since been put on phenobarbitol twice daily, and rectal diazepam gel (lucky me!) was added twice daily. I've tapered him down to once daily and then every other day. He had valium Monday and Wednesday night, none since. He had a seizure early Tuesday and Thursday morning AFTER the valium, but oddly he had no seizure the nights i didn't give the valium. I told the vet this so she said not to give him any more unless i witness a seizure. It's been extremely difficult giving him the valium so he hasn't ever had a consistent dose. His last known seizure was Thursday morning but he might have had one today because i smelled pee (he urinates with his seizures but so far has not defecated.)
He's become extremely afraid of me even putting the phenobarb in his ear (transdermal) and i haven't given him his dose since Thursday. Today i had to buy a fishing net so i can catch him and give him his phenobarb, since i know you can't abruptly stop giving it. Giving him his meds is traumatic to him and to me as well. But since i don't know why he is having seizures (the vet thinks it is a tumor going on history) and i can't afford a CT and spinal tap, i can only give meds to help. My vet has said to keep a seizure log, which i have been doing, and to note even what the weather is like on that day. She thinks barometric pressure can have a negative effect.
Nat has always been kind of sneezy. He sometimes has a runny right eye too. This has been an occasional problem for him for years though, it's not new. One morning last week i heard him coughing for quite a few minutes. I read where someone else's cat who has seizures had that same kind of coughing. Now i'm wondering if maybe the coughing might be a heart symptom. Maybe Nat's heart may be responsible for his seizures? He coughs/sneezes a little bit after his seizures too.
I'm sorry this is long. I've probably lost a few of you. I've given all this history to ask if anyone has tried any kind of homeopathic therapy (drops added to cat's drinking water) that works for seizures? I found some website where it is offered and read a number of testimonials about it working so well that no pharmaceutical meds are needed. But i can't find the website!!
It is so traumatic trying to give Nat his ear cream that i am looking at alternatives. I'm also trying to get him and the others off dry food altogether. Nat is a dryfoodaholic. He LOVES his kibble. But thankfully he loves canned food too.
I'll stop for now. I'm sorry for rambling. I appreciate any advice you can give me.
Since then he has had more seizures, mostly grand mal, which have increased in frequency but not in duration. One day he had 6 seizures between 7am and 1pm. He has since been put on phenobarbitol twice daily, and rectal diazepam gel (lucky me!) was added twice daily. I've tapered him down to once daily and then every other day. He had valium Monday and Wednesday night, none since. He had a seizure early Tuesday and Thursday morning AFTER the valium, but oddly he had no seizure the nights i didn't give the valium. I told the vet this so she said not to give him any more unless i witness a seizure. It's been extremely difficult giving him the valium so he hasn't ever had a consistent dose. His last known seizure was Thursday morning but he might have had one today because i smelled pee (he urinates with his seizures but so far has not defecated.)
He's become extremely afraid of me even putting the phenobarb in his ear (transdermal) and i haven't given him his dose since Thursday. Today i had to buy a fishing net so i can catch him and give him his phenobarb, since i know you can't abruptly stop giving it. Giving him his meds is traumatic to him and to me as well. But since i don't know why he is having seizures (the vet thinks it is a tumor going on history) and i can't afford a CT and spinal tap, i can only give meds to help. My vet has said to keep a seizure log, which i have been doing, and to note even what the weather is like on that day. She thinks barometric pressure can have a negative effect.
Nat has always been kind of sneezy. He sometimes has a runny right eye too. This has been an occasional problem for him for years though, it's not new. One morning last week i heard him coughing for quite a few minutes. I read where someone else's cat who has seizures had that same kind of coughing. Now i'm wondering if maybe the coughing might be a heart symptom. Maybe Nat's heart may be responsible for his seizures? He coughs/sneezes a little bit after his seizures too.
I'm sorry this is long. I've probably lost a few of you. I've given all this history to ask if anyone has tried any kind of homeopathic therapy (drops added to cat's drinking water) that works for seizures? I found some website where it is offered and read a number of testimonials about it working so well that no pharmaceutical meds are needed. But i can't find the website!!
It is so traumatic trying to give Nat his ear cream that i am looking at alternatives. I'm also trying to get him and the others off dry food altogether. Nat is a dryfoodaholic. He LOVES his kibble. But thankfully he loves canned food too.
I'll stop for now. I'm sorry for rambling. I appreciate any advice you can give me.