Potassium Bromide is a mild sedative. It was discontinued in humans in the early 1900s when better drugs, such as phenobarbitone were discovered.
With regards,
Geoffrey
-
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desperate for advice my beloved 8 yr old cat
- Thread starter dezarae ashlee
- Start Date
With regards,
Geoffrey
The kittykeepers feels your pain, a lot. We had a similar situation about a month ago, where we noticed one of our cats had a swollen front paw. Things happened rapidly, and within an hour, she had gone into severe seizures, lasting for an hour in one instance.
For us, it turned out that she had some kind of bacterial infection. She spent a week out a veterinary school receiving IV antibiotics, and fluids to keep her hydrated. The paw was filled with puss, and eventually became so swollen that the pad burst and all the infection drained out. The IV antibiotics took care of the rest of the infection and she has been perfect since.
As a cat lover who has never experienced a seizure in animals, it terrified us. But as a medic, I knew not to try and wake her, there is nothing you can do when the neurological system is misfiring. Just monitor and prevent injury from the muscle convulsions. I held my limp cat for an hour, hoping she would recover, and nothing is more heartbreaking. Towards the end of that seizure, she had a total body release, she vomited, urinated and pooped at the same time. Soon after she became lucid again.
One thing that I learned about that crisis, is many of the tests used to pinpoint medical problems, become skewed. She showed elevated liver and kidney functions, a do they thought she had KD (kidney disease). I told them that I did not believe she was KD, partly out of not wishing to accept another loss, party from experience as a medic. Fortunately, I was right.
Just out of curiosity, did you take his temperature before/during or after the seizure? High fever can cause the brain to misfire, as can infections. I understand completely your inability to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars, you can't spend what you don't have, the best you can do is your best. He knows you will do all you can for him, and he knows you love him, sometimes, that is all we can do. I really hope that he turns out OK, one shot of antibiotics is not enough though. He needs a week long regimen through IV while given a diarrhetic(sp) to flush his system of any toxins that may be present. Spending money on testing is sometimes not the best way forward, with limited funds. Spending money on wide spectrum treatments, hope to snare a dirty fish, may be a better alternative.
We will keep you all in our hearts, and be waiting for a positive outcome, sincerely, the kittykeepers.
For us, it turned out that she had some kind of bacterial infection. She spent a week out a veterinary school receiving IV antibiotics, and fluids to keep her hydrated. The paw was filled with puss, and eventually became so swollen that the pad burst and all the infection drained out. The IV antibiotics took care of the rest of the infection and she has been perfect since.
As a cat lover who has never experienced a seizure in animals, it terrified us. But as a medic, I knew not to try and wake her, there is nothing you can do when the neurological system is misfiring. Just monitor and prevent injury from the muscle convulsions. I held my limp cat for an hour, hoping she would recover, and nothing is more heartbreaking. Towards the end of that seizure, she had a total body release, she vomited, urinated and pooped at the same time. Soon after she became lucid again.
One thing that I learned about that crisis, is many of the tests used to pinpoint medical problems, become skewed. She showed elevated liver and kidney functions, a do they thought she had KD (kidney disease). I told them that I did not believe she was KD, partly out of not wishing to accept another loss, party from experience as a medic. Fortunately, I was right.
Just out of curiosity, did you take his temperature before/during or after the seizure? High fever can cause the brain to misfire, as can infections. I understand completely your inability to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars, you can't spend what you don't have, the best you can do is your best. He knows you will do all you can for him, and he knows you love him, sometimes, that is all we can do. I really hope that he turns out OK, one shot of antibiotics is not enough though. He needs a week long regimen through IV while given a diarrhetic(sp) to flush his system of any toxins that may be present. Spending money on testing is sometimes not the best way forward, with limited funds. Spending money on wide spectrum treatments, hope to snare a dirty fish, may be a better alternative.
We will keep you all in our hearts, and be waiting for a positive outcome, sincerely, the kittykeepers.
I understand your feelings on dry food, I used to be the same way, until I read a very detailed article by a veterinarian from Australia. I will try an find the page and link it here so others can read it as well. For every food manufacturer out there, there will be tales of horror about how the food killed someone's pet suddenly, and the anti-dry food army will March on down like the russian heading into the east Germany.
The truth regarding dry foods, is somewhere in between. The type of protein that cats need, is exactly the protein used by the manufacturers in their grain food, even though cats are absolute carnivores. This one page changed my entire outlook on cat foods, and I do doubt that manufacturers would purposely make foods that kill cats/dogs, and still exist as the large companies they are today, it just doesn't add up. Knee jerk reactions that want to blame something, someone, after a sudden death, is natural. With our Animals, the number of possible recipients for blame, is limited to basically just one.
I don't know how many stories I have read where the owner says they fed their cat one brand for 9 years, then one morning, they found their cat dead, and it HAD TO BE THE EVIL FOOD.
We have 32 cats at our home, we rescue every kitten we find. Our choices of foods is very limited here in the Philippines, since the bulk of the population sees cats as rats with more character. Their diet consists of bottled water and Special Cat brand dry food. That is one of the only brands available in a consistent manner, changing brands every few months is bad, and can mask more serious illnesses that would often be missed, or considered part of the diet change symptoms. We buy 20 bags at a time, because we have so many mouths to feed.
Obviously, when we have a cat that becomes sick, we change their diet to wet food, usually a recovery diet mixed with another wet food. Cats don't hydrate well when they are sick, and giving them wet food during these times is almost paramount to recovery. But during their normal times, finding a quality dry food that has the right nutrition, is not a mortal sin, and contrary to popular belief, not poison for cats. I am sorry, but being a militant, guilt others for their choices, anti-dry food warrior does no good to anyone, and may prevent people from reaching out for advise out of shame. Please refrain from guiltily others with claims that are not backed up by facts. If friskies was a killer of cats, the US would probably be a cat free country by now.
The truth regarding dry foods, is somewhere in between. The type of protein that cats need, is exactly the protein used by the manufacturers in their grain food, even though cats are absolute carnivores. This one page changed my entire outlook on cat foods, and I do doubt that manufacturers would purposely make foods that kill cats/dogs, and still exist as the large companies they are today, it just doesn't add up. Knee jerk reactions that want to blame something, someone, after a sudden death, is natural. With our Animals, the number of possible recipients for blame, is limited to basically just one.
I don't know how many stories I have read where the owner says they fed their cat one brand for 9 years, then one morning, they found their cat dead, and it HAD TO BE THE EVIL FOOD.
We have 32 cats at our home, we rescue every kitten we find. Our choices of foods is very limited here in the Philippines, since the bulk of the population sees cats as rats with more character. Their diet consists of bottled water and Special Cat brand dry food. That is one of the only brands available in a consistent manner, changing brands every few months is bad, and can mask more serious illnesses that would often be missed, or considered part of the diet change symptoms. We buy 20 bags at a time, because we have so many mouths to feed.
Obviously, when we have a cat that becomes sick, we change their diet to wet food, usually a recovery diet mixed with another wet food. Cats don't hydrate well when they are sick, and giving them wet food during these times is almost paramount to recovery. But during their normal times, finding a quality dry food that has the right nutrition, is not a mortal sin, and contrary to popular belief, not poison for cats. I am sorry, but being a militant, guilt others for their choices, anti-dry food warrior does no good to anyone, and may prevent people from reaching out for advise out of shame. Please refrain from guiltily others with claims that are not backed up by facts. If friskies was a killer of cats, the US would probably be a cat free country by now.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #64
hi guys
i am back at square one with no idea what is wrong with him and my husband has had it with spending on diagnostics
.https://dochub.com/dezaraesmitha26a...summaries_000456732512967?dt=7y3x9hcorh52fnpj
the cardio says his heart is very healthy he has a murmur but most cats do and to take him off the heart med.the report is above. he felt warm the night before i took him there and also that morning so i asked her to take his temp it was 103.3 she said not to worry too much its slightly elevated but she said to start the clin and doxy antibiotics that the vet said to stop bc it cld be infectious disease and she said if he has upper resp infection thst will kill it. i have been giving him the doxy but the clindamycin is liquid and he is suppose to get 3 ML 12 hrs nd its impossible to get it down his throat he wont drink it if i put it in water or milk either so itm going to try to get tabs i still havent got the results of the toxoplasmosis test his vet keeps saying they dont have it and will call. i think its bc i stopped payment on a portion of the bill. for an extra xray he didnt get and for the "overnight examination" that he didnt get bc no one was there after hours.
im starting to wonder if it is his pancreas.his vet said xray looked ok but the intestine looks big to me in cmparison to other xrays but im not a dr so who knows.
https://dochub.com/dezaraesmitha26a1734/lpnwzP/0602160142a?dt=ehb7vh1khh8uzzje
the cardio at OSU was so nice and caring she had the neuro look at his records and videos i brought and get his opinion and he said the other neuro is crazy the cat is absolutely still having seizures like i thought and that the mri and spinal tap would be the next step but that i should carefully think about it bc if they found cancer and i couldnt afford or didnt choose to do radiation then they would just treat the symptoms which we are already doing.the neuro said that the BNP test could be a false positive.or maybe the vet mishandled it but he doubts that,he said he has saw high rates before when there wasnt really a heart issue.
i asked what if he is in pain and the cardio said i dont think that he is but pain medicine is an option if i thought he was frequentky in pain but that she couldnt prescribe anything obv. and she recommended a vet. i liked her a lot.i also showed her a video where monies lips are uneven. how a cats lips usually smile, his right side was regular like that but the left was straight back.the cardio said,after she had already did the echo and knew it wasnt heart that it could be damage to left side of brain stem or nerve problems causing those muscles to tighten.
when we got home monie was very secluded and didnt want to be around me or tommy. i think he was stressed.he finaly came to sleep with me tho which he used to every night. he always sleeps on my chest on next to me under my arm. today he doesnt seem warm and he seems like he is eating. idk what im going to do.just be with him and hope for the best i guess. if he gets worse tho i csnt say i will sit back.thank u to everyone for everything this site has helped me a lot
@ginny i think so too i asked the cardio if she thought maybe he should have a higher dose and she said she wasnt sure she doesnt prescribe that. the neuro did say tho (at OSU not the idiot ) that he could still be having episodes bc it takes a few weeks for the cat to consistly have a stable dose of pheno in their blood.but the vet also told me that he never gives what they recomend to start with bc its way too high. he said he doesnt know many vets that do give that much in the initial shot bc the cat becomes too sedated and so i said no dont do that then.it sounds like where nat was was a great place. theres a lot of drs here around me at keast that are ignorant to seizures in cats and think they have to be grand mal and thats simply not true. i heard of the potassium bromide too but scared to switch anything bc i dont want him to get worse. im going to get a new vet and see if we should raise the dose.
i am back at square one with no idea what is wrong with him and my husband has had it with spending on diagnostics
.https://dochub.com/dezaraesmitha26a...summaries_000456732512967?dt=7y3x9hcorh52fnpj
the cardio says his heart is very healthy he has a murmur but most cats do and to take him off the heart med.the report is above. he felt warm the night before i took him there and also that morning so i asked her to take his temp it was 103.3 she said not to worry too much its slightly elevated but she said to start the clin and doxy antibiotics that the vet said to stop bc it cld be infectious disease and she said if he has upper resp infection thst will kill it. i have been giving him the doxy but the clindamycin is liquid and he is suppose to get 3 ML 12 hrs nd its impossible to get it down his throat he wont drink it if i put it in water or milk either so itm going to try to get tabs i still havent got the results of the toxoplasmosis test his vet keeps saying they dont have it and will call. i think its bc i stopped payment on a portion of the bill. for an extra xray he didnt get and for the "overnight examination" that he didnt get bc no one was there after hours.
im starting to wonder if it is his pancreas.his vet said xray looked ok but the intestine looks big to me in cmparison to other xrays but im not a dr so who knows.
https://dochub.com/dezaraesmitha26a1734/lpnwzP/0602160142a?dt=ehb7vh1khh8uzzje
the cardio at OSU was so nice and caring she had the neuro look at his records and videos i brought and get his opinion and he said the other neuro is crazy the cat is absolutely still having seizures like i thought and that the mri and spinal tap would be the next step but that i should carefully think about it bc if they found cancer and i couldnt afford or didnt choose to do radiation then they would just treat the symptoms which we are already doing.the neuro said that the BNP test could be a false positive.or maybe the vet mishandled it but he doubts that,he said he has saw high rates before when there wasnt really a heart issue.
i asked what if he is in pain and the cardio said i dont think that he is but pain medicine is an option if i thought he was frequentky in pain but that she couldnt prescribe anything obv. and she recommended a vet. i liked her a lot.i also showed her a video where monies lips are uneven. how a cats lips usually smile, his right side was regular like that but the left was straight back.the cardio said,after she had already did the echo and knew it wasnt heart that it could be damage to left side of brain stem or nerve problems causing those muscles to tighten.
when we got home monie was very secluded and didnt want to be around me or tommy. i think he was stressed.he finaly came to sleep with me tho which he used to every night. he always sleeps on my chest on next to me under my arm. today he doesnt seem warm and he seems like he is eating. idk what im going to do.just be with him and hope for the best i guess. if he gets worse tho i csnt say i will sit back.thank u to everyone for everything this site has helped me a lot
@ginny i think so too i asked the cardio if she thought maybe he should have a higher dose and she said she wasnt sure she doesnt prescribe that. the neuro did say tho (at OSU not the idiot ) that he could still be having episodes bc it takes a few weeks for the cat to consistly have a stable dose of pheno in their blood.but the vet also told me that he never gives what they recomend to start with bc its way too high. he said he doesnt know many vets that do give that much in the initial shot bc the cat becomes too sedated and so i said no dont do that then.it sounds like where nat was was a great place. theres a lot of drs here around me at keast that are ignorant to seizures in cats and think they have to be grand mal and thats simply not true. i heard of the potassium bromide too but scared to switch anything bc i dont want him to get worse. im going to get a new vet and see if we should raise the dose.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #65
here are 2 of his seizures and a vdeo of his lip straight back. i havent been uploaded them to youtube bc i dont get responses so its pointless to me plus i havent been recording him much lately bc he hates the light in his face and i hate watching it anymore.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnv1qX_NVqZTCgINfUlwQrA
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnv1qX_NVqZTCgINfUlwQrA
The videos are heartbreaking to watch. Our Lilo had full seizures, and nothing is more sad or terrifying. I am no neurological doctor, but the opposite face contortions coupled with the seizures reminds me of an stroke. When his lip tightens, have you noticed his pupils? Look for unequal dilation, which is a sign of stroke as well.
We can't diagnosis him online, or give you all the answers as well. What we can do is offer advice and comfort through these trying times. If you see him having a seizure, just make sure he is in a place he can't fall from, on soft ground like carpet, and that there are no object in close proximity so he does not injure himself further. Expect possible loss of bowels, bladder and even vomiting. And comfort and love his as much as possible.
For those of us without an endless budget, dealing with a sick animal is brutally painful, because we may be incapable of giving our kids all the care they need. We also have a tendency to ignore quality of life, when all we want is more time. Sometimes, especially if there is pain or self starvation due to illness, it is better to give our pets a dignified, painless goodbye. I am in no way recommending this, just reminding everyone that sometimes our love for our kids, forces them to hang on longer than they would ever want too.
We got lucky, our Lilo just had a treatable infection and is absolutely fine today. But not long ago, our beloved princess Gimpy, fell ill with kidney failure, and she was absolutely miserable. Letting her go was probably the single most painful event of my life, and that is saying a lot since both my parents, and one sibling are no longer with us. She is always with us, and her spirit has become part of our other kids we care for, and she has let us know she is with us everyday. That comfort has allowed us to rescue even more kittens, she will always be with us. Just know that we understand fully your pain and fear, and as much as we can, we are with you all the way. The kittykeepers.
We can't diagnosis him online, or give you all the answers as well. What we can do is offer advice and comfort through these trying times. If you see him having a seizure, just make sure he is in a place he can't fall from, on soft ground like carpet, and that there are no object in close proximity so he does not injure himself further. Expect possible loss of bowels, bladder and even vomiting. And comfort and love his as much as possible.
For those of us without an endless budget, dealing with a sick animal is brutally painful, because we may be incapable of giving our kids all the care they need. We also have a tendency to ignore quality of life, when all we want is more time. Sometimes, especially if there is pain or self starvation due to illness, it is better to give our pets a dignified, painless goodbye. I am in no way recommending this, just reminding everyone that sometimes our love for our kids, forces them to hang on longer than they would ever want too.
We got lucky, our Lilo just had a treatable infection and is absolutely fine today. But not long ago, our beloved princess Gimpy, fell ill with kidney failure, and she was absolutely miserable. Letting her go was probably the single most painful event of my life, and that is saying a lot since both my parents, and one sibling are no longer with us. She is always with us, and her spirit has become part of our other kids we care for, and she has let us know she is with us everyday. That comfort has allowed us to rescue even more kittens, she will always be with us. Just know that we understand fully your pain and fear, and as much as we can, we are with you all the way. The kittykeepers.
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dezarae ashlee
This is just a shot in the dark but you mentioned that the only thing he would eat was tuna and that got me thinking about the possibility of Murcury poisoning.
Eating primarily tuna or fish-based diet is really bad for cats because fish (especially tuna) cantains a lot of murcury.
Murcury poisoning can also cause neurological problems such as seizures and blindness and problems with pupil function.
Murcury is also mainly absorbed through the intestines and you said that his intestines looked strange on the x-ray?
(Not sure if he has been eating a lot of tuna/fish based diet, but I figured I'd chime in. Also not sure if Murcury was tested for when they did blood work for him)
I hope you find out what is wrong with your kitty soon. I hope he gets well and his seizures stop soon.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #68
thank you for looking at them. i cry in a lot of them im not sure if those ones are of me crying or not. it was mostly in the beginning of all this when i made myself record every episode to show the doctors. I have learned many of them dont want to be bothered in watching all of them. I cant imagine seeing timone having a convulsing seizure im so sorry for ur baby lilo.
He is no where close to being bad enough to think about being euthanized. my mother in law and my mom dont think so either neither does my husband so i know its not just me in denial..i hate to even think about it coming to that point tho.I feel for you. I cant imagine the pain you endured with gimpy. I am so sorry so so so sorry
its interesting the compassion you get from other people who have animals who are like their kids in comparison to how other people look at the situation when your animal is sick. the day i took him to see the neuro there was a guy on te phone with his wife i assume and he said to her im not going to spend that on a dog are you crazy? and some other things. when he got off the phone he sat down and looked at timone in his cage and he says he doesnt look sick (im assuming he thought we were there for emergency) and i said no hes here for the neurologist. He goes oh you must be made of money.
My husband gets that attitude too like hes a cat-we arent made of money. we fight about it. he says im too emotionally attached-maybe this is true.Timone is my last piece of a best friend I had when i was 16.
Something devastating happened to me in march 07 while living with my brother and i had to go live with my mom 45 mins away.My best friend,Brandon was my life saver.we were inseperable. One time he walked from my prev neighborhood all the way to my moms to see me. June 6th he killed himself. His cat had kittens 1 month later. timone is his cats kitten. So maybe i am too attached.
but why do i make money if i cant spend it on someone i care about. cats feel pain too.suffering,confusion, i know timone feels his body isnt right when hes going to have a seizure.i could tell in the one video on youtube thats why i started recording when i did. he doesnt go to the bathroom n himself right now and i think thats bc he always knows when its coming but if he does in the future he wont be punished and my husband wont punish him either.
I thought maybe it was a stroke too esp bc i do notice sometimes only for about 20 seconds his pupils will be unequal --they both respond to light tho. it fixes itself.it never lasts long and it didnt happen while his lip muscles were unequal. The vet saw it bc it actually happened there and he said thats called ansisocora or whatever,he said it doesnt last long so im not too worried. the cardio said if he had a stroke something would have showed on ecg or ekg and they got nothing. out of all the drs he has saw,she was the one i felt had his best inerest at heart,truly cared and was working with animals bc she wanted to help not for money so i 100% trust her opinion... I currently despise the neuro i took him to. I plan to go to metro and demand the report he was supposed to do where they measure his response ability on both sides. the cardio told me about it and the report i took home was only the summary which states "no neurlogical issues at this time-heart condition likely" and nothing about his "findings" when they took him in the back for the neuro. iim not looking for someone to diagnose here im just looking for support and maybe ill get lucky and someone whose cat has these problems who found the root of the problem will see this.
He is no where close to being bad enough to think about being euthanized. my mother in law and my mom dont think so either neither does my husband so i know its not just me in denial..i hate to even think about it coming to that point tho.I feel for you. I cant imagine the pain you endured with gimpy. I am so sorry so so so sorry
its interesting the compassion you get from other people who have animals who are like their kids in comparison to how other people look at the situation when your animal is sick. the day i took him to see the neuro there was a guy on te phone with his wife i assume and he said to her im not going to spend that on a dog are you crazy? and some other things. when he got off the phone he sat down and looked at timone in his cage and he says he doesnt look sick (im assuming he thought we were there for emergency) and i said no hes here for the neurologist. He goes oh you must be made of money.
My husband gets that attitude too like hes a cat-we arent made of money. we fight about it. he says im too emotionally attached-maybe this is true.Timone is my last piece of a best friend I had when i was 16.
Something devastating happened to me in march 07 while living with my brother and i had to go live with my mom 45 mins away.My best friend,Brandon was my life saver.we were inseperable. One time he walked from my prev neighborhood all the way to my moms to see me. June 6th he killed himself. His cat had kittens 1 month later. timone is his cats kitten. So maybe i am too attached.
but why do i make money if i cant spend it on someone i care about. cats feel pain too.suffering,confusion, i know timone feels his body isnt right when hes going to have a seizure.i could tell in the one video on youtube thats why i started recording when i did. he doesnt go to the bathroom n himself right now and i think thats bc he always knows when its coming but if he does in the future he wont be punished and my husband wont punish him either.
I thought maybe it was a stroke too esp bc i do notice sometimes only for about 20 seconds his pupils will be unequal --they both respond to light tho. it fixes itself.it never lasts long and it didnt happen while his lip muscles were unequal. The vet saw it bc it actually happened there and he said thats called ansisocora or whatever,he said it doesnt last long so im not too worried. the cardio said if he had a stroke something would have showed on ecg or ekg and they got nothing. out of all the drs he has saw,she was the one i felt had his best inerest at heart,truly cared and was working with animals bc she wanted to help not for money so i 100% trust her opinion... I currently despise the neuro i took him to. I plan to go to metro and demand the report he was supposed to do where they measure his response ability on both sides. the cardio told me about it and the report i took home was only the summary which states "no neurlogical issues at this time-heart condition likely" and nothing about his "findings" when they took him in the back for the neuro. iim not looking for someone to diagnose here im just looking for support and maybe ill get lucky and someone whose cat has these problems who found the root of the problem will see this.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #69
@Raina21 thsnk you for responding! i gave 1 can of tuna for the first 3 days.now he eats wellness wet and some other food that is moist and goes in fridge bc a friend told me to stop giving tuna for that reason.but the first seizures happened before i started giving the tuna... i did tell every place he has been to about the tuna and asked about mercury and they all said 1 of the 2 blood works would have shown an abnormality and as i know it doesnt explain the first episodes.
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Ahhh okay. Like I said, it was a shot in the dark. I hope you find out what is going on with your cat soon.
Also, I really hate the people who say things like "I'm not spending that much on a cat/dog!" When it comes to health problems with their pets. For me, my animals are like my children- and what do you do if your child/family member is sick and doctors can't figure out what is wrong? Keep trying to find the answer! Keep running more tests!
It makes me so angry when people just give up on their pets because they are unwilling to pay for the proper care that could save their pet's lives. Why take on a pet if you are unwilling to pay for the care it needs? There are soooooo many low cost options when it cones to vet care. There are programs like carecredit that can save you soo much money on vet care. Also, many vets are willing to split their bills into monthly payments instead of having to pay everything all at once.
My own story about horrific vet bills:
Two weeks after we adoped one of my cats, Zazzie (age 12 weeks at that point), we figured out that she had feline distemper (unknown to the lady who fostered zazzie and the other kittens, they had been born with it, so the vaccine she and her 5 siblings got for it was ineffective) and she was literally hours from death when we took her to the vet. We would have gotten her care sooner if the vet at the animal hospital wasn't such a moron. I used to intern for my uncle who is a vet, and while I was working at his practice, I saw many kittens with distemper, they all display pretty much the same symptoms and if you know the symptoms, its fairly easy to recognize. So once I saw Zazzie displaying those symptoms, I called my mom, crying, telling her we needed to get zazzie to the vet ASAP because she has distemper. My mom decided to take her to the animal hospital next door to the petco where we adoped her since we had a voucher for a free visit. The vet there basically gave her a once over, said she had a URI or a cold, gave her some fluids and sent her home. 2 days later she got much worse and we took her to our regular vet, whom immediatly recognized that it was distemper after testing her blood. She said she was within hours of death at that point. She had to stay at the vet for over a month. And our vet was nice enough to take her home and give her the 24/7 care she needed. And she did that because she cared about our little baby, and also she wanted to save us money so we didn't have to board her at the practice for over a month.
But even with her efforts to save us money, her vet bills cost more than $3000 after everything was said and done. And the vet was fine with taking small monthly payments (which was amazing since there is no way we could have shelled out $3000 all at once).
Zazzie was the only kitten out of her entire litter to survive. She is now a happy, healthy 3 year old kitty
Sure, we had to pay a lot in vet bills, but you can't put a price on a family member.
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Thanks for the informative reply, and again, I was not suggesting he be put down. Seizures are painless, and by comparison, his seem very mild. The most important things are his general health, his behavior and pain levels. Watching Lilo have an hour long convulsion with absolutely zero ability to respond, and then going limp for about twenty minutes, I thought we lost her. Only after the limp stage, when she lost all control over her functions, did she wake up. Her eyes were open, but unresponsive and glazed over, I truly feared the worst. She had several shorter duration seizures after the original long one, but once she started the IV fluids and antibiotics, she has been perfect since. She has become a much more loving cat since the episode as well, which is sort of a bonus. Maybe she saw how much pain we were in, and how hard we tried to make her well, or she just enjoyed the extra affection, either way, that is our gain too.
Again, you can only do what you can do, and there won't be any shaming over money or choices that you make regarding your little baby. He is lucky to have you, and you him, probably the perfect pairing. Sorry about the circumstances surrounding your friend and the event that lead you to move away to your mother's, I won't even speculate on what and why, it isn't our business.
And no, there is no such thing as too attached. He is your baby, the connections with past people and experiences changes nothing. I am confident you would love him just as much under any circumstances. Yes, it gets hard to spend money that you don't have, or have saved for something that others would find more meaningful that a cat. It is even more difficult to deal with when you are not being given any straight answers from the doctors who are charged with caring for your furbaby. We have had similar experiences with vets that seemed more interested in how much money they could milk us for, rather than actually giving our cat care. We found the University that we took Lilo too, through a friend. They love the animals just as much as we do, and it shows in their care.
Once trust/faith in a doctor turns sour, there is almost no turning back. Stick with the ones you believe in and trust, the additional stress of a bad vet/patient relationship doesn't help the illness one bit. They need to learn to treat both the patient, and cope with the anxiety and stress that the caretaker is going through as well. It's a difficult balance, and some people have those skills naturally. The ones who don't, better learn it or face losing more customers over time.
Again, you can only do what you can do, and there won't be any shaming over money or choices that you make regarding your little baby. He is lucky to have you, and you him, probably the perfect pairing. Sorry about the circumstances surrounding your friend and the event that lead you to move away to your mother's, I won't even speculate on what and why, it isn't our business.
And no, there is no such thing as too attached. He is your baby, the connections with past people and experiences changes nothing. I am confident you would love him just as much under any circumstances. Yes, it gets hard to spend money that you don't have, or have saved for something that others would find more meaningful that a cat. It is even more difficult to deal with when you are not being given any straight answers from the doctors who are charged with caring for your furbaby. We have had similar experiences with vets that seemed more interested in how much money they could milk us for, rather than actually giving our cat care. We found the University that we took Lilo too, through a friend. They love the animals just as much as we do, and it shows in their care.
Once trust/faith in a doctor turns sour, there is almost no turning back. Stick with the ones you believe in and trust, the additional stress of a bad vet/patient relationship doesn't help the illness one bit. They need to learn to treat both the patient, and cope with the anxiety and stress that the caretaker is going through as well. It's a difficult balance, and some people have those skills naturally. The ones who don't, better learn it or face losing more customers over time.
I had a good look at the videos but was unable to see any real seizures - by the term ‘seizure’ I understand an actual convulsion - maybe you use the term to mean something other than what I mean.
In my opinion those videos were not diagnostic of anything, apart from a drowsy cat who was also occasionally twitching (but not convulsing), although he may have been in a post-convulsive state, ie. the condition immediately after a convulsion.
Have you taken any video when he actually had a convulsion?
With kind regards,
Geoffrey
I agree that his seizures seem to be very mild, but they do appear to be seizures to me. As a medic, I have seen my share, and not all include convulsions. In one video, it was clear that his muscles had contracted, causing his paws to roll up, the very definition of seizure. Seizures can be loss of consciousness with muscle contractions, or accompanied with convulsions as well. Videos don't really do a seizure justice, and only by experiencing them first hand can you really understand how frightening and heartbreaking they are. Sincerely, the kittykeepers.
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I just now saw these videos and agree with @Geoffrey. I didn't see anything that looked to me like the kind of seizure my Nat had. HIs were grand mal and unmistakable. But Dezarae, you know your cat better than we do and know when something just isn't right with him. If he is having seizures they are very mild. I'd still keep a close eye on him. The most I can tell is in that one video where you said he was non-convulsant but non-responsive, that one did seem odd and almost like an Absence seizure. But it didn't last long because he responded to you when you touched him. If it was truly Absence he wouldn't have responded at all to your touch. So it could have been an Absence seizure, but only for a few moments.
I have seen my kitties twitch in their sleep, just about all of them, but it happens after deep sleep in the REM cycle and just before they wake up. I think this is normal because I've never seen that kind of all paw twitching in sleep progress to grand mal. And there was never any other kind of neurologic symptoms when they awakened.
With Nat, he would wake up from a nap suddenly with a strange look on his face and drool hanging out one side of his mouth. He'd jump down quickly and begin running like he was drunk, fall down and lie on his side unconscious and almost running with his paws shaking violently and his teeth chattering from his head jerking.
That being said I'd still keep an eye on him because the doctor who actually saw him said that he was having seizures. I'm glad you got some good news from the cardiologist.
I have seen my kitties twitch in their sleep, just about all of them, but it happens after deep sleep in the REM cycle and just before they wake up. I think this is normal because I've never seen that kind of all paw twitching in sleep progress to grand mal. And there was never any other kind of neurologic symptoms when they awakened.
With Nat, he would wake up from a nap suddenly with a strange look on his face and drool hanging out one side of his mouth. He'd jump down quickly and begin running like he was drunk, fall down and lie on his side unconscious and almost running with his paws shaking violently and his teeth chattering from his head jerking.
That being said I'd still keep an eye on him because the doctor who actually saw him said that he was having seizures. I'm glad you got some good news from the cardiologist.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #75
he does not have convulsant seizures. i said the one dr said focal another said partial.he has never shook tho.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8813751
im sorry, if i come across strong but i get uneasy when people tell me he is asleep.with stiff muscles and eyes open
this was this morning when timone woke me up by patting at me and crying.he did same thing-he was stiff with uneven pupils
https://dochub.com/dezaraesmitha26a1734/p5RokD/pupils3
https://dochub.com/dezaraesmitha26a1734/jpgzDn/pupils2?dt=jjqdtfejq09aveme
also snce he has had the pheno he doesnt twitch as much,i posted about it asking if anyone thought it was sedation from pheno or not.idk but this is not timone thats for sure
i uploaded the wrong one of weird brreathing .in the one named nonconvulsant but unresponsive he doesnt respond when i touch him i peel his eye back idk which one u meant? i uploaded the one i meant to tho u can physically see his abdomen.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8813751
im sorry, if i come across strong but i get uneasy when people tell me he is asleep.with stiff muscles and eyes open
this was this morning when timone woke me up by patting at me and crying.he did same thing-he was stiff with uneven pupils
https://dochub.com/dezaraesmitha26a1734/p5RokD/pupils3
https://dochub.com/dezaraesmitha26a1734/jpgzDn/pupils2?dt=jjqdtfejq09aveme
also snce he has had the pheno he doesnt twitch as much,i posted about it asking if anyone thought it was sedation from pheno or not.idk but this is not timone thats for sure
i uploaded the wrong one of weird brreathing .in the one named nonconvulsant but unresponsive he doesnt respond when i touch him i peel his eye back idk which one u meant? i uploaded the one i meant to tho u can physically see his abdomen.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #76
oh it says 20 mins til upload time is done
People seem to be confusing seizures with convulsions. You can have seizures with no convulsions at all, but they are still seizures. Many times, and animal or person will seize, literally. They go into a total body lock, with no convulsions. Convulsions are another aspect of a seizure and not always present. They can be mild to severe in nature, and the mild convulsions may not even be detected, more like a quiver.
What I saw in the video was a seizure, which are different to "passing out". I don't know how best to describe the physical difference, other than passing out can come from many different causes, where a seizure is exclusively neurological in nature.
I am falling back on my medical training from years ago, and I may be rusty, please correct me if I am mistaken. But it also seems like a trivial topic considering the situation. Either way, he cat is experiencing some troubling issues that are as yet unexplained. I would hope we all don't lose sight of the bigger picture and remain as supportive as possible.
Sincerely, the kittykeepers.
What I saw in the video was a seizure, which are different to "passing out". I don't know how best to describe the physical difference, other than passing out can come from many different causes, where a seizure is exclusively neurological in nature.
I am falling back on my medical training from years ago, and I may be rusty, please correct me if I am mistaken. But it also seems like a trivial topic considering the situation. Either way, he cat is experiencing some troubling issues that are as yet unexplained. I would hope we all don't lose sight of the bigger picture and remain as supportive as possible.
Sincerely, the kittykeepers.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #78
thank you for explaining! i too used to think,before timone had these episodes that a seizure meant shaking and convulsing i think thats common but it is definitely not true. thank u for taking the time to help
i got the rest of the results today. Toxoplasmosis was neg for IGG and IGM.
FCov antibody by ifa was inconclusive.titer was 1:10 and he tested at 1:10
i got the rest of the results today. Toxoplasmosis was neg for IGG and IGM.
FCov antibody by ifa was inconclusive.titer was 1:10 and he tested at 1:10
Use a syringe for the clindomysin!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #80
i do its the amount that he has to have....he gets away too fast or i end up getting it al over his fur and for some reason it makes his fur fall out
