****HAIRBALL AND SEIZURES****

[Mugenthemaincoon]

Male/3yo/Pedigree Maincoon/Neutered.

My cat has no previous medical history, apart from feline gingivitis as a kitten. This year has recently had seizures after passing hairballs.
First one happened after eating breakfast, my partner was woken up to the sound of the cat screaming, when he went to find him cat was on the floor seizing, when he came around cat was wide eyed and disorientated, his legs were wobbling with drool down his chest and face, it took him a little while to come to his senses, a large hairball was found on the floor. This was January 2023. Since then cat has had 4 seizures all presenting with the same symptoms. The latest was tonight (Aug 26) I had given him his night time food, I heard him dry heave so went to see if he was okay, he projectile vomited a hairball and became distressed, I noticed as he was trying to run up the stairs his legs became weak and went into a seizure on the stairs, I guided him to the bottom step were he seized for no more than 10 seconds (which has been his shortest seizure). The hairball was also smaller. Whenever he comes round from these seizures too, it's like he is confused, he hisses as me like he doesn't know me, I'm not sure if he is confused, or if he is just blaming me as he doesn't understand what's gone on.
The cats naturally got a gentle temperament, never been aggressive.
Since Jan, we have took him the vets several times, all bloods normal, vets can't give me a reason why this happens.
As you can imagine, he is a very fluffy cat, I groom him twice a day to try and avoid hairballs, I also give him malt paste as a maintenance.

Does anyone have any advice for me?? As you can imagine, it's very distressing for both me, my partner and our cat, we want to help him pass these hairballs the most comfortable way possible for him

 

[cmshap]

Whenever he comes round from these seizures too, it's like he is confused, he hisses as me like he doesn't know me, I'm not sure if he is confused, or if he is just blaming me as he doesn't understand what's gone on.

This sounds like a scary situation, and I hope others can give you helpful advice about your cat's seizures and the relationship to hairballs.

However, I can speak to this one point, as someone who has had a tonic-clonic seizure.

When I woke up I was EXTREMELY confused. I had no idea what happened, who all the people were surrounding me, and it was like part of my memory was wiped. I wasn't able to express coherent thoughts or sentences. I was reaching in my pockets for things that weren't there, and mostly talking nonsense (so I was told by my girlfriend and paramedics she called). This is called the postictal period after a seizure.

When I was conscious of the fact that I had a seizure and I was being taken by ambulance to the hospital, they were asking me a set of standard questions, like where I was, what year is it, who is the President of the US, etc. I genuinely couldn't answer the latter two questions for a couple of hours. Again, it was like my memory had been wiped.

Everything came back and returned to normal after a few hours, but it was extremely scary. I can't imagine what it must feel like to experience this as a cat. I am not at all surprised that a cat will resort to basic survival instincts amidst such confusion, and hiss, etc. There is a good chance he genuinely does not know who you are after he wakes up.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

Since his blood work is all clear you should take him to a neurologist.

Has the vet made a referral for a neurologist yet?

As for him hissing at you, he doesn't blame you he isn't mad at you. It is normal for cats to show signs of aggression following a seizure due to being confused.

The things cmshap said about the confusion... is spot on. You literally are so confused. So imagine being a cat and not knowing what happened or what is going on.. it is totally normal for the aggression following a seizure

 

[Mugenthemaincoon]

This sounds like a scary situation, and I hope others can give you helpful advice about your cat's seizures and the relationship to hairballs.

However, I can speak to this one point, as someone who has had a tonic-clonic seizure.

When I woke up I was EXTREMELY confused. I had no idea what happened, who all the people were surrounding me, and it was like part of my memory was wiped. I wasn't able to express coherent thoughts or sentences. I was reaching in my pockets for things that weren't there, and mostly talking nonsense (so I was told by my girlfriend and paramedics she called). This is called the postictal period after a seizure.

When I was conscious of the fact that I had a seizure and I was being taken by ambulance to the hospital, they were asking me a set of standard questions, like where I was, what year is it, who is the President of the US, etc. I genuinely couldn't answer the latter two questions for a couple of hours. Again, it was like my memory had been wiped.

Everything came back and returned to normal after a few hours, but it was extremely scary. I can't imagine what it must feel like to experience this as a cat. I am not at all surprised that a cat will resort to basic survival instincts amidst such confusion, and hiss, etc. There is a good chance he genuinely does not know who you are after he wakes up.

Thank you for this information! I appreciate you sharing and I'll keep this in mind if it happens again

 

[Mugenthemaincoon]

Since his blood work is all clear you should take him to a neurologist.

As for him hissing at you, he doesn't blame you he isn't mad at you. It is normal for cats to show signs of aggression following a seizure due to being confused.

Has the vet made a referral for a neurologist yet?

His last visit they said if it happens again, then we will refer to Neurologist otherwise just watchful waiting, so now that's my next step.

 

[cmshap]

His last visit they said if it happens again, then we will refer to Neurologist otherwise just watchful waiting, so now that's my next step.

Because this has already happened 4 or 5 times I fail to understand why your vet is recommending a "wait and see" situation. I personally think a neurologist is in order, now. You already mentioned a seizure happening on the stairs. If you are not there at the right moment, another seizure can potentially result in injury.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

I think you need a second opinion.. he has had more than enough seizures to warrant a referral to a neurologist..
I wonder if him coughing up the hairball is causing him so much stress causing his blood pressure to suddenly sky rocket which high blood pressure can cause a seizure.. but I don't know honestly.. I think a neurologist will be where you're going to find your answers

 

[cmshap]

I wonder if him coughing up the hairball is causing him so much stress causing his blood pressure to suddenly sky rocket which high blood pressure can cause a seizure.. but I don't know honestly.. I think a neurologist will be where you're going to find your answers

That sounds like one plausible explanation, from my completely non-expert standpoint.

Another I was wondering about is if the hairball is not causally related, but an effect from the seizure. Vomiting is very common as a side effect of seizures (although it is most often observed in the postictal period, not preceding a seizure). I was just wondering if stomach contents are being ejected when the seizure starts, and those contents have happened to always contain hairballs, because this particular cat is prone to them.

Just an idea. I don't know what I'm talking about, though. I agree with heatherwillard0614 about trying to get a referral to a neurologist sooner rather than later. Like I said, another seizure at the wrong time, in the wrong place, could result in serious injury.

(When I had a seizure, I fell flat on my face from a standing position in a carpeted room, and I didn't break anything, but I seriously bruised my face and cut my mouth.)

Also, just one more point to add. Much of the literature about seizures in cats says that when they are postictal, they may "appear blind." I guess it's probably unknown as to whether cats actually experience blindness or not following a seizure, as we can only guess. But that may be another reason for aggression. On top of the confusion, your cat may be unable to see.

 

[fionasmom]

As the others have said, it is a little surprising that you have not been given a referral to a neurologist. The cause of seizures can be hard to pinpoint, so the longer you wait the more time you are delaying a diagnosis. While many causes of seizures will not apply to your cat; i.e., I assume that he is not getting into toxins, etc. it can still take time to diagnose properly.

Seizures and Epilepsy in Cats | VCA Animal Hospital | VCA Animal Hospitals

There are some points here which I would jot down to mention to a neurologist such as elevated blood pressure and whether or not the hairballs are causing the seizures or the hairballs are a by-product of the seizures.

 

[silent meowlook]

Unfortunately this breed of cat it known to be at high risk of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and IBD. Often an episode caused by the heart can look like a seizure. Have you noted any change in respirations which your cat?

It is definitely time for a specialist. I also want to ad that it is very important not to stress your cat. I would get in with a specialist and also schedule a cardiac ultrasound.