Seizure or stroke? (BooBoo)

[Winchester]

Hope Boo's still doing well. I have a subscription to Catnip which is a monthly publication from Tufts University and it has different articles about cat health and behavior. Last months issue had an article about a new study linking seizures in elderly cats to certain high pitched sounds including crinkling tin foil and spoons hitting the side of food cans. Apparently it's referred to as feline audiogenic reflex seizures and they can be mild or severe causing loss of consciousness as well as several minutes of body stiffening and/or jerking. As soon as I read your post I re read the article. I wonder if this could be what happened to Boo.

BooBoo is deaf. He can't hear anything at all anymore. I like Catnip; we had subscribed to that for a long time and just recently decided not to renew. That's interesting. Thank you, JDollPrincess.

I would say for a cat that age any number of neurological things could be going on. Seizures, mini strokes (TIAs), kitty dementia. My advice would be just to love on him and treat him like you always have. Sounds like he isn't too much the worse for wear because of these episodes. Let's have a big online party when he turns 20!

Sophie

There you go! Next February, Boo and his sister will turn 20! And Pepe is just as feisty as her brother! 

 
I've never heard of  'Feline Audiogenic Reflex Seizures' (Fars).  Although, the study was quite small, it was interesting to note how sensitive even elderly cats can be to various noises, or perhaps vibrations. Thanks for posting this.

@Winchester   I think you and Rick, are very attentive cat guardians, and I was hoping that BooBoo only had an inner ear imbalance, and that the steroid shot will take care of it.

Being 19 years, the cat age chart places him at 92 years in human years.  I have to agree with Denice, that it's great that you found a working treat machine, and that BooBoo actually likes to spin the wheel.  Somehow, he sounds rather feisty and active, so he may have a thing or two to teach the others, still.

Thinking of you all, and sending positive and relaxing wishes for all the fur crew and humans.

 

Thanks, cat nap. We are really trying with him. He's been OK since that episode, but we have noticed that he seems a bit more restless than he used to be. He is also very alert. I'll be in kitchen doing something and I know he's watching. Sure enough, I'll turn around and he's lying on the floor with those eyes pivoted on me. He's usually hungry (which, according to our vet, is good for an elderly cat), so I'll give him a few kibble to tide him over til his next meal. His weight is stable; he hasn't lost or gained anything. 

Yeah, he knows where we keep the treat machine, so often when I hear him meow, I'll walk out to the kitchen to find him sitting in front of the pantry door; he knows it's in there. I'll bring it out and he eats what he wants (believe me, if he could open the door and get it out himself, he would). Sometimes the food doesn't drop right down and he'll get frustrated and then he'll meow at me for help. 

 
Not ridiculous at all! In my house, we call it the "cat chart." 

  When I was previously doing research on my cat's hyperesthesia (possible neurological issue), I found several references of sodium nitrate being known to cause or exacerbate seizures in elderly pets. Some of the Friskies pate flavors contain sodium nitrate; some don't. Just thought I'd mention it since it's something you could look into without stressing out your Boo (unless he so happens to like all the flavors with sodium nitrate!). 

If you Google something like "sodium nitrate and seizures in cats," you'll get a bunch of hits.

We do feed primarily pate, simply because some of the cats will puke if they eat bits, shredded, or flakes. The pate seems to go down better and stay down. I will check, GoHolistic. Thank you.

Thanks, everybody! We're trying to keep him happy! 

 

[Winchester]

 
Not ridiculous at all! In my house, we call it the "cat chart." 

  When I was previously doing research on my cat's hyperesthesia (possible neurological issue), I found several references of sodium nitrate being known to cause or exacerbate seizures in elderly pets. Some of the Friskies pate flavors contain sodium nitrate; some don't. Just thought I'd mention it since it's something you could look into without stressing out your Boo (unless he so happens to like all the flavors with sodium nitrate!). 

If you Google something like "sodium nitrate and seizures in cats," you'll get a bunch of hits.

OK. I just ran through the Friskies Buffet list for things I know he enjoys eating. The only canned pate foods I could find that DID contain sodium nitrate were Tuna and Egg, Flaked with Tuna, and Liver and Chicken. I know he loves Liver and Chicken as well as both Tunas, but I will make sure he doesn't eat them again.

I also checked the Hills Dental Diet kibble and it does NOT contain sodium nitrate. That's Boo's kibble of choice, so I think we're good there.

And I also checked Friskies Indoor Delights, Muffin's favorite dry, as well as Tabby's and Miss Amber's and Boo will go around scarfing from the other plates whenever he can. No sodium nitrate there either, although the first ingredient was corn. Still, they get most of their food from pate canned (each cat 1/3 can twice a day).

I did create a list (another one! 

) of canned food that will be OK for Boo. I realize that you do not mean that sodium nitrate did cause the seizure. However, I also know that if I can help him avoid another one, I will. Thank you.

 

[smokem]

We gotta love and hang in there with our aging loved ones..cats ,dogs,humans

so glad he isnt suffering or having multiple or frequent neurological events for lack of a better description..

he may have another,humans often do and then you often see a decline or change in usual personality

but it doesnt mean you cant be there for him...

 

[stewball]

And it doesn't mean he'll have another one.
Let's hope and trust that that was the first and last episode.
I wish I was one of your cats. So much love.

 

[goholistic]

I realize that you do not mean that sodium nitrate did cause the seizure.

  Of course!

I have only ever seen it in wet foods.

 

[Kat0121]

 
OK. I just ran through the Friskies Buffet list for things I know he enjoys eating. The only canned pate foods I could find that DID contain sodium nitrate were Tuna and Egg, Flaked with Tuna, and Liver and Chicken. I know he loves Liver and Chicken as well as both Tunas, but I will make sure he doesn't eat them again.

I also checked the Hills Dental Diet kibble and it does NOT contain sodium nitrate. That's Boo's kibble of choice, so I think we're good there.

And I also checked Friskies Indoor Delights, Muffin's favorite dry, as well as Tabby's and Miss Amber's and Boo will go around scarfing from the other plates whenever he can. No sodium nitrate there either, although the first ingredient was corn. Still, they get most of their food from pate canned (each cat 1/3 can twice a day).

I did create a list (another one! 

) of canned food that will be OK for Boo. I realize that you do not mean that sodium nitrate did cause the seizure. However, I also know that if I can help him avoid another one, I will. Thank you.

How's Boo doing? Please give him a hug for me. 

 

[Columbine]

How's Boo doing? Please give him a hug for me. :heart4:

me too

 

[smokem]

Hey Boo no big..

 

[jmarkitell]

My cat Pete lived to be 23. Prior to his passing he was in pretty good shape, although he developed several occurrences that were a bit unusual and possibly frightening. Pete would often show a "Twitch" where his head would shake or drop...sort of like he was nodding off to sleep. He would twitch a few times and be fine otherwise. Pete also would sometimes simply stare into a corner...it looked like he was bad at school and the teacher made him stand in the corner. He was also pretty well deaf.

   It seems that when cats get 19 or older, they start getting a bit fuzzy and similar to old people. It sounds like Boo had a seizure and not a stroke, and this could be caused by just about anything. The good news is that is often isn't harmful to the cat (unless it gets injured from falling, etc..) and they usually shake it off in a half hour. I'm hoping the best for Boo...it sounds like he has a few more good years left. Keep your eyes on him but there is a good chance that he will not have another seizure and everything will be OK. Good Luck!!

Jim