Checkers has been having seizures - poor baby (liquid, furniture, medicine)

[Lodestar 77]

I had a beloved dog that had a seizure, turned out due to her age (11) she was suffering from kidney failure. Could this be true of Checkers? The toxins aren't being flushed out of the body and cause the brain issues.

Our (speaking for all the cat thread posters) best wishes go out to you during this trying time.

[Ohiogirl81]

Thank you, everyone. I think I'm at peace with the fact that Checkers' time may be short and I certainly don't want him to suffer.

Originally Posted by petsandgardens

I'm very very sorry to hear this. The head butting and, moreso if head pressing, is not a good thing. It reflects neural damage, nervous system issues, brain tumor.

He's not pressing, and he's always loved to head butt, so that behavior isn't abnormal for him. But in the past couple days he's been shaking his head more than usual, and he's scratching his ears a lot. So it's obvious that something's going on in his head that isn't good.

She always looked up to me to fulfill her needs. Always trusted me, loved me. They understand you're helping them feel better. Be with her to the end. Don't cry or she'll be upset. Just love her. Cry later.

Aww ... I'm so sorry. I canceled plans this weekend to stay home with him, just so I can see how he tolerates the medicine. NO worries about him not being spoiled. He's already getting all the treats he wants (much to his sister's annoyance) and all the brushing and snuggling he can tolerate.

Actually, I can tell when he's feeling good, because he starts squirming to get away after I've held him for a few minutes. When he's not feeling good, he lets me hold him until my arms get tired.

One day at a time.

ETA: His vet checked him pretty thoroughly for kidney, thyroid, etc. Nothing there, either.

[Naturen]

Just wondering if the vet checked his ears. Could it be a massive ear infection - the shaking of the head makes me think that. My cat shakes her head quite a bit when her ears are 'infected'.

[catsmom21]

I hope the medication is keeping Checkers comfortable and seizure free. You may see some dopiness at first, but persevere, that will go away after he's been on the meds for a couple of weeks. I have no concerns over his care in your hands. xxxx

[M3 Mitch]

Best wishes to you and Checkers. Maybe the meds will grant him several more years. Hope so.

[LesLucid]

We have a 10 year old male Maine Coon who suddenly started having violent seizures. We gave him a complete work up, MRI, spinal tap, blood tests, you name it. They finally said it was late onset epilepsy, put him on phenobarbital and he’s been perfectly fine since. The seizures were so violent that they thought he had a stroke because he couldn’t walk for a while and was temporarily blind in his left eye. Phenobarbital is cheap.

[Ohiogirl81]

Just a little update on Checkers:

He's been on his anti-seizure meds for a little more than a week. He hates it, and I have to perform a lot of foreplay in the form of petting and snuggling to get him to take it. Argh.

I haven't witnessed any seizures, but he's moving a lot more slowly, eating and drinking when he feels good but avoids food when he isn't. He's having almost daily bouts of lethargy, where he hunkers down in a corner somewhere, followed by slow recovery. Then he'll be himself for awhile - chasing his sister, eating and drinking, begging for treats and pets. Last night I came home and found him half-hidden behind a dresser - he cried when I picked him up, and he lay motionless on my chest for about a half an hour, flicking his ears or tail every once in awhile and just looking at me. Then he got up, jumped cautiously off my lap, and trotted to the kitchen for a drink. He was his usual self the rest of the night, and was fine this morning when I got up - begging very loudly for his breakfast.

I'm going away for 4 days in two weeks, and the pet sitter will have to give him the medicine. She's coming over tomorrow for a trial run, and then a week from now for another. Wish us luck!

[Rene S]

Have you asked your vet about adjusting the dose of his medication? Perhaps his dose is too high and he's having side effects, because what you're describing doesn't sound right to me.

[catsmom21]

It takes about 3 weeks for the body to adjust to the anti-seizure medication, meaning you can expect sedation or "dopiness" to continue for about 3 weeks.

Blood work is usually done then to check levels, and if the seizures are being controlled, a drop in dose may be tried.

Thanks for the update.

[Ohiogirl81]

Thanks for the info - I left a message for the vet to call me right after I posted this, because when I saw it in writing I had the same reaction both of you did!