Feline epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes a cat to have repeated seizures, which are sudden surges of electrical activity in the brain. Seizures can be characterized by:
Tremors
Convulsing
Drooling
Twitching of the eyelids or face
Excessive vocalization
Growling
Abnormal head, neck, or limb movements
Cats often have partial seizures, which only affect part of the body and are more difficult to recognize than generalized seizures. Cats are usually unconscious during a seizure, and the postictal phase can last several minutes to a few hours. During this time, your cat may be confused, disoriented, pacing, or temporarily blind.
Some possible causes of feline epilepsy include:
Genetic abnormalities, Structural abnormalities, Metabolic abnormalities, Brain trauma, Infectious disease, and Cancer.
In cats, epilepsy is often diagnosed between the ages of 1 and 3, and recurrent seizures are most common in cats over 6. If there is no apparent cause for the seizures, the diagnosis is sometimes idiopathic epilepsy, which is very uncommon in cats.
Common medications used to treat feline epilepsy include phenobarbitone, levetiracetam, and zonisamide. It's important to consider the owner's ability to administer the medication when choosing a treatment.
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