Dizzy Cat

by Tom Lehman
(Pickens South Carolina)

Two nights ago, my 6 year old cat woke us up making odd noises. She had thrown up, peed and pooped on the bathroom floor.

When my wife got to her, she seemed to be having a seizure. We took her to the ER. She repeated these symptoms 2 more times.

When we left the ER, she seemed to be ok. By the time we got to our vet, she was showing signs of seizuring again. The vet ruled out anti-freeze poisoning and diabetes. Her vital signs are good.

Now she appears to be suffering from vertigo. She is showing all the signs of Feline Vestibular Disorder. Do you have any suggestions as to what might be going on with her?




ANSWER:

While one would hope that she suffers from Idiopathic Feline Vestibular Disorder which carries a good prognosis, it concerns me that she seizured prior to her neurological signs. That is not usually the case with Idiopathic Feline Vestibular Disorder.

Toxins, tumors, hypoglycemia, infections, inflammation, viruses ...there are numerous conditions that can affect the nervous system and lead to seizures. Hopefully, your veterinarian is running tests to rule all those out.

It is possible that whatever made her seizure was temporary and that her vestibular signs are due to damage to her brain from the seizures and that she will be fine. That is hopefully the case. However, it is important to look for all possible causes of the seizures.

Thank you for writing. Best Wishes,
Dr. Neely