Anatomic or structural disorder-congenital (present at birth) malformation.Intracranial Cause (Disorder Inside of the Head, Leading to Seizure Activity) Metabolic disorder-low blood glucose or sugar (known as “hypoglycemia”), such as from insulin overdose low calcium levels in the blood (known as “hypocalcemia”) following surgery to remove the thyroid gland (known as “thyroidectomy”) high blood pressure (known as “hypertension”) secondary to kidney transplant nervous system disorder caused by accumulation of ammonia in the system due to inability of the liver to rid the body of ammonia (known as “hepatic encephalopathy”).Pattern of seizures (such as age at onset of seizure activity, type and frequency of seizures) is the most important factor in determining possible causesĮxtracranial Cause (Disorder Outside of the Head, Leading to Seizure Activity).Other signs and physical examination findings vary, based on underlying cause of the seizures and the severity of the seizures.Mental status, reflexes, and menace response may be abnormal.Injury is frequent-biting of tongue, torn nails or claws.
Generalized tonic-clonic motor seizures-symmetrical sustained, repetitive (known as “tonic-clonic”) contractions of leg muscles on both sides of the body and movement of the head up toward the back often associated with salivation, urination, and defecation-by the time of admission to a veterinary hospital, the gross motor activity may have stopped, but twitching of the lids and body/limb jerks still may be present.Localized (focal) seizures with/without secondary generalization are the most frequent-movements of facial muscles predominate, such as twitches of eyelids, whiskers and ears it may be associated with whole body trembling/shaking, leg motions, hair standing up (known as “piloerection”), dilated pupils, frantic running, and colliding with objects.Status epilepticus-continuous seizure activity, or seizures repeated at brief intervals without complete recovery between seizures status epilepticus can be localized (known as “focal” status epilepticus) or generalized (known as “generalized status epilepticus”)-generalized status epilepticus is a life-threatening medical emergency.Cluster seizures-more than one seizure in 24 hours.“Probably symptomatic epilepsy”-symptomatic epilepsy is suspected, but a lesion cannot be demonstrated frequent in cats.“Symptomatic epilepsy”-epileptic seizures are the result of identifiable, structural brain lesions frequent in cats.“Idiopathic epilepsy”-epilepsy of unknown cause syndrome that involves only epilepsy, with no demonstrable underlying brain lesion or other nervous system signs rare in cats.“Epilepsy”-disorder characterized by recurring seizures that originate from the brain.“Seizures” are periods of uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain (also known as “convulsions”) “status epilepticus” is repeated or prolonged seizure activity.Seizures in Cats Seizures in Cats Seizures in Cats (Convulsions, Status Epilepticus).