What causes my senior cat's brief episodes of circling and imbalance?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The symptoms do suggest short seizures or mini strokes. You should take Cheshire to your local vets for full clinical examination and a blood test to check his blood sugar level, red cell count, kidney and liver function. If the blood results come back normal and he keeps having the episodes, he may need further investigation, like MRI scan of the brain. Alternatively, your vet may recommend treatment with anti-epileptic medication asa trial.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear that Clunker has been having seizures. It is important to see exactly what is going on, to determine that he is having a true seizure, as opposed to a collapse or localized tremors for a different reason. A video would be very helpful and I would be happy to provide a consultation. If this is a true seizure, they are usually the result of abnormal brain activity. This can be due to a large number of diseases including brain cancer, infection, or epilepsy (the cause of which is not currently known in cats). With brain cancer or epilepsy, blood work can be normal, however, x-rays or a CT scan would determine if there is something else causing the seizures. It may be helpful to know that seizures themselves are not thought to be painful, and it is normal for animals to urinate/defecate while they are having a seizure. This frequency of seizures is definitely confusing and distressful for Clunker, and a veterinarian can prescribe an anti-seizure medication to keep him comfortable. It is important to have Clunker evaluated by a vet to ensure that there is nothing else that can be causing collapse or tremors, such as a hormonal issue or viral infection, and to have him treated appropriately.

With seizures starting at that age an a change in behavior ibwiukd bravery concerned there is a disease affecting the brain that is causing the problems. If that is the case you are unlikely to notice any improvement and likely see things get worse and the seizures progress. There is medication you can try to stop the seizures.

It sounds like she may be having seizure activity. Your vet could run a comprehensive blood panel to rule out metabolic and endocrine diseases. If the bloodwork is normal then it is likely an issue with her brain.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I’m sorry to hear about Topaz’s troubles! I’m concerned Topaz may not be seeing well or may have gone blind. There are certain conditions, such as retinal detachment, that can occur all of a sudden - so even though she was seen by a vet last month, I definitely recommend taking her in again now that there’s a new concern. The circling behavior could be because she’s trying to figure out her surroundings if she’s having trouble seeing, or could indicate a neurological problem. Definitely worth having a vet take a look to localize the issue. Hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The loss of balance can be caused by ear infections, tumors, or toxin ingestion. In very rare occasions, antibiotics can cause neurologic damage and this may be an indication of this. These episodes may also be seizures. I recommend having your cat examined by a veterinarian who can perform a neurological exam to see what is causing these episodes. You should try to take photos or a video when this happens to help your vet make a diagnosis. I hope this helps and that all is well!

It may not be his time yet but he does need to be examined by the veterinarian today. The disorientation and potential blindness is concerning for low blood sugar, hypertension, a brain tumor and a few other conditions. Some of these conditions respond very well to treatment and some don't but first, you must know what is happening so you know the treatment options. Just like humans, diseases are best diagnosed and treated early so have him examined today. I hope he gets this figured out quickly! Please feel free to post any additional questions.