Did I Poison My Cat?

This is Olive


She is one of 5 cats that allow us to live with them.
Olive is about 3 years old. Last month, she had a seizure.
I had a dog with epilepsy when I was a kid, but I haven't ever experienced anything like this with cats. It was very violent and very scary.
I immediately took her to my vet and they found slightly elevated liver enzymes. In all other respects, she got a clean bill of health.

Of course the big question is WHY?
The vet said that the lab results suggest that she was exposed to a toxin. After much thought we narrowed it down to a few possible exposures.

Olive had access to my pantry where I keep a few cleaning supplies.
It could have been the product that I mopped my floors with.
I applied Advantage Flea prevention drops on her 2 days earlier. Of course, this was the first thing that popped into my head when she had the seizure but the Doc said that a reaction to flea drops almost always occurs within 24 hours of application. She didn't completely rule it out, but thought it unlikely.

So we return home from the vet and wash the floors to remove any possible toxic residue.
Deny her access to the pantry.
........and watch......
........and wait........

Now, I live on a farm and we have always had flea problems with the pets. Everyone out here does. My county extension AG office says it has alot to do with over use of pesticides. The fleas and ticks are building up an immunity to them. We have tried using alternatives to chemicals.
Diatomaceous earth. Nematodes. We have free roaming chickens and a duck.. They eat fleas and larvae.
We bath the dogs with Dawn dish soap every week. It helps.
Anyway, it's like trying to nail jello to a tree. Pointless.

So, anyway, Olive starts showing evidence of fleas. They are making her miserable. She is my 14 year old daughter's kitty, so we discuss our options.
BTW Olive is strictly an indoor cat. She was the runt of the litter and is very small and would not be safe outside. Occasionally we take her out in a harness, but rarely.

So my girl and I decide that we will use the drops. Vet says do it. So......we do it.
I only used half of the recommended dosage. This was 2 days ago.
Kitty seems fine...
Until this morning.
Another seizure.

I feel pretty sure that we now have the "why". Of course, I have no proof, but I don't think it is a coincidence.
Hopefully, by stopping use of the drops, she will not have another seizure. The Doc says there is a possibility that it might not be chemical related at all. She may be developing epilepsy.
Veterinary medicine really doesn't know alot about cats. The have spent most of their time and research on traumatic injuries and not nearly as much time studying illness.

I have always had cats. I have been using these toxic drops for as long as I can remember, because they are the ONLY thing that works. Of course, I won't use them anymore, but I am horrified at the fact that I may have permanently injured my kitty. What if the drops cause some sort of neurological damage? I am consumed with guilt and self loathing.

Anyway, I thought I should let you fellow animal lovers know that there may be a danger. Even with the best intentions.

Any advice or similar experiences?

reply to post by Neysa

I'm sorry to hear Olive isn't doing so well. She's a beautiful cat.

1st question would be where did you apply the drops? In between the shoulder blades where the cat cannot get at it?

I'm not a vet but seizure does not sound the same as "sick/poisoned cat" to me. My cat is an outdoor cat and after moving here all of a sudden she just stopped eating and went to sit on her own all day. No food, very little to no water and complete isolation, quite uncharacteristic. After 1 day I got worried but let her be. Then next day the same. It turns out she was poisoned by the neighbour who saw fit to throw plant poison in my garden for the weeds. My cat eats greens regularly (and usually pukes all over the place afterwards) and so consumed the poison too. 250 bucks in vets bills for 5 days of tests and recuperation and she was fine but it could have gone either way.

So, to me it does sound like something else rather than a reaction to those flea drops. I wish you all much luck in tracking down and curing it.

reply to post by Neysa


Many cats are born with epilepsy and react to medication over a period of days...It has nothing to do with the drops or any other chemicals so don't be hard on yourself.

All the affected cats were found to have changes in the hippocampus and related structures, the part of the brain most commonly affected in human epilepsy. Importantly, no structural problems could be found in other areas of the brain. The changes in the hippocampus appeared similar to those observed in a special type of human epilepsy (MTLE-HS), although the researchers report some differences.

www.sciencedaily.com...

reply to post by LightSpeedDriver

Thanks
I put the drops between her shoulder blades. Almost on the back of her neck. I am sure she couldn't get to the exact spot. But, she could easily have scratched it with her back foot and licked it off her foot.
Aside from the seizures, she is acting perfectly normal. Eating habits. Litter habits. Her instinct to destroy my lace curtains.

I hope you sent the vet bill to your neighbor. That was a pretty thoughtless thing for him to do.

I think her only toxin is her cuteness.
Awwww, I hope she feels better.
Beautiful cat you have there.

reply to post by Neysa


My moms cat had fits and frothing from the mouth episodes.She was around 5 years old but still looking good.The vet perscribed her with pills that you had to administer by shoving down the throat.Poor thing is alive to this day counting 12 years...every once and a while she still has seizures ....cats are cool...you can read the future from their eyes

reply to post by DeadSnow

I guess I'll find out for sure when the drops wear off. I know they have medications to ease the symptoms of epilepsy, so that is a comfort.

reply to post by Manhater



She is a very unique creature. Lol She has 21 toes!

cats are cool...you can read the future from their eyes

reply to post by SarnholeOntarable

I can't imagine life without cats. There is just something sort of otherworldly in their eyes, if you know what I mean.

reply to post by Neysa

Nope, you did it fine with the drops, back of the neck is perfect. It spreads itself (somehow) over their skin, the normal washing and grooming helps too. THe only thing you need to watch out for (at least the Front Line (major brand here) drops I use) says to wash your own hands every time you touch your cat in the next 24 hours because of that poison.

As for the bill, didn't get a cent or a sorry. But then I do live next door to he septuagenarians from Hell.

reply to post by Neysa


My ex has a cat exactly like that, funny thing is that she went missing two weeks ago! ...I know cats can go for a good week without food but I fear the worst now.

reply to post by DeadSnow

Don't give up all hope. He might be mooching off a kind neighbor. I have one that goes on walkabout every now and then. He is sometimes gone for 2 or 3 weeks at a time. And yes, he is neutered.

reply to post by Neysa


I forget the special name for felines with extra toes ......give it a kiss on the nose for me
oh yeah....they were gods thousands of years ago

reply to post by Neysa


Thank God for that, was worried until I stumbled upon the word neutered. I doubt she'll be back, Gotta go check at all the neighbors once again.

reply to post by SarnholeOntarable


Polydactyly

Cats normally have five digits on the front paws and four on the rear. Polydactyl cats have more, and this is a moderately common condition, especially in certain cat populations.

Wiki

Olive's front feet

reply to post by Neysa


Check to see if any of your or your neighbors vehicles are leaking windscreen cleaner-That can be very bad for animals,who love it as it tastes sweet to them sadly.

And many cats love to sit under a car for shelter during hot/wet weather,so they can often find a leaking pipe..

That may explain the raised enzymes and seizures.

Hope your cat gets better soon.

reply to post by Silcone Synapse

True about the dangers of antifreeze, but my nearest neighbor is a mile away and Olive stays inside.

Hope your cat gets better soon.

Thank's

Originally posted by Manhater
I think her only toxin is her cuteness.
Awwww, I hope she feels better.
Beautiful cat you have there.

You saved me saying the same thing MH!

She's gorgeous.

I miss my poor kitties..

I miss my poor kitties..

reply to post by mainidh

reply to post by Neysa


try cinnamon its a natural bug repellent, Google it, you feed it in doses to dogs and it works miracles!