8/8 Ravan/amps220/+5 200/pmps185/+5 90/

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/8-7-ravan-amps222-5-52-pmps164-4-122.233311/


Ravan had another seizure this morning. It lasted over a minute & he was twitching & open mouth breathing on & off for over an hour. Thought I was going to lose him! It's been 91 days since the last seizure so I wasn't expecting this one. It makes me angry that my boy has to go thru all this!

 

I'm so sorry Joy. Poor little Ravan, it must be hard on him for it to take an hour to subside. I hope all he needs is some rest to make him feel better again.
These are for you, it must be just awful to witness, I feel so bad for you.

 

I'm so sorry Joy. Seizures are so hard to watch. You feel helpless.
How's Ravan feeling today? Prayers that he gets to feeling like himself.
When Stimpy is in the excitement phase following his seizures, he is ravenous. He especially wants milk. I let him have what he wants. Kinda distracts him as he's getting back to "normal". ECID though so, Ravan may have no interest in eating.
Do you try to eliminate any loud noises(TV/Radio etc) and minimize lighting during the seizure and recovery phase? This helps tremendously for Stimpy. It reduces outside stimuli which can prolong seizures. Another thing I noticed with Stimpy is touch greatly affects him. I use to try and hold him during the seizure. I found that by just observing w/o touch(as long he was in no danger) and minimizing outside stimuli, it shortened the duration of the seizure. Recovery was quicker too. You probably already know all the little tricks to help. Sorry if I'm sticking my nose where it doesn't belong
I can't even imagine what they're going through
Try to have a beautiful day Joy. Go outside and get some sunshine

 

I "ALWAYS" appreciate any suggestions! Thank you very much for caring enough to let me know what you do for a seizure.
I'm alone ,except for Alice & Ravan so my house is quiet. I don't have the TV on till 7Pm & it's not loud. Ravan was outside on the patio when he had the seizure. I put food down & clinked the spoon on his dish & noticed his head twitched & then the seizure started.I think he would have had the seizure anyway but the sound brought it on right away.

His past seizures were laying on the couch ,with me watching TV. It was quiet & he was half asleep with me petting him. I have no idea what triggered those previous seizures.
As you said ECID! For me & Ravan I've found if I hold him against me firmly & talk quietly & calmly ,it seems to help. He's not very hungry afterwards.Raven is pretty much free fed I put his food out several times a day.

It was 91 days since he had a seizure,that's the longest he's ever gone.

Tell me more about your kitty. How old is Stimpy? How frequently does he get seizures? Has the Vet ever tested him? Do you give him CBD OIL?

Thank you again !

 

Thank you Sonia! Ravan is feeling Ok now. Yes, it's really difficult.Everytime I'm scared he won't survive it!

 

So sorry to hear you have to deal with seizures. They are quite scary. My other cat, who's not diabetic, is an Epileptic. The first few times I saw him seize I was horrified. I have since learned how to stay calm and composed, so he doesn't stress when he comes out of it. I don't try to hold him or move him during, as long as he isn't in a dangerous spot, and I separate all the other pets from him for several hours while he recovers. His seizures are quite violent, so I am also very, very careful to keep all fingers and limbs away from his mouth. Low lighting and soft to no sounds help. After the seizure ends, while he's still out, he goes limp and I can wrap him in a towel and I will rub his forehead between his eyes. My boy will frequently be disoriented afterward, for at least an hour, where he'll circle and yowl. I stay with him and talk calmly and he'll follow my voice. He has lost his vision several times, but usually gains his vision back within the hour. He's usually very hungry and thirsty, so I leave food and water for him to satiate himself. He's had them for almost 4 years now. I didn't think he'd make it to see 5 years old, but I am happy to say he just celebrated his 7th Birthday with the help of his vet. So now that my Cheeto was diagnosed with Diabetes in February, I felt thrown into a tailspin all over again. I can do this! We can do this. One day at a time. Hug your Ravan and enjoy your day!!

 

Stimpy is 13 yrs old. He has a seizure about every 6 weeks like clock work. He has never been tested for anything at this point. He's not on any medication for them. He's a bit abnormal to start with because he stopped breathing while under anesthesia, during his neuter. He recovered from anesthesia blind. His vision returned after about 6 months but is limited. He was neutered at 6 months of age. I didn't notice any signs of seizure activity until he was about 4 years old. He had a UTI w/ crystals...straining to urinate so, off to the vet we went. Vet expressed his bladder and gave him a shot of Convenia. W/I a week of that vet visit he had his first seizure. I'm not saying that the vet visit or the Convenia caused the seizures. It's more than likely a coincidence. I just find the timing odd.
Stimpy is a purrfectly normal kitty besides the odd UTI and his traumatic neuter experience leading to vision impairments. His story probably won't help Ravan, although you may find something in it that I've overlooked.

 

Do you give him anything for the seizures? How often does he have them? I've been giving Ravan 4 drops of a good brand of CBD oil every night. I think it helps. He's only had 11 seizures in nearly 2 years. The last one was 91 days ago. Ravan is 18 yrs old,so it's especially frightening when he has one.

Thank you Sara for your info. I'm always grateful for anyone's input that might help my kitties

 

You're very welcome! I like sharing Sheldon's story to anyone it may help. When he first started having them, it was one every 7 weeks. Over time, and holistic treatments, we have been able to stretch them further apart. First was to 11 weeks, then 22 weeks, and currently he has not had one since December 22nd!! He gets two different Chinese herbs (prescribed from his vet), CoQ10, and I do use CBD Isolate oil. He gets these twice a day. CBD oil definitely helps my little guy. It's all in how it is administered, as to the efficacy.

How exciting that you have had a nice long run in between! I am always excited when I can get a little longer of a stretch in. I absolutely understand the frightening aspect. I feel it's like Russian Roulette every time Sheldon has one. His stemmed from trauma as a kitten. I got him from a family that had several other cats, all flea ridden, worm infested, and ear mites. The other cats would constantly attack him and keep him from food, so when I got him at 10 weeks old he was in a deplorable state. It took well over a year to get the fleas and worms under control, get his weight up, and getting his nutrition up was hard. It's suspected that his developmental delays and seizures are from the lack of nutrition during his developing stages, and from the parasites. He's a special nugget for sure.

 

This is Sheldon!

 

I hope you don't feed him any dry food? If you read on the Feline Health page Info Dry Food - PLEASE consider more than just carbohydrate content You'll understand why.
Ravan had a UTI twice ,now I give him D-Mannose a few times a week to prevent another one.

I don't like to use Pharmaceuticals for myself or my animals. I've been using Charlotte's Web CBD oil for over 5 yrs. It helps with a lot of things. When one of my cats had oral cancer it gave her an appetite .She ate good till the day she died.

Even humans take CBD for Epilepsy /seizures.

 

Poor Kitty! He's so Lucky you saved him. Sheldon sure looks in great shape now!
I'm curious, what do you mean by "It's all in how it is administered, as to the efficacy." I would love to have Holistic treatment for my kitties,just can't afford it

 

I have learned that with CBD oil, it should be administered without food, as opposed to being added to food, and then wait at least 30 minutes before feeding to give adequate absorption time. One of the biggest mistakes most make with CBD oils is giving them with food. When given with food, only a small amount of the CBD is being absorbed and utilized by the body, which makes those attempting to use it feel it is not working. But with others, only that small amount is needed, so the CBD lost to the food doesn't really matter. That's the short version, anyway. I also work as a groomer in a pet food store that focuses on natural and holistic approach, so I get lots of extra training on CBD and nutrition.

 

I wish holistic treatment was more widely accepted and more affordable as well. There are definitely times I have to decide on whether I go without just so I can continue to care for my critters.

 

Poor Ravan! I hope he gets to feeling better soon. Both of you for that matter!

Hang in there Joy. Sending hugs to you and the kitties!

 

Just found out about Ravan seizure (trying to catch up visiting FMDB kitties). Your comment about possibly the sound of the clinkng spoon bringing on a seizure reminded me of a dog many, many years ago that was a patient at the vet clinic I worked at and the first seizure the owner saw was when he was eating a bowl of ice cream and the spoon clinked on the dish. He even brought the same bowl and spoon into the clinic and showed us and right then and there, the dog had a seizure.

 

Disco's been on CBD for about a year now and gosh, I mix it in with his food and didn't know about not to administer with food. I can't really tell if it helps him, but from here on out, I am going to skip the food and put on a freeze dried treat. Thanks for mentioning this--it might have been on the directions which I failed to read or remember. I use Rx Vitamins for Pets Hemp Forte as I like their other products and it was recommended to me by an acupuncture specialist, too.

 

No...he gets wet and distilled water only. I found if I switched his water to anything besides distilled he would get a flare up. Paws crossed it's been a couple of years since he's had any issues

I've heard that works well with people too.

You're right about that. Less is better and none is best if at all possible

Healing thoughts for Mr. Ravan
Have a great night Joy

 

I'm so sorry you and Ravan had to go through that. I hope he's feeling better this evening. Sending prayers.

 

The interesting part, most companies don't actually tell you the proper way to dose. They will tell what dose to give, but not necessarily how. I didn't know myself until I had a few training courses on it. Now, tinctures can be mixed in food, as they need a carrier. it's all very fascinating stuff to me.

 

Sending lots of vines for Ravan to keep on improving and feeling better. How scary those seizures must be. Have a calm weekend, Joy!

 

I never read anywhere that you shouldn't mix CBD with food? Do you have a veterinary article I can read about that?

I use Charlotte's Web for over 5 yrs & ElleVet Feline recently. They both say it's fine to add it to food. ElleVet feline is the only CBD that I know of that's been tested on cats. My Vet talked to Cornell University about it & they said Charlotte's' Web & Ellevet are the only CBD oils they recommend right now.

Are you aware that just about all meds are not tested on cats! They test dogs exclusively. Cats are NOT dogs! Something that works for a dog may not be good for a cat.

None of my cats will eat their food if I put any supplement in it. Even just a pinch & they smell it & walk away! They were raised on a raw meat diet.

5 yrs ago I decided to put a few drops into a little plain chicken baby food. I add a little water & put it in a feeding syringe. It's just one mouthful. That's the method that works for me. It's fast & my cat gets his CBD It's only 3 or 4 drops & I see it does work.

My main objective is NO Stress! I'm convinced that stress makes them & Us sick. If they refuse something, I won't force it (unless their life depends on it i.e. insulin) I rarely take any of my cats to a Vet. They get very stressed. Now that we can't even go into the clinic with our animal I won't bring them at all.


I guess we all must do what we feel is best for our kitties.

 

I’d have to look, I don’t know if I have an article, as I get my info from my vet and from the growers and manufacturers of the oils. It’s not necessarily that it can’t be mixed, it’s what the body metabolizes when it’s mixed. And then there are the differences in oils, tinctures and dried. I definitely know and understand cats aren’t dogs, and meds are rarely trialed for cats. Mine are raw fed too! I fully agree on Less stress and a minimalistic approach.

 

This is the holistic vet that I order what I use from and I like the information on her website for cats and dosing, too. https://boulderholisticvet.com/cbd-dosing-cats/

 

Going on 55 yrs I've had cats. I decided long ago not to follow dosing advice. I start out with one drop & go from there. The least amount that I see results with is what I use. I'm very conservative with any meds or supplements. Every animal is different.

I'll be 74 soon & do not take any meds or go to the doctor. A few vitamins & supplements but that's it. I'm also vegetarian. ( one day I'll probably just fall apart ! ) I'm hanging in there, feel good & keep busy!

One day at a time!

 

Yes!! I follow the same method. Start out with the least amount and work up from there. None of us, or our critters, are one size fits all.