Expert: Karen Craft - 12/19/2009

Question
My kitten is approx. 4 months old.  He had conjunctivitis when I took him home at 3months old whihc fater weeks of ointment seems to have mostly subsided.  After being home two weeks (and eating well, etc.) he started sneezing and had a stuff nose.  I took him to the emergency vet(he had a fever)who prsecribed clavamox (and a stronger eye ointment.)  He has taken the clavamox for almost two weeks since I had taken him back to my vet a week later.  She listened to his chest and he was fine.  He did have a fever. The first time I saw this behavior was at the vet.  He pulled his right paw back toward his head, closed his right eye and trembled a little.  it lasted maybe a minute.  He did pee a bit and poop a little, but he passed gas before this happened and seemed to have a tummy issue.  I thought it was an anxiety attack.  It happened again during the week, but he didn't urinate or deficate.  He has done this almost everyday since...that I've seen.  The Pediatrician I work for mentioned something about a condition that occurs right before you fall asleep where a person's pulls in their appendages and they get stiff....   Is this a seizure?  He seems perfectly fine the rest of the time.  I haven't seen it happen more than once during the day/night.  He sleeps a lot and loves to cuddle up with us...he's a big mush.  Any ideas of what it could be?  We also have a ferret.  Oh and he had ear mites when we took him to the vet this last time.  She gave him a treatment and said he should have another in three weeks.

Answer
Hi Melissa,

Seizures could be causing this behavior. Is he having these once during the day? At the same time each day? Is his paw stiff when this happens? What happens if you touch him when he has these episodes? Is he off his medicines now? Is his illness cleared up? I need this info before I can give you an answer. Write back with as much info as you can give me. Good luck.

Ciao, Karen