Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common are repeated seizures and epilepsy in UK cats
By D. O'Neill et al.·Published in Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine·2020·View original on Semantic Scholar →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Epidemiology of recurrent seizure disorders and epilepsy in cats under primary veterinary care in the United Kingdom
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that about 0.16% of cats in the UK were diagnosed with recurrent seizure disorders, with a smaller percentage having epilepsy. Most cases of epilepsy were seen in adult cats, particularly those aged 3 to 6 years. Interestingly, insured cats were more likely to be diagnosed with epilepsy than those without insurance. While seizures in cats are less common than in dogs, they are still an important health issue, especially as cats age. If your cat is having seizures, it's important to consult your veterinarian for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
People also search for: cat seizures causes · what to do if my cat has a seizure · epilepsy in cats treatment · signs of seizures in cats · cat age and seizures
Abstract
Abstract Background Little epidemiological evaluation of recurrent seizure disorders in cats currently exists in veterinary literature. Objectives To report the prevalence and risk factors for recurrent seizure disorders (RSD) and epilepsy in cats presented to primary care veterinary practices in the United Kingdom (UK). Animals A total of 285 547 cats under veterinary care during 2013 presenting to 282 primary care clinics in the UK. Methods Cohort study using multivariable logistic regression modeling for risk factor analysis. Results There were 458 confirmed RSD cases, giving a 1‐year period prevalence of 0.16% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.15‐0.18). A subset of 114 (24.89%) cases was recorded as having epilepsy, giving a 1‐year period prevalence of 0.04% (95% CI, 0.03‐0.5). Increasing age was significantly associated with increasing odds of RSD. Breed, sex, neuter status, and body weight were not associated with RSD. Epilepsy was most frequently diagnosed in adult to middle‐aged cats. Cats aged 3.0 to <6.0 years had 3.32 times higher odds of epilepsy diagnosis compared to cats <3.0 years of age. Insured cats were more likely to be diagnosed with epilepsy compared to noninsured cats. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Although less common than in dogs, RSD and epilepsy still comprise an important disorder group in the UK cat population. Aging is a significant risk factor for these disorders in cats.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/32974979