Focal seizures in cats: causes, symptoms and prevention

• neurological examination and history, including your description of episodes;
• blood tests and biochemistry to rule out metabolic disturbances;
• serological infection tests for toxoplasmosis, coronavirus, FIV and FeLV;
• brain MRI or CT to look for tumours, inflammation and vascular changes;
• cerebrospinal fluid testing if inflammation is suspected.

Your observations and initial investigations

Explain what your cat did before an episode and the order of symptoms. Note possible links with meals, sleep, medicines or unusual exposure. A video helps if safe to obtain. However, do not try to trigger another seizure by touching your cat or exposing them to a suspected stimulus.

Examination assesses gait, posture, responses and cranial nerve function, among other things. Blood pressure and the fundus may suggest other diseases. Temporary neurological changes can appear immediately after a seizure, so examination may be repeated after recovery. Blood and urine tests look for liver, kidney, glucose and electrolyte disorders, for example.

Imaging and interpreting infection tests

MRI generally shows brain tissue and membranes in greater detail than CT. CT may help investigate head trauma and bone injury, for example. Selection depends on the suspected cause and condition. Required anaesthesia and test timing are planned by the veterinary team.

Cerebrospinal fluid is tested after imaging where appropriate. It may help investigate inflammation or infection, but not every abnormal finding is specific to one disease. Sampling is not automatic for every cat; safety and expected benefit are assessed too.

Infection tests depend on symptoms, environment and other findings. Coronavirus antibodies indicate exposure and do not establish FIP alone. Neurological FIP is assessed through several findings, sometimes requiring virus testing in an appropriate sample. A positive infection test therefore cannot replace the whole neurological investigation.