Following on from my very scary recent experience, I felt it important to bring this little thought about but often fatal condition to light and highlight the signs and symptoms.
Eclampsia occurs in a queen due to the depletion of the calcium levels in her bloodstream (hypocalcaemia). This is usually due to the high demands on her milk supply if she is feeding a large litter but can actually occur before delivery and whilst feeding small litters too. It most commonly occurs 1-3 weeks after giving birth and the kittens themselves are not affected. It is important to point out that eclampsia is very much rarer in cats than it is in dogs but if it does occur, swift action is necessary in order to save the queen's life.
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms generally come on very quickly and it is important to get your queen to a vet as soon as eclampsia is suspected. The following is a list of the common signs and symptoms but a queen may not exhibit all of them and of course some of them could be symptomatic of other conditions.
- Restlessness and unwillingness to nurse kittens
- Unsteady, stiff gait whilst walking
- Salivating
- Muscle tremors
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
- Fitting and convulsions as the condition progresses
- Increased respiration rate
- Very high temperature
It is important to get a queen suspected as having eclampsia to a vet immediately. Prompt treatment is necessary to save her life.
Treatment
The vet will administer IV Calcium. This has to be administered slowly over a period of 10 minutes and the queen's heart rate must be monitored throughout. Too much calcium, given too quickly can cause heart rhythm irregularities.
The vet will decide if it is necessary to continue with oral calcium supplementation following recovery.
Usually, the queen will be allowed to nurse her kittens following recovery but if she has a large litter, it is sensible to only allow her to raise two or three of them and hand rear the rest.
Prevention
Some queens are simply just 'prone' to eclampsia and little can be done to prevent it happening. Queens that have had eclampsia have an increased chance of it occuring again within the same litter and with subsequent litters.
some measures to try and reduce the risk of the queen developing eclampsia are...
- Feeding a good quality diet
- Supplementation with calcium if she has a large litter might be beneficial but do consult your vet first.
- Do not give calcium supplements during pregnancy as this can actually lead to eclampsia occurring.
- Consider the use of homeopathy, calc phos and mag phos are considered by homeopathists to help prevent the condition. (always consult a homeopathist prior to administration to ensure the correct regime)
- Know and recognise the signs of eclampsia and if you suspect it, remove the kittens to prevent further nursing and get the queen to a vet asap
Do remember that in cats the risk of Eclampsia is quite small but please be aware of the signs as prompt action
will be the deciding factor between life or death of the queen.
