Ron Weasley’s Epilepsy-Seizure Diagnostics & Meds

My name is Alisa. I am the foster mom for Ron Weasley - a 13week old orange tabby who has been having seizures since he was 7weeks old.

 

I foster for a small independent rescue, Rory to the Rescue, who take in cats & kittens found on the streets of Los Angeles. They are a small volunteer run/funded operation and Ron’s medical is beyond the diagnostic capabilities of their rescue vet partner and more than they are able to afford given his need for seeing a specialist. Ron was rescued with his two siblings from a feral colony where they were dumped on Dec 13. That finder reached out for help, Rory said they would take them in, and on Dec 18th they came to me as foster kittens. All three had significant upper respiratory infections and their eyes were swollen shut. We gave them all the medical treatment, but unfortunately both of Ron’s eyes and one of Hermione’s never recovered - both of Harry’s eyes are perfectly healthy. But being blind has not stopped this boy whatsoever. He is a totally happy, fun loving, playful, loverboy of a kitten. On Dec 26th he had his first seizure. Then he had two more on Jan 1st. We did bloodwork on Jan 3rd, and on Jan 6th started him on anticonvulsant medications. He had another seizure on Jan 18th and yet another one on Jan 26th. It was at that point the general vet that works with the rescue said it was time to see a specialist for further diagnostics that could include things like a spinal tap & MRI. Neurology specialists are extremely expensive - not something the rescue can take on financially. I am fortunate enough to have a vet for my animals that is a diagnostic specialist with decades of experience with seizures, so we had a consult with him on 1/28. Long story short, despite being on three courses on antibiotics he still has a severe deep sinus infection and the sinuses are putting a lot of pressure on his brain causing the seizures. We ran a culture and a feline upper respiratory panel so we can find out exactly what virus and/or bacteria we are dealing with so we can determine long term course of treatment.

 

This vet visit was not cheap - even after my vet gave us a hefty discount for the emergency visit as we didn’t want to wait 10days for the next regular appt. There will also likely be additional testing/medications down the line to get this sweetheart healthy. As the rescue does not have a relationship with this private vet, I had to pay for services rendered in full on my personal credit card - the total was $690 after the discount. If you can please donate I would very much appreciate it. Every few dollars helps.

 

You can also see a detailed history of Ron’s journey on my rescue Instagram account @Hedwig_the_Ragdoll - it has tons of videos and pictures as well and updates about Ron’s case up until now.

 

Thank you.