Salt Lamps and Seizures: One other Residence-Grown Lesson from Clutch

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Hello, I’m Dr. Karyn! Learn my introduction to study extra about me and meet my 5 hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.

You may already know that my buddy, Clutch, enriches my life together with his quirky character and distinctive habits. There are additionally some methods wherein he contributes to my already important quantity of grey hair, and never too way back, a type of was having a spate of neurological episodes.

One morning, as I used to be chasing the ultimate dregs of cornflakes round my cereal bowl, I seen motion out of the nook of my eye. Clutch was lurking underneath a chair with a perplexed look on his face, slowly reaching one leg in entrance of the opposite, seeming confused about the place he was and what his limbs have been doing. His head was wobbling ever-so-slightly, and he didn’t appear to have the ability to arise. This odd conduct didn’t final very lengthy, however lengthy sufficient for me to seize my telephone and take a brief video clip. Not as a result of I assumed it could make an entertaining TikTok submit, however as a result of I knew how helpful this type of footage could be when making an attempt to diagnose an issue.

Regardless of my preliminary intuition to PANIC!! I stored a detailed eye on Clutch over the following few days, in search of another indicators or aberrations, and other than his wobbly episode, every part gave the impression to be utterly regular. Simply over every week later, he was at it once more, incomes himself a visit to work with me.

Operating ALL The Assessments

I used to be lucky sufficient to be working at a veterinary hospital with a CT scanner on web site, and on condition that Clutch was totally insured, I needed to check for every part. We drew blood, carried out a CT scan, and obtained a pattern of his cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from a spot slightly below the bottom of his cranium. Other than a slight change in one in all his electrolytes, every part got here again regular, which in some ways was a aid, however was additionally very irritating.

I even consulted a veterinary neurologist, solely to learn that Clutch’s scientific indicators have been “fairly uncommon.”

I’m certain you’ve had an analogous expertise, whether or not with your individual pet, your self, or a member of the family, the place there was one thing incorrect, however all of the medical checks got here again regular. It’s excellent news, however it doesn’t clarify what the issue is! As a vet, I typically should cope with the frustration of working a barrage of checks, solely to have the ability to present fearful house owners with an in depth checklist of all of the issues it isn’t. This may be an essential course of in fact, however it doesn’t alleviate the sentiments of irritation and helplessness.

One doable clarification for Clutch’s neurological episodes was epilepsy, a analysis solely supported by his in any other case regular take a look at outcomes. However these episodes weren’t in step with the generalized seizures we’d anticipate to see with epilepsy.

And Then There Have been None

Other than a touch elevated sodium stage, Clutch’s take a look at outcomes have been regular, and now, there have been no extra episodes both. That is nice information, or no less than it ought to be, proper? He was wholesome, no extra neurological indicators, and his blood checks, CSF evaluation and CT outcomes have been regular – this ought to be excellent news. However an unsolved thriller doesn’t sit nicely with me, and I used to be decided to resolve it.

A Ornamental Design Flaw

It was now a number of months after Clutch’s well being scare, and there had fortunately been no extra incidents. We have been getting ready for the arrival of visiting household, and I used to be getting the spare room prepared for company. I placed on recent sheets, checked every part was clear and tidy, and that’s when it hit me: The salt lamp.

Not actually in fact, in any other case I might need been the one with a neurological downside, however the realization that this supposedly purifying lump of salt might need been our perpetrator lit up brighter than the lamp itself. Why had it not occurred to me earlier than?

Aware that not everyone seems to be as tolerant of cat hair on their… every part, we all the time maintain the spare room door closed, however there have been just a few weeks, earlier that yr, once we had allowed the cats to entry the room whereas we have been doing a little repairs. And also you guessed it, these weeks have been proper across the time that Clutch began behaving unusually.

Why Blame the Salt Lamp?

For anybody that doesn’t know, consuming an extreme quantity of salt causes a shift in our electrolyte steadiness, which impacts how water strikes out and in of our cells. An excessive amount of salt primarily dehydrates our cells, inflicting them to shrivel up like a wrinkled raisin. This makes us extraordinarily thirsty, and if we drink too shortly, our little raisin mind cells turn into large juicy grapes too shortly, and this could trigger non permanent, even everlasting, mind injury.

You may not assume {that a} salt lamp could be all that interesting to a cat, however ask anybody who tries to place a bag of potato chips down as soon as they’ve began munching, salt is fairly moreish!

So even if Clutch not had entry to the lamp, I wasn’t taking any probabilities – it needed to go! Don’t fear – it discovered a loving dwelling in a brand new, pet-free dwelling.

But One other Lesson Discovered At Residence

There are two optimistic outcomes to Clutch’s transient and horrifying expertise:

1. Realizing that Clutch is okay!
2. Highlighting the potential hazard posed by salt lamps within the dwelling, one thing that served me nicely when introduced with an analogous case in a canine, one yr later.

It wasn’t one thing the canine’s house owners had thought to say, however due to Clutch, it’s one thing I all the time keep in mind to ask, proving as soon as once more that my cats present me, not solely with laughter, cuddles, and a lifetime provide of cat hair on every part, however with info and views I might need in any other case neglected.

Thanks, Clutch!