Eclampsia in Cats: A Vet’s 2025 Guide to Emergency Care & Long-Term Support 🐱🍼

Hello! I’m Dr. Duncan Houston BVSc, founder of Ask A Vet. In this comprehensive 2025 guide, we address eclampsia—also called puerperal tetany—a life-threatening drop in blood calcium seen in lactating cats. We’ll cover what it is, how to recognize early signs, the emergency diagnostics and treatment needed, nutritional management, and strategies for long-term breeding safety and cat welfare.

📘 1. What Is Eclampsia?

Eclampsia occurs when a nursing queen (mother cat) experiences rapid calcium depletion due to the demands of milk production—commonly within the first 2–4 weeks postpartum. Low blood calcium (hypocalcemia) affects neuromuscular function, and can be fatal if untreated ([petmd.com](https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/reproductive/c_ct_eclampsia?utm_source=chatgpt.com)).

⚠️ 2. Who Is at Risk & Why It Matters

• Cats nursing large litters or those with poor-quality diets—especially low in calcium or vitamin D—are most at risk.
• Occurs most often between 2–4 weeks postpartum when milk production peaks.
• Left unrecognized, eclampsia can lead to seizures, cardiac complications, and death.

👀 3. Signs to Recognize

• Tremors or muscle twitching, especially in the face or limbs
• Restlessness, irritability, anxious pacing, facial rubbing
• Weakness, walking stiffness, crouching or sternal recumbency
• Seizures—ranging from facial twitching to full-body convulsions
• Collapse, stiffness, bradycardia, hypothermia, possible death in severe cases

🔬 4. Emergency Diagnostic Steps

1. History & exam: nursing queen, large litter, onset of muscle signs/seizures.
2. Bloodwork: measure ionized calcium, total calcium, magnesium, phosphorus.
3. ECG: check heart rate and rhythm (risk of arrhythmias).
4. Additional lab tests: CBC/chemistry to assess dehydration, every organ function.

🛠️ 5. Emergency Treatment Protocols

Prompt intervention is crucial to prevent serious outcomes:

5.1 Intravenous Calcium Therapy

• 10% calcium gluconate IV: administer slowly over 10–20 minutes while monitoring heart rhythm.
• Repeat doses may be required every 4–6 hrs until clinical signs resolve.
• Once stable, taper off IV and start oral calcium supplementation.

5.2 Oral Supplementation & Diet Adjustment

• Begin **calcium carbonate or gluconate** orally (30–80 mg/kg elemental calcium per day in divided doses).
• Add vitamin D supplement under veterinary guideline.
• Feed high-quality, balanced kitten/queen diet rich in calcium and essential nutrients.

5.3 Supportive & Symptomatic Care

• Keep the queen warm, calm, and in a quiet environment.
• Delay re-lactation initially; consider removing some kittens or alternate feeding support.
• Monitor hydration; offer free access to water and consider subcutaneous fluids if needed.

📈 6. Monitoring & Prognosis

• Monitor calcium levels every 12–24 hrs until stable in normal range.
• Check ECG during IV therapy to catch cardiac complications.
• Gradually taper oral supplements over 1–2 weeks while observing milk production and behavior.
• Full recovery expected if treated early—prognosis is excellent.

🏡 7. Long-Term Management & Prevention

• Ensure balanced diet for pregnant/lactating queens—formulated kitten or breeder diets.
• Avoid home-cooked or unbalanced foods.
• During future lactation, consider prophylactic calcium supplementation.
• Limit litter size or supplement early in high-risk queens.
• Track calcium levels during pregnancy/lactation if breeding history shows previous issues.

📚 8. Case Study

“Maya,” a first-time queen with six 3-week-old kittens, showed facial twitching, pacing, and mild, brief seizures. Blood tests revealed low ionized calcium (0.8 mmol/L; ref range 1.2–1.4). She received slow IV calcium gluconate, followed by oral calcium and vitamin D while kittens were bottle-fed temporarily. Her signs resolved within 24 hrs. Oral supplementation tapered over 10 days and she recovered fully, resuming nursing without recurrence.

🚨 9. When to Seek Immediate Veterinary Help

• Any tremor, twitch, stiffness, or seizure in a nursing cat
• Collapse, open-mouth breathing, cold extremities
• Refusal to eat, drink, or feed kittens

✨ 10. Final Thoughts

Eclampsia in cats is an urgent, treatable veterinary emergency—early calcium intervention, balanced diet, and careful monitoring ensure most queens recover rapidly and completely. At Ask A Vet, our tele-vet support, medication reminders, feeding guidance, and follow-up care help nursing queens and kittens thrive through critical reproductive phases 🐾❤️.

Need supplemental feeding schedules, calcium trackers, or tele-consultation during nursing? Visit AskAVet.com or download the Ask A Vet app. We’re here for every nursing mother and her kittens.