Epileptic Encephalopathy in Bengal Cats
In the Bengal cat breed, a genetic variant of the CAD gene has been found to be associated with epileptic encephalopathy.
An affected Bengal kitten was reported to show clusters of generalised tonic seizures and abnormal behaviour as early as
three months after birth.
The seizures occurred during sleep and were characterised by sudden jumps, followed by
opisthotonus associated with increased muscle tone of the thoracic limbs,
head swaying, lip smacking, chewing movements,
facial twitches, salivation, and impaired consciousness.
These seizures lasted a few seconds to a minute, and afterwards, the cat appeared disorientated.
The kitten was generally quieter compared to other kittens of the same age and displayed episodes of
abnormal behaviour, including obtundation or agitation accompanied by biting the floor or its own paws.
Examination revealed abnormal mentation and a bilaterally absent menace response,
as well as increased red cell distribution width (RDW), indicating mild anisocytosis.
The CAD gene codes for a protein essential for the synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides and nucleic acids,
and plays an important role in protein glycosylation, lipid metabolism, polysaccharide biosynthesis, and signal transduction.
As the cat showed only a partial response to anti-epileptic drugs, the owners decided on euthanasia due to its poor quality of life.
