Vestibular attack in pregnant cat

Question
Hello, a little over a month ago I suspected that my cat got pregnant. Her nipples had turned pink, her belly got a little rounder and she eats and sleeps a lot more often. About two, going on three weeks ago, she had gotten out of the house, and when she returned, it was obvious that something was not right. She had poop on her, blood on her mouth, her eyes were moving back and forth, and she couldn't walk straight. I thought she was going to die, but I took her to the vet and they said she had a vestibular attack, but we dont know what caused it. She has recovered well since then, but she still has trouble jumping and falls over when she shakes her head. I was wondering if her having this attack is harmful or will affect her unborn kittens in any way? Her belly has gotten a bit bigger  since after her attack, and I can hear gurgling from inside her tummy, but i'm still concerned.

Answer
Hi Cate,

Some causes of vestibular disease can be harmful to kittens. These would be infectious causes. The most common infectious causes of vestibular disease in cats are FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) and the Feline Leukemia Virus. These are both untreatable viruses. If the pregnancy has not been confirmed, it is also possible that either of these diseases might be causing fluid build-up in her abdominal area (a condition called ascites), causing the appearance of a pregnancy. Another infectious cause of vestibular disease is toxoplasmosis, which is a protozoan germ. This is treatable in cats with the antibiotic clindamycin. There is a highly reliable test for Feline Leukemia and a fairly reliable one for toxoplasmosis if you are concerned. The test for FIP is not very reliable, but your vet can run it and decide whether the results of that test combined with her clinical signs would indicate that she is infected.

Aside from this, sometimes vestibular disease is caused by cancer, which should not harm the kittens, but the babies should be bottle fed if mom's body condition shows any signs of deterioration. This is out of concern for her more than the babies, but also because if mom's body condition is becoming deficient, her milk is likely to be lacking in nutrition.

Most often, vestibular disease is caused by some unknown inflammation or trauma, and cats will fully recover, or have only minor signs of the attack. The inflammation is limited to the inner ear or brain area. It affects motor function but does not affect the function of other organs, and as long as the mother didn't go long without eating properly, it shouldn't affect the development of the kittens at all.

Best of luck!

Jessica