Feline Hyperthesia Sydrome and My Poor Cat

[adventureme]

Hi everyone,

I am new here and wondered if anyone else has a cat that is suffering from FHS. My poor girl is only 3 1/2 years old and a month ago she started out of the blue getting these weird symptoms where is would start licking profusely, twiching non stop and running around as though something had bit her in the bum. Her eyes would get really big and she just looked possessed. I have her on Prozac and Prednisone but she is still having these symptoms although they are sometimes less severe and not as constant. Lately though, it's been happening more often and it's been 3 weeks on these meds. So now the vet suggested to try Gabapentin which is a drug for both analgesic and anti-seizure properties. My poor baby I feel so horrible that I am pumping her up with all these drugs but it breaks my heart to see her this way more often than not. This has been very stressful and all I do is cry when I see her like this. She will never be her old self and that is the harest thing for me to handle. Is anyone in the same boat? I would really appreciate any comments or support out here. Thank you so much.

 

[ritz]

I'm sorry your cat has FHS.
As you know, Ritz suffers from this. She was on Prozac for about three months in winter/early spring 2013, symptoms decreased, I weaned her off of Prozac. In October, I noticed her symptoms are increasing.
You might want to rule out anything wrong with her spine. GoHolistic posted a link in the this thread (post #8 of 25).
And I do know that a combination of drugs sometimes works much better than just one.
It just occurred to me: I wonder if weather has anything to do with it--humidity is much lower in the winter than summer.
Also, what are you feeding her? One hypothesis as to the cause of FHS is an allergic reaction to a chemical/additive/food. (I've been feeding Ritz raw for several years, and there is no co-relation between symptoms and protein, so this hypothesis is not applicable to me. Though who is to say the symptoms wouldn't be *worse*?) That said, her symptoms seem to be the worse right after she has eaten.
Finally: try not to let your worry show. Cats pick up on stress, and I do know one of the precipitating factors for Ritz was a lot of stress the end of December 2012/beginning January 2013.
It's a puzzle, and I'm still debating my next course.

 

[tina23]

Hi - my Tucker has FHS (which I had to diagnose myself due to some clueless vets).  You can search my old posts if you want the whole story on what happened.  Needless to say we ended up amputating his tail because he mutilated it and pulled out all the fur.  If your baby ends up doing this - DO NOT amputate.  It doesn't help and isn't needed.  HUGE mistake that I regret deeply.  Anyways - the good news - my baby is back to being his normal lovey, cuddley self.  The answer for him was amitriptyline.  I had major trouble trying to get a pill down him so very early on we had the meds compounded into a gel/lotion.  He gets about 5mg in his ear each and every day and he is totally normal. It will be 3 years in Feb. that all this began.  I have tried to wean him off the meds to see if maybe his brain "fixed" itself - nope.  It took about 7 days but he went right back to eating his tale and running around scared and possessed.  He will have to be on this the rest of his life which was hard for me to accept at first but the difference it makes in him is absolutely worth it. I know I'm making this sound easy - it wasn't - it was about a 6 month ordeal that had me so frazzled and stressed. 

I would ask your vet about trying amitriptylineit rather than adding a 3rd med on to what is already not working.  You will probly have to wean him off the others first (just guessing). 

I hope you find the answer for your baby.  I know the hell and helplessness I went thru and wouldn't want to wish it on anyone.  Please keep us updated and ask all the questions you need to.

Tina

 

[ritz]

Tina23 raises a good point: if Prozac isn't working, consider a different anti-depressant/drug. Just as with humans, cats have different reactions to different drugs. And, sometimes a combination of drugs works best than a single drug.
My vet initially prescribed amitriptyline, but I did some research and asked the vet to prescribe Prozac because Prozac causes less weight gain that amitriptyline. (Ritz could stand to lose a pound.)

 

[tina23]

My vet initially prescribed amitriptyline, but I did some research and asked the vet to prescribe Prozac because Prozac causes less weight gain that amitriptyline. (Ritz could stand to lose a pound.)

  I could see this.  It does gives Tucker the munchies. I'm not a big believer of rationing cats food unless there is a medical reason to (just my opinion), so they have dry food out all the time.  (2 flavors cause they're spoiled)  Other than the occasional tuna, chicken or turkey they don't get any people food.  So he is maybe a pound overweight, but not bad so I don't worry about the munchies.  For my Tucker amitriptyline is most definitely the answer.   I'm glad you found something that worked for Ritz.  FHS is such a strange disorder.

 

[adventureme]

Hi Tina 23 and Ritz,

Thank you for responding it's such a comfort to know I'm not the only one who is dealing with this although I wish nobody had to deal with this. A little more background....I am 100% sure that I infected my poor Binky with chemicals as I had bought a new dark purple duvet cover for my bed that I just put on and did not wash first (boy I will always regret this until the day I die). She slept on it for 3 days and then all of a sudden I started to notice these weird symptoms. The vet said this is highly unlikely the cause and totally ruled it out by I disagree. My cat has always been on the aggressive side and she over-reacts to everything - this has been the case ever since she was spayed as a kitten. She does not like to be held much and is very territorial but we have a bond like a mom with her child she just doesn't like other people coming into our apartment - it takes her some time to get used to someone. When I bought her into the vet when this stated happening, they had to put her under anesthesia just to handle her and get blood taken. They did a physical exam but she was totally sedated. I had told them about the duvet cover but they said this condition was behavioural and prescribed Prozac right off the bat. Her blood work was normal and they did not notice anything when they did the exam. So I held off on the Prozac and tried all the herbal stuff first which nothing worked. I could not take seeing my poor baby girl suffering with all the twitching and finally called the vet and asked for the Prozac. Two weeks into giving her Prozac and seeing a bit of improvement I was so happy but then the symptoms came back and I was prescribed Prednisone for 30 days to give her. It's now been day 22 on the Prozac and day 12 on the Prednisone and for the last 5 days, her symptoms have been constant and I'm so upset. So now I am going to get another prescription for Gabapentin (used for Epilepsy) as her muscle spasms just won't stop unless she just lays stretched out and still. What kind of life is this for a cat? She can hardly even play because the twitching starts up and then she runs like mad and jumps on the bed or in the closet on top of a shelf and starts licking the spots that are twitching. I'm certain that while she slept on the duvet it was rubbing into her fur /skin and while grooming she was ingesting the chemicals used to dye it such a dark purple colour (yes I threw it out). Now the damage is done and there is nothing I can do to reverse the damage except try to find medications that will give her relief. She eats good quality cat food that I buy from a pet store (Wellness//Halo/Holistic) and her dry food is also of good quality. However, she has gotten so picky in the last year that all she wants to eat is tuna (Almo Nature brand). I give her chicken and turkey too but she sometimes will eat nothing but tuna and I’ve tried the whole tough love thing but it only lasts for so long. I also have tried giving her a special bath with a product the vet suggested but it only relieves her symptoms temporarily. This has been one of the worst nightmares of my life. It's stressful and I do not look forward to coming home after work because I'm scared and can't relax for the whole night so I drink a lot of wine lol. All I can think about is this - it consumes me. All I want to do is go to sleep so I don't have to think about it anymore

 

[tina23]

Believe me I know what you're feeling - I'm so sorry.  If it were me, I would try the amitriptyline.  It is different than Prozac.  Prozac is an anti-depressant and the prednisone is a steroid.  Amitriptyline is an anti-anxiety med.  If you think about the symptoms she's having I think the anti-anxiety med makes more sense (just my opinion).  In Tucker the meds just seem to mellow him and his rolling skin out just enough that it doesn't bother him.  I have noticed that he may still have the rolling skin if he is playing really hard and gets over-stimulated.  If I stop him and make him calm down it goes away before he gets goofy - no problem. 

I know it may not work for every cat with FHS, I just know it was an absolute life saver for Tucker.  I also tried the holistic foods with no change.  Not to mention my cats are very picky and just wouldn't eat the stuff.  I leave them dry food out all the time.  Cats are not like dogs in that they will eat everything you put out all at once.  If they know the food is always there, they don't get anxious thinking they are going to starve. They will just graze when they want to. (again, just my opinion)  The only two I have found that they really like are the Purina Naturals and Fancy Feast (again, both dry). 

Just out of curiosity, what state are you in?

 

[adventureme]

Hi Tina23,

I am in Canada  - Toronto, Ontario to be exact. I looked up the anti-anxiety medication that you have been successful with for Tucker but was scared to death when I read all the possible side effects. I'm so relieved to hear that your cat is doing so well on it. I'm so sorry that you went through such an ordeal with the amputation of Tuckers's tail - that really breaks my heart. I'm just glad that Binky is not self mutilating herself as I would not be able to handle that. I hope the Gabapentin works in giving my girl some relief. I should have the medication in the next few days. I'll let you know how it goes - fingers crossed that it helps. By the way, how long have you been dealing with this? It's only been just over a month for me and I can't imagine it going on like this for years to come. I wish it would just stop altogether. Another thing I noticed is Binky's symptoms start up when she goes out on the balcony as it's cold outside - this never used to bother her before she loves to be out on the balcony even when it snows.

 

[tina23]

Ok - you are no where near me

This all started in Feb. of 2011.  At first he looked like he was just playing and would start running in circles trying to catch his tail and actually growling at it like it was a foreign cat or something.  Thought it was cute at first, then I walked into my bedroom one morning and it looked like I murdered someone - blood everywhere.  He had yanked all the fur out of the last inch or so of his tail and was still going at it while running scared all over the place.  Freaked me out!  Took him to 2 difference vets who didn't have a clue, both said amputate the tail (if there's no tail to attack, then he will stop - wrong!).  I did a ton of research on my own and diagnosed him with FHS.  Told my vet who actually had to make some calls to find out how to treat it.  She mentioned amitriptyline or phenobarbitol.  To me the phenobarbitol sounded worse so we tried the amitriptyline.  Now this was about 3 months into the ordeal  and 2 tail amputations (first the tip then the whole tail).  During the first three months either myself or my husband literally had to stay up with him 24/7 or he would attack what was left of his tail.  So at this point I was desperate and scared we would have to put him down if we couldn't find something that worked because this was no life for him.  Luckily it worked wonders.  The only side effect I have seen with him is the slight munchies he gets that I mentioned in an earlier post.  I was afraid it would zombie him out and it does NOT.

I really hope adding this new med works for you.  Please keep us posted.

Just a thought on the cold outside air.  Maybe run a humidifier inside if you're not already.  Could be that the dry air is making things worse??

 

[goholistic]

 
I hope the Gabapentin works in giving my girl some relief. I should have the medication in the next few days. I'll let you know how it goes - fingers crossed that it helps.

Do let us know how it works! My Boo has FHS. It's not so bad that he self-mutilates, but he does run around all over the place licking his back and tail, and has the "rolling back" twitches. I can tell it aggravates him. It does seem to be worse lately, and I do wonder about the possible cold and/or dry air since it is now winter temps here.

 

[ritz]

Ritz' FHS symptoms are worse, began getting worse around January 2014--same time as last year.
They really seem to start almost right after she eats at night--or, maybe, it's because I'm home at meal times. I obviously am not seeing her in the middle of the day when I work.
I too thought about dry air making the FHS episodes worse. I was hoping to hold off putting Ritz on amitriptyline until late spring, but early this morning Ritz had a mild FHS episode, which is unusual for her. Ritz is scheduled to have a dental cleaning the end of this month, so I guess I'll talk to the vet then. Her symptoms are mainly twitching and licking her fur a lot especially her belly, but no self multilation, thank goodness. Her symptons aren't severe enough (yet?) to put her on Gabapentin.
I mentioned to my vet about vargus nerve involvement and he said "that's the last thing I would think of".

 

[goholistic]

Sorry to hear about Ritz and her FHS. 

Boo has been on Gabapentin. It helps, but he's been getting some FHS episodes recently just about when its time for another dose, which is at mealtimes (he gets the medicine in his food). But even before the Gabapentin, he got the twitches at mealtimes (mostly at night, just like Ritz). Gabapentin is a short-lived medicine and has to be given twice daily. (My mom takes it for her fibromyalgia, and it's actually recommend for her to take it three times a day.) Once it kicks in, he seems to be okay. I've observed Boo on the weekends when I'm home. He sleeps most of the day. I've rarely seen the FHS act up in the middle of the day.

This is such a mysterious condition. I wish someone would figure it out!

 

[ritz]

Yes, me too. Wish there were a television show called "medical mysteries"--for animals!

 

[goholistic]

I do still wonder about allergies, too, being the cause of this. When Boo is having an episode of twitching and licking, sometimes he'll also scratch his neck with his back foot.

 

[ritz]

Update about Ritz:
I (well, Ritz) had a session with the same animal communicator who I used in July 2013; at the time the issue was more behavioral than health. "Ellen" was dead on in her accuracy on a number of issues.
This week, I asked her to do an updated reading on Ritz, specifically to address the increase in FHS' symptoms. Ellen said (per Ritz) that she (Ritz) gets hot and cold, something is prickling her skin, fur. It can come anytime, i.e., Ritz doesn't believe it is food related. Ellen suggested adding coconut oil (although I already give her Krill oil) to her food. And consult with a homeopathic vet who could do some energy work and recommend homeopathic remedies. A holistic vet who has taken a lot of courses in Chinese medicine would be a viable alternative--it's a ying/yang, imbalance of energy, type of problem.
Ellen later confirmed (at least in her opinion) that the distemper shot Ritz received in mid January 2014 is contributing to her increase in FHS symptoms (“vaccinosis”); it is in mid-January that I noticed her symptoms increasing. I learned in July 2013 that rabies shots can cause vaccinosis. Even my main stream vet said that due to Ritz’ reaction to the rabies shot she got in January 2013 (yes, 2013), she would support my not giving her the rabies shot again. I guess I thought a distemper shot wouldn’t cause the same reaction.
Finally, Ellen later confirmed through Dowsing that not all meats are created equal: I fed raw, which has the least amount of additives, generally speaking, and less likely to create an allergic reaction in a cat/dog. Ellen believes that Ritz is sensitive to pork, liver (beef and chicken) and turkey. It's something I'll consider when buying more meat, though it will be hard to source other types of liver.
Bottom line: no more vaccinations if at all possible. Contact a homeopathic vet for some remedies (and another way of getting them in to Ritz besides the paw). Think seriously again for the 10th time about taking Ritz to a holistic vet. Possibly eliminate pork from her diet; in the back of my mind/memory was a correlation between symptoms and pork.

 

[goholistic]

It's interesting that Ellen mentioned "prickling" because my bf and I were discussing Boo's FHS and we thought maybe he was having some kind of prickling or tingling sensation (like pins and needles) because he also flicks his feet and paws when he's having an FHS episode. He doesn't seem to be in pain, per se, from the FHS specifically, but it seems very bothersome and uncomfortable for him. I'll have to look at Boo's chart to see when this all started.

Boo has been itching his neck a lot recently, too, so I still wonder about food allergies. I've already tried an elimination diet and he would not eat it. He's a senior cat and had already lost significant muscle mass lately, so I need him to eat. 

I really liked this integrative vet I talked to about Sebastian's issues. When the time is right, I may make an appointment to discuss Boo's and Caesar's issues with her, too. Even if I don't change Boo's diet, perhaps some supplements and Chinese remedies that she recommends may help.

Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[goholistic]

A couple questions for @Ritz and anyone else with a cat with FHS:

1. Are your cat's FHS episodes worse in the winter?

2. Is your cat on a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement?

Okay, I know the second question is a little off-the-beaten-path, but I had an "ah-ha" moment the other day. Boo was not himself for a few days, likely due to constipation since he had expelled quite a bit of stool the days following (he's fine now). To encourage him to eat, I had stopped putting any supplements in his wet food for fear of it tasting weird. For a couple days, he didn't get his glucosamine/chondroitin supplement. Later I thought to myself that I really didn't see him having any FHS episodes those days. Hmm....  

  And then I thought, I wonder if the glucosamine/chondroitin supplement is a problem. I mean, it is derived from shellfish and we already know he had a problem with krill oil (it was making him vomit). 

I know when the FHS started to get really bad, so I am in the process of finding out when the glucosamine/chondroitin supplement was started to see if there is any correlation. I'm taking a shot in the dark here and will stop the supplement and see what happens. Oh, how relieved I would be (and also angry at myself) if this turns out to be the culprit.

Of course, my BF threw me a curveball and said that the weather has warmed up, so that could be why his FHS has subsided these past few days (hence question # 1). This could also be true. I hate multiple variables! It really screws up my problem-solving!

 

[ritz]

I have never given Ritz glucosamine/chondroitin supplement(although I take it myself). But I should note if her FHS symptoms increase on the day I give her Krill oil. Interesting theory. If it is a matter of lack of humidity in the air, I wonder if a year-round humidifier would help/prove-disapprove that theory.

In Ritz case, there is a clear (to me at least) correlation between when she gets vaccinated and flare up of her FHS symptoms--she gets vaccinated at her wellness check which is the end of January, dead of winter. In both cases, her FHS increased dramatically around three weeks after she got vaccinated against rabies (late January 2013) and distemper (mid January 2014). The vet said from this point forward she will tritate her blood to avoid vaccinating (Ritz is an indoor cat only).
I have recently consulted again with an animal communicator and homeopathic vet who both concur that Ritz has vaccinosis. I'm at work so I don't have all the information with me. But the homeopathic vet sent me crystals to put in her food. (Ideally you put them on the paw or neck area, but Ritz is way too suspicious of anything new, so the homeopathic vet said I could put it in two teaspoons of milk/creme.)
Tuesday night I gave her the recommended number of crystals (I'll post the name later tonight as well as another update) in her milk last night. She had no FHS symptoms and did not beg for food at all. Her appetite was another problem the homeopathic vet brought up before I had time to mention it (although I'd mentioned it in January 2013). He suspects the distemper shot preciptated hyperthyroid. I'm not convinced of that, but Ritz has been drinking more water, is always hungry (given her background, this is not surprising), and has lost 0.3 pounds in three months, 1.5 pounds since January 2013. Weight she need to lose, but I am feeding her enough food as though she weighed around 10 pounds. (I feed raw, so I weigh and measure everything.) He gave me crystals for her voracious appetite which I am to begin after the crystals for vaccinosis.
Both the animal communicator and vet indicated Ritz feels itchy, warm in the fur area, it's like a yin/yang type of thing. The animal communicator suggested some proteins Ritz might be sensitive too (e.g., pork and turkey) and I am in the process of weaning her off of them. The sensitivity is very specific to your animal, like food allergies. I do know that I gave her chicken hearts Monday and she had no FHS symptoms.

 

[ritz]

The crystals for vaccinosis is called "Kali Bich"; the homeopathic crystals for appetite/hyperthyroid is called "Iodium".
Ritz ate pork last night, to which she may be sensitive. She had several short (30 second) episodes of FHS (frantic licking, running).

 

[goholistic]

Thanks for the info about the crystals @Ritz...interesting!

I have not seen such a correlation with Boo and his vaccinations. He got his 3-year rabies vaccine in 2010, but his FHS didn't really surface until the fall of 2012. He got his 3-year again in fall of 2013, and the FHS did not get worse.

Another theory...I wonder if salt/sodium/iodine has anything to do with FHS. This glucosamine/chondroitin supplement I was giving Boo uses glucosamine 2kcl, which I've read can possibly be high in salt and should be avoided with anyone with an iodine allergy. In Ritz' case, pork is higher in sodium than most other meats (isn't it?), and hyperthyroid is related to iodine.