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- Jul 26, 2017
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Hello everyone, I'm going to apologize in advance for how long I know this will be. My cat is suffering from a mystery illness that my vet can't figure out.
Quick background, I have an 8 month old male cat named Norman. Indoor only, neutered, up to date on vaccines, tested negative for FeLV when he was a kitten before he met my other cat Simon. I fostered him and the rest of his litter, 2 of his siblings had full tails, 1 had no tail, and Norman and his brother both have stumpy tails. I've stayed in touch will all of his siblings owners and there all doing great! Norman was fine until a month or so ago.
1.5 months ago: one morning he had what my vet though sounded like hyperesthesia, rolling back, muscle twitching, etc. it last 10 mins and stopped. He said if it happened again we would put him on medicine.
1 week later: Another episode of hyperesthesia, so we put him on pre gabalin and it seemed to kind of work. Although his back was still very sensitive and up until the first episode it was not.
1 month ago: Over the weekend (of course), Saturday he didn't wake me up to be fed. Very odd for him but he ate when I fed him. He was very sleepy all day Saturday but would still eat and play if you woke him. His back was also very sensitive (hyperesthesia), but no other symptoms. Sunday the same, except for late Sunday night when I woke him up to be fed he started LIMPING in his back leg, but was running and jumping still?
I took him to the vet first thing Monday. He was running a slight fever, blood work and x rays were perfect however. And of course he wasn't limping when we got there but was as soon as we got back home. They put him on an antibiotic and we were told to continue on the pre gabalin for hyperesthesia.
Within 24 hours, no limping, no lethargy, no fever. He finished his round of antibiotics and within 4-5 days all of those symptoms were back and this time instead of limping in his back leg, its his front leg.
Back to the vet we went, they put him on a stronger antibiotic. We ran tests, my vet thought possibly toxoplasmosis because that can also cause the hyperesthesia too. Every test including toxoplasmosis can back negative.
Again within 24 hours all of his symptoms respond to the antibiotics. So we did a much stronger antibiotic for 2 weeks (today) and now my vet wants him off the antibiotic but kept on the pre gabalin for hyperesthesia long term? I've went my vet for years and have always trusted and respected his opinion but this time he has admitted he has no clue whats going on. He said he's never seen anything like this and recommended a specialist. We live in Northern Michigan, the closest specialist is over 4 hours away.
My problem is that I'm worried his symptoms will return again in 5 days. I also believe that the hyperesthesia is a symptom of whatever is going on and not the stand alone form. I guess, my point of all of this is me wondering if any of this craziness sounds familiar to anyone? Has anyone experienced anything like this? My other cat is perfectly healthy.
To anyone who reads this, thank you!! I appreciate it so much.
Quick background, I have an 8 month old male cat named Norman. Indoor only, neutered, up to date on vaccines, tested negative for FeLV when he was a kitten before he met my other cat Simon. I fostered him and the rest of his litter, 2 of his siblings had full tails, 1 had no tail, and Norman and his brother both have stumpy tails. I've stayed in touch will all of his siblings owners and there all doing great! Norman was fine until a month or so ago.
1.5 months ago: one morning he had what my vet though sounded like hyperesthesia, rolling back, muscle twitching, etc. it last 10 mins and stopped. He said if it happened again we would put him on medicine.
1 week later: Another episode of hyperesthesia, so we put him on pre gabalin and it seemed to kind of work. Although his back was still very sensitive and up until the first episode it was not.
1 month ago: Over the weekend (of course), Saturday he didn't wake me up to be fed. Very odd for him but he ate when I fed him. He was very sleepy all day Saturday but would still eat and play if you woke him. His back was also very sensitive (hyperesthesia), but no other symptoms. Sunday the same, except for late Sunday night when I woke him up to be fed he started LIMPING in his back leg, but was running and jumping still?
I took him to the vet first thing Monday. He was running a slight fever, blood work and x rays were perfect however. And of course he wasn't limping when we got there but was as soon as we got back home. They put him on an antibiotic and we were told to continue on the pre gabalin for hyperesthesia.
Within 24 hours, no limping, no lethargy, no fever. He finished his round of antibiotics and within 4-5 days all of those symptoms were back and this time instead of limping in his back leg, its his front leg.
Back to the vet we went, they put him on a stronger antibiotic. We ran tests, my vet thought possibly toxoplasmosis because that can also cause the hyperesthesia too. Every test including toxoplasmosis can back negative.
Again within 24 hours all of his symptoms respond to the antibiotics. So we did a much stronger antibiotic for 2 weeks (today) and now my vet wants him off the antibiotic but kept on the pre gabalin for hyperesthesia long term? I've went my vet for years and have always trusted and respected his opinion but this time he has admitted he has no clue whats going on. He said he's never seen anything like this and recommended a specialist. We live in Northern Michigan, the closest specialist is over 4 hours away.
My problem is that I'm worried his symptoms will return again in 5 days. I also believe that the hyperesthesia is a symptom of whatever is going on and not the stand alone form. I guess, my point of all of this is me wondering if any of this craziness sounds familiar to anyone? Has anyone experienced anything like this? My other cat is perfectly healthy.
To anyone who reads this, thank you!! I appreciate it so much.
