Neurological Signs in Cats could be Cryptococcus

[NadiaRey]

Sorry for worrying you, I actually consulted a vet nutricionist and she suggested the lavander. Tea, not essential oils. Green tea and chamomille are also usually prescribed.

Quadriderm was also okayed by my regular vet, who is a cat specialist. She was the one who instructed me to put it in the ears. Otherwise it won't get absorted by the skin (because fur)

Don't worry, I'm happy you admonished me about this, as it is something humans are very stupid about and wind up killing their cats because they assume they know better.

And I double check everything I give Gremlin is safe for cat consumption, but I still messed up. (For example, I read parsley was safe, but didn't realize there was a huge "BUT" when it comes to excess...and I had no reference of dosage for what was "too much" parsley. Until I hurt his kidneys. I had been trying to figure out how he got kidney problems if his diet is all renal, and only now I realize it was stupid me giving him too much parsley... What effing idiot. That was about a month ago. And now I hope I'm not too late to reverse the damage.)

I also realize I've been writing Quadriderm wrong, along with many words, and even messed up the brand. Sorry, I'm from South America, English isn't my first language. The one with miconazole is BetaCort (pharmacies here sell it as if it was the same thing, and only now I realize I was naming the wrong product). The drug I'm refering to has: betametasona (steroid anti-inflammatory), gentamicine (antibiotic) and miconazol (antifungal). Quadriderm replaces miconazol with clotrimazol, another antifungal.

As for why I even give him these things, it isn't for some hollistic filosophy. I have a cat that doesn't tolerate analgesics. That pushes me to look for alternatives. I have been for a few years doing research, cancer mostly, from which I got plenty trustworthy sources (peer-reviewed papers, science) about the properties of food - stuff like oleocanthal (olive oil extra virgin) or curcumin (turmeric) - that can straight up save someone's life. I saw it work with my other cat, with cancer. What I mean to say is that I know for a fact olive oil can kill bacteria/microbes(/melanomas), is an anti-inflammatory and won't hurt my cat (I have the right doses). It seems a worse choice not to try.

...And also I know turmeric and olive oil and blueberry are all safe for cats because they are part of medication given to cats regularly.

Even with miconazole I only thought about using after I saw it in a peer-reviewed paper suggesting it might relieve neurological pain. So on so forth. They are decitions made from investigation.

But still, it's bad I am basically experimenting with Gremlin. It's just there's too much uncertainties (with the alternative of waiting idly for a sure diagnosis while he is in pain), and now his ridiculous intolerance to analgesics, anesthesia and anti-inflammatories don't leave me much choice. Especially if he's hurting. Anything (that's safe) is better than nothing.

...But I see where you are coming from and I'll look into Quadriderm/ BetaCort a bit more...

 

[SafariDoc]

Here is some more education about cats and cryptococcosis:

An article concerning cryptococcosis in a cat was published in the Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery Open Reports (March 2022).

The article discusses an indoor-only pet cat that was diagnosed with cryptococcosis (nasal cavity).

The cat has been receiving medical care and treatment in California.

The article is freely available to everyone, including pet owners and veterinarians.

The article describes the manner in which the cat's crypto was diagnosed by the veterinarian, plus the manner in which the cat's crypto has been treated by the veterinarian.

If a cat is being treated for cryptococcosis, the cat's serum specimens should be regularly submitted to a laboratory that has experience in interpreting cryptococcal antigen test assays because some cryptococcal antigen test kits may be much more sensitive than other test kits.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20551169221074624

 

[NadiaRey]

silent meowlook, hello again. I wanted to drop by to let you know, you probably saved my cat's life.
Yesterday, I finally got the test results for cryptococosis (I insisted we did that test earlier but other things took priority for the vets), and he tested positive.
So all this time that I've been giving him BetaCort/Quadriderm (with the antifungal miconazol + corticoid antiinflammatory + anti-meningitis gentamicine ) preventively, I could have saved his life.
The vet now thinks the episode Gremlin had that week was cerebrovascular accident (CVA). And now cryptococosis seems like a likely trigger suspect (his pressure was never high).
He never developped lung/respiratory issues. (Just a nose whistling but much later on.)
The Neoblue might have helped (olive oil is anti-inflammatory and anti-microbian too) but I have no doubt now the thing that made all the difference was the miconazol + betacortisol.

So, long story short: if I hadn't read this thread, I probably would have lost Gremlin. Or never knew what was wrong, thus never treat completely it, and it could have caused a second CVA that this next time could be fatal.

I can't thank you enough.

 

[hexiesfriend]

Nadiarey my cat started with snorting when eating and she had it in her nasal cavity. Any new symptom as simple as that can be it. It really is scary because it’s difficult to diagnose

 

[thefiresidecat]

Hi. I just wanted to warn anyone with a cat who has sudden neurological signs to check for cryptococcus. It is an easy, although expensive blood test.

At work last week we had a very sweet family with a very sweet cat come in as an emergency with circling and unsteady gate. Signs appeared after the cat had been out for a brief time in an enclosed yard. The cat was only 4 years old, neutered male domestic shorthair.
We ran bloodwork which was unremarkable, checked for FELV/FIV negative. We hospitalized and sent home at owners request the next day. Cat was getting worse.
The cat was first seen on a Sunday, we had to humanely euthanize on a Wed after getting the results of a positive cryptococcus. By wed he was so bad he couldn’t barely move and was crying out in pain and confusion.

This cat never showed any signs of congestion or sneezing.

I’ve seen one other cat like this when I worked specialty. That cat I kept with me for 2 weeks ( owners were out of town) and I used my vacation time to care for him. It was a 24/7 typeof care taking with him having to be tube fed etc. He got treatments of Amphotericin B three times a week. That cat was able to walk by the time he left to go back home. He still wasn’t normal by any means. Unfortunately the owner euthanized the next day as he was to much for them and they felt he was suffering. I begged to take him but they were strong in their convictions and also thought it would be unfair to me. I was devistated.

So just something to keep in mind with neurological symptoms.

.

My baby has a bump on his nose he's 4 months old and he has some abnormal gait. Mild ataxia hind legs. He's very clumsy compared to his sister. But still very active eats well seems happy.

He had a Upper respiratory infection when he was 5 weeks that was treated with 2 things from the notes.
I've seen a tiny bit of crust on nose eyes and like one sneeze in the 3 weeks we have had him.
Does this seem like a candidate for this disease or would it be much more severe if related to his clumsy weird gait?

the gait has been present for awhile as the foster I got him from had him checked out for it 2x. I think it's been present since 6 or 7 weeks old. that vet thought it was some kind of thing he'd been born with that would likely be present all his life. I dont' know how long the bump has been present. looking back at pics I took the day we got them it was there then.

I didn't notice the bump to point it out to the vet when we were there but he said he wouldn't worry about the gait until the baby has finished growing as his legs are really long for his body. Ty for any insight on this.

 

[fionasmom]

I won't repeat what I posted already in this thread about Pangur Ban, but his case was very fast moving. Oddly, he did not get that pronounced nose that is expected, but he had every other symptom. In the pic, your baby definitely does not have the typical nose either as it is usually a lump on the bridge, sometimes with a breaking down of tissue and the CNS involvement like seizures and blindness. Has the bump always been there?

You could ask for the test, but if your vet is skillful they likely know if a cat seems to have cryptococcus or not. He has had the faltering gait for 2 months now? I am going to guess that your little one does not necessarily have to have this condition, but it is a guess. There are other causes for what you are describing. The fact that it was discovered at 7 weeks does not rule out a condition that he was born with as that would be the time when kittens start to become more active.

 

[thefiresidecat]

I won't repeat what I posted already in this thread about Pangur Ban, but his case was very fast moving. Oddly, he did not get that pronounced nose that is expected, but he had every other symptom. In the pic, your baby definitely does not have the typical nose either as it is usually a lump on the bridge, sometimes with a breaking down of tissue and the CNS involvement like seizures and blindness. Has the bump always been there?

You could ask for the test, but if your vet is skillful they likely know if a cat seems to have cryptococcus or not. He has had the faltering gait for 2 months now? I am going to guess that your little one does not necessarily have to have this condition, but it is a guess. There are other causes for what you are describing. The fact that it was discovered at 7 weeks does not rule out a condition that he was born with as that would be the time when kittens start to become more active.

oh good on the nose. I guess I mis understood what people were pointing out with those pics. he has a lump like thing lower down on the nose. the bump on his nose has been there since I got him. the pics when he was younger are not at an angle that i can tell for sure. and I just looked at the paperwork I think the gait has been present for at least a month and a half. maybe two. the first vet visit was on the 12 of may. but I think they'd noticed it before that. I'm not sure how common crypto is here i'm in the seattle/tacoma area (as far as vets being familiar with it) he's from central oregon. I'd never heard of it before I started googling around about nose bumps this morning. was trying to figure out if it was just a roman nose or if it was something odd. then I saw nose and ataxia and was like ERHMAHGERD MAH BABY!!. I'm glad that the nose is not what a crypto nose looks like.


he was just at the vet last monday for his kitten wellness check up and last round of baby shots and the vet thought he was just fine. and would grow into his long gangly legs and that we should consider doing investigation into it if he's still like that at a year old. (but he doubts it will be the case)



ty vm for your insight

 

[fionasmom]

Your kitten has been cared for by someone since he was tiny, as I understand it. Was he someplace where you think he might have been exposed? Pangur Ban was a young, although adult cat, who had clearly been on the streets when I found him. There are enough pigeons in this area, one suspected cause is the droppings, that he probably contracted it during his homeless time.