Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome

[Davis]

My cat has symptoms of this condition.  Does anyone have a cat with this condition, and if so, can you please share your experiences and information?

http://www.petplace.com/cats/feline-hyperesthesia/page1.aspx

[Geff]

Carrying this from the Cal Natural thread...

Davis, my cat has some of this, but not to an extreme. I found one thing particularly interesting on your link, they mentioned hyper thyroidism as a possible cause (& allergy as another, which i know is an issue with my cat). I remember the blog stated that 3 of the ingredients in the Felidae I was feeding were toxic for cats & 1 of them (alfalfa? I don't remember for sure) tended to cause hyper thyroidism. As I mentioned previously, my cat was compulsively licking non stop on the Felidae; & by going back & forth from Felidae to Gerber i was able to isolate it to the Felidae.

If Sylvester continues to have his spinal hypersensitivity moderated, I may take a look at Royal Canin, Hills & Felidae & see what ingredients they have in common the Cal Natural doesn't have & if any of them are known to cause this.

Maybe some good will come out of this recall mess.

Are your kitty's symptoms still moderated?

The ones Sylvester has shown from your article in the past are:

1. Sudden bouts of bizarre hyperactive behavior (I always thought this was a normal cat thing)
2. Frenetic self-directed grooming directed along the flank or tail (this one has been only since getting off the royal canin)
3. Tail swishing (I've assumed this meant he's angry)
4. Large pupils/strange look to the eyes (see #1, the 2 go together for him, again I've assumed this is just rowdy cat behavior)
5. Skin rippling/rolling (this happens only when the sensitivity gets real bad)
6. Vocalization, (again I've assumed this is normal cat behavior)
7. Exquisite sensitivity to touch (“hyperesthesia”) along the spine – stroking can precipitate a bout of the behavior. (this has been his big one)

Interesting stuff.

[Davis]

Fortunately my cat doesn't have it to the extreme either.  It seems to come and go, sometimes on a frequent basis, but it's not constant.  His only symptom for a long time on and off was the spine twitching, rolling, and irritation, and sometimes it was intense.  Then recently the mild semi-seizures started.  For whatever reason it has stopped since changing his diet, so yes, things seem to still be moderated for the moment, although I don't know if it's permanent.  I'm now thinking that it could have been food allergy related all along...possibly corn.  Since taking him off of food containing corn, he has had no more twitching, is much happier, the life has come back into him, and he seems to feel great.  The mild dandruff that he had for years is also now completely gone.  I guess time will tell if it was the food.  I expect his symptoms to return if it wasn't.

As for your cats symptoms that you thought were just normal cat behavior, some of them certainly are.  Cats are very imaginative, and always have wild streaks of hyper energy when they are feeling good.  I have found that there is a huge difference between my cat playing with an imaginary object that he is just pretending is there, as opposed to hallucinations with the seizure-like activity (his confused, fearful, startled response to something that is not there).  If you know your cat, you will know the difference.  If it seems to be something really out of the ordinary, then it would fit into one of the symptoms.  Otherwise I would not worry too much about those things.  On the tail swishing, my cat does that when he's interested or enthused about something too.  It can sometimes be anger or discomfort, but often it's just the normal behavior of a typical cat, looking for entertainment.  Sometimes my cat's eyes get big and he pounds his tail on the surface he's laying on when I talk to him.  It's just his excited, friendly response to my attention.

Felidae has the alfalfa, along with some other trendy ingredients like cranberries and apples.  I suppose it could have been any of those things that caused a reaction in your cat. 

[Geff]

Sylvester tends to be overly fearful regarding noises, pets in the yard, strong weather, etc. I believe it's a kitty form of PTSD. He had his male organ amputated at around 4 years old due to repeated uti's & possibly some bungling from his vet. The entire process of first getting sick to full recovery took almost a year & $5,000 (long story) & he went from being THE TOM of the neighborhood who would attack German Shepherds without thinking twice, to being scared of anything that isn't me. The only thing positive to come from this is that he has had 0 desire to go outdoors since then. In his mind outdoors means going to the vet & going to the vet means pain.

Something we've had to learn to live with. Fortunately i found a wonderful vet a couple years ago who's really sensitive to his needs & going to the vet no longer seems to traumatise him.

[Davis]

Sounds like poor Sylvester has been through quite a bit.  Poor fello.  They can remove those organs?  Hmmm, I've never heard of that before.  It actually sounds like a good solution to his problem  I have a fraidy cat too.  Dislikes unusual or loud noises, strangers in the yard or house, just about everything that isn't me.  And god forbid that I should ever try to put him in a vehicle.  Fortunately that has been a very rare necessity.  He has always been an indoor cat who was neutered in his adolescence, so the big bad world outside is entirely unknown to him, except from his perch on the window sill.

Update on his condition -- Last night he had another mild, partial seizure, but this is not occurring as frequently as it was before...at least not yet.  I think I can conclude that maybe the change in food had nothing to do with the neurological problems, but has a lot to do with the twitching and rolling back, which has still not returned.  That was most likely a mild form of the hyperesthesia syndrome, brought on by an allergy.  He still is feeling much better since the food change, so it has been a very good thing.  But I'm still very concerned about my little boy.  I hope he doesn't have a brain tumor or something. 

[garypen]

You may want to bring him to the vet for some tests.

What do you mean by "seizure"? My departed "Tootles" had seizures which turned out to be a sort of feline heart attack.

[Davis]

The symptoms are "seizure-like", but definitely neurological.  I have done an extensive amount of research and heart attack didn't define any of his symptoms.  I'm sorry about your departed cat.  Exactly what were Tootles symptoms?  Mine has  partial motor seizure-like acitivty, with some disorientation, loss of coordination, muscle cramping that interferes with his movement (but NOT convulsions), starring into space, freezing midstep, head-tilting, sometimes walking in circles, appears to see things that are not there and is fearful of them, etc...but no loss of consciousness.  It lasts for a couple of minutes, then he is back to normal.  He is not unhappy or in pain and seems healthy otherwise. 

The symptoms are mild and have become milder this past month.  I don't have a vet that I trust, and in fact no vet at all.  He has always been a strong healthy cat.  I've heard things about the vets in my area that concern me, and I have no faith in their ability to figure this out.  He would need extensive blood work and possibly other types of high tech tests after that, which I cannot afford.  I don't know what to do.  And he has no immunity (no vaccines or exposure to anything), so taking him to a vet where all the sick animals have been also worries me.  I've heard stories about pets getting distemper and other fatal diseases from lack of sterilization at the vets.  I don't want him to end up in even worse shape, just because I took him to the vet. 

[garypen]

It doesn't sound like heart trouble. But, I'm not an expert. Although, I would think a temporary lack of blood to the brain could cause similar types of "seizures".

In any case, a trip to a good vet is probably in order. (That means not Banfield, for starters.) If your cat has its shots, there's probably no need to worry about it catching a deadly disease. You can also bring your own disinfectant wipes.

But, recurring seizures is some serious shit, regardless of cause.

[Davis]

Yes, I agree...I need to get him some help.  But no, he has NOT had shots, so he is susceptible.  And I've heard that some vets require vaccinations for any animal that has not had them before they will even treat them.  I'm afraid of this too, since I have read bad things about vaccines and don't want him to have them.  He lives exclusively in the house and should never need them.  Any suggestions on how to find a really good, trustworthy vet?  I live in a very small, remote community, so my options are few.  I'm worried.

[SunHawk]

Davis,
I'm much more familiar with dogs than cats, BUT .... The seizure-like symptoms mentioned could indeed be heart disease.  I have seen those symptoms in dogs dx'd with dilated cardiomyopathy, most recently in my 12.5 y/o Dobe.  Cardiomyopathy often does not manifest as a "heart attack" that we would recognize; it's much more subtle.   Another thought ---> walking in circles, head tilt, etc, may be indicative of vestibular disease or possibly cervical vertebrae instability (especially if he also drags his feet).  All of these conditions are serious and should be checked by a qualified & knowledgeable vet.

If the "bad things about vaccines" you refer to are vaccine-site carcinomas, those occur as a result of frequent (i.e., annual) vaccinations in the same location.  You probably don't need to worry about that at this point as he hasn't been vaccinated.  Also, IF he had his kitten series and a booster or two, he may very well be protected.  Recent studies have shown immunities last for a  lot longer than a year or two, and the AVMA is now recommending longer vaccination protocols. 

You mention living in a small, remote area.  Many times such areas have mobile vets who come to your house, especially if you're in an Ag area.  Even if there are no mobile vets, locate a good clinic & schedule an appt ASAP.  Some ideas for finding a good vet are: Ask at the local Feed & Supply, ask neighbors, ask dog/cat clubs, ask *reputable* dog/cat breeders (NOT backyard breeders), ask dog/cat rescue group(s); if your local law enforcement agency has K9s, ask them which vet(s) they use.  If you don't know of any local breeders or rescue groups, go to the websites of either Cat Fanciers or the AKC, locate their links for rescue & breeders.  Those sites have a list of contacts throughout the US & Canada.  Once you identify potential clinics, go talk with the clinic, ask questions, tour the facility, get a feel for it - follow your instincts.  As for cost, many clinics accept payment plans, and there is a group called IMOM (www.imom.org) that helps people help their pets.

Yikes!  I didn't mean to write a book, but I hate it when a critter may be at risk just because his mom/dad doesn't know where to turn.   

[eternaljester81]

Wow! That symptoms list matches our cat Yoda to a 'T'. He just goes ape occassionally and acts like his tail is trying to attack him, and he gets 'lost' in the middle of an open room, looking around bewildered and meowing.

[Davis]

Hi SunHawk,

Thanks for all the info, and for imom link!  Much appreciated!  I compiled a list of all the possible diseases and illnesses associated with these symptoms when it first began, so I do know about the vestibular disease (he does not drag his feet).  Even head blows can result in these symptoms, and he's had a very bad habit of being careless during his bursts of energy and banging his head on things, sometimes hard (one such incident occurred right before all of this started).   Unfortunately not all of the possible causes are treatable.  He's been doing really well lately and has not had any reoccurrences since the last one.  Hopefully this indicates that this is not a progressive disease process, since it is dramatically decreasing with time.  In fact, this past week he has been the happiest, healthiest, and most energetic I have seen him for a while.  He's doing much better since his food change. 

As for the vaccines, he has had NONE, EVER.  I'm trying to remember exactly what I've read about vaccines, but can't.  I only know that it gave me pause for serious concern, but I do not think it was carcinoma related.

I know all the vets within 30 minutes of my location.  I have family who use these vets for their pets.  And, a friend of mine has even worked for them, so I have inside information.  I'm not impressed with what I know about them, so I hesitate taking him there.  The mobile vet is a great idea.  I will check to see if one is available in my area.

[Davis]

Wow! That symptoms list matches our cat Yoda to a 'T'. He just goes ape occassionally and asks like his tail is trying to attack him, and he gets 'lost' in the middle of an open room, looking around bewildered and meowing.

It's pretty normal for cats to go ape once in a while, isn't it?   But maybe your cat's symptoms are more out of the ordinary, like mine.  Maybe Yoda has the Hyperesthesia Syndrome.  At least, from what it says, it is not anything really dangerous.

[kaffe]

I have not visited this forum for a while and only noticed this thread today.
My 9 yr old neutered male cat has a mild case of feline hyperesthesia (twitching, rolling skin, obsessive licking, "seeing things" on the ground usually).  I say "mild" becuase the episodes are infrequent and when they do happen, the symptoms are not too distressing to see. The latest episode was only a few weeks ago.  I truly beleive that it was triggered by stress from a series of "events":  (1) the transition from commercial pet food to raw food (but still mixed with commercial wet food); (2) making him wait for his food to ensure that he is hungry enough to eat all of it; (3) the appearance of a racoon in the backyard (he chased said racoon); (4) he stepped on some kind of thorny weed; (5) a sore inflamed tooth (I aggressively treated this malady and happy to say, tooth and gums are almost normal). 
Anyway, a freind of mine whose ragdoll cat suffers from a pretty bad case of hyperesthesia has been helped successfully with alternative medicine: acupuncture, chiropracty, diet and supplements.  Since my cat's condition is only mild, I don't think he needs acupuncture or spine manipulation.  Instead, I followed this regimen and it has helped tremedously: 
1.  Fish oil (500mg - 1000mg per day):  Fish oil (or Salmon oil) is rich in
Omega 3 (it also has Omega 6) and it is a powerful natural anti-inflammatory.  Apart from making the pet's coat wondrously lustrious and soft, it seems to have a "cushioning" effect on the skin so that it is not so sensitive to touch.
2.  Periodic brief massaging along the cat's spinal column when cat is at rest.  My cat absolutely enjoys this and it is relaxing both to me and my cat.
3.  A good diet.  I feed raw (75%) and some good quality commercial wet food.  I top the raw food with Solid Gold tuna or mix in some Felidae Platinum.   
4.  Exercise.
5.  Avoiding situations that I know will stress the cat.

Today, a month after my cat's last episode, I am happy to report that there is no more ear twitching, tail swishing, obsessive licking, "seeing things," (the rolling skin still happens but very mild the cat seems unaware of it).  It gladdens my heart to see him once again racing accross the backyard and climbing up trees and making a general pest of himself!

I hope this helps somebody.
 

[Bear]

Thank you - you have helped us! Our cat Phoebe grooms excessively, flicks her paws, has moments of mania and has frequent 'hot spots'. She is a lovely young cat and we'd like to help her. Dubious as to how much a vet in the UK will take seriously...?
Trying fish oil and raw foods to eliminate possible dietary allergies. Very interested to hear from anyone who has experience of treating FHS in the UK. We rescued our cat from Battersea, love her very much but wish to provide a better life as clearly agitated.