My siberian forest cat is in alot of discomfort. Please help diagnose symtoms!!!!

My one year old siberain forest cat has had 3 bouts of extreme discomfort over the past month. Each bout last about 3 days, the symptoms are always the same. Homoepathic drops help to calm her and anti-inflamatories ease the discomfort. there does not appear to be any discharge from her nose or anus, no runny eyes, no sneezing. She eats but not much. She has lost weight - probably a couple of pounds (she is small to begin with) in the past month. She is deffinately losing hair from around her ears.The symptoms start with:
1. rolling from side to side on her back accompanied by loud cries
2. pushing herself backwards down the stairs on her back and side accompanied by loud cries
3. rubbing the sides of her head along the floor, furniture and with her paws
4. rubbing her ears with her paws
5. licking around the base of her tail and anus (can't see any discharge)
6.. unusual body postures - crouching low in an elongated position, pushing her bum up in the air
7. holds her rear leg up in the air when lying on her side
8. occasional 'twitching' or spasaming in the lower spine/tail area

All of which she cries and cries - normally she is very quiet.

She is not biting at herself, her tail is not rapidly twitching and she is not running about crazed. She is just obviously uncomfortable. The vet initially suspected a soft tissue injury the first time and then a reinjury the 2nd time but a 3rd time???? Now she is wondering about a dermatological issue like dermal hyperesthesia (rolling skin disease). Or possibly an allergy to her food? Each bout is coming more or less 2 weeks apart, lasts 3 days and then she seems fine which suggest something cyclical to me. I think she is using the litter box, but her sister has come to live with us for the summer so it's hard to know. (this started prior to her sister coming)

Does anyone have any thoughts for me?

Thats what a Cat does when its in Heat.

Good point but she is spade.

Sometimes they do not get all the tissue out and they act like they are in heat.

Good lord!!! If this were the case, would it occur every couple of weeks like it is and last for only a few days?

Yea it can happen.

She was spyed early November 07 so about 6 months ago at 6 months old. I found a video on you tube of a cat exhibiting estrus and I must say that there was alot of similarity to Bella. It would certainly explain the cyclical nature of the symptoms, but what about the weight loss?

Some Cats lose Weight from teh stress of going in Heat over and over. They must have messed some tissue.

You probably need to take her to the vet and have blood work done to find out if she, indeed, is in heat. There is a syndrome called 'ectopic ovarian tissue' where there is ovarian tissue that is outside of the ovary. It is often too small, or too diffuse, to be seen at the time of ovariohysterectomy (spay) and is often left behind. There is also 'ovarian remnant syndrome' where some of the ovary is left behind at the time of the spay surgery. Either one will cause heat symptoms, like the symptoms you are describing. Since cats are induced ovulators (they will go into heat until they mate and become pregnant) she will continue to do this cyclically. If your cat has been spayed, but still has heat cycles, she cannot get pregnant, because the uterus has been removed.

Here is a great link that decribes the heat cycle in cats: http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/preg...Cat_estrus.htm

A link telling about ectopic ovarian tissue: http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/preg...ectopicova.htm

Hope this helps!

Wow! I had no idea. this certainly fits my poor tortured kitty to a T. I am off to the vet tomorrow morning armed with printouts. I'll let you know what she says.

Thank you all for your responses. This is what the internet is all about!!

I absolutely agree about the possibility of excess hormonal tissue. Elsa had multiple ovarian cysts and went into heat every 2-3 weeks or so.

The Vet had to agree that Bella has all the symptoms as I have described of experiencing heat cycles – it just never occurred to her as she knew Bella was spayed. She wants to consult with the pathologist and her partners to find out what the protocol is for testing this and also to rule out other possibilities that mimic these sorts of symptoms. She also wants to get the spay report from the clinic who did the original proceedure.
I'll keep you posted.

Good luck! I honestly don't know what the next step is after diagnosis. Please keep us posted!!!

The spey report said the proceedure was routine and both ovaries were removed. The pathologist has recommended a serum estrogen blood test that should show if there is remnent present. It has to go to California for testing and will take a week to 10 days.
I'll let you know what happens.

Is it going to Uc Davis. They send all the Test there. They are very good.