Cat muscles twitches

semeagher

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I am not sure this is the right place to be posting this, it probably could go in Cat Nutrition as well. Two or so years ago one of our cats was found to easily have urinary issues and the vets put her on a prescription dry food, or they put her on both the dry and wet but she didn't eat the wet so we stuck with the dry.  All was fine for the most part but she did have some litter box issues that we were working on. Things had been okay urinary tract wise for about when the day before thanksgiving she began to pee blood. We took to the emergency vets and they put her on meds and she appeared to get better but as soon as she was off the meds she got sick again. This time we took her to our regular vets and they recommended a specialist and ultra sound. We did that and that vet found debris (smaller then grains of sand) in Phaedra (the cat) urethra they flushed it out but we were told she had to be on wet food from now on and they gave us a prescription for Hills and Purina prescription wet food.

We have two cats and they love their dry food but we made the switch and are still trying to figure out how to give them it so they will eat it. They like it in the morning when we first open it up, but Phaedra doesn't always eat in the evening if the food isn't the right temperature, we have found getting it to room temperature works along with a little fortiflora (both things were recommended by the vet)  It doesn't always work though.  In the past month Phaedra has lost a pound, but both she and her sister are hungry all the time they have started nibbling on everything: pens, knitting needs, paper, tape, string, anything that is small enough they can get it in their mouths. Which makes my husband and I think they need more food we are just not sure what.  Does anyone have suggestions. 

Also twice in the past six weeks I have notice that Phaedra has has whole body muscles twitches after she eats some wet food. They don't last long, in about five minutes she had six or seven that lasted less then a second, and she wasn't upset. Then they go away.  She might be having more when we can't see her but I haven 't seen any.  I am going to call one of my vets tomorrow and ask about it, but I didn't know if anyone had any ideas here. I had been hoping to delay talking to the vet, Phaedra just had a follow up urine sample to make sure the specific gravity of her urine is okay, it was very high when we went to the specialist. But the twitches concern me. I wasn't sure if she was cold, (she feels cold when I pick her up,) has lost too much weight too quickly (which maybe why she is cold) or it was something else. I saw on wikipedia that a lack of magnesium could lead to muscle twitches and wasn't sure since she is eating less food with the wet food if could be that.  Anyway again suggestions would be nice if anyone has them.
 

Sarah
 

pookie-poo

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Cleo (Chronic Renal Failure 10+ years) used to shiver all the time (sometime for a few seconds, other times for minutes at a time.)  It was odd, because it never seemed to be associated with temperature (the house was warm) or fear/anxiety (she'd be sitting on my lap purring.)  She gets subQ fluids, and urinates a lot due to the CRF.  I posted about the shivering on the CRF yahoo! group board and was told to try supplementing B complex vitamins (they are excreted in the urine, and CRF cats are often deficient.)  Once I started the B complex, her shivering has completely gone away.  

I use Jarrow B Right B-complex, because it contains Methylcobalamin instead of Cyanocobalamin.  Methylcobalamin is better absorbed, retained and utilized than other forms of B12. 
 
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momofmany

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Hopefully you've spoken to your vet by now. Sorry I just noticed this thread this morning.

There is actually a rolling skin syndrome disease that some cats have. I doubt if your girl has this, but thought I'd throw it out to you for something to discuss with your vet.

I did a little bit of googling myself on this and found there could be a couple of things that could cause. Overly dry skin or allergies. If you live in a colder climate, your air might be dry and you may need a humidifier. It could be allergies, although it's odd that her skin only rolls shortly after eating and stops shortly afterwards.

Let us know what your vet says?
 
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semeagher

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Thanks for the reply, I have put in a call to the vet so we will see what happens. She seems to be better now, we gave her some tuna water and she seems to get better.  
 

mrsgreenjeens

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My Callie "shivers" every once in awhile, and I mentioned it to the Vet once during a visit, but she always gets an excellent report card from the Vet, so we've yet to find an explanation.  She usually does it at night when she's sleeping, so I think, for her, she's dreaming.  Sorry, that doesn't explain what it's happening to Phaedra, just thought I would give you my experience.
 

buddystorm

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My cat has the same issue and I have started feeding her Tuna and Salmon as they are both high in potassium and that can cause the twitches. Ive only been doing it a couple of days but the twitches are less and she is gaining weight and seems to have more energy.

My cat "Buddy" is 17 and has kidney decease, the food the vet gave her didn't help at all and she lost a lot of weight with my trying to force her to eat it.

I read on a natural cures website (for pets) about kidney cats not being able to handle preservatives and that the kidney diet doesn't work for some cats. They also shouldn't eat beef or organ meet.

Tuna and Salmon is working great on my cat so far......but its early days.
 

buddystorm

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OOOPS I meant to say having low potassium can cause the twitches so the salmon and Tuna hemp with that.
 
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