My Cat is Having Constant Spasms and No One Knows Why!!! HELP ME!!!!

lycan709

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My cat is having spasms constantly. His whole body seems to be affected. He is only 1! It's been a month now, and no one knows what is going on. He is still eating/drinking/using the litter box/playing, but every time he lies down, he is bothered by spasms! He is experiencing random bolts of energy accompanied with frustrated cries, and he purrs too often, which worries me that he is in a lot of pain. He has had blood work and x-rays, but nothing has shown up as abnormal.

He is currently on medication for Epilepsy, but it is not helping at all. I think in fact, he has become worse. The spasms started in his back legs, and now his whole body is involved. He walks stiff legged, as if he does not want to bend his back legs - he also sleeps with all four legs stretched away from his body.

When he is playing, he lies down every few minutes to rest, and he often pauses to stretch his hind legs. He is having a hard time using his back legs - they tend to slip out from beneath him when he's running, jumping, or climbing. His eyes are a bit watery, and he tends to close his left one quite often. He has a weird look in his eyes like he's confused or upset.

He may be throwing up/or having bowel issues - I have found spots on the floor and have been unable to determine if it's vomit or feces, (it may belong to one of my other cats. I am uncertain because I have not seen any of them throw up). 

I am terrified that he is crying out in pain, and waiting for me to help him, and wondering why I'm not. I'm also horrified that he is slowly dying, and all I'm doing is watching him, because no one seems to be able to help him! I'm so worried and sick over this! 

And just so you know, he is an indoor cat. Here is a video, showing that spasms that he has (awake or asleep).

 

orientalslave

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When did you last see your vets?  Have you taken a second opinion?  Have you asked for a referal to a specialist?
 
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lycan709

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I brought him to the vet four times this month. I went a week ago, and I'm calling again tomorrow. They told me they would send him to a Neurologist if things didn't get better. But I'm afraid he's going to die while I wait for doctors to slowly figure it out! That is the medical system! And as for second opinion, I have called vet after vet, and no one knows what is wrong, and I've been searching and asking on the internet. Anything at all that I can do!
 

luvmyparker

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I wonder if he may benefit from acupuncture? If it's just spasms, it might help control them and give him some relief. Hopefully the spots you've found on the floor have nothing to do with it. Anywho, its something to bring up to your vet while waiting to see a Neurologist. Regardless, I hope you find out whats going wrong with your handsome boy soon! 

 
 

mrblanche

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OK, I have to say, I didn't see anything unusual there.  If he's purring, those motions are typical.
 
 

sugarcatmom

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I'm not seeing it either. My cats twitch and flail more than that when they sleep (what crazy dreams they must have!).

Do you have any video of him walking?
 

clynn11

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Very recently one of my strays got a major eye infection, which the vet believes caused her to get meningitis [infection of the membranes around the brain and spinal chord]. It can cause seizures or ataxia, but in our stray her muscles would tense up and move very slowly [kind of like your cat in the video... but your cat looks much more mild]. It was like she lost control of her muscles and they all contracted at once into a tight spasm and then would move around for about a two minute period. It's only happened twice for her, the first time which caused us to rush to the e-vet at midnight, and the second which happened at the vet- and the vet saw. They were a little puzzled by it because obviously something was going on, her pupil in the non-infected eye would dilate the entire time she was having them, and she would purr very, VERY loudly. She was also completely aware of us and her surroundings the entire time this was going on, she reacted to our fingers in front of her eye. It was just like her muscles weren't of her own anymore. The vet said she thought it was probably meningitis that was causing her to have these epsiodes. If that's not something you've discussed with your vet- maybe you should in case there is an infection in his body that's not visible that is causing this.

But then again.. from the video it also kind of looks like he's just a heavy sleeper and super twitcher in his sleep.  I have kitties like that too :)

I hope everything turns out okay
 

simka

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This reminds me a little of a foster called Diego who I looked after for about two years. He was FIV+ and had had a very rough life on the streets, managing to survive a racoon attack that left him with a massive permanent scar across his neck and a few bb pellets that couldn't be removed. He developed pain in his jaw (we think, some vets thought inside the mouth) which had him screaming and literally climbing the wall. No-one could ever figure out what was wrong with him. One vet suggested that the FIV virus had damaged the nerves on one side of his jaw, and that seemed the most likely.  All vets (he saw six, I believe) agreed it had nothing to do with damage from the racoon attack or the bb pellets, even though they were close to the area affected. The only thing we could do was treat the nerve pain which had to be done through an oesophageal tube because Gabapentin doesn't come in an injectable form (much to my very great regret) and the pain was far too great to pop a pill in his mouth no matter how fast. The shelter decided to try acupuncture but it actually made the pain more frequent. I hope you can see a veterinary neurologist.
 
 

clynn11

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Also the stiff legged thing is one of the major signs of ataxia, so i'd definitely ask the vet about that.
 
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lycan709

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Okay, for everyone who says he is dreaming, he has these spasms when he is awake and sitting up too. It was just easier to video tape it while he was sleeping, because he always gets up when I bring the camera close to him. I have another video on youtube that shows this. Look up Diagnosis Still Unknown Video 2 and  you will see. 

For those of you who actually took this seriously, thank you for your advice. Everything that has been said, I will mention to my vet. I am going tomorrow and I want to be armed with all possibilities, so I can figure out what is wrong. Thanks a lot! 
 
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lycan709

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Well after many tests, saying that there is nothing wrong with him, the Neurologist said that it's most likely FIP which is difficult to diagnose, and a death sentence. He said the only way to know for sure that it's not something else, is by giving him a brain fluid analysis, and he said that is a risky surgery, and there is a large percentage of animals who die during it. So I think I have no real choice but to stop searching and let him live what life he has left, stress free? What if it turns out it's not an infection, and he died on the table for nothing at all? And the vet said that it's unlikely that if it is an infection in the brain, that we'll be able to help him. There's always a chance, but unlikely. I'm so horrified by the situation. I don't want to ruin what life he has left by looking for a cure and stressing him out, when the likeliness is grave:( I hope I'm doing the right thing:(
 

tjcarst

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I do hope it is not FIP.  For now, love him and give him lots of attention.  Enjoy each day.  I am hoping that it is something else and this will go away.  Since there is not a simple test to confirm, I'd not worry much yet.  If you do see his health start to decline, you can put more thought into the best decision for both of you.  For now, I'd just spoil him rotten.  :-)
 

graill

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Looks like nothing more than a cat having a dream and some light movement, which again is common, they do if you were unaware of this. I am not seeing what you refer to as spasms. The movement shown certainly is not.

Now if your cat has these slight glitches when fully awake, while sitting, playing, or walking, then yes i would have the animal checked out, from what you have shown us i see nothing wrong.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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Oh dear...I do hope this "probable" diagnosis is not correct.  In the meantime, I don't think I would do the brain fluid analysis either, given the danger involved
, especially since, as far as I know, there is really no cure.  I would take this one day at a time and if he gets worse, then think about Plan B.  For now, though, I think I would do exactly what you are doing.
 

dianev66

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What are you feeding him and when was he last vaccinated?  Have you used any flea/tick products or heartworm meds recently?
 
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lycan709

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I feed him Whiskas Meaty Selection, and canned wet food. A mixture of the two. I'm planning on changing over to all wet food soon. And he was last vaccinated six months ago. No, I have not used any products on him. He does not have fleas/ticks/heartworm. 
 
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lycan709

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Thanks mrsgreenjeens:) Makes me feel better that someone else would make the same choice.
 

emilyrose

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If there's not much you can do to help him, I'd at least offer him Bach Rescue Remedy for pets. Yes, it's kind of pricy but will last a while. It's a stress reliever for animals. My 14lb. kitty gets 2 or 3 drops to mellow her out, and 4 drops if we have to leave the house (she hates the car). Also, feeding your kitty the highest quality food possible (grain-free for sure), is going to help him have a better time. I'd recommend checking out a local pet food store for better products than you'll find at petco. And if you really wanna dive deep into kitty food info, check out this lady, she knows a ton: http://www.catinfo.org/

My kitty has been twitching just like you're talking about, and I've just been doing some research on it. It has come and gone, and usually only happens after a stressful experience. I just found info on Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feline_hyperesthesia_syndrome

My kitty has been licking her tummy bald for so many years, probably around six or seven. I've thought it was food allergies, and we've done EVERYTHING to attempt to help her itching. Or so I thought it was itching... Now I'm wondering, since she's been twitching, is it FHS??? I've watched some videos on youtube with kitties with FHS and it looks similar to what's going on with my CaliCat. Just a tidbit more for you to check out.

Good luck to you and your pretty pet! 
 

burretje

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I was thinking the exact same thing: Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome. I know the story of a cat who has this and in bad periods can hardly walk because his muscles are so sore and stiff. An osteopath helped him tremendously.

About the FIP diagnosis... It strikes me as odd. You mention that bloodwork was done. FIP cannot be diagnosed conclusively, but as far as I know if your cat had FIP the bloodwork should be abnormal. Have a look at this site for more information about FIP: http://www.dr-addie.com/WhatIsFIP.htm#Diagnosis of FIP

Lots of love for you and your cat. I know how awful it is to know that something is wrong but not knowing what or how you can help him. 
 
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