Very Nervous About Cat with Ear Infection

I do believe it's from all the itchiness. 
 

Thank-you for answering. You think the itchiness is even the weird jerky movements of the head? I wish I could put the video on here so you can see the behavior. It looked like her head tremored as she turned it, startled me because before her tics involved mostly facial ones although sometimes her head did move too. This looked different even though I thought I saw some tremors before. She'll be on prednisone for a week so hopefully she'll improve. The vet said this might all end after the seasons change but if not, we'll get to the bottom of what is causing her allergies. He said some cats have them year round. I know Grace's sister was wheezing a bit today. I was myself actually. I have asthma and allergies as well.
 

I think she's fine and that she's getting well. 

I appreciate your support and everyone who has responded to me offering advice. Unfortunately I think I might have to take her to see the neuro though. She had a rather strange episode this morning with the tics that has me so on edge that I've been in tears most of the morning. She was sleeping on a bed in the spare bedroom and I went over to see her. I was petting her and it seemed her paw was moving an awful lot as I pet her. It was her front one but I'm not sure if that's the matter of concern. What concerns me is she jumped up to look out the window as there were birds in the tree and she loves looking at them. Her face started to scrunch and twitch and she had some head tics as well. I was honestly stunned because this behavior never really occurred when she was not completely relaxed. It's as if looking at the birds triggered it. Then she layed back down on the bed and experienced 30 sec- 1 min of head tremoring as she was purring. I'm not sure if it was that long but for me it felt like an eternity until it stopped. It seemed to me too like her breathing pattern changed a bit too while this was happening. Doesn't this sound more like seizure activity than just allergies? I called up the Animal Hospital that is about 45 minutes away that has neurologists and it's about 250 just for the consult. Unfortunately right now I just went back to work and I have to pay my rent for September so I can't afford it for probably another couple of weeks which seems like torture to wait so long. I hadn't noticed her doing anything Saturday or Sunday but now this. She did vomit (I think due to eating too fast) yesterday but has been fine since. I'm just not sure if I'm jumping the gun with seeing the neuro or if I should just call or take her in to the usual vet again. Any advice again would be very much appreciated.

This is totally normal.  My cat does this frequently, especially if she is startled from a deep sleep.  I don't think you need to take her to the neurologist.  You need to let her be.  Let her get well and stop stressing over her.  She WILL pick up on it and that will affect her health and well being.  Listen to your vet.  From what you've said, she sounds like she's getting over a severe ear infection and that's it.  Don't borrow problems and don't read into normal behavior more than what is there.  If you're extremely stressed about things, especially with all the grieving you've been doing, you might want to talk to a counselor or talk to a doctor about some anxiety medication or look into some herbal alternatives.
 

Thank you Stephanie. You've been a great help, honestly. I am planning to see a grief counselor because I still can't get over my other cat's death. I couldn't even bring myself to put out his urn and it's been a couple weeks since it arrived in the mail. I'm actually on an anti anxiety/anti convulsant med already because ironically I have a minor seizure disorder but they haven't helped the anxiety, just my twitching. I feel like I am probably making her worse, constantly hovering. Good thing this week she gets a little break while I'm at work.

I think seeing a counselor is a very good idea.  Sometimes we all need a little help getting past things, it's just part of being human.

I don't know why I can't just try to let her be more. I think what is scaring me now more than anything is the head tremors she had yesterday morning. I went out briefly yesterday and when I came in, she was having more tics as she was relaxing. I tried to remain calm and just let her go to sleep. Then she was back to the birds and the tics were starting again. I trust what everyone says on here but why would bird watching trigger tics and head tremors? I just don't see how that is allergy related and why are they even more frequent? Like I said, my 2 older cats had some mild tremors before but they were much older and these were brief things. Before Grace had a few here and there and then I didn't see too much. I've been reading up on feline epilepsy and it said episodes can be triggered by excitement so I start thinking this all has to be connected. Don't you think? I am in work right now, during a prep period and I just got off with the vet again. I actually called there again and explained everything. Yesterday evening, I actually called the big animal hospital over here to ask about CT scan and MRI pricing. They told me it cost 1500-2000 dollars so needless to say I was in tears because if she does have a brain tumor, there is NO way I could even afford to have it diagnosed, much less treated. I am just so disheartened. I told the vet about this and he told me not to get so ahead of myself. He said to give her the prednisone, see how she does, and try to get the exact behavior on video. I don't even want to do this because seeing her tic is hard for me to even look at. I end up wanting to run! I feel awful but I keep thinking the head tremors after the tics are signs she is in pain, like shivering. He told me he still thinks it isn't serious and that just try to get the video, he'll examine her again and then we can discuss a possible neuro consult. I'm just stricken.
 

I made a thread back in mid August about my cat Grace. She is 5 years old and the vet tells me "very healthy." However, around August 8, she started having ear issues and itchiness so I took her to the vet on August 13. She was diagnosed with an ear infection and allergies. She was given a dose of steroids and ear drops. However, she started having facial twitches a couple days after going to the vet's. She had a couple episodes of them that made her head jerk as well. She had more over the next few days. Of course I was calling the vet a lot to see what he thought as I believed it was seizures. He told me he thought it was just her ear infection and allergies and to give it a chance to heal. I took Grace back to the vet a week ago on August 29 for a recheck because I still saw some abnormal head movements, although the twitching seemed to have ceased. He said her ears looked a lot better, but slightly irritated. He recommended another course of steroid to control her allergies. I tried showing him a video on Youtube of a cat doing what Grace did but he said it was "hard to say." Anyway the next day on August 30, she experienced more tremors and tics. I called him again and again he wasn't overly concerned. On Labor Day, she has the worst day ever. She experiences some head tremors and tics several times. The tics were happening as she watched birds while they occurred when she was at rest before. I called him (yes again) and asked if she should see a neuro. He says I am "jumping the gun" and he'd like to see the behavior on video, of her not another cat. Yesterday I arrive home from work and she is snoozing on the couch. I go over to greet her and she is purring, but then a slight tremor runs through her head and she experiences two quick facial tics. I ran to grab my phone but she didn't do anything after that and I filmed her for close to 7 minutes. I apologize to those who have heard my sob story before but I'm hoping more people can read this and respond. I just feel maybe  she should be seeing a neurologist or having extensive bloodwork and I'm not doing enough for her. I feel very powerless. The sad part is I know if she needs an MRI, I could never afford it. 2000 dollars is way out of my price range. If this was your cat, what would you do?

ETA: I asked the vet about the potential of kidney disease, diabetes, and brain tumor. He said he doubts all of them due to her age. He also said brain tumors are very rare in cats and he said I shouldn't think of that. However, what I read tells me she can have any of these things no matter how old she is.

Grace is behaving normally: she sees a bird, she is excited. As does my cat, Ritz.
Grace is behaving normally: she is sleeping, she is dreaming, she twitches. As does my cat, Ritz. (It is when Ritz is in a deep sleep and twitches that I know I can clip her nails without her knowing. Who says humans can't be sneaky too!)
Worried So Much is Worried Too Much

Ritz said:

Grace is behaving normally: she sees a bird, she is excited. As does my cat, Ritz.
Grace is behaving normally: she is sleeping, she is dreaming, she twitches. As does my cat, Ritz. (It is when Ritz is in a deep sleep and twitches that I know I can clip her nails without her knowing. Who says humans can't be sneaky too!)
Worried So Much is Worried Too Much

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For the sake of clarity, please confine all questions regarding one cat's health issue to a single thread.

I'm so sorry! I'm just desperate for answers.

I understand that cats can twitch when excited but these are tics that are jerking her head back and causing it to move. Her face is getting scrunched, she blinks, and oftentimes her head goes back, like the tic startled her. If you look at the video from Youtube from the other page, it's similar to that cat. She also has tremors, as in her whole head vibrating. It's just not normal. Also she wasn't sleeping when she had the tic yesterday. She had just woken up from a nap and was awake, purring, when this occurred. I'd love to believe I'm worried TOO much, but I just don't feel I am doing enough and in all likelihood, my cat has a brain tumor.

Maybe you need a neurologist to see her. That way you'd have some answers.

WorriedSoMuch said:

I'm so sorry! :shame: I'm just desperate for answers.

I understand that cats can twitch when excited but these are tics that are jerking her head back and causing it to move. Her face is getting scrunched, she blinks, and oftentimes her head goes back, like the tic startled her. If you look at the video from Youtube from the other page, it's similar to that cat. She also has tremors, as in her whole head vibrating. It's just not normal. Also she wasn't sleeping when she had the tic yesterday. She had just woken up from a nap and was awake, purring, when this occurred. I'd love to believe I'm worried TOO much, but I just don't feel I am doing enough and in all likelihood, my cat has a brain tumor.

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I don't have any answers but can offer my support. I completely understand where you are coming from, the watching, the hovering, the worry. I tend to be the same way with my cats and my dogs when there is something such as you describe going on. Then you start seeing things that you never noticed before and begin to think even that is not normal. It all snowballs. I had a dog whom I just lost. He had tremors that began the same way in his younger years and progressed as he got older. I use to watch him sleep, watch him all the time trying to figure out the same thing you are trying to figure out with Grace. It can make you crazy with worry. I do think that we know better than anyone else when something is just not right, at least in my experience. I did take my dog to a specialist actually quite a few times. It is extremely expensive but may be the only way to really get a diagnosis.

I would wait though, if I were you. Keep watching, loving and caring for your girl. I do hope that this turns out to be nothing and only the pain from the ear infection or even allergies. I watched the video and saw the slight twitches. Although, I am not certain that would be caused from allergies. :dk: I think your concerns and worry are warranted. :nod: I would be the same way if it were one of my cats displaying these twitches/mild tremors. I almost think though, that it needs to get a bit worse (and hopefully not :cross before I would follow through with spending money on a specialist. Right now, stay in contact with your vet. Don't feel you are bothering him. A good vet will understand your concerns and want to get to the bottom of what is going on with Grace.

I hope I helped in some way - but just know I completely understand your position and worry. For Jessie and you.

Peaches, I think I am leaning more and more in that direction of taking her to the neuro. The only thing is that it's about 45 minutes away from my home and Grace hates to even take the 10 minute ride to the regular vet. She yowls and sweats and becomes very bothered.

Feralvr, did you ever find out what was wrong with your dog? Did he have an MRI? I can save the money for the neuro consult, that shouldn't be an issue, but honestly I will never be able to save the 2 grand for an MRI so I will not get definitive answers which I desperately want. If this is idiopathic in nature, then fine but I don't want to one day wake up and find her very ill knowing I could have done something to help her. I feel I do know best in this situation but on the other hand, I'm not sure if maybe my emotions are telling me I have a gut feeling when I don't. I just agree with you that allergies would not cause this. When I have a break in work, I spend time on the net reading awful, dire things and just feel sick. The cat in the video is not mine but that's exactly what Grace does, sometimes it's once a day, or not at all (that I notice anyway) because as much as I want to hover and check her every minute I can't. She does scratch still. However, I've seen marked improvement in her ears, not as much head shaking, ear twitching or even licking at her stomach. It seems maybe the allergies are fading, yet she gets those facial tics and at times I see her head tremoring. My vet has been very understanding. I've called him numerous times. I think I lost count. He said the same that I need to take the "wait and see" approach before rushing into specialists. He said she looked neurologically sound to him but of course if she does something when relaxed, she won't do it at the vet's office when she is trembling in fear anyway. I guess I'm just at a loss on how to best help her. The sad part is that deep down I know that even if it is a brain tumor, the prognosis wouldn't be great anyway. The vet keeps telling me brain tumors are very rare and moreso in a 5 year old cat. However, many veterinary websites say that focal seizures which Grace could be having are often indicative of brain tumors.

The OP reached out to me privately and asked that I respond since I had recently started a thread about Boo's tremors/twitching that sounds a lot like what Grace is experiencing. I just did some "speed research" and have came across many other links and stories of cats having this same behavior. In the last half hour, I've seen a dozen videos of cats doing exactly what my Boo is doing, and I suspect what Grace is doing as well.

What seems to be a common factor is that the cat is in a RELAXED state and purring (not necessarily sleeping). Boo's tremors/twitches are always when he is relaxed and seemingly purring (although his purrs have always been very quiet and subtle). WorriedSoMuch, I also read where you said Grace was relaxed and purring when you noticed the twitches. I'm seeing a trend here. Perhaps it's nothing serious at all. Maybe it's a natural reaction to the vibrations caused from purring.

Below are some links to what I found.

Videos

My cat Natasha twitching before she goes to sleep -


Cat facial twitches / seizure - (This is the one the OP previously shared.)


Cat twitching whilst purring -


Lycan - Diagnosis Unknown Video 2 - (The leg/body tremors in this video are what Boo gets in addition to the facial twitches; I found this video through a TCS thread.)


Q&A / Articles

http://www.justanswer.com/cat-health/38vqu-male-cat-8-years-old-exhibits-facial-twitching-but.html

http://pamie.com/2012/07/our-friend-cal/

Explanations of Purring (which may help us to understand why purring could possibly cause facial twitches)

How do cats purr? - http://mentalfloss.com/article/12312/how-do-cats-purr

Why cats purr - http://pets.webmd.com/cats/features/why-cats-purr

Do cats breathe funny when they purr? - http://pets.thenest.com/cats-breathe-funny-purr-8382.html

Why and how a cat purrs - http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/05/why-and-how-a-cat-purrs/

In almost all instances in my research no reason or cure was found. FIP and toxoplasmosis were mentioned, but these are usually accompanied by a fever. Kidney disease, a heart condition or brain tumor were also mentioned. Boo was just at the vet for a dental not that long ago and his blood work was stellar. Given that, I'm thinking it's something that wouldn't get picked up by blood work. It could simply be caused by purring or he could have some underlying neurological issue (he also has FHS).

Okay...here's the thing, WorriedSoMuch. I am in the same boat as you, although not nearly as panicked by it. Boo is still eating, drinking, grooming, playing, going to the bathroom, etc. I had considered bringing him to a neurologist, but mainly for the FHS since those episodes clearly cause him distress. The subtle tremors and twitching are a mere curiosity for me. They don't seem to bother Boo, and now that I've had a moment to do some research, I see a lot of other cases where it coincides with being relaxed/purring. I am not a vet and this certainly is not my "diagnosis" for Grace. But if she's been purring more frequently lately because she feels better, then you coincidentally notice the facial twitches that result. I've seen videos of true seizures in cats (mild and grand mal). They are awful and nothing like what Boo has.

It's up to you whether or not you want to pursue this with a neurologist, but you have to be prepared for the financial and emotional elements and deal with it in a calm and collected manner. It doesn't do you any good to constantly hover over Grace and look for things that cause you stress. If you could put a blind eye to these twitches, does Grace seem otherwise happy and she's healing from her ear infection?

WorriedSoMuch said:

Feralvr, did you ever find out what was wrong with your dog? Did he have an MRI? I can save the money for the neuro consult, that shouldn't be an issue, but honestly I will never be able to save the 2 grand for an MRI so I will not get definitive answers which I desperately want. If this is idiopathic in nature, then fine but I don't want to one day wake up and find her very ill knowing I could have done something to help her. I feel I do know best in this situation but on the other hand, I'm not sure if maybe my emotions are telling me I have a gut feeling when I don't. I just agree with you that allergies would not cause this. When I have a break in work, I spend time on the net reading awful, dire things and just feel sick. The cat in the video is not mine but that's exactly what Grace does, sometimes it's once a day, or not at all (that I notice anyway) because as much as I want to hover and check her every minute I can't. She does scratch still. However, I've seen marked improvement in her ears, not as much head shaking, ear twitching or even licking at her stomach. It seems maybe the allergies are fading, yet she gets those facial tics and at times I see her head tremoring. My vet has been very understanding. I've called him numerous times. I think I lost count. He said the same that I need to take the "wait and see" approach before rushing into specialists. He said she looked neurologically sound to him but of course if she does something when relaxed, she won't do it at the vet's office when she is trembling in fear anyway. I guess I'm just at a loss on how to best help her. The sad part is that deep down I know that even if it is a brain tumor, the prognosis wouldn't be great anyway. The vet keeps telling me brain tumors are very rare and moreso in a 5 year old cat. However, many veterinary websites say that focal seizures which Grace could be having are often indicative of brain tumors.

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My dog had multiple health issues going on at the same time - he also was in the grey area for Cushing's on top of the neurological disorder. No, we did not have an MRI. We could not afford to do that and decided on a less expensive procedure. We were reassured that Wilbur was not in any discomfort with these tremors and twitches as hard as it was to see. We just got used to our trembling boy. He did have a muscle biopsy surgery and it was diagnosed that way. He had what the vets called as "Myotonia" with neuro tremors. http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/neurological/c_dg_tremors#.Uijzx6Io488 They progressed as he got older. They are not painful and never bothered him. I noticed the left shoulder beginning to twitch when he was about four years old, at rest and at play. It was not constant, but periodic and worsened with exercise. As he aged (and he lived to almost 15), the tremors progressed to his head/face and all four legs. We did not do the biopsy till he was about 9 years old and the tremors were almost constant by then. Worsened by exercise. By the time he was in his teens, the tremors were basically constant, even at rest. Almost, like Parkinson's in people.

I am in no way saying that your cat has this condition! I have NO clue as to what the symptoms mean in Grace. This is just food for thought since you seem to like to "research" the heck out of what may be ailing your cat, like me, "much to our chagrin" I am just offering up my care and concern for what you are going through, the worry that comes with the not knowing. I will keep up with your thread here in the hopes that everything will be alright with Grace in the long run. :cross: I think you ARE helping her more than you know. I still think you should follow what your vet is suggesting, he sounds very, very good and compassionate. IF this is something in the "brain", then you may just need to wait to see if the symptoms worsen over the next few months or even a year before following through with more expensive testing. I don't think Grace is in any pain or discomfort. It is also possible that she may have an allergy because licking the stomach and pulling out hair would be a tell-tale sign. Allergies would not cause on and off tremors.

Also, my vet always called me his "internet vet" with a chuckle. Honestly, going on the internet can be to your demise and just add to your worries. Believe me, been there, done that. :lol3:

Can I just say I think you guys are great?

GoHolistic, yes Grace is otherwise fine, thank God. She eats, drinks, plays, uses the box, jumps around, cuddles me all the time, plays with her sister Delilah, gets annoyed by her other kitty "siblings". She is as sweet as pie and wants to be with me all the time so that's another reason I notice everything. Thank you so much for doing all that research. I'm glad to see (well not glad) but to know there are other cats out there with these issues which might very well be a benign condition. One small thing, Grace did have the twitching when she was bird watching a couple times so she was in a hyper excited state then, not relaxed, so I'm not sure how that relates or not. My vet said that might have very well been "predatory" twitching??? But yes if I could turn a blind eye to her tremors and twitching, she is a perfectly normal, darling cat, which is what my vet said about her too. She has healed up I think mostly from her ear infection. She doesn't paw at her ears as much or fold her ears over.

Feralvr, thank you for saying you'll keep up with the thread and Grace's condition. I will update when I can. I'm still on the fence about the neuro visit since I don't want to stress her out unnecessarily. The poor thing gets so scared. She yowls so loud that it could wake the dead. I know researching on the net can be a bad, bad thing. I had my own bouts with health anxiety after doing that, now I have them with my cats. My vet told me I need to stop researching as well. Yes, she definitely does have allergies as confirmed by the vet. She had stomach irritation from the licking and itching. She also has irritation still in her ears, as confirmed by the vet. He said the infection was mostly gone but there was still irritation. She had some gunk in there too, which he cleaned. Today actually she was scratching again and doing some head shaking so I imagine that she is still having an allergy flare. My vet does claim, however, that allergies and pruritis (itching) can cause twitching in cats. I just don't buy it myself, but I'm not a vet.

WorriedSoMuch said:

Can I just say I think you guys are great? :grphug2:

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(((((( TO: GoHolistic, just want to say, EXCELLENT post above. ))))))

WorriedSoMuch said:

Feralvr, thank you for saying you'll keep up with the thread and Grace's condition. My vet does claim, however, that allergies and pruritis (itching) can cause twitching in cats.

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Your vet is right about the twitching and skin allergies. That can cause the skin to twitch from irritated and itchy skin. Tremors, like the ones my dog had, were caused by his muscle disease.

I wanted to add also, that I found a vet after we moved nine months ago who made house calls. That way she was able to see him calm and comfortable in the home and not stressed, shaking and nervous in the vet's office which made it impossible to differentiate between nervous shaking and the actual tremors plus being able to use her stethoscope with better luck to get a clear listen to his heart/lungs. His heart was what got him in the end. More vibes coming to you and Grace this evening.

I did indeed find a vet that makes house calls and I have been considering it. I doubt she will be relaxed though since she honestly only likes me and my mom. Most of my cats just have that timid personality.  Grace was shaking at the vet but he said he could tell it was fear and not neurological in nature.  Also, I do trust his judgement with listening to her heart since he helped diagnose, and essentially save my cat, when he found a heart murmur and we discovered his HCM. My cat lived almost another good 6 years with proper medication. Unfortunately he passed from cancer a little over a month ago It's just unfair that animals can be hit by more than one thing at once. I'm sorry for the loss of your dog as well and very much appreciate the good vibes. Grace had a good day yesterday. I didn't notice anything, or at least I don't think I did.  I tend to think everything she does now is suspicious in nature, however. She did meow at her water bowl again. I still can't figure out why she does that sometimes. The vet thinks it's nothing since she's not overdrinking or anything like that. I thought I solved the issue by putting a round bowl back because she wasn't fond of the square one but she meowed at it anyway. I changed the water just in case but still can't explain it.