My cat possibly has Feline Hyperesthesia

I just found this website tonight and so far I have learned quite a bit. After reading the story Feline Hyperesthesia by Mary Anne Miller I decided to try to contact someone out there to see if there is any information about the treatment for this disorder/disease. My cat, Pipoca is 4 yrs old. He is a happy cat, but lately he's acting extremely off. He is doing exactly what Mary Enne talked about his skin is literally rolling and he jumps around the house like he could be having a seizure. I brought my baby to the vet ( a new vet to me) that was suggested by my boyfriend. They did a full work up of tests, including blood tests and found nothing. Allergies is what they say, but I do not agree. It's definitely Feline Hyperesthesia.

Does anyone know any treatments for this disease? Any other information or stories regarding your experience. If so, please let me know. I don't want to lose my baby.

Thanks

Well, if you don't agree with the vet then I would try another vet. Tell him specifically that you think your cat has this disease and that you want him tested for it. There are many reasons a cat could be "off". You cannot decide what is wrong with your cat and treat it yourself. Try another vet and if he comes up healthy then he probably doesn't have this disease. Here is some stuff I found about it:

Feline hyperesthesia syndrome is not a specific disease, but rather a set of signs, treatment cannot cure an afflicted cat, but merely mitigate the severity of these signs. Some cats respond well to corticosteroids. Others respond to anticonvulsant medications. In any case, a cat suffering repeated episodes should be taken to a veterinarian for a complete physical examination, including a neurological work-up, as the first step in making the correct diagnosis and relieving the cat from this mysterious affliction. It will be helpful for your veterinarian if you keep a diary of any odd "episodes" you witness - date, time of day, duration, after a meal?, after exercise?, etc..

The first signs of the disorder appear between the ages of 1 and 4 years if age. Signs include rippling skin on the cat's back just above the tail, widely dilated pupils, staring into space, persistent loud meowing, and sudden bouts of dashing off madly and aimlessly around the house or yard.

If "your cat" has a seizure disorder, it is relatively mild at this stage and does not require medication. Her behavior may make a diagnosis of feline hyperesthesia syndrome a strong possibility. Some veterinarians believe this syndrome is a form of seizure disorder so the distinction may not be important.

Feline hyperesthesia syndrome is also known as "rolling skin syndrome" (an easily pictured behavior), neurodermatitis and psychomotor epilepsy. It seems to be more common in Siamese cats than other breeds but is not restricted to this breed.

Seizures should not be taken lightly. They have many causes including brain injury, tumors, degenerative diseases, stroke, metabolic disorders and intoxication. The observed events with a seizure can vary from simply being "out of touch" and "staring into space" to a full blown Grand Mal seizure including the loss of consciousness.

There really is no "test" for it. You go by the symptoms, but your don't jump the gun and assume your cat has the symptoms either, because that can be dangerous to your cat's health. With Bacardi it was a matter of ruling out other diseases first, kidney problems, thyroid disease, liver problems. Not much is known about this, and unfortunately not much is known on how to treat it either. I would suggest a feline specialist take a good look at your cat and evaluate it. Don't go by what you just read in my article. Skin can ripple on cats for a myriad of reasons including, flea or food allergies.





Good luck!