My Cat Is Losing Her Balance And Vomits

[wingedblueshell]

Hello, forum!
Here's an update on my little cat, Frisk.

She's a neutered around 3-5 years old house-cat. Today I've noticed that she has been acting very strange and I am planning to take her to the vet tomorrow, but I'm hoping to seek people with similar experiences with their pet so I can maybe understand what's wrong with Frisk.

I've taken a nap this afternoon and Frisk was in her little bed which is a little hammock that attaches to the heater in my room. The heater wasn't on. When I woke up I saw Frisk climbing out of her bed as usual, but she suddenly lost her balance and flopped onto her right side before she kept walking and soon after slumped to her left. She has also vomited twice today, though she usually doesn't vomit ever.

I've gently picked her up onto a slightly higher platform for her to jump off of to see if she fell over again, and she did, twice again. Most of the time she seems to be lying down, and she has currently gone back to sleep in her hammock in my room.

I don't know what to do other than take her to the vet, but I am afraid of the costs it will cause. My family is saying things like "We don't need her anymore anyway." so they're not a help at all!

Has anyone had a similar event happen with their cat? What could it be? Perhaps there is some remedies I could try to help Frisk.

 

[maggiedemi]

Has she been vaccinated for Distemper?

 

[wingedblueshell]

She doesn't feel too weak and she was still eager to watch things happen outside, or roll around in the dirt. It's around 25-30 degrees Celsius outside. That's 77 degrees Fahrenheit. She has been meowing at me frequently, but that might just be because she's hungry. Should I give her food?

 

[wingedblueshell]

Has she been vaccinated for Distemper?

What is distemper? I do not believe so.

 

[maggiedemi]

The FVRCP Distemper vaccination is one of the 2 main vaccinations that cats usually get along with the Rabies Vaccination. Loss of balance can be a symptom of it. But when you got her spayed, did she get her shots?

 

[maggiedemi]

Panleukopenia is another word for distemper.

 

[wingedblueshell]

Has she been vaccinated for Distemper?

I have looked up on Distemper, though my cat doesn't have many of the symptoms listed.

Symptoms present:

• Vomiting
• Neurological symptoms in those cats in which virus attacks brain (e.g., lack of coordination)

Symptoms Possible/Haven't been observed:

• Chin resting on floor for long periods (She's doing it for short moments.)
• Feet tucked under body for long periods (She sits like that sometimes, but she always did.)
• Depression (Unknown.)
• Anemia (due to lowered red blood cells) (Unknown.)
• Weight loss
• Dehydration (Hasn't had anything to drink from what I've seen.)

Symptoms absent:

• Diarrhea/bloody diarrhea
• Complete loss of interest in food
• Some cats may hide themselves for a day or two
• Hanging head over water bowl or food dish but does not drink or eat
• Rough hair coat (Her fur is neat.)
• High fever (No fever from what I can tell.)

 

[wingedblueshell]

The FVRCP Distemper vaccination is one of the 2 main vaccinations that cats usually get along with the Rabies Vaccination. Loss of balance can be a symptom of it. But when you got her spayed, did she get her shots?

She was supposed to, but I was talked out of it. I should take her to the vet right away.

 

[wingedblueshell]

She was supposed to, but I was talked out of it. I should take her to the vet right away.

This means, tomorrow. It's closed for today...

 

[maggiedemi]

Yes, that would be best. That way the vet could let you know for sure and if she doesn't have it, maybe vaccinate her if she is healthy enough.

 

[wingedblueshell]

Yes, that would be best. That way the vet could let you know for sure and if she doesn't have it, maybe vaccinate her if she is healthy enough.

Yes. I was hoping for some remedies that'll help Frisk get better though, considering vet-visits are pricy and I don't like putting Frisk through the stress if it isn't absolutely necessary. (She hates being in a car, she starts crying loudly and clawing at the door.)

 

[Margret]

I think a vet visit is absolutely necessary. The obvious (to me) possibilities are:

• Distemper, as already mentioned. This is a truly vicious disease, and I very much hope she doesn't have it.
• Stroke.
• Inner ear infection. This is the one I'm hoping for, as it's fairly straightforward to treat, just a round of antibiotics. But it still requires a vet visit.

Until you can get her to the vet, make sure she stays hydrated. If you can get her to eat some canned food that's good. You may be able to tempt her with some KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer - comfort food). If neither of those works and she isn't drinking water you may need to get a needleless syringe and syringe feed her some water, just a little bit at a time in her cheek (between cheek and teeth) and then stroke her throat to encourage her to swallow.

Margret

 

[mservant]

A cat falling to one side is definitely not 'normal' and indicates a serious problem of some kind. It might be very straight forward and easily remedied and it might not but one thing is certain and that is - your cat does need to see a vet as soon as possible. Please let us know how things go at the vet.

 

[wingedblueshell]

So I went to an emergency vet because my current vet is unavailable. Stupid holiday.

I just came back. Frisk is still tumbling, but she was eating a bit of food earlier. I tried putting a little water on it, but then when Frisk approached the bowl again, she just hovered over it and nibbled at most. She really looked like she wanted to eat. She looks horribly skinny, too. She hasn't eaten or sipped a thing otherwise.

She's still tumbling too, struggling to keep her balance.

Here's what the vet could determine. Her heart and lungs sound OK, her blood flow is OK, her urine is OK with a little more protein than normal. She gave her a shot for heart- and bloodflow and another for mobility.

I'll have to wait until tomorrow and hope she'll improve.

 

[maggiedemi]

Did they test her for Distemper?

 

[wingedblueshell]

Did they test her for Distemper?

She'll be able to be tested tomorrow...

 

[maggiedemi]

Oh good. Please let us know the results. Hopefully it's something else, something easily treatable.

 

[mservant]

Ear infections too - ear problems can cause balance issues and nausea.

 

[wingedblueshell]

Ok, so I went to an animal clinic. Frisk's condition has potentially worsened. While she hasn't vomited anymore at all I've noticed that her eyes twitched towards her right side over, and over, and over. That wasn't there before yesterday, and it appears that she has been cocking her head to that side as well.

The vet clinic can't pin down what is wrong with Frisk. Frisk can't see well because her eyes can't focus. She hugs walls as she walks, but she is still responsive and acts as if nothing is wrong, going on her merry way. They don't think it's trauma, nor is poisoning likely. She hasn't been shot, nor does she show signs of having eaten poison, since she stopped vomiting.

It could be something that can go away on its own, or a middle/deep ear infection. They did an x-ray of her body to check for injury and a swollen ear, but the ear didn't seem to look off at all, so they're not sure if it's definitely an ear infection, though all signs point towards that.

I'm going to watch over Frisk this weekend. I'll keep the thread updated, and I'll visit the clinic with Frisk tomorrow.

Btw, I've noticed that I can calm Frisk down a lot by darkening the area around her with a blanket I have in my car trunk. She seemed a lot calmer while driving. Good to know!

 

[wingedblueshell]

*monday, not "tomorrow".