Twitching Face, Ears, and Front Paws/Whining When Eating

[Soroxas]

My 15-year-old baby, Sam, just came back from the vet. He was having his teeth checked because he whines when he eats, and because his front paws looked as though they were trying to 'give out' when he stood or sat.

The exam came back that Sam's teeth were ultimately good, and he only had one cavity that the dentist didn't believe was a problem (not yet), and so therefore didn't extract it. He also said he checked his feet and didn't see any reason for weakness. So I brought him home.

But now I am kicking myself because I forgot to mention that Sam has been experiencing some twitching in his facial features and ears... and now I believe what I'm seeing in his paws is the same thing. He just had back surgery seven weeks ago, and I'm horrified that there might be some form of nerve damage done (though the face twitching was present one week before his surgery). Yesterday, after getting him back from the vet, the twitching was worse. I could feel him twitching all night while he was laying on my chest. He kept pawing at his face and licking his paws when it happened. I feel awful for him. I'm worried to death about him, and I've been waiting all morning for the vet to call me back, but he hasn't yet.

Does anyone know what might be causing the twitching or even the whining when he eats? To date, I have taken Sam to four different vets and each of them say his teeth are fine.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Did they actually do xrays of his mouth? Many, MANY cats have tooth resorption which isn't really noticeable until they check the dental xrays since it starts with the roots of their teeth.

As far as the twitching goes, twitching during sleep is fairly common, but anything other than that you really need to review with your Vet because there could be many reasons for it. Could be some sort of mineral imbalance, neurological issue, etc.

 

[Soroxas]

Did they actually do xrays of his mouth? Many, MANY cats have tooth resorption which isn't really noticeable until they check the dental xrays since it starts with the roots of their teeth.

As far as the twitching goes, twitching during sleep is fairly common, but anything other than that you really need to review with your Vet because there could be many reasons for it. Could be some sort of mineral imbalance, neurological issue, etc.

Yes, he did x-rays and even gave me a copy of them. He called me a little earlier and said that it sounded like a neurological problem, but then started leaning back toward a possible allergy to his new flea medicine. However, the timing doesn't quite fit. Sam started having the twitching issue one week before his surgery, which is three weeks before I gave him the flea medicine. BUT, I just remembered earlier that he put Sam on some new diet food two weeks before his surgery, so now I'm wondering if he's not allergic to the new food as he has been gaining weight as well since he started eating it (even though I feel like he's eating less of it than his old food). He also appears to be constipated and walking stiffly since I got home from work. He is curled up in his bed with his ears laying flat at the moment.

I feel like I have put Sam through so many procedures and vet trips lately... I honestly don't know what to do anymore. I called the vet again to run the idea of the food being the issue by him. I'm waiting for a call back right now.

 

[Soroxas]

I just found this article, and almost the entire list sounds like Sam.

Veterinary Care in Austin, TX | Southwest Vet

At Southwest Vet, our veterinarians are passionate about providing reliable veterinary care to the dogs, cats, reptiles, and small exotic animals of Austin, TX.

southwestvetaustin.com

I also read that itchy skin can cause cats to twitch.

I mean, I'm not a vet, but this is starting to sound like a food allergy.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

It's very possible Sam has gained weight on the new food because it might be more caloric. But he also could be allergic or sensitive to one or more of the ingredients. Is there a specific reason why the Vet put him on this food? Are the main ingredients (the proteins) quite different from his old food? For instance, was his old food turkey and the new food chicken? Many cats have chicken allergies, some have egg allergies, some wheat, or corn, or soy allergies, and the list goes on and on. Depending on the reason for the new food, you might need to switch him to a limited ingredient food for several weeks to see if there are any changes, AFTER your Vet determines it's not neurological.