Behavioural or Physical?

[Amanda (mad4moggies)]

Lulu, I also meant to add that in case you do go to see a specialist it might be worth taking a video (even if it is just a brief one on a mobile phone) of your cats behaviour during one of these episodes. I did this before my own cat visited a specialist and they found it quite useful.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

yes I think a second opinion is definately needed.

[Amanda (mad4moggies)]

Hi Lulu,

I`m so sorry to hear that you still haven`t got to the bottom of things. If you have insurance then it would probably be a good idea to push for a referral asap. The signs you mention do sound very neurological so it would be a good idea to get a diagnosis very soon incase there is some treatment. The best thing would be to ask your vet if you could have an appointment with a neurologist where they will probably perform an MRI scan to check for brain lesions etc. It doesn`t really sound like an ear problem as you would expect it to be always there instead of at certain times of the day.

My own cat Daisy has very similar signs to those that you describe. She circles about once every 2 days, walks with a bit of a swagger and has had one seizure which was about 2 years ago. She had various tests including an MRI which showed no tumours but she was later diagnosed with a disease where her body is storing some waste products from it`s cells. She has been like this since she was born so it is a bit different and it doesn`t cause her a problem. The fact that your cat has been circling sounds like it is more than something like hyperthyroidism and the blood tests that a normal vets can offer may all show as normal even if there is a neurological problem. Also some liver diseases can show some neurological signs.

I hope you get some answers soon and i wish you the best of luck.

[Millys Mum]

Sorry to hear Audrey isnt any better. Did you manage to get any scans done?

[LuLu]

Well it's been about 2 months now & we are no closer with trying to establish what is wrong with Audrey  .  She still goes into her own little world every 3 days or so following something on the floor that only appears to her.  I have also noticed her behaviour changing subtletly in between these episodes.  At times she will be quite clingy and although she doesn't want to be cuddled she will remain close to us.  Then she will change into aggressive mode and growl if we stand near and if we try & play then she will bite down with all the power in her jaws.  And every so often she has 5 minutes of complete madness where she will tear around the house like a kitten.  Her head shaking also seems to be getting more frequent. I have tried explaining all this to the vet but they can find nothing physically wrong with her. We are going to get bloods redone in about 4 weeks as they mentioned her thyroid result was high & could possibly indicate the start of hyperthyroidism.  I've started to think that perhaps she is getting Alzheimers as this appears to be recently proven as existing for cats.  Does anyone have experience of this with their cats & any recommendations of what I can do to push the vet along to a diagnosis?

[LuLu]

Thanks Gillian, I'll ask the vet next time we are in.  It is becoming a little frustrating having to wait weeks to isolate things one at a time.  If only the little things could talk

[Gillian Harvey]

I know your vet checked her ears, but did she consider perhaps a middle ear infection? I don't think this shows itself as infection in the ear as such - so there wouldnt be anything obvious to see, but it affects balance. Its just that years ago my cat Cassie seemed disoriented, not walking straight, wobbling when walking, shaking her head, and my vet thought maybe middle ear infection - she had a long course of antiboiotics and was fine after, no further probs. Just a possibility maybe.

[LuLu]

Hi there, thought I'd give a quick update following our visit to the vet's.  I explained that the beahviour was occurring in regular bouts & she seems to think it is neurological.  I've noticed that Audrey (that's my baby not the vet) is shaking her head quite a bit.  The vet checked her ears for sign of infection but nothing there.  She also checked her eyes again but could not see any damage. 

However I'm a little confused that she has sent me away with some feliway spray to rule out any possibility of behavioural issue.  Soon after we got home she went into a 7 hour episode.  There had been many dogs in the waiting room of the surgery so perhaps this stressed her out & set her off.  Anyway, the vet has said to give it another couple of weeks with the Feliway & then see how she is.  Do you think I should be more assertive & just ask for x-rays & further testing?   

The vet seems to think it is neurological but I think she is hesitating for some reason.  I have insurance so should hopefully be able to get costs covered.  Any thoughts appreciated.

[Elaine]

Poor Tango, must be very upsetting to see her like that.  I hope you get to the bottom of the problem soon and I wish her well xxx

[Ela]

Tango was on steroids for a time but to be honest it was almost 10 yrs ago now so I cannot really remember, I do know she had a good life for a long time after the first signs.
Lucy was given steroids for life, although not good long term they were the only thing to help keep her going and gave her an extra 4 months of quality life. However as I mentioned Lucy was much older. Of course also as previously mentioned so many symptoms are the same for so many different ailments.

[LuLu]

thanks, I've called the vet & booked a check-up with potential referral for scans.  Did Tango have any treatment or ongoing medication to alleviate any relapses?  It's been quite distressing to see her like this & I would love to know that we have more time ahead of us.

[Ela]

That is exactly how my Tango behaved after she had a stroke aged about 12. (she lived may many years after). Also my Lucy acted like that and the vet thought she may have a brain tumour. Unfortunately she was much older and only survived a short time so we did not have the chance to get to the bottom of it.

Of course so many different conditions have almost the same symptoms

If it were my cat I certainly would explore every avenue

[LuLu]

Hello, I'm looking for advise from anyone who may have experienced similar behavior with their cat(s).  I have a 12yr old girl adopted from the rspca 6 mths ago.  3 weeks ago she seemed to have some type of seizure & started walking in a circle for 5-10 mins then walking alongside the walls sniffing at them.  The vet was unable to pin-point anything following blood tests for kidney, liver & thyroid.  She seemed to have an upset stomach & was given some pain killers & feeding & toilet habits returned to normal after a couple of days.  If anything her appetite has increased since.  However, every couple of days now she seems to relapse in the evenings & go into a little trance where she is in a half crouch position, looking alert & following something on the floor.  Her moves are cautious & she often crosses her front legs over when moving around.  She is non-responsive to us during these episodes & even though she will sit in her litter tray she ends up spraying on the carpet.  By next morning she is back to normal.  The vet had mentioned that it may indicate a brain tumour but you can literally set your clock to when she will have these episodes - every Monday, Wednesday & Saturday so far.  She is an indoor cat & there have been no changes to her environment that would point to distress.  Even so I have tried giving Bach Rescue Remedy to calm her nerves as she does seem more on edge.  I am wondering if I should go in for x-rays to check on brain activity or explore the behavioural side more.

Any feedback welcome!