Worried about Luna: Strange symptom; she's twitching (update #36)

**Emeraldgreen** · 12-07-2008, 11:31 PM

I hope the B vitamins work. It sounds like there might be some improvement already which is great.

I was also wondering if it might be her skin as Randi posted. I know you said it's her whole body but skin covers all of her so it still could be that. My cat Stinky has been having some food allergies (I think) and she has been pulling her fur out on her belly which is now pink. She too is twitching, sometimes on her face, or her body. I don't yet know what ingredient she is allergic to but I think the two are related.
Have you changed foods lately or introduced any new treats in their diet?
Or if the air is really dry and making her skin itchy, a humidifier might help.
Prayers that it is nothing serious.

**Kirsten** · 12-08-2008, 10:46 AM

Well, I'm really confused now... Luna did it again, yesterday in the evening when she came onto my lap. Today, I noticed the same in Lily, but only once. So maybe it's nothing serious after all...? Still, it doesn't look skin-related to me.

And no, Luna is not on some kind of medication. I changed her diet to Hill's s/d a while ago to dissolve her struvite crystals. But she's been on that diet before in the past. And in her last blood test, potassium was fine.

Right now she's in my lap again and the twitching happens every couple of seconds, down to her legs and paws...

Strangly enough, it seems to stop when I'm petting her.

Thanks for keeping Luna in your thoughts.

Kirsten

**LionHart** · 12-08-2008, 11:25 AM

Adding my thoughts and prayers for Beautiful Luna, and you.

**Kirsten** · 12-09-2008, 12:03 PM

Thank you!

She's still doing it. I'm getting the impression that it happens when she's relaxed.

Kirsten

**kittykatharine** · 12-09-2008, 01:16 PM

That is definitley strange. My kitties have all twitched, but it has always been because they were dreaming, they were itchy, or they were just plain cold.

I found this online, written by a vet:

There are a number of causes of twitching in cats, because this can be
associated with pruritis (itchiness) and there are a lot of causes of
pruritis. If this occurs very frequently during the day it is probably
more likely to be some sort of problem with itchiness. If it occurs
infrequently during the day then something like a focal seizure may be
possible. These are reported in cats more frequently than in dogs (at
least that is my impression, I'm not sure it is actually true). Twitching
is sometimes seen with liver disorders, pancreatitis, low blood sugar and
high blood sugar, as well. I think that toxoplasmosis causes enough
neurologic problems that twitching could be related to it, but haven't
seen that written anywhere.

One particularly common cause of twitching is feline hyperesthesia
syndrome, but normally the twitching occurs more along the flanks and top
of the spine near the base of the tail. Often, cats with this condition
are OK unless they are touched or petted, but many will have twitching and
even self-mutilation without any external stimulus.

Facial twitches have been reported with feline immunodeficiency virus
infection and sometimes occur when there is periodontal disease,
odontoclastic lesions of teeth or stomatitis in cats.

Ear mites make some cats twitch their heads or ears. Fleas can do this.
Allergies make some cats so itchy that they have skin twitching. Mite
infections (cats get several skin mites) can cause itchiness and twitching.

Your vet probably didn't see any clinical signs of skin disease or ear
mites and may think that the other conditions are unlikely. If this
problem is getting worse, if there is visible skin damage in addition to
the twitching or if you just want to know if a cause can be identified,
you should schedule a visit with your vet for this particular problem.
Sometimes I forget to take things that clients mention during an exam,
that isn't part of the presenting problem, seriously enough. I assume
other vets might do that, too.

Hope this helps some. Feel free to write back if you need clarification
about what any of these conditions are.

Mike Richards, DVM
2/16/2000

Keep us updated on the little baby, I am praying it is nothing serious.

**Kirsten** · 12-09-2008, 01:29 PM

Thanks a lot. Like I said, it doesn't look skin-related to me (fur and skin looks fine), and her blood has recently been tested. Liver and pancreas are okay.

What scares me is the mention of focal seizures.

Could be something like that, I think.

Strangely, it seems to occur more often when she's in my arm, like this:

In this position, she's twitching a lot, especially with her legs. Wonder if it's any kind of nerve damage in her spine, even though my vet doesn't think it's that.

Kirsten