Cat is sick i need help

[NHGIRL]

I feel like i am running out of options and my cat needs help. My cat Pepper is 7 months old and is the sweetest cat ever. She is a domestic short hair. After about 2 months after getting her i woke up one morning and she was shaking and trying to walk and she could not stand up she was crawling everywhere and she was breathing really heavily. I brought her to the vet and they gave her an IV and tested her for aids, leukemia and heart worm (all came back negative). They gave her clindamycin and she seemed to be much better. A few months past and it happened again and this time it came with diarrhea and vomiting and seemed much worse. Once again we brought her to the vet and they thought she had toxoplasmosis (sorry if i misspelled) all the tests came back negative again and after another $300 hospital bill i had no answers and another round of clindamycin she was doing better. Tonight she is doing it again and i have NO idea whats wrong. We also got another cat and the new cat shows no symptoms at all and the vets are useless because they tell me they just dont know whats wrong. Anybody have this same issue? i need help because it is breaking my heart to see my cat like this. I would appreciate anything that can help, thank you for taking the time to read this.

[RUSTYcat]

First, welcome to the forum, NHGIRL!

My "gut" response is that Pepper may be getting into/coming into contact with some toxic substance. Three acute attacks, all overnight at intervals of a few months. Symptoms are shaking, heavy breathing and loss of mobility, then add diarrhea and vomiting.

You said "all the tests came back negative"...besides the FIV, Leukemia and Heartworm tests, what other tests were done? Was a urinanalysis done?

Is there a cat-only clinic available in your general area? If you're unsure, you could use this site to find a recognized feline Vet http://www.catvets.com/findadoctor/findadoctor.aspx I'd certainly be seeking an alternate, expert opinion if I were in your position.

If there is actually a household toxin involved, it needs to be found quickly - especially considering that there's now a second cat in the picture. I suggest you select one room, search it thoroughly for anything she might get into and, when you're sure it's safe, seclude both cats in there.

Think carefully...was any special cleaning done just before she became sick this time? Perhaps the bathroom? Household cleaners/cleansers can make a cat extremely ill - or worse. Obviously, it's a periodic issue...so, consider that in your investigation.

Are you "new to cats"? Did you cat-proof your house before Pepper came to you?

[14+kitties]

Epilepsy? Diet related seizures? Sounds familiar to me. My toy poodle who was just put to rest at 17 years old had the exact same symptoms. She had seizures directly related to the food she ate. Mostly red meat.

[NHGIRL]

Hi Rusty Cat and 14+ kitties thank you so much for getting back so quick. I didnt even know they had a urinalysis is that something that will determine the toxin? My other kitten (Pumpkin) is perfectly fine and healthy so i assumed it was not a toxin. I clean every week and i usually use Fantastic for my cleaning (multi purpose cleaning) i even told the vet that and she said that it was not harmful to the cat. Literally pepper will be laying down perfectly fine then the next minute this happens. The other test was a blood test and a toxoplasmosis test but thats it. (when they did the test they also checked her kidneys, liver and heart). I am a first time cat owner and i am pretty sure we cat proofed the house but i may be wrong. I was thinking seizures as well but i dont know if they can confirm that.

[sugarcatmom]

Where did you get your kitty from? Was she vaccinated prior to the seizures? If so, which vaccines did she receive?

[NHGIRL]

Hi Sugarcatmom,

I got her from a friend who had a brother and sister cat from the same litter and they ended up procriating and thats how i got pepper. She was not vaccinated before this all happened and she was only 8 weeks old.

[Jim Hall]

i agree sounds like toxins also is she dehydrating at all ?

[RUSTYcat]

What the urinanalysis would do is provide some indication of her kidney function - certain toxins "retard" that, either temporarily or permanently. But, it could provide clues to what has/is happening. Ingestion of certain toxins could certainly change the ph balance of the urine...so again, it could provide one more piece of a puzzle.

The blood tests - they're similar to "standard" health wellness bloodwork for humans - should provide (among other things) information about liver function...and the liver is often a target for toxins.

I saw the suggestion re allergy (causing seizure)...personally that rings no bells for me (in what I'm hearing).

Did you do any cleaning just before this latest occurrence...i.e. within the past two days? Was anything new/strange/out of the ordinary brought into the house over the past few days?

(Re the Fantastic....it's not something I have/would have here whether/not any Vet would provide an OK for it - plain, simple dish soap is what's used here for all types of cleaning...and this place is spotless and sanitary...safely so.)

Do you have any plants/vegetation in the house? Did you bring any unusual produce (fruits/veggies/etc) into the house very recently?

One other thing - do you know if she chews on electric cords/plays with plugs etc?

Just because Pumpkin is well would not be a reason to rule out toxic exposure.

(I don't think that the meds she was given [it's an antibiotic] would have anything to do with her previous recoveries.)

I would still persue finding a cat Vet.

An update is in order as well...it's been 12+ hours since you posted - seemingly in the middle of an episode. What has/is happening since?

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by NHGIRL

Hi Sugarcatmom,

I got her from a friend who had a brother and sister cat from the same litter and they ended up procriating and thats how i got pepper.

Hmmm, I do wonder what the long-term repurcussions of such a closely related breeding would be. I wouldn't count it out as possibly playing a role here, even if only indirectly (eg, weakened immune system).

Originally Posted by NHGIRL

She was not vaccinated before this all happened and she was only 8 weeks old.

Okay good. Has she been vaccinated since? If so, I would NOT give her anymore in the future, as only 100% healthy animals should be vaccinated.

One more thing, do you know if she was running a fever during these episodes?

[NHGIRL]

I am sorry i have not updated you guys on her status. I woke up this morning and she jumped right on the bed she can walk perfectly fine now she still has a little shakes in her head but she seems fine now. Like i had said before we usually clean at least twice a week the same way we always do. There are no plants in the house or flowers. No fruit or anything as well. She does like to play with power cords and such but never ones that are plugged in (why do you ask?) i have a video of what is going on so i was going to bring her to the vet tomorrow but i just hope they dont stand there and say they dont know ( like the pet hospital vet did ). Thank you all for being so helpful i really appreciate all of you taking the time out of your day to help me with this situation

[RUSTYcat]

Originally Posted by NHGIRL

...She does like to play with power cords and such but never ones that are plugged in (why do you ask?)...

Electrocution from chewing on an electrical cord is the single most common type of electrical injury in household pets http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/...tric_cord_bite

i just hope they dont stand there and say they dont know

Some people seem to believe that diagnosis in feline medicine should, by nature, be made quickly, if not instantaneously...as if somehow crystal balls are granted to graduates of Veterinary Schools. From my experience, I'd venture to say that Veterinary Medicine has quite a bit of catching up to match the human side of things.

I maintain, however, that you and Pepper will almost assuredly be better served by a feline practitioner.

Also - from what you've said so far, it would seem like a good investment to do a little Googling on cat-proofing IMO. (Or, if you want some bookmarks of mine, just ask.)

For my part, you're welcome for the time invested.....you can repay that if you report back on the eventual diagnosis. That way, your experience will be added into the knowledge base here - and probably help another kitty somewhere down the road.