Bella is 4. She started twitching when she was 21/2. Running all over, licking herself frantically. Her ears also move. Tried Gabapentin. We couldn't seem to get it in her & she wouldn't eat if sprinkled on her food. Using a calming diffuser & treats. Buying a calming bed. Would be interested in get a cat friend but she gets pretty frantic & can bite easily at times. If feeling well she is quite social & seems to like people.
many tips?
Hi Marcia and thank you for your question. This is Dr Linda, a vet with 11 years of small animal clinical experience.
I am very sorry to hear about this diagnosis, it can be such an upsetting and frustrating condition to manage.
Firstly, we aim to control any itch as best as we can, as itch is so often a trigger. This means immaculate flea/mite prevention and treating any underlying allergies, as well as the use of anti itch medicine where needed. Steroids and imega 3 supplements can be useful for many.
We also want to regularly check for any source of pain such as a oral resorptive lesion in her mouth, an ear infection or anal gland disease.
Gabapentin is often something I trial too, but if it does not help, I'd consider alternative medicine; perhaps Fluoxetine or Clomipramine.
Other things that help some cats include e.g. acupuncture and physio; it really depends on the patient and can be quite trial and error.
Whether or not getting another cat is a sensible idea, is a big decision and really up to you. It is important to state that many cats prefer to be 'lone rangers'. If she is not used to licing with other cats, it is worth fostering first, to see how things go.
@Marcia In a bowl I mix the gabapentin really well with 1ml of water and then mix in a tube of Churu really well (puree cat treats you can get at Walmart or Amazon). I first made sure to let my baby have one of the Churu tubes without any medication in it so he would see how delicious it is and want it every time he smelled it nearby. My baby has a different issue going on, but one of the same meds so figured I woud share in case it helps. I am also able to do this with prednisilone and the over the counter allergy med my vet recommended. The water helps "water down" the taste so it is subtle (he knows something else is in there but still laps it up). Hope this helps you!
