My cat has seizure-like episodes & back twitching. Is it hyperesthesia?

Question

Hi! My cat has been experiencing some kind of seizures. We have been to 4 doctors already and they ran a lot pf tests and in the end they said it was probably epilepsy but they can't tell for sure. Her back twitches and she gets scared and runs and hides. If you try to hold her she bites you but after a moment she calms down. These episodes happen mostly when she's stressed or scared. We looked into it online and it also looks like it could be feline hyperesthesia but how can we know? Pet's info: Cat | Siamese | Female | spayed | 1 year and 5 months old | 6 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

What you are describing sounds very much like feline hyperesthesia syndrome. Unfortunately, there is no definitive test for this condition - the diagnosis is made on the basis of history and clinical signs, as well as testing to rule out other possible causes for pain or neurologic problems that could be causing her symptoms. If Trufa does have hyperesthesia syndrome, she may respond well to a steroid like prednisolone, medication for nerve pain such as gabapentin, and/or anti-seizure medication such as phenobarbital. Acupuncture and laser therapy have also been shown to be helpful in some cases. I would recommend discussing this with your veterinarian - if he/she agrees that this could be the problem, they can prescribe an appropriate medication (or combination of medications) to try and decrease the frequency and severity of these episodes.

My cat has seizure-like episodes & back twitching. Is it hyperesthesia?

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