Why is my feverish kitten twitching?

December 14, 2009 7:19 PM

Why is my feverish kitten twitching?

My 9 month old kitten has had a fever since Sunday. I took her to the emergency vet when she didn't seem to get better on Sunday, and he gave her some antibiotics and an antiinflammatory, and a subcutaneous fluid injection t okeep her hydrated.

Today (Monday) I brought her to my regular vet because she wasn't any better-- still not eating or drinking. She still had a fever, and my regular vet took blood and gave her another fluid injection-- she thinks it might be a virus. She gave me a syringe and suggested I try force-feeding her some high-nutrient wet food if she doesn't start eating on her own. Since she refused food when I got home, I followed the vet's orders and have given her three syringes full of food (mixed with a bit of water)-- 30mL each-- over two sittings.

Now she's doing this weird twitching thing. Her skin and paws twitch, then she starts frantically licking it. Her ears twitch wildly and she starts shaking her head. It comes and goes in little fits... is it just from the stress of the last two days?

Thanks in advance for any help.

posted by wo to Pets & Animals (12 answers total)

Did any of the vets rule out poison (by houseplant, for example)? The twitching could be benign muscle spasms due to stress and might not be; if you can call the emergency vet and ask about this over the phone, it's probably better to do that. I know the emergency vet is expensive, but kittens are weird. They can go on you pretty fast. Good luck.
posted by Medieval Maven at 7:36 PM on December 14, 2009

Oh no! I don't know what it is, but I just wanted to offer support and well wishes for you and kitty. Please keep us posted.
posted by Maisie at 7:41 PM on December 14, 2009 [2 favorites]

She might be twitching and licking because she's itchy and/or having intense skin sensations. Definitely call your vet, but in the meantime, see if petting and massaging her paws and skin helps relieve some of the tension.

One of my cats has really bad asthma and when she starts coughing I try to calm my energy and pet her with really slow, peaceful strokes. It find it helps me calm down too, because sometimes it feels like there's nothing I can do.

I hope it works out and I'm sending some good energy your way too (asthma cat is on my lap as I type). We're rooting for you both.
posted by iamkimiam at 7:59 PM on December 14, 2009

Don't waste time on us. Call your vet and see what they think. Best wishes to you and your kitty!
posted by stray thoughts at 8:16 PM on December 14, 2009

I had to give my kitty eye droppers of pedialyte for a few days when he was young. Now he's a fat and happy 7 year old.
Let know when the blood work comes back.
posted by tresbizzare at 8:22 PM on December 14, 2009

Let us know. Best wishes, I hope she's ok.
posted by tresbizzare at 8:25 PM on December 14, 2009

I had a cat that would lick her fur compulsively, to the point that she was licking her paw raw until she couldn't walk on it. It was an allergic reaction, she was in fact allergic to milk and fish (my vet told me that, surprisingly, those are the two most common allergies in cats). Your kitty might be having an allergic reaction -- either to the food, or possibly to the medication she got.

Definitely call the vet. Good luck. Hope your kitty is all right.
posted by stennieville at 9:19 PM on December 14, 2009

This is a neurological symptom caused by we don't know what. It's definitely a cause for concern and needs attention. Please call your vet or an after hours number if it's not daytime any more.
posted by shelleycat at 9:30 PM on December 14, 2009

please take kitty back to the vet. my kitties and i hope to hear good news in this thread soon - you guys are in our thoughts!!
posted by xiaolongbao at 9:58 PM on December 14, 2009

Response by poster: Hello all,

Thanks so much for your support. I'm still waiting to hear from the vet about the bloodwork, but she seems to be doing a bit better this morning. She was up and about when I got up, and she ate some of her breakfast on her own. The twitching seems to have mostly subsided, but I will definitely mention it to the vet when she calls with the bloodwork results.

Will keep you posted.

Thanks again :)
posted by wo at 5:11 AM on December 15, 2009

I'm glad you took her to the vet; keep us posted.

My contribution is that this could be caused by ear parasites. Is she rubbing her head on things (more than usual), especially the fronts of her ears? You might have to buy some drops at the pet shop or vet, but please be careful not to splash that poison around her face. I've done this with my cat... the twitching went away, but I never knew if mites were the cause.

My cat twitches her paws right before licking them occasionally... at this point (she's in her early teens) it's a personality tic. But she does it more often when she is stressed out.
posted by mostlybecky at 2:19 PM on December 18, 2009

Any news on kitty?
posted by Maisie at 11:38 AM on December 22, 2009