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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

feline hyperesthesia syndrome

6 replies

givememoremoremore · 31/07/2023 21:14

Our cat Napoleon has been given this condition as a working diagnosis by the vet.
He presented 3 weeks ago with a new aggression, hissing, attacking us and the kids as well as himself.
Took him to the vet who said he needed 3 teeth taken out but couldn't find anything else.
When my husband took him back for the check up on his stitches, a second vet said he could have this condition (i have never heard of it) and commenced him on 10 days of steroids. He's on day 8 and is no better, in fact he is worse... I can't stand to see him in so much distress. Does anyone know what I can do or is the kindest option to have him put to sleep?
Thanks in advance x

OP posts:
givememoremoremore · 03/08/2023 10:48

Bump bump bump

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 03/08/2023 13:56

Is it worth trying some gabapentin to settle the nerves down? I'm sure I've heard of this before in here.

Shellingbynight · 04/08/2023 15:13

One of my cats had hyperesthesia syndrome but nowhere near as dramatically - he was not aggressive to us and it did not require medication.

It sounds to me like your cat is in pain. I would take him back to the vet for a second opinion / further investigations to see if the source of the pain can be identified and resolved. If it can't, I would let him go. I'm sorry, it must be so hard for you to see him in such distress.

MistyMorningMelons · 04/08/2023 15:19

I agree I'd try a different vet perhaps?

One of mine has very probable hyperesthesia, but she just has random episodes of skin rippling/staring into space/howling while running, then shakes it off and carries on as normal. She is sensitive, but, for example, loves to be brushed and enjoys quite hard stroking/scratching from humans so I'd definitely want to be ruling out something else in your shoes.

givememoremoremore · 04/08/2023 15:42

We went back to the vets yesterday.
I asked the vet (a different one but from the same practice!) about him being put to sleep, basically said (typical farmers daughter!) that bottom line is, I know he's only 5, but if this is our working diagnosis I wasn't prepared to go through umpteen treatments on a trial and error basis spending loads and loads (we're at £500 already! teeth out, steroids did nothing, gaba did nothing...) and see him in pain and distress all the time and she said she didn't think he needed to be PTS but I should think about rehoming him! 😮😮😮😮😮 I said I wouldn't do that and he's my responsibility!! She said that he could be stressed out from the kids, but surely that wouldn't come on suddenly? 🤷🏻‍♀️
So... I have agreed one more line of treatment, pending on results of these other things she wants to try, and I have a £1000 limit (no insurance!). She now wants a urine sample collected, the vet checked his anal glands (my poor husbands arms got ripped to shreds!) and he's been started on amitripyline... so we wait and see!
Thanks for all your help, I will update when I know more! X

OP posts:
lifesrichpageant · 22/12/2023 05:24

Hi - any news on this? Our cat has hyperesthesia so am looking for others experinces. Gabapentin seems to settle it somewhat.

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