Head Shaking

[Puffball (Louise)]

I think you were right about the furball, she seemed ok this morning which was good as we had an appointment at the groomers I would have had to cancel otherwise. She has eaten today but not as much as normal, I thought that could be the stress of her first visit to the groomer... she was so well behaved, bless her  Well apart from the 20 mins hiding under my bed when she realised she was going somewhere, but that's another story 

I am still waiting on a reply from the vet on the polyps but if she shows any further signs of sickness or not being herself over the next day I'll be whisking her down there anyway

Big  all for the advice 

[candyshandy]

The sickness could just be a hairball - she is a persian and I'm afraid they are part of life living with a fluff!

But if she shows any signs of being lethargic and is sick again I would definitely take her to the vet.

What do you feed her?

BTW - the specialist told me that ear polyps are rare in cats but they tend to occur in younger cats and persians seem to get them too.

[Felix (Caroline)]

hope its gets sorted out really soon,lots of hugs to you both 

[Hippykitty]

When you see your vet, ask him if it could possibly be vestibular disease.

Polly had this last year. An emergency vet diagnosed stroke and recommended pts. My usual vet is a very good diagnostician and mentioned vestibular disease. He gave her antibiotics and steroids. I gave her lots of TLC, and she eventually fully recovered.

It's a problem relating to the brain and the inner ear. The cat tilts its head to one side and walks with back legs stretched out and unco-ordinated. Vomitting can sometimes be a symptom.

It's worth considering and is treatable.

[Puffball (Louise)]

She has been checked for ear mites at least 6 times in the last year but the vet found nothing, though the head shaking and ear scratching has been constant throughout that time. I asked them to thoroughly check her ears when she was in to be speyed last May so if a polyp had been present I assume they would have found it then. Having researched the net it seems polyps are quite rare but I have emailed my vet anyway and asked them if they checked for this and what they would advise next.

Additionally (and I have discussed this with the vet and put in my email) on one occasion towards the end of last year she showed balance problems. She had just woken up and stood shaking, clearly having diffculty standing. For a few minutes she kept slumping to one side as though her rear legs were giving way. It passed quite quickly and there has been no reoccurance so the vet said to keep an eye on her and take her back if it happened again. I was especially concerned as I know balance problems are often associated with the ear. I pray all will be well with her but I could not forgive myself if it turns out she had a problem that became worse because I let it go untreated.

Also.... this evening she has had another problem (which is why I am up so late!). She has been very sick  She was sick once before several months ago but it was a tiny bit of sick that did not concern me. Tonight she has been sick 4 times in 5 minutes and it was quite large in volume. Sorry to be graphic but it was full of undigested food and a fair bit of hair, I'd say she brought up pretty much everything she has eaten today. Afterwards she was as playful as ever so I think she is ok but will of course monitor her overnight. However, I am still a noob at cat ownership so if you think this is serious enough to warrant whisking her off to the vet tomorrow please let me know

Many thanks
Louise

[Maddiesmum]

I think my vet told me that ear mites leave eggs which can hatch later, even after the ear mites have been successfully treated so a cat could need treating again a few weeks later. 

[Puffball (Louise)]

She doesn't go out and has no contact with other cats. It's definitely not ear mites as she was checked again last month when she went for her annual booster. I'll ask the vet about polyps, thanks for the suggestion.

[candyshandy]

Foofoo has had recurring ear infections and constant head shaking and scratching.  She was sedated and her ears flushed and an ear polyp was found.  When she had the polyp removed they also found signs of ear disease in the other ear 

Definitely worth the flush to confirm no polyps I would say.

[CurlyCatz]

Has she had proper ear exam under sedation if nec to get a right good look down the canal to rule out polyps etc ?

[Hippykitty]

Are you sure she doesn't have a regular infestation of ear mites? If you have other cats, or she goes out, she may be picking them up again. Ear mites are VERY infectious.

[clarenmax]

Can cats get a build up of wax I wonder?

[Puffball (Louise)]

Hi All

My cat is now 16 months old but has been shaking her head and scratching her ears as though something is annoying her since she was a kitten. When I got her she had ear mites which the vet fixed, but I have mentioned the head shaking & scratching every time I have visited them since (at least 5 or 6 times as poor wee thing has had a few problems). It's definitely not ear mites or anything the vet can diagnose. Yet she is still scratching and shaking, the vet has even suggested it may be a habit formed since when she was a kitten with ear mites, but I find that odd as she even stops in mid-play to shake her head and scratch. For those in London my vet is the Beaumont Hospital attached to the Royal Veterinary College and I trust them implicitly but it still seems odd

Any suggestions please