Anyone have a cat with Feline Orofacial Pain Syndrome?

[Judecat (Paula)]

Looks like you'll have to stay in bed to keep him relaxed.

Seriously, I think you are following the right course of action.

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

So sorry to hear you've been poorly.      I think when Jake is showing signs of improvement, I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to start him on the meds either.  Might be worth having a chat with the dental specialist to get their opinion.

So lovely that Jake was nursing you, too.   

[motherclanger]

Jake still hasn't had his medicine yet......to cut a long story short there was a breakdown in communication between our vet and the specialist dental vet so there was a delay of several days before we actually were able to collect it.  Then, I was taken ill and have basically been in bed since last Thursday so he hasn't had any yet.  I was worried about giving him a new medicine while I was out of action in case he had a bad reaction and i couldn't get him to the vet. 

While I have been ill he has basically been sleeping on my bed with me every day and tbh his symptoms have been few and far between.  So now I'm in a dilemma, I don't really want to give him the Epiphen unless his symptoms are bad as it is a very potent drug and I don't want him drugged up to his eyeballs day in day out .  I think I'm going to hold off for a while and just keep an eye on him.  If it starts getting bad again then I will of course try him on it but while he seems relaxed most of the time I don't really want to have to medicate him.

Will update as and when.

[motherclanger]

He has the most wonderful eyeliner.

 

[Judecat (Paula)]

He has the most wonderful eyeliner.

I do hope that you find something that works.

[Lyn (Slugsta)]

     

[motherclanger]

Yes I will let you know how he progresses.  It's definitely a condition that all cat owners need to be made aware of.  Sadly, it's often the case that we don't find out about things until we have experienced them ourselves and by then the damage is done.  The dental vet rang me back yesterday and wants to put him back on the Gabapentin plus another anti-epileptic to see if that helps.  It's a case of trial and error really until they find something that works.  I also have some cbd paste which I am trying him with (just the tiniest amount once a day) to see if that helps.  It can take a while to show any improvement though so we'll have to see. 

I looked up my local veterinary acupuncturist and there is one based at our emergency vet which isn't too far away.  Looking at the types of illnesses/injuries that it can help with, I'm not sure if it will work for Jake.  He would have to be treated at home to avoid stress and even then I'm not sure he'd feel comfortable with a complete stranger.  If all else fails then I will give it a go.

I have to say though, when he is relaxed and the pain is not there he is content, purring and giving lots of head bumps and being generally the lovely guy he is.   The pain literally flares up at food times, stressful times and when grooming.  If it was continuous pain then I would have let him go, but we are a long way from that thank heaven.   

Hopefully, I can pick his prescription up today and get him started on that and I'll let you know in a few days if it is helping.

Thank you for the support guys, much appreciated xxx

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

Will you keep us updated as to Jake's progress please, Motherclanger?  I want to know how he gets on.

[Lyn (Slugsta)]

I agree that Jake is very handsome! Such a shame that he is suffering like this 

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

They're truly beautiful.   


It's desperately sad to think these symptoms could have been avoided, with the correct diagnosis.   Having read up on it on Fitzpatricks site, it's a dreadful condition.  I'm glad I have an awareness of it now, and that you've shared Jake's story.   It's something we should all have on our radar, I think.

Following hard on the heels of your recent losses too, it makes it a hard thing to bear.     He seems such a happy little lad though, regardless.  He really is a beautiful cat. 

[motherclanger]

lol I've never noticed his ears really but now you've mentioned it they seem huge! 

He is the sweetest little guy you can imagine, he's been through so much over the last few years and he is our last remaining furbaby.  We lost one in 2014 and two last year.   It took 18 months to get him diagnosed with FOPS, normal vets are not trained in treating the condition and usually say it's just a habit.  It was such a relief to finally see the dental specialist who knew straight away what was going on.  I just wish we'd been referred earlier instead of being constantly told there was nothing wrong.  He also has tooth resorption and the FOPS symptoms started after he had some teeth removed, which is often the case.  He should've had a special dental xray before having any teeth removed.  We weren't told he had tooth resorption until after he'd had them out. 

It makes me angry to think that if he had had his teeth removed by the dental vet, he may not have developed FOPS.  If I have another cat that needs teeth removing, I will take him/her straight to the specialist.  No way would I risk another beloved pet developing this. 

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

Look at his amazing ears!  He's extremely handsome 

[motherclanger]

Yes Burmese do seem more prone, Jakey is a moggie though, plain tabby and white but beautiful of course   

[motherclanger]

Snoozles to Jake.   

  

[Lyn (Slugsta)]

I hadn't heard of this either - it sounds very distressing for both of you! 

Alongside Feliway/pet Remedy etc, some people here speak highly of Zylkene for stress reduction. I would have thought it worth a try.

Please will you let us know how Jake gets on?

As an aside, is he Burmese (or a breed with Burmese DNA)? It sounds as if they are genetically predisposed to this horrible condition 

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

Some practitioners may make a home visit, although it might cost more.  Snoozles to Jake.   

[motherclanger]

Thank you for your replies guys.   

I must admit I hadn't thought of acupuncture, it is definitely worth looking into.

The only thing is, any trips in his basket cause a great deal of stress now, he's had so many vet trips over the last 12 months he's terrified when he knows he's going in the car, which makes his condition so much worse it's heartbreaking to watch.  So I'm in two minds about doing anything that will take him off his home territory. 

When the dental vet rings this morning I will ask if he thinks it's worth a try. 

[Frances]

Are there any Veterinary Practitioners or Animal Therapists in your area who could offer acupuncture treatments?  Some cats respond very well to treatment for chronic pain in this way.

My James has acupuncture with sonic therapy for arthritis having refused both Metacam and Amandatine (unlicensed).  He's taken to it amazingly well - just sits and purrs - and it appears to be having the desired effect.

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

Just one other thought.  Are there any Veterinary Practitioners or Animal Therapists in your area who could offer acupuncture treatments?  Some cats respond very well to treatment for chronic pain in this way.

Having experienced it myself, I can say it helped to reduce and minimise back pain when used in conjunction with sonic therapy and manipulation.

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

So sorry to hear Jake has been diagnosed with this condition Motherclanger.

I hadnt come across this.  Sounds so distressing.  I did find this on Noel Fitzpatrick (Supervet) website:

"Your cat may be prescribed drugs to reduce discomfort. For mild cases these may include non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as meloxicam and / or opioids such a buprenorphine. However these common painkillers are not always effective for neuropathic pain and consequently your primary care vet or neurology clinician may recommend unlicensed drugs. Drugs used to treat neuropathic pain are typically anti-epileptic drugs such as phenobarbital, carbamazepine, gabapentin or antidepressants such as amitriptyline. These drugs reduce misfiring of nerves and consequently reduce pain."

I dont think you can do any harm trying one of the plug in diffusers, and it may be worth trying Adaptil, and Pet Remedy if you havent had much previous success with feliway.  None of our three respond well to feliway, and of the three Pet Remedy appears to be theirp reference.  Jake may respond to one, better than another. 

Please give Jake a little gentle stroke from me.   

[motherclanger]

Hi there.

My boy Jake has recently been diagnosed with Feline Orofacial Pain Syndrome and has been prescribed Tramadol, Gabapentin and Oral Vetergesic, none of which seem to have helped.  Tramadol makes him vomit and start tripping, Gabapentin seems to relax him but does not stop him from pawing at his mouth and Vetergesic didn't seem to do anything.  I'm waiting for the specialist dental vet that he's under to ring me back tomorrow to see if there's anything else we can try.  In the meantime I was wondering if anyone here has a cat with FOPS and if they have found a painkiller that actually works for them.   I'm just looking at buying either a Feliway or Petremedy diffuser to see if that helps him at all, as stress aggravates the condition.  I've tried Feliway in the past with another cat and it didn't seem to help but I'm getting so desperate I'll try anything to give him some relief.