All of a sudden cat is very dizzy- Eyes shaking

This has to do with Misty a fat 15 year old. She is not diabetic but had high-ish numbers before the big food switch.
A few hours ago I was preparing their food and Misty was waiting and mewing like normal. As I was walking to the spot where they eat I dropped the bowl and she got scared and waddled away. She came back quickly but only sniffed the food and then looked nauseous. She vomited water and then her eyes started darting back and forth. She went and hid where she does not go usually. 30 minutes later she can not walk and her head is following her eye movement. She is breathing a bit fast but just looks darn miserable.
A quick googling turn up feline vestibular disease.... She was super happy this morning and playing. The internet said that this should resolve on it's own and to provide support. I am totally broke right now and I wish I could bring her to the vet and get her help. I feel like a terrible pet guardian. Do you guys think if I nurse her she will get better? How often should I give her water in a syringe?Food? Is there anything I can do to help her? Her ears are perfect no guck no smell, what could have brought this on? Did getting scared give her a heart attack? If you pick her up she freaks out. Seems like her world is spinning.
I'm trying to find funds to go to the vet but if I go I can't afford a full blood panel. I fear just going there they will tell me to just keep an eye on her and they can't find anything without alot of tests. Do vets give pills or something to help with this if it is vestibular?
I'm so panicked right now I'm shaking.
Anybody have a cat with similar symptoms? Is she going to die? Is it contagous?
She has never been outside but is not up to date on vaccinations.
While typing this she has peed herself because she cannot get to the box...

 

Much as you don't want to hear this right now (and boy! do I empathise with your predicament) I really think you need to at least call her vet for advice.

Edit your thread title and put up a 911 flag to attract more attention to this thread, Missy, and add vomiting to the symptom list in the thread title.

I wish I could do something to help you, Missy, but I've got not experience with what you're describing. I am sending prayers and healing thoughts for Misty and some s for you. (I can really relate to how scared you are right now.)


Mogs
.

 

Please, at least call your vet for advice. As much as we'd like to help by offering suggestions... we're not vets... we don't know Misty's history... we could inadvertently make matters worse... we can't diagnosis over the internet.

Sending you hugs and positive thoughts...

 

One of my geriatric cats had this. If you tilted he head up and held it still her eyes would spin and wobble. That was the test the vets always did in the office on my seniors to see if they had it. There wasn't really anything we could do for Sophia. Her symptoms were not as sudden and dramatic as Misty's sounds, Sophia was blind and walked in circles even before the onset of this. She'd get into a spin and fall over. We noticed it when she got weaker and was doing some vomiting.

There can be a lot of difference causes of it, some are treatable like an infection, some are not like cancer (what we suspect our dear old girl had). If Misty continues to have problems a vet visit would really be advisable. If her eyes are darting around and she is vomiting, it is probably a sign that she is dizzy and feeling ill from it.

 

Sending to you. I think a vet visit at least a call is in order.

 

Please call your vet, at least maybe they will do a phone consult with you. Fingers and paws crossed for you and Misty!

 

Thanks all. Called a vet. They said it sure sounded like vestibular or it could be a ton of other things. I don't have the car tonight so I will be keeping a close eye on her. Will try to convice the vet to make me a payment plan or something. We will figure it out I hope. She seems a bit calmer and drank some water, eyes are not darting as much. This reminds me alot of a dog we used to have that has seizures...Since she is getting over it a bit I think she might have had a seizure.
Sorry for my panicky post, it help to talk about it sometimes.
I will be staying up with her and will do my best to bring her to a vet tommorow.
Darn these little critters. Tears your heart apart when they are not feeling good.
Thanks for the support

 

Missy ... there is no need to apologise! I'd have been frantic, too. We're all here for you and your fur babies.

I'm glad that you managed to speak to a vet. Sending more prayers that you'll get the veterinary support Misty needs and that you'll both have a peaceful and safe night. Be sure to post if you need a bit of moral support.




Mogs
.

 

My mom and my grandmother both had cats that got an inner ear virus and there isn't much that can be done for it.the cat just needs to be nurses thru it and sometimes will have permanent problems.my grandmothers cat had her head permanently cocked to the side after her sickness and stayed a little dizzy and would miss sometimes when jumping but other than that she was ok but in the beginning they go really sick.throwing up just laying around not wanting to eat and drink much.she will need a lot of Tender loving care.fed fluids and food and may need help getting to litter box or put box near her and make a bed for her in a box with door opening.

 

Well she took a long nap and when I went to check on her she was perfectly normal and very hungry. Now I'm even more perplexed.. So not vestibular I think. So maybe a seizure or a really bad headache? Happy she is herself again but now worried she has something. I would be curious to do a thyroid check on this cat as well, not sure if that could have brought this on.
Thanks again everyone

 

Strange indeed.hope it isn't anything serious.i freaked when my baby had symptoms pop up out of the blue on me like a week or so ago and it lasted maybe 10 minutes tops.weird.think it was a stone she passed.

 

Glad to hear that Misty is feeling better now. Might be worth giving the vet a quick call to report her improvement in clinical signs to see if he can throw a bit of light on what might have caused the incident and anything to watch out for going forward.




Mogs
.

 

How's Misty doing today?

 

Perfectly normal. Hungry happy and playing.
We are keeping a close eye on her and saving up to get her a good check up at the vet. Should be within a week or so.
Talked to a vet again and they said since she is better so soon it was unlikely vestibular or a stroke but again they can't be sure over the phone.
My best guess is either extreme nausea( I was very late feeding them), vertigo, headache or when she got scared and ran away she pulled something and it hurt so bad she was panicking. I have in the past hurt my back so bad I threw up and was overwhelmed by the pain.
Glad she feels better but now I have a mystery on my hands.
Thanks again for all the support.

 

I'm so pleased to hear Misty's back to normal.

Be sure to post an update after your vet visit.


Mogs
.

 

Yes keep us updated would like to hear how your baby is doing after vet visit.glad she is still doing better.

 

It sounds like your cat had some nystagmus. I used to get it with bad migraines and often I'd get vomiting too, certainly bad nausea. Then when the migraine resolved, I was fine. There are lots of conditions that can cause the rapid eye movement. Dogs tend to get it more often than cats. I had a kitten develop it once with severe head tilt. The vet was so shocked that he wanted me to EU immediately. He thought Vincent was having a stroke. While we were discussing it, the eye movements stopped and Vinnie was being silly as only a kitten can. The head tilt never went away, but it never bothered Vinnie. He was adopted into a great home and is still healthy, happy and silly.

 

Vinnie sounds like he had an inner ear virus.cats that get is have bouts of dizziness,rapid eye movement,vomiting,falling over and head tilt that usually ends up being permanent.

 

My cat has similar symptoms. The fact that yours came out of it gives me hope. Mine is recovering from a pit bull attack. The punctured lung has mostly healed but this weird vertigo with the lack of eating remains. A special food/water mixture is what the vet gave us to force feed every 2 hours. It would be so nice if he shook it off and returned to normal. Sounds like yours could have been injury related too, like maybe she knocked into something that caused a head injury. I guess thats better than a disease now that its over with.