September 23, 2024, 8:18 am | Read time: 6 minutes
Rolling skin syndrome is a disease in cats about which very little is known. This disease, also known as feline hyperaesthesia, manifests through various, sometimes unclear symptoms. PETBOOK editor Louisa Stoeffler’s cat was diagnosed with this condition. Below, she discusses how she deals with it and how vets assess this nerve condition.
Many cat owners are probably familiar with the wild five minutes. The animal urgently needs to release its energy and runs wildly through the apartment or house. But what happens when these wild five minutes become “chronic” and the cat twitches, hisses, or even injures itself? This condition is called rolling skin syndrome in cats or feline hyperesthesia syndrome. However, the consensus stops there, as there is no standardized diagnosis or treatment. PETBOOK spoke to two vets about this puzzling symptom and explains what is known and what is not known about the condition.
Rolling skin syndrome – when a cat suddenly twitches like crazy
My cat Remo was diagnosed with rolling skin syndrome in 2023. He suddenly started chasing himself and biting his tail. The skin on his back twitched wildly, and his fur stood up in waves.
For a long time, it was not clear what he really had. A doctor diagnosed him with rolling skin, gave him painkillers, and sent me home. It almost sounded like a definite diagnosis: so, that’s what he has now; that’s all we can do. However, the syndrome is not as easy to diagnose as a broken leg or a worm infestation. So I didn’t want to accept this and took my cat to more doctors.
What is known about rolling skin syndrome in cats
Dr. Marco Antonio Fragoso, veterinary pathologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the Free University of Berlin, and Dr. Vanessa Herder, veterinary pathologist and Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Pathologists, gave PETBOOK an assessment of the unclear disease.
“Rolling skin syndrome is a well-known syndrome in practice,” Dr. Vanessa Herder told PETBOOK. However, virtually no scientific data exists on this clinical condition.
“In a few clinical case descriptions, the authors concluded that very little is known about the causes and that in most cases a diagnosis is not possible despite extensive examinations with procedures such as blood counts and imaging such as MRI.”
Rolling skin, the disease without cause or cure?
“The cause of feline hyperaesthesia syndrome is unknown,” Dr. Marco Antonio Fragoso also tells PETBOOK. However, various biological, behavioral, and physical factors could influence its appearance.
“Researchers and vets have described this syndrome based on its symptoms and signs. For example, the cat shows spontaneous episodes of licking and biting of the lower back, usually around the tail and hind limbs, which can last from seconds to minutes.”
Remo the cat started hissing and biting from one day to the next
Remo also had seizures, which can be described as convulsive. Sometimes, they only last a few seconds, but they can also last for minutes. However, every seizure is very stressful for both the animal and the owner because nothing seems to help.
The first vet I visited described the condition as a type of epilepsy, especially if the cats are unresponsive and unresponsive during the seizures. The seizures are also associated with physical stress for the animal. Remo always breathed very heavily and was exhausted when the seizure subsided.
We also observed the hypersensitivity behind the common description of feline hyperesthesia. Touching his twitching back was extremely unpleasant for him. This is because animals usually feel pain precisely where their back twitches.
The symptoms of rolling skin syndrome in cats at a glance
- uncontrollable twitching in the back
- sudden change in behavior
- cat runs around wildly or jumps
- cat grooms itself intensively and hectically
- cat suddenly scratches excessively
- the animal chases its own tail, whips it, or bites itself
- eyes wide open with fixed pupils
- loud meowing
Increased attacks can also cause the animals to develop bald patches in their fur as they tear it out or inflict wounds on themselves. I also pulled some loose, bloody tufts of hair out of Remo’s tail during the worst times, and he also had a wound on his hind foot once as a result of his biting.
Dr. Marco Antonio Fragoso describes the behavior of the affected animals in more detail for PETBOOK: “During these episodes, the cats show other non-specific neurological symptoms such as dilated pupils or aggressive and unpredictable behavior.”
How rolling skin syndrome is diagnosed in cats
Therefore, the clinical veterinarian should first rule out neurological and dermatological diseases. Only when all diseases that could cause this behavior have been ruled out can the vet determine that the cat suffers from this syndrome.
According to Dr. Marco Antonio Fragoso, other diseases that can cause similar signs and symptoms include:
- atopic dermatitis (allergy) and skin infections,
- brain tumors (e.g., meningioma),
- primary epilepsy
- and myositis (inflammation of the muscles).
“There are a number of tests that have been described, including serum chemistry, hemogram, urinalysis, as well as tomography and skin scraping or biopsy, to name a few,” the veterinarian knows. “I think the most reliable method of detecting the disease is the response to treatment after ruling out disease. But I have no clinical experience with this.”
“Most vets focus on the symptoms rather than finding a cure”
Dr. Marco Antonio Fragoso even thinks that “most vets focus on reducing the symptoms rather than finding a cure.” This could include behavioral therapy or central nervous system depressants.
“In practice, it often comes down to the treating veterinarians investing a lot of time with the owners to set up a good drug therapy,” Dr. Vanessa Herder tells PETBOOK. “The therapy can include one or more medications such as painkillers and/or medications that are also used for epilepsy.”
In some cases, even medication cannot provide relief. “These are often young cats. In severe cases, in addition to hypersensitivity, there may also be signs of self-mutilation,” Dr. Vanessa Herder tells PETBOOK. The prognosis is, therefore, extremely difficult to assess because so few facts are known about the clinical picture.
No cure for Remo, the cat?
In my experience, rolling skin syndrome is so treacherous precisely because it is so difficult to assess. When my cat started having seizures, I didn’t know what to do. I kept getting frustrated at my sheer helplessness. What can you do when nothing helps your pet?
I tried – in addition to a lot of diagnostics at the vet – to interrupt his behavior with requests to play. That worked surprisingly well. What reassured me a little was that Remo always remained responsive. Epilepsy was therefore probably ruled out as a diagnosis – even if a doctor wanted to prescribe this medication straight away.
Remo no longer chases himself like he did at the beginning. His symptoms were actually caused by other illnesses, which we have now gotten under control. But the worry that he could have another seizure is always present, especially if he plays with his tail for too long again or cleans himself frantically.
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Further sources
- Tierklinik-Ismaning.de, “Rolling Skin: Wie von Sinnen“
- Fachverband Niedergelassener Tierheilpraktiker, “Rolling Skin – wenn die Katze zuckt und tobt“
- Tierärztin Sabine Schroll, “Da beißt sich die Katze in den Schwanz“, pdf.