My cat licks her back, shakes head, and sticks tongue out. Is she sick?

Poor Missy! She could have a dental problem causing her symptoms, such as a tooth root abscess, broken tooth, or severe periodontal disease. There could also be a growth or foreign body in her mouth. Shaking the head frequently can also be a sign of an ear infection, while licking the mouth as well as not eating and drinking can be a sign of nausea . She is in pain from this, and she is showing this to by shaking her head frequently, licking her mouth, not eating, and not drinking. It's very concerning when a cat won't eat or drink, and I would take her into a vet today. The vet can diagnose what is causing her symptoms, and can treat her for it. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Cats can have erratic behavior sometimes if they are playing or otherwise "wound up" however licking and chewing at the body during this behavior is not normal. Your cat may be exhibiting pain (especially with the muscle twitches and licking/chewing) and is trying to get your attention about this. Where he is licking can also indicate where the problem may be such as the back, legs or even urinary tract. (Urinary blockages are common in male cats and can present with symptoms such as excess vocalization, licking and chewing at the urethra/penis, attempting to urinate without success, or signs of severe distress and is a medical emergency). If your cat is presenting with these behaviors it may be a good idea to schedule an appointment with your local vet to make sure there is not an underlying pain or illness causing it.

Poor Maggie. She is unlikely in any pain. If she has a lot of scabs on her then she may have a bacterial infection secondary to the obsessive grooming. She could be obsessively grooming herself due to allergies, fleas, or any infection. You can try Benadryl twice a day first to see if this helps with her itchiness. See link below. If this doesn't help, I would talk to your Dad about taking her to the vet for other options. She may need a stronger allergy medicine like a steroid which usually aren't too expensive. She may also need some flea medicine or antibiotics. Plus a vet will be able to do a full exam and give your Dad a better idea about whether or not she is suffering. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat/benadryl/#!

Poor Alfie, sounds like he is uncomfortable! This could definitely be a "yuck!" response if he got something on his back that he's tasting when he grooms himself, or it could be something related to his mouth such as an infected tooth (he's a little young, but it's still possible), something stuck between his teeth, under his tongue, or across the roof of his mouth, or he could be developing orofacial pain syndrome. I definitely recommend having a vet take a look if this continues more than a day or two. Hope this helps.

Hello. It sounds like your kitty has hyperesthesia syndrome where he just overacts to any stimulation to his skin. It may be allergy derived & your veterinarian may be able to recommend some treatments & therapies to calm the reaction. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would recommend bringing Lily to a veterinarian. Lily can also have something like a bad tooth or an infection in her mouth. With her shaking her head it can also be an ear infection. With the symptoms you are describing they do not sound as severe as they typically would be with FOPS. Your veterinarian can evaluate her and see if they feel like there is something else wrong of the feline orofacial pain syndrome. Here is some information on FOPS if you would like to read more about it:https://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk/neurology/feline-orofacial-pain-syndrome-fops/ Thank you for using PetCoach.

I don't think I would be overly concerned but cats do often try to tell us something with subtle behavior changes. If she had a tooth removed a few months ago it may be related to that. It could be allergies. It could be the beginning of an upper respiratory issue. I suggest you start her on a lysine supplement to help boost her immune system and monitor her. If she continues to do this licking behavior for longer than 2 weeks after starting the supplement then I think you should take her to your vet for an exam. https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/site/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?s=lysine&hierarchy=&sort=score%20desc Hope this helps. Best wishes!