diabetic neuropathy -- retinopathy.

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sun

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dear all,

my cat was diagnosed diabetes 1 yr ago, and we can't get her under
180 and her BG fluctuates a lot due to pancreatitis.

and since 2 months ago, i realize she can't see much anymore. though
before sickness, her eye sight is not very good already as she is 17.

i read some info and one of the diabetic neuropathy is retinopathy.
** we did check her eye around 6 months ago by the vet, and at that time, she
still responded to light.
and for now, in day time when she is under the sun, her eye does go narrow.
but at indoor space, her eyes are BIG and round (with some reflection sometimes)

may i ask is there a way to treat retinopathy?
also, if we can get her BG down more (recently, i could get her down
to around 200), will her eyes get better? or no way to restore them?

she is still ok though. as we keep on saying we love her and it is ok if not able to see. i hold her more.
and we won't move the furniture and stuff so she can recognize her way
to food/bed/seats/toilet/kitchen.

can homeopath remedies deal with it?
pls advise.

thx
anson
 
anson, i'm not sure if you mean she's not been able to see for the last two months, or this just happened suddenly. she has kidney disease too, right? if this happened suddenly in the last few days, please take her in to the vet as soon as possible (today, tomorrow) and have her blood pressure checked.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Conten ... C=0&A=1216
The other time high blood pressure is discovered is when it makes its presence known. This usually means some degree of blindness or some other obvious eye problem. The retina of a hypertensive patient develops tortuous-looking retinal blood vessels. Some vessels may even have broken, showing smudges of blood on the retinal surface. Some areas of the retina simply detach. Sometimes the entire retina detaches. With early identification, some vision may be restored. [my emphasis] Do not let minor vision changes go unreported. Let your veterinarian know if you think your pet's vision is not normal.
 
Although retinopathy commonly occurs with human diabetics, it's pretty rare in cats, and is not a form of neuropathy, but rather a series of microaneurysms/bleeds in the retina. I would be more concerned about cataracts (still rare, but more common) or lenticular sclerosis (very common, normal aging of the lens). And, as has been mentioned, the possibility of high blood pressure - especially with kidney problems.

In humans, diabetic retinopathy is treated with lasers. I don't know of any treatment for cats, but it is also very rare in felines, so I doubt there has been a lot of study. High blood pressure CAN cause retinopathy in cats, however, and can be treated if caught quickly. http://zimmer-foundation.org/sch/cba.html

In any case, a vet exam is in order.
 
her kidney is fine in the last blood work but back in may.
and since jan/feb 10, she didn't see very well. and we did ask vet to check. but they only used a light on her eye in dark and checked if she responded. not really a "scientific check".
vet also checked her hypertension and she was fine (last check in may)

since early nov, we realize she bumps into things when walking around. and will move after her head touch something, e.g. chair/table. but good that she still walks around.

ok, will bring her to vet soon then.
thx for your advise.

KarenRamboConan said:
Although retinopathy commonly occurs with human diabetics, it's pretty rare in cats, and is not a form of neuropathy, but rather a series of microaneurysms/bleeds in the retina. I would be more concerned about cataracts (still rare, but more common) or lenticular sclerosis (very common, normal aging of the lens). And, as has been mentioned, the possibility of high blood pressure - especially with kidney problems.

In humans, diabetic retinopathy is treated with lasers. I don't know of any treatment for cats, but it is also very rare in felines, so I doubt there has been a lot of study. High blood pressure CAN cause retinopathy in cats, however, and can be treated if caught quickly. http://zimmer-foundation.org/sch/cba.html

In any case, a vet exam is in order.
Click to expand...
 
My cat Nomad also has retinopathy.His pupils are always dilated and he is hypersensitive to light. There is a vet. opthalmologist in my area and I planned on getting a consult on Nomad. This same surgeon was able to reattach the retina of my friend's dog so I am hopeful there might be some options. I can probably comment more in a few weeks on this. If anyone lives in South Florida I can give you contact info. For this specialist.
 
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