Hypoglycemic blind 10 month old-911

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carries216

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My 10month old kitten went blind .. I was reading about the cause of sudden blindess and found that the BG can cause this. I checked his BG and it is sittting steady at about 50. I took him to the vet and all test results came back fine except he had hypoglycemia. The vet wanted to do other titers for infectious diseases (event thought i told them I used to work in a veterinary diagnostic lab and had tested him for everything under the sun) I took him in on Friday and they called with the results that day, however the titers wont be in till monday. They seem to not be concerned that his BG is so slow, they didnt believe me at first, they said if it was that low he would be ataxic with seizures. His BG was 82 when they tested it at the vet, after sticking him multiple locations and shaving his arm and neck. He was verys stressed and any healthy cat would have had a BG at at least 200. I can not wait for my vet to start believing me and I found this forum as a god sent! I have knowledge, education, and experince in the veterinary world, but I am unsure of exactly where I should start and how to obtain insulin to treat this hypoglycemic episode at home- where he is happy and calm and wont give a false BG reading. PLEASE HELP!
 
Hi Carrie,

You said his BG is steady around 50.... that's testing at home, right? Are you using a human glucometer or a pet-specific one like an Alpah Track?
The reason I ask is that on a human meter, 50 is within the normal range of 40-120. And the 82 at the vet office would fall into the normal range as well.
He was verys stressed and any healthy cat would have had a BG at at least 200
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While stress can elevate BGs, it isn't true that every cat gets all stressed out by vet visits. Most seem to, but I've read some posts on the board that stated that their cats actually test lower at the vet's office.

Just to clarify, is your kitten currently on insulin?

Carl
 
On several occastions, I've taken my cat to the vet and tested him before we went, and at the vet, and afterwards and he kept dropping.
I don't know if my cat's BGs are just not affected by the vet stress. He does cry loudly the whole car ride there, but is a perfect patient once at the vet.
I think some cats BGs go down because of vet stress, so BGs going higher while at the vet is not always true.
 
but I am unsure of exactly where I should start and how to obtain insulin to treat this hypoglycemic episode at home
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You would not treat a hypo incident with insulin. Have you tried giving the kitten a little karo syrup or honey to get his range up a little? I take it he is not on any insulin right now so I have to question why he has gone blind. I would have his BP checked as a starter.
 
I have been giving him Karo syrup. I also have not heard that the 50 on a human meter was normal for a cat.
With my experience in working in a diagnostic lab, if a cats BG was low or borderline low, we had to run a control on the glucose, to insure this reading was accurate. It was not a common occurance to see a felines BG low.
 
My kitty is not on insulin.
I am going to go test his BG now and will update on what the reading says. I have not given him KAro syrup today.
 
His BG is 54 right now. Is this normal? No we have not done anything yet but the blood work. There are still some results pening from the lab before we can start any diagnosis. I was convenced that his low BG was the cause of the blindness and he was diabetic. After posting here now, I am not so sure.
I dont have a lot of funds it just being after christmas and the first of the month. I guess I am eagar to self diagnose
 
Hello,

I'm so sorry to hear you that you and your kitten are having such a tough time. :cry:

What is your name? And what is your kitten's name?

And where are you from? Maybe someone close to you can help out.
And what 'experience in the veterinary world' do you have? Is it diabetes-related?
 
Carrie,
54 is "normal" if you're using a human glucometer.

Was the blindness an immediate thing? He just couldn't see all of a sudden? Did you notice anything else, like a seizure or other physical symptoms?

Carl
 
wow, everyone I have told that his BG is reading 50 stated that this was low. Maybe I have a healthy kitty who has just became blind from bad genetics?
 
No, he just started to run into things and thats when I noticed. It has been with in the past few weeks. All his bllod work came back as normal except the BG was low-normal. I was testing him at home with a human meter and thought his BG was VERY low. Now hearing that his BG is normal and all his blood work in normal, I dont really know what to think about his acute blindness except genetics??
 
fwiw, do you have any other cats? if so, you can test their glucose levels too so you can see what's "normal". all of my non-diabetics cats, aka: civies, test from the mid 40's to mid 60's.

if you can get kitty to sit still, and you move your hand in front of his face, or a string, does he follow it? is he wobbly on his feet at all? and are his pupils large or small? do they twitch back and forth on their own at all?

i have a cat who was blind when we got him. he was about 3-4 months old at that time and is now almost 8 yrs old. his blindness was from trauma to his head. he had been in a car engine when it was started and he got banged up. turns out his brain was swollen, causing his blindness (along with other problems like seizures, etc...). as the swelling went down he got more and more control of his body back and in several weeks his vision even came back. sooooo, could little kitty have hurt himself somehow? possibly racing around the house or something like young cats will do? has he banged into a wall or fallen off something high up?

i also have another cat who is currently blind and has been for a little over 2 yrs now. he though is an old kitty, 19 yrs, and his was caused by high blood pressure. not sure if that's a possibility in a young cat though.
 
I think that Hope mentioned "blood pressure" earlier, as a possible indicator that might cause blindness. I had a blind cat for about 12 years, but he was blind from birth due to some sort of virus that infected the whole litter, not from genetics. He had to have one eye removed, and the other one didn't work at all.

I'm not sure what would cause "all of a sudden" blindness, but maybe other members have had this happen to their kitties.

Carl
 
Normal blood glucose is 50 - 120. There are some cats whose "normal" is even lower. One of the members on the Lantus board whose cat is on a remission trial and not getting any insulin, tested this morning and had a reading in the 30s. Her cat is fine.

Also, keep in mind that people can run in low BG numbers and experience hypoglycemia. This is different than having a hypoglycemic crisis where immediate medical/veterinary intervention is needed. Leave food out for your kitten. Let him eat if he's hungry. Kittens need to eat a lot so let him eat. That will help to bring numbers up.

What I would check is your cat's blood pressure.
 
I have a two other cats. Thats a great idea about testing them as well. I will do that!! His pupils are very large . They sometimes respond to light and sometimes they dont. At the vet office, the vet stated she noticed them contacting and dialating while we were talking about why I was there. It is very possible that he ran into something or fell from a high place. He seems to be depressed and not as active as he usually has been. Although yesterday I did see him playing with his best friend- his mama. They play very rough and a head contisuion isnt out of the question. They dr did say that his eyes look normal and nothing looks to be detached
 
Also, I have had him since he was 2weeks old. I took in his mother and 6 other littermates. They came from a horders house. I have close contact with the owners of his ltter mates and none are experiencing anything like this. I wonder if hes been going blind and just resently lost all vision. He can run up and down the stairs, jump on the couch, manuver all around. When we went to the vets office, it was a different story - he wouldnt even jump off my lap because he didnt know his surroundings and didnt know how far up he was.
 
A vet may have the equipment to do that; worth a call.

Also, a blood clot (stroke) could cause blindness, too, though you'd probably see other problems at the same time.
 
Carrie --

There is a board certified veterinary eye specialist in St. Louis. I haven't used him but several of my friends have and say he is excellent. Dr. Johnson is located on Manchester, east of Lindbergh.

Animal Eye Associates
Dr. Johnson
314- 966 2111

Lynn and Radar (GA)
 
If your kitten remains blind he will need a lot of special care. Here are some ideas suggested by others with blind cats:

He may be depressed and withdrawn for quite some time. He may get worse before he gets better.
It will be important that your do not move furniture around, or leave any obstacles in his path.
You may need to let the litter tray get more smelly than usual so that he knows how to find it easily.
It will be helpful if you can put collars with bells on the other cats in the household so he knows where they are.
Toys that make sounds will also be helpful.
Do not make sudden noises around him. Approach him gently and talk softly so as not to startle him.
It can be helpful to put different textured surfaces against different doorways, so that he knows which is which.
Try to wear the same perfume so that he knows you by your scent and doesn't get confused.

In time, and with care, a blind kitten can come to live a full, active and happy life.
 
there is a genetic disease called PRA - progressive retinal atrophy

My Maui has this and is 100% blind - it has nothing to do with diabetes or glucose levels - per the eye specialist we went to, this is genetic and happens gradually over time, and yes the eyes can still dilate and contract. the only way you realize something is wrong is you start to notice the cat behaving differently, bumping into walls, using walls as a guide, etc.

this is not a painful disease and there is nothing that can be done to prevent it or slow it down.

the eye specialist, did an eye exam (same as humans get-without asking the cat to read the letter chart ;-) ) and he saw the retinas were detached in both eyes.

i don't know if this typically happens in a young cat, but it is worth asking about and the only way you may get a real answer is to see an eye specialist rather than the general vet practitioner.
 
Did he ever have an upper respiratory virus like herpes or something that affected his eyes? That can also be a cause for blindness.
 
Thank you all for your help! I was never told that his BG was normal till you all took the time to read and respond. Everyone told me that it was low, and with the lab results showing a low normal - I was convinced that he was hypoglycemic. I am relieved that he is not a diabetic, but the news is bitter sweet. I had hoped that his eye sight could return. Once I have been able to clear out the "what ifs" and all the worrying-I am able to see this in a different light. I will take him to the specialist to see if there is ANY hope on his eye sight returning. He gets along great in his home envorment; most people would never know he is blind!
 
Yes!!! When they were kittens they came to me with an URI and I forget what else, but they had to have eye drops as well as oral antibiotics! One of his litter mates-Theo, eye became so infected that he has lost vision in it. I don’t remember if his eye was so severely scratched or if it was something else... I just wrote his adopted mother who can help spark my memory on that.
 
the thing about blind cats, it is really amazing at how well they adapt to their environments. there is a book called Homer's Odyssey that you may find inspirational regarding the life of a blind kitten.

http://www.amazon.com/Homers-Odyssey-Gw ... B007K4EYOM

It really shows how easily cats adapt, plus it's a good read.

taking your kitten to an eye specialist is the best thing to do, it will help explain what he has, if it is reversible, etc. also, be sure to gather as much of his history as you can to share with the doctor.

and please let us know what happens.
 
Carrie-
I'm in StL, too. I've had really great experiences at the StL Cat Clinic on Hampton and for more advanced care, at AVS off of the Rock Road in Bridgeton. I can send you details if you want them. Neither are eye specialists, though.

The Cat Clinic has the blood pressure machine that is the tiny cuff (like a human cuff) rather than the kind they need to shave the tail for.

Amy
 
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