OMG...Calley has gone blind

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Kris10mo

Kris10mo

Member Since 2014
My beloved Calley is blind. :( It seems as if it happen literally overnight. I did not see her eyes big and black yesterday. I did not see her walking around disoriented last night. I did not see her running into walls before this afternoon.

What the heck? All I can think of is that she went hypo on Monday 12/22/14..but she bounced back quickly and was fine, with good numbers mid 200s) the last few days.

I am so upset. The vet does not know what to do. Took blood but said that she is not seeing anything.

How can a cat go blind overnight?

Thoughts??

My poor Calley.
 
retinal detachment
blood clot to retinal veins or to area of brain which processes vision
high blood pressure
Cats can learn to cope with this.
For now, restrict the area she is allowed in and don't move anything so she can start learning the space.
Possibly use a scent to help mark objects so she can detect them by smell.
 
How low did she go Kristin?

Your spreadsheet isn't showing any entries after 9/10/14

Whatever the reason, I'm so sorry to hear this! She will adjust, but it will take her a little time. Our furkids don't have the "sense of loss" that we do...they just adapt and go on. All we can do is make it as easy as possible for them
 
I'm so sorry that this happened to Calley. What were her numbers on Monday? I'm not sure but I think a hypo 5 days ago would be have had an effect before now.

Chris and BJM are right, cats adjust very well. Tricia's Cinco is blind and he gets around.
 
My first thought was also high BP as well. Can you vet check her BP? If not (not all vets have the equipment), I would find a facility that can check it. If high BP was the cause if this, you do want to start her on BP meds ASAP...for one, because it MIGHT help with the blindness, but more importantly, because if she has high BP, you want to get it under control, as uncontrolled high BP can cause all the same problems in cats that it causes in humans.

As others have said, even if she is permanently blind, kitties do adjust very well.
 
She vomited twice late night Monday....I tested her and she was at 60. I gave her food and some syrup......she vomited that up and I retested...she was down to 47. I got her up to 90 within an hour and up in the 200's with two more hours. I have no idea how long she was low. She showed no symptoms of hypo at all until she vomited. She did not convulse, twitch, stagger, act weird at all....even with the vomiting. She would vomit and then try to eat it. GROSS.

Vet said that she could not test for blood pressure in Calley....something about it not working? I just paid 185$ to be told she is blind and that it may or may not be permanent.

She suggested a retinal specialist. I can't afford that. I can try the other vet it town tomorrow to see if she has HBP. Why would she develop that overnight?

I'm so pissed off. I have nursed poor Calley back from a unhealthy diabetic state, back to a lively, thriving, fat and sassy cat, only for this to happen to her now. It's not fair. primal scream here.

Yes....she will adjust. But I want her to get her sight back. SIGH.
 
She wouldn't develop high BP overnight. Just like in humans, there really aren't any symptoms until it has been going on for a while. (For my Trixie, it is suspected that uncontrolled high BP damaged her kidneys.) So it's possible that, if high BP is the problem, Calley may have had it for a while. I would get her checked at another vet ASAP if you can do that. She can still be a sassy, thriving kitty, even if the loss of her eyesight is permanent! Sending prayers that this isn't permanent.
 
HBP doesn't develop overnight, but having undiagnosed HBP can cause things like strokes and rentinal detachment ....which can lead to blindness

Tiny, delicate blood vessels supply blood to your eyes. Like other vessels, they, too, can be damaged by high blood pressure:

  • Eye blood vessel damage (retinopathy). High blood pressure can damage the vessels supplying blood to your retina, causing retinopathy. This condition can lead to bleeding in the eye, blurred vision and complete loss of vision. If you also have both diabetes and high blood pressure, you're at an even greater risk.
  • Fluid buildup under the retina (choroidopathy). In this condition, fluid builds up under your retina because of a leaky blood vessel in a layer of blood vessels located under the retina. Choroidopathy (kor-oid-OP-uh-thee) can result in distorted vision or in some cases scarring that impairs vision.
  • Nerve damage (optic neuropathy). This is a condition in which blocked blood flow damages the optic nerve. It can kill nerve cells in your eyes, which may cause bleeding within your eye or vision loss.
Sounds like your vet either doesn't have the equipment to check BP's or his is broken.

Sending healing vines and hopes that this is temporary!
 
I also thought blood pressure. I would get that checked out. If you have to, call around to other vets and find one that does test blood pressure.
 
I will call another vet tomorrow and get her seen. I have seen some red/black ish discharge out of her eyes the past few days. It is the same type of stuff she had coming out of her eyes when she was so sick with the diabetes. But the vet then said it was just discharge that goes with a sick cat. So when I asked today about the discharge the vet said it wasn't a sign of the blindness. :(
Vet took blood. Will blood work show signs of HBP? Calley showed no signs of it.
 
Thanks every one for the advice and support. I just need to pray we find the answer. She is finding the couches and the chairs she loves to sleep in.
 
Blood work doesn't give you a blood pressure reading. With cats, there's something very much like the cuff that's used with humans. It's the only way to test BP. There may be indications that BP is high that show up in blood work. Like Amy mentioned, hypertension can cause kidney problems but only if the hypertension has gone on for a while.
 
Well, she has found the litter box and the water bowl and her favorite chair/couch spot on her own. She was not walking around in circles last night and not bouncing off walls. So something happened last night that caused this.
 
I mean, something today. Because I noticed nothing out of the ordinary yesterday. If it was due to the hypo, wouldn't her blindness happen right away ....not five days later?

Just grasping at straws to try to figure things out.
 
if the lowest she got was in the 60's, that's really not low enough to consider going hypo.....I'd be more concerned that she threw a blood clot that's effecting her vision or something along those lines instead of her blood glucose being the cause
 
Sending prayers and healing vines for sweet Calley- I hope you can get her to a vet who does have the ability to check her BP asap- hugs and prayers to you kris!
 
Amlodipine which is a human blood pressure med can sometimes reverse blindness. Is there somewhere else you can take her to get her BP checked. Time is of the essence. I'm so sorry that your vet isn't suggesting this.
 
The vet did say I could take her to a specialist/ophthalmologist. I will call around to find another vet here in town and hope they can check the BP. Calley's number's tonight were high...416. She hasn't been in the 400's in months. Hardly above 250 in months.

I just feel like I have caused this somehow. I'm blaming myself, though I have not done anything different with her in months. I don't know what caused the hypoglycemia on Monday.

Do I need to leave some lights on for her overnight? I guess she can't see them any way, but I hate the idea of leaving her alone in the dark. But I want her close to the litter box and not way across the house in my bedroom. She hasn't left the couch since we got back from the vet....except to eat, drink and pee.

I hate this for her.
 
I'm so sorry, Kristin. Punkin had acromegaly, which is a tumor on the pituitary gland that causes diabetes. He wasn't blind, but the tumor pressed on his optic chiasm, the optic nerves that run across the base of the brain, under the pituitary gland. I was horrified when I realized his pupils had blown open and were unresponsive to bright light anymore. We were driving to Colorado to have him treated for the acro tumor when we realized it. The vets there pointed out that his sight needs were minimal - specifically they said he didn't need to be able to read, which was true.

He coped with his minimal vision and lived for 20 more months and I didn't see anything change because of it.

I hope you can get some help asap if it's possible. I don't know much about high blood pressure in cats, but several of the people who have posted to you have personal experience with it. As well as Tricia's Cinco, Cathy's CiniMini was also blind. Hopefully they'll see your post and stop by with some advice.

Wishing you peace as you and Calley adjust to this change.
 
I am also thinking high blood pressure. Is there a feline specialist vet in your area? They most likely will have ability to check blood pressure. One of the cats in the shelter I volunteer for when blind overnight and they found out he had high blood pressure. Definitely something to get checked immediately. Sending healing vines for Calley
 
Please have her blood pressure checked. My civvie Andy(GA) had an episode where I noticed the pupils of his eyes were huge, would not dilate even in the light. I took him to the regular vet. His blood pressure was sky high and told me I had to take him to the ER vet for an IV drip to get it down or his retinas could detach and he could go blind.
He was on Amlodipine until he passed away. They have to put a cuff on them to check the blood pressure.
 
Kristin,

So sorry to hear about Calley.

I have no experience with diabetic blindness but CiniMini was born with no eyes and he did just fine getting around the house.

Try to have more than 1 litterbox in the house if you can. When you approach Calley, speak softly to her before touching her so that she knows you're there.

When we moved, it would take CiniMini a day or two to adjust to his new surroundings but after that, he would tear around the house at 100 mph just like a regular cat.

Sending prayers and vines and snowflakes that Calley gets well and is comfortable.
 
((((Kristin)))), We are sending powerful healing vines and prayers for Calley. I hope you can find a vet who will do a BP check.
I'm sure that Calley will be able to get around even with total blindness. Cats are masters at adaptation.
Ella & Rusty
 
((((Kristin))))

images


How is she today? that happened to one of my cats a few years ago in just one eye.
The opthamologist gave her some drops and she did recover. I hope Calley gets better.
Hugs to you and Calley
 
I pray you can find a clinic with the equipment to check dear Calley's BP. The test itself is pretty easy to do. Just a cuff around either the base of the tail or a leg, I think. It's just finding a clinic with the equipment.

A cat I sat for once lost his vision suddenly. A quick check. High BP. He went on meds and did very well. If I'm remembering correctly, he even regained some vision. He sure could find excellent hiding places when it was time for me to give him his fluids!

Lots of light and prayers for you and your sweet Calley.

Marilyn and Polly
 
Thanks everyone for the support and kind words. We are headed to see another vet here shortly. Will demand that a BP check is done. All her blood work was normal from the first vet so that gives me hope. The first vet also said(when I talked with her today) that she did NOT see the retinal detached, but she did say that she is not an expert either. :(
 
im so sorry! i know its sad! i i had a blind doggie, blind 11 of her 16 yrs. wish i had had wonderful support back then. like this board. i grieved so much, more than she, i guess, bc yes they adapt! i would let her learn 1 room, and then the rest. then u jst dont evr move things, and they learn where everything is! :) good luck.
Cini Mini's Mom said:
Kristin,

So sorry to hear about Calley.

I have no experience with diabetic blindness but CiniMini was born with no eyes and he did just fine getting around the house.

Try to have more than 1 litterbox in the house if you can. When you approach Calley, speak softly to her before touching her so that she knows you're there.

When we moved, it would take CiniMini a day or two to adjust to his new surroundings but after that, he would tear around the house at 100 mph just like a regular cat.

Sending prayers and vines and snowflakes that Calley gets well and is comfortable.
Click to expand...
 
No experience with this, but just wanted to stop by to say you and Calley are in my prayers! Glad you're still searching for a vet who will do a BP check. If nothing else, it is something you can rule out and not wonder about. Watching for an update! Let us know!
 
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