Saw second Vet......not good news.

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Kris10mo

Kris10mo

Member Since 2014
This vet was much more thorough. He turned off the lights and used a lighted scope. He also checked them with the lights on. He says that he can not see the retinas at all, so he says that means they are detached. :( She is not responding to any stimuli in the eyes. Eyes stay huge no matter what anyone does.

He did not check the BP saying she did not show any signs of that.

He is concerned that her BG has been high the past few days...in the 400's when usually in the 200's.

So I'm left with no real explanation for why all of a sudden her retinas detached. I don't like not knowing, but it seems there is nothing I can do about it.

Calley is getting along ok. Our house is small so I don't need to confine her to one room. She is managing to find her way and has been in every room of the house walking around. She is jumping up on her favorite chair and couch and finding the water bowl and litter box. She wanders into the kitchen when she is hungry and then I feed her.

One sad Mom.
 
I hate to say this, but is there yet another vet around who can check her BP??? With detached retinas, I don't know how this vet can possibly say there is no sign of high BP...that is the most likely explanation for sudden retinal detachment. Her BG is probably high because of the detachment....I would imagine it is a painful thing to happen.
 
Well THAT sucks! Actually retinal detachment is not painful, just really wierd. It happened to me, no pain at all. Mine did reattach after a few days. You're in the same boat as I am - only vet here with capability to test BP is 45 minutes away and charges $49 to walk thru the door. Just a BP check is another $38 dollars. :( Sounds like she's already getting used to her new world, it's really going to be OK...it really is...

BIG HUGE HUG,
 
Hi Kris

Have you given any thought to taking Calley to Dr. Ben Johnson? He's board certified in ophthalmology and
gets high ratings from many of my friends.

Dr. Ben Johnson
10328 Manchester
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314) 966-2111

Lynn and Radar (GA)
 
My cat did not show any so called signs of high blood pressure before he had it. Just one day his pupils were huge and would not dilate. He should have checked it anyway. She could need medicine if she does have it.

Terri
 
(((Kristin)))

I imagine it seems like we're being very pushy. I hope our concern isn't coming across in anything but a supportive way. I think like you, we want answers -- especially as to why this happened and what's the cause. In particular, if there's anything that can have an effect on Calley's condition, I suspect time is of the essence.

Please let us know how we can help.
 
I've had a tear in my retina; it did not hurt. The tear caused some minor bleeding in the eye, which remain as brownish red floaters. Also not painful.
{{Hugs}}
 
Lynn, is Dr. Johnson a people eye doctor or an animal one? Both vets I saw mentioned specialists....in Chesterfield MO I think. I will have to call and check on prices. Depending on the fees....I might be able to see a specialist. I spent $185 yesterday to be told she is blind and nothing could be done. Another $43 today for the second vet to be told the same thing.

Yes....I need an answer. Calley isn't in any pain, thankfully. It does seem that she can see ....as she is getting around the house quite well and is jumping up on things and walking between DR chair legs etc. Can it be that she can see distance....even if blurry and maybe not close up things?

There is one more vet that has a bigger practice. I will try to get her in there on Monday.

Terri, your cat that got HBP and had huge eyes.....what happened? Did the eyes get better?
 
At least for me, the concern is that if the problem is due to high blood pressure, not treating the hypertension means that if Calley has remaining sight, it could be endangered.Blood pressure medication can reduce the hypertension.

I've sometimes found that taking the, "Humor me." approach when it comes to asking for the vet to perform a test s/he doesn't think is neessary can help.

This is the info on Ben Johnson. He's a vet.
 
Ok. I have found an emergency vet hospital with non-emergency hours tomorrow and they do feline blood pressure. So will be going tomorrow. We'll see what comes of it. Not that I want poor Calley to have HBP....I sure want an answer to what is going on with her.
 
Oh I asked the vet to take the BP. Both vet's said their equipment was old and wouldn't give accurate results. :( But I have found a clinic that can do it. So I am going tomorrow.

Thanks everyone for the support. I will update you all when I get back home with sweet Calley.

FYI....her bg just now at PMPS was 367.
 
Hi Kristin,

I'm concerned about her BGs as well. We're focusing on her eyes, which is super important, but in the meantime I think we also need to be thinking about what's going on with her blood sugar. Can you get her ss up to date? We don't need everything from September on, but if you could put in at least the past 3-5 days of doses and tests, and then keep it going that would be very helpful.

Yay for getting someone who can test her BP tomorrow. Good for you for persevering til you found someone. Big hugs! Let us know tomorrow what you find out.
 
Thanks Sienne for giving Kris Dr. Johnson's website.

My vet does have blood pressure equipment but isn't open on Sunday. Send me a PM if you need his name. I'm still trying to figure out how to do that on this new board.

Good luck tomorrow!

Lynn and Radar (GA)
 
I am SO relieved you found someone who will actually take Calley's BP tomorrow! I hope it is normal, too, but if it's not, the meds really work well. My GA civvie Mario was on BP meds for 2 years, and my FD kitty Trix has been on them since April. My vet is very BP-oriented, so she really has me on high BP alert, and now I test my other cats, too, to be ahead of the game. High BP can not only affect the eyes, but other systems as well, so it is really important to rule it either in or out for Calley. Either way, you will have an answer, and that will give you the right path to follow. If Calley does need BP meds, just know that a few of us here have been down that road and we're happy to share our experiences!
 
Ok, I updated the SS as much as possible. I don't record the numbers....so I forget them. But I know the last two days she has been in the 300's at both AM and PM PS. :(
 
thanks! most meters have a memory in them and you can go backwards to retrieve them. It looks like she's seeing green on this dose. That's good - when you mentioned 300's I thought perhaps she'd been there non-stop.
 
I don't want to give you false hope Kristen but my cat did have the same thing happen. Her one eye was blown wide open and her BP was high . The vet gave her some drops. I don't remember what they were but i will go dig in my records to find out. I was sure she would never see in that eye again and then after about 2 weeks her eye came back to normal. I hope that happens for Calley with the new vet. Sending you lots of healing and hugs.
 
I noticed that something was wrong when the pupils of his eyes were huge and when I took him out into the living room which was very bright they should have dilated, like into slits because it was very bright but they stayed huge I took him to my regular vet right away and they checked his blood pressure and said it was Really high and if It did not come down right away his retinas could detach and he would go blind, and they said take him to the ER vet. So, I took him to the ER vet right away and they gave him IV fluid of something to bring his blood pressure down as the regular vet did not have the medicine that he needed. I was scared that he would go blind. But, whatever they did worked and his blood pressure came down and he returned to normal and his eyesight was fine after that. He was however on Amlodipine for high blood pressure until he passed away.
 
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Kris:

Kris said:
I don't record the numbers....so I forget them. But I know the last two days she has been in the 300's at both AM and PM PS.
Click to expand...

We'll be in a far better position to help you if your keep track of your BG test data. For example, you probably should have taken a dose reduction after the 47 on 12/23. I'm also not sure how you're dosing. The protocols that are used here encourage dose changes in 0.25u amounts so you don't miss what could be a good dose for your cat.
 
I agree with Sienne about recording your data...we can help you if we know what Calley's history is, and it will also show you trends if the data is recorded. It's also really hard to remember the numbers under the best of circumstances, and even hard to remember them when you're stressed or busy. Let us know if you need any help with setting up a spreadsheet - we'll be happy to answer any questions.

We'll be watching for Calley's vetty update today...sending prayers you finally get someone to check her BP and find out for sure what's next for your sweet girl!
 
I haven't recorded the numbers for a while...because she was doing so well and staying so even in the 200's both at AM and PM PS....so I slacked off in recording them. She has been consistent at 2 units/twice day since early September. But I can try to do better and record more....especially now since she is having such fluctuations daily.

Like this morning....I just tested her AMPS and she is at 118. So I reduced the dose.

Question...since she can't see the litter box....she is now having some of the pee land on the carpet. What should I put around/under the box to keep it from going into the carpet?
 
I mean, why wouldn't the local vets tell me/recommend I go to the ER vet for BP check? Do they think it is too late for her for her eyes? But even so for the eyes.....HBP is so dangerous for overall health too. UGH.......I am so angry I wasted two days with these stupid local vets. With no answers and a lot of money spent for nothing. :( I feel like a bad cat mom.
 
I agree with Amy plus I know this can sometimes be reversed with amlodipine. It makes no sense to me to do nothing. How can he tell the BP IS NOT HIGH WITHOUT CHECKING?
 
Kris - you are an AWESOME cat mom. You knew something wasn't right, you sought out several opinions right away, and still weren't satisfied so you're seeking out yet another opinion. There is no way you could predict that the vets wouldn't be of any help. If it helps at all, I am angry at those vets for you, too!! Maybe they don't have experience with high BP in cats, but they certainly should be referring you to someone who can dig into it further. But today you will have an answer and a direction to head in.

For the litter box, I think a number of people here use puppy pee pads around the litter boxes to help with "overspray", so that is probably something you could try for Calley.
 
The pee pads worked really well for my Tiffany when she started turning in her box so the pee went out the opening. You are doing a wonderful job with Calley and it is entirely possible that this can be reversed. Prayers and hugs that I am right!
 
Hi Chris - Wishing you and Calley the best. I hope you can get the answers you need. I too used large puppy pee pads when Mannie started having problems with the LB. They worked great!
 
I'm so glad you found a vet that can check Calley's BP> I'm glaring daggers at those 2 vets too! That's irresponsible!
My DH had a tear in his retina and partially detached. The vitreous fluid in the eye shrinks as we age and pulls on the area where the retina is attached, at least in humans, not sure about cats. The ophthalmologist said he needed surgery. John asked about an appointment and the doctor said "Oh, I'll do it right now." It took less than 5 minutes w/ a laser. Hopefully the same type of treatment can help Calley.
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An alternative to puppy pads are human pads or chucks, available at some pharmacies and often found at medical supply stores.
 
Thanks Ladies for the reassurance. I sure hope that Calley can get her vision back. Question about the pee pads- I have an indoor dog. Will that dog smell the pads and start using them for his needs? Are there a scent to them? Thanks for the suggestion. I think that will work well.
 
I don't think they have a scent. Just a modern day replacement for newspapers. I use them to line Tess carrier on longer drives, she often "loses it".
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