Cat not well with dilated pupils

Hi

My cat has been to the vets 3 times in the last 3 weeks and each time they gave her a steriod injection as she's been off her food. She's about 10 years old but in recent months she started lying on cold surfaces what she's not normally do. Then only recently (a month or so) she started being off her food and started to lose weight. She doesn't go outside that much when she's well either.

We went to the vet again on the 23rd Dec as her pupils looked quite dilated and I pointed this out to the vet and she doesn't seem to look at me propery as though her eyesight was going. The vet also gave her a vitamin injection. She still eats but mainly out of my hand with chicken or she does eat salmon if its under her nose (but a smaller portion than normal) as she cant seem to be able to see anything in the last couple of days and looks like she's hobbling around rather than walking.

Up until the last week or so she could run up the steps, jump onto tables etc etc but not now, she has problems being able to see and even jumping onto the sofa looks like it causes her problems.
I can't understand how she has deteriorated so quickly within a couple of weeks.

I've searched on the Net for possible causes and I can't see it being Hypothiroid as she's not eating a lot or drinking much for that matter - she is going for a pee but no more than usual and also needs help finding her litter tray now. They checked her temp at the vet (which was normal) and felt her kidneys and she said they weren't particularly small so unlikely to be kidney desease.

So the only real conculsion I can come up with is blood pressure problem...but what's the underlying problem that's causing it? As I know it can detach the cat's retinas. The vet hasn't checked her pressure on the 3 occasions I've been recently. But if she's still ok - ish on 28th Dec I'll be taking her again to make sure her blood pressure is checked and what can be done for her eyesight. As I think she's become worrried and disoriented with the lack of vision.

I'm really worried :-(

Any help/advise or similar experiences would help

Thanks

Karl

Karl, when I saw the title of your thread, all I could think of was HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE!!!!!!! Also, I never heard of a cat lying on a cold surface!!! Hope all goes well for your girl at the vet today. Please keep us posted!!!!

malnutrition will cause dilated pupils/blindness, but I doubt that is the problem here.

Yes, I thought of high blood pressure, too. Definitely have your vet check your cat for it, the sooner the better. Prayers going up for your kitty and you. Keep the faythe. :)

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Originally Posted by kb2yjx

Karl, when I saw the title of your thread, all I could think of was HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE!!!!!!! Also, I never heard of a cat lying on a cold surface!!! Hope all goes well for your girl at the vet today. Please keep us posted!!!!

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I'm glad I'm not the only one to suspect this!
I've found a vet that specialises in cats only that is quite local, so we're going to try and take her there in the morning - as they should know what they're doing! I'll keep you updated.
Thanks for the reply :-)

Okay, keep us posted!

I was going to suggest trying another vet. Paws crossed for your kitty. Let us know what you learn.

Sounds more like a neurological problem to me.Is she vomiting?? Did they do a CT Scan? Get a second opinion. So many mistakes are made when it come. Do your homework.

Your kitty will be in my thoughts and prayers.

:love::love::love:

Donna and fur crew

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Originally Posted by moosmom

Sounds more like a neurological problem to me.Is she vomiting?? Did they do a CT Scan? Get a second opinion. So many mistakes are made when it come. Do your homework.

Your kitty will be in my thoughts and prayers.

:love::love::love:

Donna and fur crew

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There's no vomiting or diarrhoea. The only symtoms she has is that she's not eating so much and now cant see (as she keeps going into strange places and walking into walls but her whikers tell her there's an obstruction). On Christmas day she could still see a little as she would look at your face and could just about find her way around. 2 weeks ago her sight was fine and she could find her way anywhere as normal. Now she is quite weak when getting up and turning over etc and also walks slowly with a hobble but this only developed over the last couple of weeks - perhaps this is with her not eating as much so has weakened her muscles?? No CT has been suggested by our vet.
Hopefully later on today we will get some answers - fingers crossed.

Did they do some routine blood tests to out rule things like Renal failure,? because they would need to ,I honestly can offer you no ideas, except to make sure they do the bloods and get a second opinion, good luck.

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Originally Posted by carole

Did they do some routine blood tests to out rule things like Renal failure,? because they would need to ,I honestly can offer you no ideas, except to make sure they do the bloods and get a second opinion, good luck.

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Thanks
No blood tests as yet as they said she needed to eat regularly first before they would do one! (which is catch22 as she's not eating because she's not well). The vet felt her kidneys and said they seemed a decent size so unlikely to be kidney desease. Also she's not weeing any more than usual. They also checked her heart rate which was slighty high but nothing worrying and her reflexes were fine too. She's not lying on cold surfaces like she was a couple of month ago, she's back to warm comfy ones.

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Originally Posted by karlosw29

Thanks
No blood tests as yet as they said she needed to eat regularly first before they would do one! (which is catch22 as she's not eating because she's not well). The vet felt her kidneys and said they seemed a decent size so unlikely to be kidney desease.

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You would know whether you trust this vet or not, but if it was me, I'd be seeking a second opinion elsewhere ASAP!

Where I work they prefer fasting prior to alot of blood tests, and I can't recall ever hearing any of the vets say a sick pet had to start eating first before they could do the lab work. :eek:

I've never heard of a vet that can diagnose kidney disease from simply 'feeling' the kidneys.:eek: A cat can have like 80% of the kidneys be non functioning before some show signs of the disease. Only lab lab work is going to give a proper answer, or at least remove concerns from the list of possibilities.

My cat has had her blood tests and kidneys and cholesterol are normal with slightly high throid but nothing major. Her BP was high which has caused the retina of her eye to detach - but the underlying problem is her heart that had a rate of about 190-200 bpm, so she has heart problems.
So the new vet had given her a tablet to control her blood pressure and gave her a different steriod to encourage her to eat and drink as she was slightly de-hydrated. We have the daily tablet to give her each day for a week and then well be going back to check how she's getting on.

She's been back at home for about 7 hours now and she's been eating dry food on about 4 separate occasions and taken water nearly every time! :) So hopefully she'll begin to be a little more active soon, but already she's had much more food and water that the last few days altogether. Fingers crossed.

Great news Karl! I'm glad that you took her for a second opinion. Sometimes it's a hard decision to make especially the same vet has been used for years. Fingers and paws crossed that she continues to eat and drink well.

Glad to hear that she's doing better with eating and drinking for you. Hopefully this new vet will get her back up to par in no time.

This is good news that your girl seems to be back!!!

It turned out that my Kitty's bloods were normal for kidneys etc but found that she has heart trouble. We gave her a tablet once a day to keep her blood pressure under control and somedays she would eat and drink more, but her mobility became worse as her back legs were working but not very well at all. He had her in the vets for a day on Friday to boost her fluid intake. Yesterday my cat ate nothing and she seemed to make a small grown if you moved her a little sometimes and then she would start going round in circles trying to get comfortable and would always sleep on her left side only. By this time she could hardly walk but would still purr this morning.

It became apparent last night that we were going to lose Kitty :(
We took her to the vet and he agreed that we'd tried everything to save her and said that her behaviour we explained had ben happening over the last couple of days indicated that perhaps it was a brain tumor behind all the symtoms we'd seen over the last few weeks.
Kitty was put to sleep very peacefully this morning and I'm very sad to lose such a lovely little kitty who would put her paw up to me for me to give her five :) Wonderful memories of my little Kitty.

Oh I'm sorry to hear that. Ten years is not that old but when a cat is sick, they can age quickly. At least now she's at peace, can walk just fine and will be pain free. RIP, sweet Kitty. :love:

I am so sad to hear this. Dear little Kitty - she had more love from you than she could have dreamed of.:love::love:

Kitty, run free at the Bridge, and please send your humans purrs in their sleep so they know you are ok.

My condolences. {{{{hugs}}}}

I am so sorry to read about your precious girl!!! Even though it was a tough decision, it was done out of love for her....Sleep softly sweet Kitty girl....

I am so very sorry to read your thread about the passing of your dear kitty, rest in peace little one,condolences to you and your family, it is always so hard to loose one of our dearly beloved furbabies, and so un-expected to.

Take comfort in knowing Kitty is now at peace, kitty will be chasing butterflies at the Rainbow Bridge now for sure.:love:

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/i...thyCatLoss.gif

So very sorry to hear the news. I know how heartbroken you must be. My thoughts are with you.

I wonder if her heart problems had anything to do with the paralysis of her hind legs. One of our resident cats at work had a blood clot from heart problems which is what caused us to lose her. http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=144658

I'm so sorry to hear this.:( RIP sweet girl.:( Please take care. (((HUGS)))

I'm so sorry to hear the news. My condolences and prayers go out to you with the loss of your kitty.

I'm so sorry to hear about your cat. My prays are with you. It's never easy. But you did what was right for her.

Melissa

Thanks for your kind words, hopefully it will get easier but I'll always miss my little kitty.

Our cat kallie started having dilated pupils before she went blind. She is also
deaf now. Kallie is around 17, i think, There is indications that she might be diabetic.

If your cat has thyroid issues it would be hyper rather than Hypo. With Hypo
your cat would be seeking warm places rather than cool places.