Furbee's eye?? Sassy's Liver enzyme high?? 8/4/07

[jennielynn1970]

I was just getting a glass of water and my foster, Furbee, was resting on the countertop so I stopped to scratch her head and give her some love. She's had some eye goopers the last few days, so I was cleaning her eyes with a damp towel when I thought her one eye looked odd.

When I looked closer, it was almost like there is a cloudy or hazy area on her one pupil. Like, I thought it was reflecting something, but when I tilted her head up and looked in the light, there was definitely something there. I looked a few more times that she would allow me to look before she bit my hand lightly to let me know she wasn't appreciating the attention.

She's been with me for almost 2 years now, but I never saw this before. I'm hoping she hasn't had this long!! She's not the most "in your face" cat or cuddly for that matter, but she does get her share of attention. I always feel badly for her because she's so shy of the others and gets picked on. She's not a very happy cat, and I just feel like this would be another injustice to her. She was given up by her owner, stuck in our shelter with a bunch of cats she was petrified of, and now she's with me, and still not very happy with all the other cats around. She's a sad girl, and it's so not fair to her!

Would this be glaucoma or a cataract do you think??? Of course I see this now, at almost 11pm at night, so it's going to plague me until morning when I can call the vet.

Please think some good thoughts for my foster, Furbee. She needs to get a break in her little life. I'm hoping it's nothing serious.

[Hellow]

Is it in that picture? i saw somthin in the right eye that looks like a growing cataract.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Jen, I'm sorry to hear this and I hope it's nothing serious. One time Pearl had a cloudy eye and was treated with some eye ointment and luckily it went away. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.

[jennielynn1970]

Reggie- no, it's not in that picture. It's just a pic of Furbee.

The more I look at her eye, the more it looks like it's toward the bottom of the pupil area, but in back of it, if that makes any sense?? I'm really worried for her. It doesn't look like an infection, unfortunately, but then again, it doesn't look like the cats I've seen with the white cloudy stuff over the top of the eyes. I don't want to freak her out and try to take a pic of her eye, and I'd worry about the flash hurting her eyes anyway.

Hopefully the vet can see her tomorrow. I'm taking her to my vet, not the shelter vet. I don't like them, and the vet I go to, if she is in, is normally right on the money with her diagnosis. I'll also have to call our shelter admin. and let her know about it too. If it's anything really bad, I'll ask her if I can take her to the vet at the emergency clinic who is AMAZING. He's been so good to our shelter with the really sick kitties.

I'm hoping she won't need him and that maybe it's just something age related. She's not a young cat, but she's not that old either I don't think (I never asked, they never mentioned... I'm guessing 7-9yrs).

[kb2yjx]

I know this is going to sound crazy, have the vet check her blood pressure!! A friend of mine cat had, what sounds like what your girl has, and she had high blood pressure and was put on meds. I know it sounds crazy, but always err on the side of caution!!!

[Medusa]

Yodie had something like that w/her left eye and try as I might, I couldn't find my thread on it. Anyhow, Dr. Lee was able to treat it and he gave me salve and drops to put in her eye. If your vet can't diagnose it, PM me and I'll talk to my vet and find out all the particulars. Here's hoping it turns out to be nothing serious....

[critters]

Cataracts or corneal scarring are major possibilities.

[jennielynn1970]

Furbee has an appointment for tomorrow with my vet... hoping for good news. One of my other fosters is going in as well as he is having more hair loss (it was always thought to be overgrooming, but he's looking rough around the edges lately). He's an old cat, but very sweet, and he's lost some weight and his fur is looking patchy which it didn't before.

[jennielynn1970]

Well, just got back from the vet with two of my sickies, Furbee and Sassy. Such a pleasant visit, lol.

Apparently Furbee does have inflammation in her left eye. There was redness in the white conjunctiva (if you look at the peripheral of the eyeball, the white stuff). She said there is a little milky looking inside the eye, but she's not too sure what it is. I have drops to give her in her eye 2xs a day for 5 days, then 1x a day for 5 days.

Furbee was NOT a great patient. She was actually pretty evil! She growled and hisses and bit at the vet a bunch of times. She scruffed her and reprimanded her for her behavior, lol, and then scolded her for being such a chubber, and said that with her attitude, she was not making it any easier to get adopted, lol. So true!! I can't take her to any adoption events because she totally freaks out and pants and shrieks and screams bloody murder!!! I'm going to have her forever, I just know it! I do adore her, I just get tired of her not liking anyone else and her little hissy fits with everyone. Not to mention the pooping outside the box. That is getting old.

Sassafrass (a boy kitty who is also a shelter cat) also went to the vet. He was such a good boy!! He did do a little bit of huffing and puffing and gave the vet a bit of attitude. He's one you cannot reprimand otherwise he will attack you in a heartbeat and bite the crap out of you!!! I made the mistake of tapping his nose ONE time to let him know I didn't like what he did, and he grabbed by wrist and bit the crap out of my one hand (this was a year or so ago).

According to the vet, I've been right on the money with Sassy being a "nervous Nelly". She said yes, he is a neurotic cat, and his hair loss is a grooming issue. She said neurotic kitties tend to like to lick down to where they just feel soft as a baby. His belly, his legs and his tail are really looking bad. He had been better, but he just seems to go back and forth with the over grooming. If I add a new cat upstairs, it just upsets the whole environment, so I can't put anyone else in there with Sassy (and Woody) who will pick on him. Sassy is very insecure, and will hide if he's picked on. He was so beat up on in the shelter, and I refuse to let that happen to him here. I tried to have him down here with me, but he really stressed out with the other kitties down here. The vet is running some bloodwork on him. He's lost some weight, and she wants to make sure that it's not anything else that we're not seeing. She didn't feel anything when she did her exam, so that was a good sign.

She did thank me for bringing in such interesting and fun cats, lol. She was just like "Why do you always bring me such wackos?" I can't help it. I take all the special needs wacky kitties, lol. I figure if I don't take them, who will??? I can't help it. They just break my heart!

[Medusa]

Special needs cats for a special lady is the way I see it. (Or is it wacky cats for a wacky lady? LOL) Either way, they're lucky to have you. Thinking of Sass getting beat up daily by other cats is just so sad. He deserves a break.

[jennielynn1970]

LOL! Thanks Mary! I think I fit under the wacky cat for a wacky lady category...

Sassy is much happier here. He's been here for 1 1/2 yrs and had been doing much better, so that's why I was concerned with the added hair loss and the weight loss. He's such a pathetic cat... he would be the one who pawed at you when you walked past him in the shelter and just wanted love so badly. He's very hand shy, but has been better since he's been here. I think whoever had him before he came to the shelter really abused him.

I think he was the one who picked me... he could tell I was a sucker, lol. He loves to hug around your neck and he licks your ears, lol. He's my boy, and I refuse to let anyone pick on him, which is why there is only one other kitty in the room with him, and that kitty is a shy boy as well.

[jennielynn1970]

Dr. Hess called today and said that blood tests for Sassy were ok except for one liver enzyme was a bit high at 141 (normal was up to 100). She said if he continues to lose weight I need to bring him back in for a liver panel test in 3-4 weeks. Not sure what the elevated enzyme thingy means ? It was on voice mail, so I didn't get to talk to her.