Can a cat suddenly go blind?

yellowhouse

yellowhouse

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We have an older cat, Noodle, who recently went to the vet for shot and ear mite medicine.  Recently being just over a week ago.  I have no idea what the ear mite stuff was, but the rest was just regular shots and a worm pill (drontal?).  Yesterday, my son noticed that she's been batting at nothing, and I looked at her eyes.  He pupils are almost completely dialated.  Same this morning.  But at the vet, her eyes were fine.  We had another cat (older, though) who went blind, but that seemed more gradual and she was very old.  Noodle is maybe 12.  Kiki was about 16.  Is there anything I can do for her?  I don't know that I trust our local vet with anything more than routine stuff.

Other background: we currently have 10 cats.  5 are indoor-outdoor (including Noodle).  The other 5 are kittens born this past August (there were six, one is with a cousin).  We live in the country, and people dump animals.  We don't have much money for the vet.  Of the 10 cats here, only 2 are cats we actually looked for.  Anyway, there are a lot of cats here.  

So, do cats suddenly go blind like this?  Is there anything we can do at home?
 
cinqchats

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Yeah, they can. If I remember right it's usually because their retinas detach due to high blood pressure. But I'm sure they can be other causes as well. 
 
white shadow

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Hi Yellowhouse !

The most common cause of sudden blindness in older cats is high blood pressure that goes untreated - and, obviously, undiagnosed.

IF the high blood pressure is lowered and controlled quickly enough, vision is often restored - the chances of restoration are 50/50 with treatment, 0 % without.

There is a drug that's commonly used for this.....the best parts of this are:
  • the drug is very safe in cats
  • the drug is very effective in cats
  • the drug is not overly expensive
     
Here is some reliable, plain English reading about what I wrote:
  1. http://felinecrf.org/hypertension.htm#blindness
  2. http://felinecrf.org/hypertension.htm#amlodipine_blindness
     
 I suggest you bring those references to your Vet - many Vets seem unaware about using this drug in cats!

I hope you don't need this, but, just in case:
 
 
If Your Vet Refuses to Treat Your Cat for Hypertension
   
I often hear about vets who refuse to treat hypertension. This may be because they do not have the necessary equipment to measure blood pressure (which frankly is inexcusable these days); or because they think it is impossible to take accurate readings in cats; or because they believe treatment will do more harm than good.

Let me spell this out loud and clear: if your cat has untreated hypertension, it could kill him or her. So if you have checked your cat's blood pressure and it is at a level where it needs to be controlled (see above), insist upon treatment. If your vet refuses, find another vet.
 
What if you have not been able to check your cat's blood pressure? Well, if there are signs of target organ damage, it may be safer to treat. ACVIM Consensus Statement: guidelines for the identification, evaluation, and management of systemic hypertension in dogs and cats (2007) Brown S, Atkins C, Bagley R, Carr A, Cowgill L, Davidson M, Egner B, Elliott J, Henik R, Labato M, Littman M, Polzin D, Ross L, Snyder P, and Stepien R Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 21 pp542–558 says "The recommended approach to patient evaluation is based upon reliable measurements of blood pressure (BP). However, the identification and characterization of pre-existing target organ damage (TOD), the recognition of concurrent conditions (especially those causing secondary hypertension), and the categorization of risk for further TOD form the basis for treatment decisions."

The International Renal Interest Society (2013) goes further, stating that, for cats exhibiting target organ damage, treatment should begin immediately without the need to prove persistent hypertension.
 
Therefore, if you and your vet suspect your cat has hypertension because of signs of target organ damage such as blindness, it may be wise to try amlodipine and see if your cat improves. If your vet is nervous about treating for hypertension on this basis, Veterinary Partner   (link) mentions that amlodipine is a pretty safe drug and is unlikely to cause the opposite problem of hypotension (low blood pressure), even in a cat whose blood pressure is not overly elevated.

http://felinecrf.org/hypertension.htm#if_vet_refuses_to_treat
 
(my emphases)
Click to expand...
(btw - "Veterinary Partner" mentioned at the end there is a well-recognized site in the veterinary community)

I realize that money is also a huge factor.......look, she was seen, examined and treated there a week ago.....I wonder if you spoke to your Vet directly, s/he might be open to just starting the cat on amlodipine with minimal other exam/work/testing.....with little risk and everything to gain: vision restoration.

IF your Vet won't cooperate, is there a SPCA or rescue group with vet care access in the community ?

With ten cats, I would be 'cozying up' to any/all local resources.....

Hope something there helps.
 
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yellowhouse

yellowhouse

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thank you.  Amloiapine is what my mother-in-law is on.  Funny.  I will call the vet and ask about blood pressure and the medicine.  So, this is unlikely to have anything to do with the ear mite medicine?  I was sort of hoping it was, and it would go away.

One other thing about this cat - she snores.  She has for years, and it just keeps getting louder.  I know that in people this is a problem, but is it in cats?
 
white shadow

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Well, I think it would be good to have him see the info in those links too....and speed is critical here, too. I really hope he'll be open to seeing the cat quickly.

Snoring doesn't raise any alarms for me.....it's interesting, though, that it's "amping up" as she ages. Sometimes there are growths that develop in nasal areas...who knows. I'd be keeping an eye on her.
 
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yellowhouse

yellowhouse

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OK, I know it's been a while, but there was (human) illness.  Really strange outcome - the cat's eyes are pretty much back to normal with no intervention.  She runs around, chases laser pointers and goes for walks outside with us.  With absolutely no scientific background or evidence, I blame the ear stuff.  It came on suddenly and went away while we were sick.  Very strange.
 
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