Firstly....
Hello all!
My eldest female cat Bonnie has a few problems at the moment.
I'm wondering if anyone out there has a cat, or had a cat with the same problems - or knows of someone.
Long post I'm afraid - but bear with me.
Bonnie / female / age 12 / eldest of our 6 feline family.
In November of 2005, we suffered a major house fire. All our cats were inside when it started. They were all got out ok, and none suffered any smoke inhilation.
As a result of this, my wife and I had to move in with her family, and we couldn't take all our cats with us. 4 of them were left being looked after by our cat loving neighbours. Unfortunately, they spent the next 3-4 weeks outside, (fully fed and watered), until we got a new house.
When we picked Bonnie up and took her to the new house, she was a bit wheezy in the chest. This did clear after a couple of days.
She seemed fine at this point.
In January she started acting strange.
She would look at you and one of her pupils would always be fully dilated.
She stood and looked at walls with her head down - she would bump into things.
A visit to the vet suggested she'd had a stroke.
She was given an injection and put on steroid pills.
After a few days she seemed to perk up. All was well for the next few weeks.
Her eye was still fully dilated - until we noticed one day that the other eye was becoming dilated as well. As she seemed ok in herself, we did nothing.(She was still seeing the vet anyway).
In the early hours one morning, I came downstairs to find Bonnie walking round in circles with her head bowed low, in what would seem to be distress.
After waking my wife and staying up for the rest of the night with Bonnie on oure knees, she was rushed to the vet as soon as they opened.
They said she'd had another stroke, and that this had made her go blind.
More steroids were injected, and her steroid tablet dose was increased.
She seemed to pick up a few days after that - and her eyesight did come back (not flully - and not in both eyes).
We knew Bonnie needed a full dental doing, but the vet was unwilling to risk it due to the strokes.
She had started to drool constantly, and her mouth was open with her tongue hanging out.
The vet said a loose tooth needed to be taken out.
A light gas was given to her, and the offending tooth along with 4 others was removed. She was given pain relief and antibiotics, and we took her home that evening.
She never seemed right again after that.
She would drool constantly, and she was struggling eating and drinking. Her head was always down.
Wednesday just gone, we took her back to the vet.
They kept her in giving her painkillers and antibiotics.
We picked her up yesterday (Saturday).
She spends all the time now walking around in circles, well not walking very well actually because her legs give was sometimes. She never lifts her head. She staggers all the time.She will not settle if we give her a fuss. If she isn't sleeping, shes going round and round.
The vet seems to think shes now either got a brain tumour or just loosing her marbles.
I know one thing. She doesn't appear to be in pain. Having her put down is NOT an option at the moment.
Has anyone out there had a cat with the same symptoms?
I'm pulling my hair out with worry.
She has gone from being top cat to the loopy one that goes round in circles and frightens the others.
Please tell me theres someone with a similar problem... and hopefully an answer.
Ian.
Hello all!
My eldest female cat Bonnie has a few problems at the moment.
I'm wondering if anyone out there has a cat, or had a cat with the same problems - or knows of someone.
Long post I'm afraid - but bear with me.
Bonnie / female / age 12 / eldest of our 6 feline family.
In November of 2005, we suffered a major house fire. All our cats were inside when it started. They were all got out ok, and none suffered any smoke inhilation.
As a result of this, my wife and I had to move in with her family, and we couldn't take all our cats with us. 4 of them were left being looked after by our cat loving neighbours. Unfortunately, they spent the next 3-4 weeks outside, (fully fed and watered), until we got a new house.
When we picked Bonnie up and took her to the new house, she was a bit wheezy in the chest. This did clear after a couple of days.
She seemed fine at this point.
In January she started acting strange.
She would look at you and one of her pupils would always be fully dilated.
She stood and looked at walls with her head down - she would bump into things.
A visit to the vet suggested she'd had a stroke.
She was given an injection and put on steroid pills.
After a few days she seemed to perk up. All was well for the next few weeks.
Her eye was still fully dilated - until we noticed one day that the other eye was becoming dilated as well. As she seemed ok in herself, we did nothing.(She was still seeing the vet anyway).
In the early hours one morning, I came downstairs to find Bonnie walking round in circles with her head bowed low, in what would seem to be distress.
After waking my wife and staying up for the rest of the night with Bonnie on oure knees, she was rushed to the vet as soon as they opened.
They said she'd had another stroke, and that this had made her go blind.
More steroids were injected, and her steroid tablet dose was increased.
She seemed to pick up a few days after that - and her eyesight did come back (not flully - and not in both eyes).
We knew Bonnie needed a full dental doing, but the vet was unwilling to risk it due to the strokes.
She had started to drool constantly, and her mouth was open with her tongue hanging out.
The vet said a loose tooth needed to be taken out.
A light gas was given to her, and the offending tooth along with 4 others was removed. She was given pain relief and antibiotics, and we took her home that evening.
She never seemed right again after that.
She would drool constantly, and she was struggling eating and drinking. Her head was always down.
Wednesday just gone, we took her back to the vet.
They kept her in giving her painkillers and antibiotics.
We picked her up yesterday (Saturday).
She spends all the time now walking around in circles, well not walking very well actually because her legs give was sometimes. She never lifts her head. She staggers all the time.She will not settle if we give her a fuss. If she isn't sleeping, shes going round and round.
The vet seems to think shes now either got a brain tumour or just loosing her marbles.
I know one thing. She doesn't appear to be in pain. Having her put down is NOT an option at the moment.
Has anyone out there had a cat with the same symptoms?
I'm pulling my hair out with worry.
She has gone from being top cat to the loopy one that goes round in circles and frightens the others.
Please tell me theres someone with a similar problem... and hopefully an answer.
Ian.
