It's been a roller coaster - but thankfully there are more "ups" than "downs." SO GLAD for the great news!
Keep it up, Sophie!
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Our 16 year old Persian has gone Blind & Deaf
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It's been a roller coaster - but thankfully there are more "ups" than "downs." SO GLAD for the great news!
Keep it up, Sophie!
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- #63
Well her vision is gone again! This time she made her way up the steps to the bed to visit even though she couldn't see! Hopefully her vision returns soon! She's scheduled to go back to the opthamologist next week! We may have to go sooner!
It seems to me she's learning to adjust....
If her retinas are attached now.... is it the high blood pressure causing this?
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If her retinas are attached now.... is it the high blood pressure causing this?
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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- #65
During the last visit to the opthamologist, he said both retinas are fully attached, the blood pressure was down to 140!
He believes there may be some retinal degeneration! When the blindness sets in the eyes are fully dialated and the eyes have a greenish marble like look! It is really frustrating!
He believes there may be some retinal degeneration! When the blindness sets in the eyes are fully dialated and the eyes have a greenish marble like look! It is really frustrating!
I know NOTHING about eyes - in cats or people - but it seems to me that degeneration wouldn't be something that comes and goes like she's been experiencing though.
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- #67
Well after another 24 hour episode of blindness her eyes are back to normal and she's having a great day! It also seems she may be getting a bit of her hearing back (some frequencies)! (Her sinus problem is better with three days of clavomox left)
We are really hoping that once she's off the antibiotic and he rinfection is gone we'll have full time vision back!
We are really hoping that once she's off the antibiotic and he rinfection is gone we'll have full time vision back!
Oh my heart just goes out to you two and Sophie - how disconcerting with the vision coming and going!
BTW - whenever you're at the opthamologist or cardiologist, ask about giving her the supplement L-lysine. A maintenance daily dose of 250mg or so. L-Lysine helps kitties prevent URIs - especially if they have herpes. If it won't interfere with her other meds, it's something you ought to consider giving a try to see if it can help prevent these!!!!
BTW - whenever you're at the opthamologist or cardiologist, ask about giving her the supplement L-lysine. A maintenance daily dose of 250mg or so. L-Lysine helps kitties prevent URIs - especially if they have herpes. If it won't interfere with her other meds, it's something you ought to consider giving a try to see if it can help prevent these!!!!
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- #69
LDG
Thanks for the info regarding the L-Lysine! We're giving it a try as Sophie has now been on Clavomox for 23 days and she still has a heavy nasal discharge and sneezing/coughing!
Her vision has been back for almost three straight days and she's eating and drinking very well! Tuesday she goes back to the opthamologist for another blood pressure check/possible adjustment of the dosage on the amlopidine!
You and the folks on this site have been wonderful in helping us cope with Sophies illness!(p.s we lived in NJ since '82 and adopted many of our "fuzzy children" from St. Huberts Giralda and the Mt. Pleasant animal shelter in East Hanover, NJ.
Thanks Again,
Fred & Diane
Thanks for the info regarding the L-Lysine! We're giving it a try as Sophie has now been on Clavomox for 23 days and she still has a heavy nasal discharge and sneezing/coughing!
Her vision has been back for almost three straight days and she's eating and drinking very well! Tuesday she goes back to the opthamologist for another blood pressure check/possible adjustment of the dosage on the amlopidine!
You and the folks on this site have been wonderful in helping us cope with Sophies illness!(p.s we lived in NJ since '82 and adopted many of our "fuzzy children" from St. Huberts Giralda and the Mt. Pleasant animal shelter in East Hanover, NJ.
Thanks Again,
Fred & Diane
FYI, most of us buy the NOW brand online - it comes in a powder, and 1/8 teaspoon is 250mg. I give 1/16 in the morning and at night and just sprinkle it on their food. You can crush pills you purchase at a pharmacy - but most of those have additives you may not want her having long term.
Do you already help her decongest in a steamy bathroom? If not, that's something else to consider.
Also, if you don't already have humidifiers going, if it's dry down there, that may help. Humidity around 40% will help her sinuses.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OH! And actually fighting an upper respiratory, you'll want her on 500mg of L-lysine daily until it's gone - then take her down to the maintenance dose to help keep it gone.
I would check with the vets to make sure it won't interact with anything else she's on. I do know it's fine to use it in conjunction with the antibiotics.
Do you already help her decongest in a steamy bathroom? If not, that's something else to consider.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OH! And actually fighting an upper respiratory, you'll want her on 500mg of L-lysine daily until it's gone - then take her down to the maintenance dose to help keep it gone.
I would check with the vets to make sure it won't interact with anything else she's on. I do know it's fine to use it in conjunction with the antibiotics.
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- #71
Sophie went about 15 hours without vision this time! We've started her on L-Lysine along with the Clavomox! She's been in the shower for humidity the last two days and we're giving her nose drops (little noses)! She seems to have improved after about 24 hrs on the L-Lysine and her vision has returned about 2 hrs ago! We're enjoying watching tv with her on the bed tonight! The good news is that she's able to watch our every move! Our greatest fear is that one of teses days the vision won't return! At times we think she may hve some hearing back. We wonder if a lot of the symptoms are tied to the URI along with the High Blood pressure! We've never really received an answer as to why the vision comes and goes now that the retinas are fully attached again!
Oh I'm so glad she's feeling better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And she can see again!
this is the LAST of those nasty URIs, and so no more loss of vision.
this is the LAST of those nasty URIs, and so no more loss of vision.
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- #73
Took Sophie to the Opthamologist today and her blood pressure was the best so far,110. Ironically she had another 36 hr episode of total blindness! On the way to the opthamologist (about a 1 hr ride her vision returned) The Dr. said both retinas are fully attached, he's satisfied with the dosage on Norvasc, and he's OK with adding the L-Lysine! (so is our local vet who put her on a L-Lysine gel) Sophie likes the L-Lysine gel and only has 5 days left on the clavomox! I'm hoping that once she's off the meds and the stress of taking all this stuff maybe she not have these periodic blind spells!
Well it's time for Sophie to watch "Wheel of Fortune"!
Well it's time for Sophie to watch "Wheel of Fortune"!
I assume the opthamologist doesn't know why she's having the episodes of being blind at this point? With her retinas fully attached...
So strange!
I sure hope once she's off the clavomox her vision just STAYS - and I hope the L-lysine helps prevent any future URIs!!!!!
I sure hope once she's off the clavomox her vision just STAYS - and I hope the L-lysine helps prevent any future URIs!!!!!
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- #75
The opthamologist has never seen a situation like this with the vision coming and going as it has! He says he sees some degeneration of the retina but that doesn't explain the loss and return of vision! He wants us to continue the Norvasc dosage as we've been doing, adding a quarter tab at night when the vision goes away! This is so frustrating! Only a few more days on the clavomox! Hopefully the L-Lysine will help!
Well, with our own kitty that was a medical mystery, I can related to the frustration! If it isn't one thing, it's another.
Keeping up the vibes!!!!!
Keeping up the vibes!!!!!
I was just looking up some information on blood borne parasites in cats, and found an article discussing that a side-effect of Baytril (an antibiotic of the type fluoroquinolone) can be blindness in cats. Your kitty is definitely on Clavamox, yes? (Just checking!)
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- #78
Yes! Sophies only on clavomox and all the vet's were aware of the Baytril side effect of possible blindness! Only 2 1/2 days left on the clavomox! I believe the L-Lysine may be working! Her runny nose has improved and she's still on a 500 mg/day dosage! Her vision went away again for most of the day, I increased her norvasc dosage this evening and she seems to be getting some vision back! Thanks for checking on Sophie!
I just thought it was so strange that an antibiotic could cause blindness - and only in cats. But it was only the Baytril, none of the others... and yet Sophie's come-and-go blindness seems - somehow - to be related to the clavamox.
Anyway, like you say, only 2 1/2 days to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm still hoping that when she's off the clavamox this come-and-go blindness stops and she keeps her full-time vision.
!!!!!
Anyway, like you say, only 2 1/2 days to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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- #80
We hope so too!! She's pretty good at begrudgingly taking all her meds! The L-Lysine gel can get a little messy but she gets most of it down! She's going through another period of blindness! It's so sad to watch her struggle to get her bearings! I hope it returns for the "Spring"! She loves to sit and watch the little lizards outside the sliding doors! In NJ she loves to watch the deer in the back yard! Thanks for your input and for checking on Sophie!
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