Does anyone have any experience with night blindness?

[MarkB]

Thanks Carol. We won't be seeing the vet until Friday. We are just halving the steroid dose for the last 5 days. I don't know it this is usual, but he said 5 days twice a day, followed by 5 days once a day.

[HRHFluffy]

Oh I see. Will be interesting to see if there's any difference in Laz once the dose is halved. Keep us updated.

[HRHFluffy]

Hi Mark. How did Laz get on today at the vets? Has the medication helped at all.

[MarkB]

Hi Carol,

When I went to make the appointment, they said Pete is off all week. I could have seen another vet, but I have a lot of confidence in him (even though he insists on calling all cats 'she' ) so he is booked in for 4.40pm on Monday.

I think he can see a bit better, but no massive improvement - I am going to stop the steroids as the 10 days are up but continue the Istin & liver meds. He has been peeing in odd places but hopefully that will stop once the steroids are out of his system. He still staying in the office. No idea why, but he has a sofa in there with his bed

Very odd but he was in such a deep sleep this morning that he didn't even budge when I stroked him. I had to literally shake him awake. I was quite worried for a minute - Sarah had the same thing this morning with Pip, after she had another seizure last night

[HRHFluffy]

I don't blame you at all for waiting til your vet is back. It's promising that there is a little bit of improvement with his eyes. I know you would have liked it to have been more. Time will tell...

I hope his behaviour returns to normal after the steroids have left his system. It's strange how they can alter things so much. Will be thinking of you on Monday. Let us know how you get on. Give Laz fusses from me.

By the way one of the nurses at my vets always refers to Fluffy as "he". I thought all tortoishelles were female. Poor Laz. Feeling poorly and being called a girl

[SarahT1 [PLLE]]

Dear Laz, he is having a miserable time of it. Good idea to keep the continuity and see Pete. They do give us a fright sometimes, don't they. I often watch to check Pepsi's breathing. Hope little Pip is okay. We went to a pet first aid seminar last week and I asked about the signs of a cat having a seizure in our absence and exhaustion was one of the signifiers. Give Laz (and Kylie) and fuss from me and pass on one for Pip. I hope Laz has a better week coming up.

[MarkB]

Thanks Sarah & Carol,

One of the hard things is him spending day & night (apart from trips to the fountain & tray) in the office. I can't stay with him 24/7 but I do worry about him One of the area he keeps peeing in is under a small table - luckily with a hard floor underneath. I put a puppy pad down before we went out for lunch today and he had peed next to the pad so it went underneath

He hasn't wanted to go out at all for the last 24hr or so. I'm not sure that he is going to come back from this. He was always such a purrer, but I can barely get a feint purr out of him lately

The one thing that hasn't bee affected is his appetite - so hopefully I am wrong. It is a shame that the meds are making his existence miserable, even if they are helping physically.

[HRHFluffy]

Oh poor Laz. It's a bit bewildering how he's changed his routine so much. It's a bit disconcerting for you too. Maybe the office is the quietest place and he just wants to be on his own with him feeling under the weather.

If his appetite is good then that must be a good sign? Let's hope so. Steroids are pretty powerful and maybe it is just the effect they're having on him. It's horrible to see though. Especially when you feel helpless. Not long to go til Monday and you can hopefully clear up a few things with the vet. By then the steroids should well and truly be out of his system. If he is still the same though after that, maybe it could be the liver meds? I had always thought that steroids made them feel better. It's a tricky one and I wish I could be of more help. You're doing all that you possibly can.

He may even feel a little better by the morning. Here's hoping.

[SarahT1 [PLLE]]

Poor little boy, and poor you with this worry about him. It's bound to pull you down. As Carol says, not long till Monday and hopefully Laz will have perked up tomorrow, and the vet can have a few more ideas.

How's Kylie? Is she aware that Laz is not himself? I know she's a bit of a madam like my Pepsi, but I find that they are still all quite tuned in to what's going on in the household.

[booktigger]

Fingers crossed the vet has some positive news tomorrow

[MarkB]

A quick update on Laz

The vet said there is less detachment of the retina, also less inflammation at the back of the eyes. There are also more reactive (to light) areas. He said the last time Laz was in, his retinas didn't respond to light at all, but now they get smaller when the torch is shone into his eyes. He said to continue with the Istin - at least until he goes blind, which will happen at some point. So basically just keep an eye on him. We are also continuing with the liver meds.

[HRHFluffy]

Hi Mark. That's some improvement at least. The istin must be doing it's job. I really hope that Laz doesn't eventually lose his eyesight altogether, but I suppose you now know what to expect so you're prepared. How is he in himself? Is he still acting strange and withdrawn or has he improved?

[Walesgang]

Glad he's a bit better Mark. Hopefully he will get enough sight to make him feel more confident. If it does go with time hopefully a period of adjustment will help him to cope.

We are not sure how much sight Tips had initially but we noticed her having mishaps by the time she was about 4 months old. She was about 6 months old when the vet said he thought she was totally blind. I guess she is lucky in a way that she could never remember seeing.

Hope Laz is feeling better in himself.

Fusses to him (and Kylie)

[MarkB]

Thanks Carol & Val,

I said to the vet that had I taken him in on Friday or even yesterday (if they opened on Sunday ) I would have said there was very little improvement, but the real turnaround was today. Peter said some cats really do react badly to steroids, but thankfullly he doesn't need to take tem all the time - while I was typing this, he decided to go outside - the improvement is quite dramatic

[Kay]

I'm delighted Laz is living up to his name, Mark - long may he continue to do so

[MarkB]

Thanks Kay - he really is a fighter

[HRHFluffy]

Great news Mark Sounds like it could have been the steroids that affected him. That is a huge relief! I'm so pleased that his improvement has been so dramatic.

As Val says, if his eyesight deteriorates gradually over time then he has a good chance of adjusting to it. Laz is obviously a brave boy and determined not to let something like this set him back.

[SarahT1 [PLLE]]

Oh, that's good news, Mark, and in time for your birthday yesterday! What a good boy. He didn't like the steroids clearly. He will learn to cope with his loss of sight much better than you will! Remember Helen's (Gale) Kitten went blind and she said that Kitten was pretty much okay with it, it was her who was worried. But whilst he has his sight you can enjoy showing him lots of pretty things, the flowers and butterflies and looking into his Daddy's eyes. Oh, perhaps that's the wrong thing to say, don't want to make you tearful, but I think that's what I would do. Silly me.

Hugs and fusses to you all.

[MarkB]

Hopefully he will keep his sight for some time . My mum had a cat that went blind at 6 months old and she managed really well - My mum got her when I had moved back home temporarily in the late 80s. When I left home again. every time I visited, Suki would get me to follow her upstairs to my old room. She would hop onto the bed and nuzzle me - she was and black & part-Persian, so very Laz-like - when she was tiny she slept on my pillow and later, on my bed. She did the 'follow-me' routine for years when I went home

[HRHFluffy]

It's amazing really when you think how well they do adapt. Loved the story of little Suki. What a sweetie

[Crewella]

That's great news, Mark, I'm so pleased there's an improvement. If he's gone out, he MUST be feeling better!

Give him a fuss from me.

[MarkB]

Thanks Helen

Yes he is going out quite often - never for more than a few minutes, but that is what he has always done. He has stopped wandering upstairs though. Maybe because I stopped leaving milk out up there for him since it got warm

[greenkitty]

So pleased you've seen an improvement in Laz, keeping all paws crossed for him x

[booktigger]

Glad he seems more his normal self now the steriods have finished Mark, and fingers crossed the Istin keeps his blindness at bay for a while.

[MarkB]

Thanks Julia & Desley. I think his sight has improved a bit more. The downside is, he seems to have lost his spark (not that he had much of one to begin with) I assume it is to to with having lower blood pressure. Hopefully he will adjust to the meds. I asked the vet if dosing was critical as they are really hard pills to quarter. He said the dose is 1/4 - 1/2 for a cat up to 7kg so no.

[Janey]

Hi Mark, I don't know if you can remember our Pepper being on Istin? he was blind when we adopted him and they'd found out he was hyperthyroid when he went up for adoption. He was on Vidalta for that and also Istin for his BP, I had to give him 1/8 tablet a day (a pain to cut - I bought a pill cutter but found a paring knife better, some shattered though sometimes so I had to piece bits together) but the Istin wasn't necessary once his thyroid was under control. He never regained his sight though I don't know how long he'd been blind.
Hope Laz perks up sending him hugs xx

[HRHFluffy]

I had the same trouble with cutting Istin. I tried with a pill cutter but it crumbled. At the vets the nurse offered to cut some up for me with their pill cutter but that also crumbled. She said that it doesn't really matter. The best way I found was suggested on here http://felinecrf.org/hypertension.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

You have to scroll down a long way to the dosing section. I don't use the tweezers as suggested but just my fingers. I found it to work better than pill cutters or a knife. It's a huge relief to know it doesn't have to be 100% precise (although at present Fluffy isn't on Istin as Semintra also lowers blood pressure). The whole section on hypertension is very useful.

I'm glad Laz is improving in some ways. He might get his spark back. Maybe his body is just readjusting to the meds and the lower blood pressure. He's also had a lot to cope with lately so no wonder he doesn't feel quite himself. Give him lots of fusses from me.

[MarkB]

Thanks Carol,

I wish I read your post a bit earlier as I cut the last pill tonight (badly )

I will give it a go when I get the next lot. I was speaking to one of the VNs and she agreed they are really difficult to cur. She said the hardness can vary between suppliers as well. So annoying that they don't produce a cat-size dose - especially for lifelong use.

Funnily enough, my mum was telling me that her doctor had changed her blood pressure meds from amiopidine to something else, because it was making her legs swell. I forget the name of the new drug, but it has worked. I am now wondering if it causes fluid retention - bearing in mind that Laz has hormone treatment to control is fluids. He is back to drinking more and becoming obsessed with the fountain. I will mention it to the vet the next time. I meant to ask him about measuring Laz's blood pressure as Desley suggested - but whatever, it has stopped him going blind.

[Crewella]

Can't help on pill-cutting, but glad he's doing well.

[HRHFluffy]

Mark I have done that so many times with Istin. The number of times I've had to discard a whole tablet as I've attempted to cut it and it goes everywhere. All I can say is that it's a good job they aren't expensive. If they did produce a cat dose one that would be great.

Interesting about your Mum. Good idea to mention it to your vet about the possibility of fluid retention being a problem. Wonder why Laz is back to drinking so much again.

Checking blood pressure can be a tricky process and perhaps that's why some vets don't offer to do it. The first time with Fluffy it took two vets to get a reading. But they got it pretty quickly. Since then it has taken quite some time before they can find it. When she has a check up that is normally the first thing they do before anything else so as not to raise her bp. The main thing is that Laz has got much better sight now with treatment so you know his bp must have been high. Poor lad. He's a brave boy.