# My Blind Kitty



## Siamese_Lover (Oct 4, 2009)

*Hi. This is my first post. I just wanted to ask if anyone else has ever experienced this or if you may know someone who has....

I took my cat to the Vet 3 weeks ago to be neutered. He was a perfectly normal, healthy cat up until that time. Apparently, after the Vet tech sedated him to prep him for surgery, he stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating. She said it was only for a couple of minutes...after they revived him, they neutered him.

When I got him home, he didn't seem to come out of the anesthesia like any other cat that I have ever spayed or neutered. He was unable to stand or even lift his head. I sat up with him all night and took him back to the Vet in the morning.

The Vet said he may have suffered some brain damage from being clinically dead for a couple minutes. They kept him there for 2 days and he was given fluids under the skin, force fed through a syringe and manually forced to pee.

When he was finally able to stand, they sent him home. I had to force feed/water him for a couple of days, then he was finally eating on his own. He was walking very weak and staggering.

What I have noticed over the last 2 weeks is he can't see any more. He is continuously walking into walls. If he manages to pull himself up on the bed or couch he'll take a step off the edge like he doesn't know he's at the edge and falls right off.

He also seems very anxious and uncomfortable now. He won't just lay down and sleep like he used to. He paces the floor, meowing, which seems like 24 hours a day walking into one wall, then turning and walking until he walks into another.

I have mentioned that he's having trouble seeing to the Vet and they just told me that he must have had an underlying illness before he went in for surgery.

I'm really worried about him. I feel guilty for neutering him, but he was at that age where he would start spraying soon. Some days I almost feel like I should have him euthanized. It seems like his life will never be the same.

I apologize for the length of this post, but I wanted to give as many details as possible. 
Has anyone had any experience with this sort of thing? Could his blindness be only temporary?

I really love this little guy. He's so sweet and I want to do what's best for him, but I'm honestly confused what that is right now...

Thanks*


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## Felicis (Sep 7, 2009)

This almost made me cry. Poor kitty.  

The blindness could be temporary. It's not abnormal for people to have temporary blindness due to either post traumatic stress or something physical. I really feel for you. I know how it feels to be in that position. atback 

Sending good energy your way.

-Felix


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Welcome, and I'm so sorry to hear about your boy... atback 

IMO, I feel his current problems are directly related to his surgical problems and that vet needs (_needed_?) to be much more aggressive and/or proactive and completely supportive in this kitty's case. Sometimes these things, _and worse_, happen during surgery but it *is* so rare as to not cause this vet any hardship if he/she were to be more available and helpful, At No Cost To You. If this happened to me, I think the first thing I would do would be to get a second opinion. I highly doubt he had any 'underlying condition' that caused his blindness. In addition, I think I'd have to think long/hard about what type of brain damage has occured, and like you, I'd also consider euthanasia. 
However, before I decided on that final option I would study my kitty thoroughly and determine if his problems (_walking into walls and falling off things_) was due to his blindness and reduced spatial awareness, though I'd expect him to move much more cautiously instead of just 'walking-right-off' things. If he didn't appear to be concerned about bumping into or falling off of anything, I would have to consider that his loss of function was due to brain damage and not a result of just not knowing his surroundings and having to adjust to blindness. His other behavior of pacing and calling, I would have to consider if he were doing so because of confusion over his blindness or if the confusion was a much deeper mental issue than simply having to adjust to blindness.
Whatever you do, please do not blame yourself. We do need to spay/neuter our pets and this is a very rare occurance. Completely NOT usual at all. I am very sorry that it happened to you and your kitty.
Heidi =^..^=


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## Leazie (Apr 14, 2007)

Poor kitty. He sounds like he suffered brain damage during his time with out oxygen to the brain. Besides being unable to see it sounds like he is confused. The confusion is not uncommon after a brain injury. That may be a temporary thing as the brain deals with the shock of the injury. It may get better over time, but there is no promise that it will.

You know your kitty the best. If he seems distressed, and he is not having his best life, you may have to think of helping him pass over the Bridge. We will be here for you to support you as you struggle with this tough situation.

(((HUGS)))


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## Sparky (Apr 11, 2008)

My heart goes out to you and your Kitty. Paws and fingers crossed and prayers in bound for you and Kitty.


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## taiyles (Jun 5, 2009)

I'm so sorry for what you and your kitty are going through. Hopefully, as one of the previous posters suggested, this is temporary and will pass. I do remember reading something that might help though. 

I read an article once by a lady whose dog went blind. She helped him by not changing the furniture around too much so that he could memorize the layout of things and by putting a drop of perfume on the corners of walls and furniture right at doggy nose height. That way he could smell things before he hit them. 

I don't know if this will work as well for cats as for dogs, but it might help him out. In the meanwhile, what he really needs is an owner who cares for and loves him, which he clearly has. I will keep my fingers and toes crossed for both of you (((hugs)))


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## Siamese_Lover (Oct 4, 2009)

Thank you for all of the good thoughts and advice. You guys are really knowledegable (sp) . I'm glad I found this forum.

I'm going to keep watching him over the next few weeks for signs of improvement. Hopefully he'll either start to adjust to the way things are now and relax a little bit, or my bigger hope is that he'll get his sight back (at least some of it).

Putting perfume on the walls sounds like a good idea because as he walks (and meows) he sniffs into the air like crazy like he's trying to figure things out.

I'm only a fan of euthanasia if an animal is suffering and even though I don't consider him 'suffering', (he eats, drinks and finds his way to the litterbox while he's wandering) he's definitely not happy and it's very hard to watch...so...we'll see. (I would love to say "no pun intended" here, but it probably wouldn't be appropriate. lol)

Thanks again for all of the kindness.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

This is so upsetting.  Surely, the people who are responsible for this condition are helping you to deal with it. It sounds to me as if the vet tech was careless, and this condition is a direct result. I certainly hope that this sweet animal does not have to be put to sleep. I know you will avoid that, at all costs.

While you are discussing the matter with the owner of the veterinary clinic, of course you'll want to make sure she is not near steps. This is such a tragic result, but perhaps she'll adjust. Blind cats do. I can only pray for her, and hope the vet does what's right!


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## Ricoh (Sep 16, 2009)

My heart goes out to you and your kitty.  

I would not be too quick to euthanize him unless he is clearly suffering with no signs of improvement. Otherwise, he may indeed just need to adjust to his new condition. And, he is young yet, so he may be able to work around some of the brain damage (if that's the cause). 

Your vet doesn't sound very supportive. Sounds as if he/she is trying to cover their butt rather than actually look out for the welfare of your pet. I would demand full disclosure of what happened during and after the surgery, and then go elsewhere for a 2nd opinion.

I'm no vet, but after a just bit of online research, this "underlying illness" theory really sounds like BS to me:



> Hypoxia during anesthesia may result in cortical blindness. It most often occurs after resuscitation from cardiac arrest, ... . Feline ischemic encephalopathy presents as sudden onset of unilateral thalamocortical neurological signs including mental depression and confusion, compulsive circling, ... . Occasionally, it is bilateral and associated with blindness.


 Source: http://books.google.ca/books?id=DtIIjFf ... ss&f=false

Cortical blindness, meaning: his eyes are fine, but the brain isn't processing the images.

Here are some other common types of feline blindness: http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/p ... ndness.htm

I would get the blindness and other symptoms looked at by another vet, create a safe and stress-free environment for him, give him lots of love, and see if you can gently encourage him to try using some of the abilities that he has lost. Cats are adaptable.


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## Siamese_Lover (Oct 4, 2009)

Jeanie said:


> This is so upsetting.  Surely, the people who are responsible for this condition are helping you to deal with it. It sounds to me as if the vet tech was careless, and this condition is a direct result. I certainly hope that this sweet animal does not have to be put to sleep. I know you will avoid that, at all costs.
> 
> While you are discussing the matter with the owner of the veterinary clinic, of course you'll want to make sure she is not near steps. This is such a tragic result, but perhaps she'll adjust. Blind cats do. I can only pray for her, and hope the vet does what's right!


They helped me deal with it for the first two days. Once he was able to stand, I guess they thought everything was okay. When I called them back to say something is definitely still wrong, that's when they went with the 'underlying illness' theory. They just want to wash their hands of us...( I had him tested for Leukemia/Aids about 6 months ago, so _that_ wasn't an underlying problem)

I think the tech may have given him the wrong dose or something. I have neutered/spayed close to 50 cats over the past 15 years (mostly ferals from the 2 colonies that I take care of) and have never had a problem... I also have mixed feelings...I'm _*so*_ grateful that they were able to resuscitate him. I would have been a basket case if I had gotten a phone call from them saying he didn't make it, however I want to know what the heck happened. I'm going to make an appointment for him at another office on my next day off...

I don't think I could bring myself to euthanize him. Like Ricoh said, he's young and will adapt with time. 3 people have already told me I'm being selfish keeping him alive, but I'm trying not to let them influence me.

Not only is this cat super sweet, but he's absolutely gorgeous. He's a very dark chocolate Siamese (the round faced type) with stunning blue eyes...

And don't worry about the stairs. I live in Florida, We don't have basements here and I live in a one story house.

Ricoh- Thank you for the links. They are _very_ informative and helpful!


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## PureMuttz (Jul 3, 2009)

Siamese_Lover said:


> I don't think I could bring myself to euthanize him. Like Ricoh said, he's young and will adapt with time. 3 people have already told me I'm being selfish keeping him alive, but I'm trying not to let them influence me.


Definitely don't let them influence you. Some people are prone to giving up quickly, and not even giving the animal the time to adjust to their new situation. Going from having sight to no sight at all can be quite confusing and frustrating. Doesn't mean they don't deserve a chance to adjust, though!
No one is going to be happy when they suddenly go blind, but with time, they learn to live with their new situation, and everyone deserves that chance.

How is your kitty doing today?


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I am not materialistic, but I don't think the vet should get off scot free for what has happened to your pet. We love our animals, and what happened cannot be undone! I think he should be reported and have to either pay a fine or/and reimburse you for all expenses you incur, including second opinions and whatever adjustments must be made in the house to give this baby a good life. It was his agent's fault, and he should admit fault and pay a price. Otherwise, this could easily happen to another cat. The cause was carelessness, and it happened under his watch! Underlying problem? Of course! Carelessness!


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## Ricoh (Sep 16, 2009)

Jeanie said:


> I am not materialistic, but I don't think the vet should get off scot free for what has happened to your pet. We love our animals, and what happened cannot be undone! I think he should be reported and have to either pay a fine or/and reimburse you for all expenses you incur, including second opinions and whatever adjustments must be made in the house to give this baby a good life. It was his agent's fault, and he should admit fault and pay a price. Otherwise, this could easily happen to another cat. The cause was carelessness, and it happened under his watch! Underlying problem? Of course! Carelessness!


Second that! Especially after trying to blame it on some unnamed "underlying illness", this really shows the vet is trying to avoid the issue, may be feeling a little guilt, and needs to be reminded of his responsibility.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

If your vet is a member of the BBB, contact them IMMEDIATELY. I used to work for a BBB attorney, and they take every complaint seriously. 

File a formal complaint with The State of Florida and The Florida Veterinary Medical Association.

http://www.fvma.com

http://www.fvma.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=18


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