I'm Losing Bandit

Since Bandit isn't in any pain, she's eating, drinking, and eliminating with
no problems, I'm not thinking about having her PTS because of this.

Hugs to you CatNipped and hugs and purrs for Bandit- give her a skritch
from me!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

CatNipped wrote:
I wasn't satisfied with what my vet was telling me about Bandit's
blindness (that it was just a result of old age) - I researched it
and found that, in cats, age alone is almost never the cause of
blindness. So I took her to another vet.

The first vet was right about her blood pressure being normal - the
new vet agreed and said her retinas are not detached. She does not
have cataracts - in fact her eyes look perfectly normal except that
her pupils don't react to light.

She did a geriatric blood panel (I'll get the results tomorrow). She
wasn't able to get urine, Bandit let go of her bladder in her
carrier* (I can't blame her being that scared since her last
experience with a vet resulted in those horrible burns). But she
said that diabetes wouldn't cause blindness without forming cataracts
first (at least I think that's what she said - I was trying to absorb
a lot of information while being very upset).

Her tentative conclusion, until she gets the result of the bloodwork
that may indicate something different, is that Bandit must have a
tumor on the frontal lobe of her brain (a tumor anywhere else would
have resulted in blindness in only one eye, and neither of her pupils
reacts to light).

Since Bandit isn't in any pain, she's eating, drinking, and
eliminating with no problems, I'm not thinking about having her PTS
because of this. Brain surgery, at her advanced age of 16, is out of
the question. So it's just a matter of time while I watch her
closely for any signs of discomfort. I'm hoping she has many good
months left, but I can't count on much longer than that.

* The Sherpa carrier is great - the lambs' wool on the bottom
absorbed all the urine and kept it from getting all over Bandit (I
was so glad I didn't have to add to her trauma by having to give her
a bath). It popped right out for easy cleaning.

I'm so sorry to read this. Purrs for Bandit to have years of quality time
left.
--
Adrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera)
Cats leave pawprints on your heart.
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
Her tentative conclusion, until she gets the result of the bloodwork that
may indicate something different, is that Bandit must have a tumor on the
frontal lobe of her brain (a tumor anywhere else would have resulted in
blindness in only one eye, and neither of her pupils reacts to light).

I hope that your TED is wrong. Purrs are coming to your and Bandit's way.

Susan M
Otis and Chester

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
I wasn't satisfied with what my vet was telling me about Bandit's blindness
(that it was just a result of old age) - I researched it and found that, in
cats, age alone is almost never the cause of blindness. So I took her to
another vet.

The first vet was right about her blood pressure being normal - the new
vet agreed and said her retinas are not detached. She does not have
cataracts - in fact her eyes look perfectly normal except that her pupils
don't react to light.

She did a geriatric blood panel (I'll get the results tomorrow). She
wasn't able to get urine, Bandit let go of her bladder in her carrier* (I
can't blame her being that scared since her last experience with a vet
resulted in those horrible burns). But she said that diabetes wouldn't
cause blindness without forming cataracts first (at least I think that's
what she said - I was trying to absorb a lot of information while being
very upset).

Her tentative conclusion, until she gets the result of the bloodwork that
may indicate something different, is that Bandit must have a tumor on the
frontal lobe of her brain (a tumor anywhere else would have resulted in
blindness in only one eye, and neither of her pupils reacts to light).

Since Bandit isn't in any pain, she's eating, drinking, and eliminating
with no problems, I'm not thinking about having her PTS because of this.
Brain surgery, at her advanced age of 16, is out of the question. So it's
just a matter of time while I watch her closely for any signs of
discomfort. I'm hoping she has many good months left, but I can't count
on much longer than that.

* The Sherpa carrier is great - the lambs' wool on the bottom absorbed all
the urine and kept it from getting all over Bandit (I was so glad I didn't
have to add to her trauma by having to give her a bath). It popped right
out for easy cleaning.

They all have to go for some reason, but it doens't make it any easier when
the do have to leave us. She'll be living the rest of her life - however
long that is - in comfort and the knowledge that she is deeply loved, so
we'll purr that it will be quite some time yet before she goes to RB.

Yowie

"Nomen Nescio" wrote in message
...
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

From: "CatNipped"

The first vet was right about her blood pressure being normal - the new
vet
agreed and said her retinas are not detached. She does not have
cataracts -
in fact her eyes look perfectly normal except that her pupils don't react
to
light.

From: "The Cornell Book of Cats"

Optic Neuritis

"...acquired abnormality of the optic nerve due to
inflammation.....Common causes include.....(inflammation
of the choroid),........Cryptococcus infection of the retina, orbit,
or central nervous tissues, feline infectious peritonitis, neoplasia
extensions.....,and toxic ingestions. Blindness may or may not
be a clinical sign. The optic disc........may show abnormal character.
......A diagnostic test giving the greatest amount of information is
the cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Specific therapy must be directed
at the cause, but symptomatic treatment using anti-inflamatory
medication is frequently helpful...........If the swelling is not reduced,
it can begin to harm the cat's eyesight in a relatively short time."

That's all I could find that seems to fit the symptoms.
Best Wishes

Thanks "Nomen". I'll bring it up with my vet, but I'm surprised that the
new vet didn't bring up any of this - I'm pretty disgusted with *ALL* the
vets I've seen around here. The first vet, when Sammy was spayed, they put
a tourniquet around the IV in her front paw and she came home with her paw
swollen to three times its size, then the next vet burned Bandit during a
routine dental, then the next vet was really dirty and the office smelled,
and now this vet failed to give me any other possibility besides a
"possible" brain tumor!

--

Hugs,

CatNipped

See all my masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/






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And another thing... this vet doesn't want to touch Bandit (they carried her
in the back in her carrier, brought her back in her carrier, and the vet
shoe the light into her eyes from 6 inches away - there was no palpations of
the body - the vet didn't lay a finger on her).

Yes, she was screaming like a cougar the whole time they were trying to get
blood, and trying to chew off the arm of the vet tech holding her (scruffing
doesn't work on Bandit, instead of her body going flaccid, it just makes her
angrier and more determined to turn around and bite you). Yes, we call her
bitch queen of the universe for a reason. Yes, you're liable to get hurt as
long as she's conscious. But even bad kitties deserve the best medical
treatment!

Does anyone know of a good vet in the Spring, TX area?

--

Hugs,

CatNipped

See all my masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/


"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
"Nomen Nescio" wrote in message
...
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

From: "CatNipped"

The first vet was right about her blood pressure being normal - the new
vet
agreed and said her retinas are not detached. She does not have
cataracts -
in fact her eyes look perfectly normal except that her pupils don't react
to
light.

From: "The Cornell Book of Cats"

Optic Neuritis

"...acquired abnormality of the optic nerve due to
inflammation.....Common causes include.....(inflammation
of the choroid),........Cryptococcus infection of the retina, orbit,
or central nervous tissues, feline infectious peritonitis, neoplasia
extensions.....,and toxic ingestions. Blindness may or may not
be a clinical sign. The optic disc........may show abnormal character.
......A diagnostic test giving the greatest amount of information is
the cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Specific therapy must be directed
at the cause, but symptomatic treatment using anti-inflamatory
medication is frequently helpful...........If the swelling is not
reduced,
it can begin to harm the cat's eyesight in a relatively short time."

That's all I could find that seems to fit the symptoms.
Best Wishes

Thanks "Nomen". I'll bring it up with my vet, but I'm surprised that the
new vet didn't bring up any of this - I'm pretty disgusted with *ALL* the
vets I've seen around here. The first vet, when Sammy was spayed, they
put a tourniquet around the IV in her front paw and she came home with her
paw swollen to three times its size, then the next vet burned Bandit
during a routine dental, then the next vet was really dirty and the office
smelled, and now this vet failed to give me any other possibility besides
a "possible" brain tumor!

--

Hugs,

CatNipped

See all my masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/






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Does anyone know of a good vet in the Spring, TX area?

A buddy of mine lived in SPring for a few years before he moved to Kady. I
just e-mailed him asking about his vet experiences in SPring. I'll pass
along his reply.

Dan

CatNipped wrote:
new vet didn't bring up any of this - I'm pretty disgusted with *ALL* the
vets I've seen around here. The first vet, when Sammy was spayed, they put

Lori,

Are any of these vets convenient for you? We found our current vet
through the AAFP and we couldn't be happier.
http://www.aafponline.org/find_resul...&Submit=Submit


--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

"Victor Martinez" wrote in message
...
CatNipped wrote:
new vet didn't bring up any of this - I'm pretty disgusted with *ALL* the
vets I've seen around here. The first vet, when Sammy was spayed, they
put

Lori,

Are any of these vets convenient for you? We found our current vet through
the AAFP and we couldn't be happier.
http://www.aafponline.org/find_resul...&Submit=Submit

Unfortunately, no - most listed are downtown. While I don't mind driving a
bit, I'd rather have a vet close in case of emergencies. I have one more
vet in the area to try, but I really hate this "hit and miss" method of
trying to find one. I'm considering going back to the vet we used before we
moved - but again, it's quite a drive away.

--

Hugs,

CatNipped

See all my masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/





--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

CatNipped wrote:
trying to find one. I'm considering going back to the vet we used before we
moved - but again, it's quite a drive away.

Did you try the search again feature to see if there is one closer to
you? Perhaps trying by zip code?

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he