You healthy cat suddenly blind and not eating :(

[PoohLP]

I have a kitty that adopted me a few years ago (she started living under my car, I started feeding her and eventually she moved in).

She is probably only about 4-5 years old and has always been a very healthy, happy cat. I coupple months ago, she jot conjunctivitis in her eye, which I treated and resolved. A few weeks later, I noticed she was having trouble going down the stairs and thought she might be hurting, but she otherwise was navigating fine. I took a closer look and noticed that her eyes are totally diallated - so the problem is that she cannot see.

Vet initally thought thryroid as she also had lost a little weight. Ran a full bloodwork - all normal. Performed another test that confirmed that it was happing bc of degeneration of her iris muscles instead of neurological. Unusual, but not unheard of. Vet said she could see somewhat, just very badly (like when you get your pupils dilated at the eye doctor), but that she would adapt, although would need to transition to being indoors only.

Fast forward a couple weeks and now the cat has stopped eating and is loosing weight. She has lost almost 2 pounds in a few months. At first she would eat wetfood (not enough though) and nibble on cat food, but now, at most, she’ll take a bite or two, then walk away.

So, back to the vet. She’s down to 7.3 lbs, from 9 when I first brought her in for the conjunctivitis. I can feel all her ribs. Vet now is testing for FIP and a couple other things, all of which are basically kaputsville. He thinks a dry FIP (which is atypical) is most likely the culprit and it is pretty much 100% fatal.

I’m waiting on the test results and just feel so bad for my little DC. I won’t watch her starve to death, but if these viruses aren’t the culprit, its going to be so hard to make the decision to put her down without knowing what the problem is. At the same time, funds are limited and everything “normal” has been tested for, so there is a very real chance I’m going to have to make this decision without the certainty of knowing what is wrong.

Guess I’m just looking for support and jingles for my poor kitty.

[Louise]

I’m so sorry. You’re being a good caregiver for your little cat. I will certainly jingle that the vet missed something simple the first time around and that there is, after all, an easy cure.

[jen-s]

Lots of jingles!!! And (((((hugs)))))

[BasqueMom]

Texas-sized jingles!

[Coyoteco]

I had the best vet ever and she loved cats, but when the going got tough, she sent me to the cat specialist.

A cat’s losing two pounds in two months is not as dramatic as it would be in another animal. I had a very healthy cat who could fluctuate that amount of weigh in a couple of days. There have been studies that show that healthy cats on the same diet can have significant fluctuations in weight. It’s just cats.

Still, you need to find out what’s going on and why her appetite is off.

[SuckerForHorses]

did the bloodwork include diabetes?

[JumpQH]

Many jingles! I hope you get a good diagnosis. Eating is imperative for a cat - try anything to get her eating! Let us know the test results.

[Snowflake]

Sadly, this sounds like dry FIP. I had a FIP scare and did tons of research and my friend had a cat with FIP with eye involvement like you describe. According to one guide:

Inflammatory changes in an eye (uveitis) are a textbook symptom of non-effusive FIP and will probably set off FIP alarm bells early on. Particularly when they are accompanied by nervous system changes. Cats with the dry form of the disease sometimes have neurological problems that result in lameness, seizures, or a tipsy gait.

Now that the disease has progressed to refusal to eat, it will likely progress quickly. There is a great FIP support group on Facebook that is very well read on the subject and can provide a lot of great information. I’m very sorry you’re going through this.

[PoohLP]

[QUOTE=Snowflake;8085990]
Sadly, this sounds like dry FIP. I had a FIP scare and did tons of research and my friend had a cat with FIP with eye involvement like you describe. According to one guide:

Now that the disease has progressed to refusal to eat, it will likely progress quickly. There is a great FIP support group on Facebook that is very well read on the subject and can provide a lot of great information. I’m very sorry you’re going through this. :([/QUOTE]

That is exactly what the vet thinks it is. Dry FIP. Thank you for the fb info. I will check it out.

I am having bad luck with cats. Last year I had to have our barn cat put down when it developed some sort of parasite that caused his immune system to start attacking itself. Normally it is treatable, but for some reason, the drugs normally needed to treat it didn’t make a dent. This might be my last cat for quite a while. Ive spent more on extraordinary cat vet bills than the dog and horse combined. Don’t get me wrong - I’m happy I haven’t had them for the dog and horse, but wish the cats would pitch in an help tow the line.)

[PoohLP]

[QUOTE=Coyoteco;8085935]
I had the best vet ever and she loved cats, but when the going got tough, she sent me to the cat specialist.

A cat’s losing two pounds in two months is not as dramatic as it would be in another animal. I had a very healthy cat who could fluctuate that amount of weigh in a couple of days. There have been studies that show that healthy cats on the same diet can have significant fluctuations in weight. It’s just cats.

Still, you need to find out what’s going on and why her appetite is off.[/QUOTE]

Well, it is dramatic because I can pretty much feel every detail of her collar, spine and pelvis. She’s fluffy, so you can’t quite see it, but it is very evident when I pet her.

[PoohLP]

Poor DC. Still isn’t eating. I tried milk, cheese and yogurt too. She licked the cheese but that was it. She did drink some water this morning. I’m not sure she’s gonna make it til we get the tests back.

[NoDQhere]

FIP is a horrible disease and I feel bad for you and your DC. It sounds like you have given her a very good life that she certainly wouldn’t have had if you hadn’t taken her in. I’m still jingling that it isn’t FIP, though!

[littleum]

[QUOTE=PoohLP;8087155]
Poor DC. Still isn’t eating. I tried milk, cheese and yogurt too. She licked the cheese but that was it. She did drink some water this morning. I’m not sure she’s gonna make it til we get the tests back. :([/QUOTE]

Poor kitteh. Poor owner. Please try to get some food into her to keep her blood sugar up and protect her liver in the meantime.

Try making her a very warm gruel of very stinky wet cat food. Tuck her against your body and try smearing some of the gruel on her gums. When they’re very sick and been off their feed you sometimes have to push start their eating. Smearing a little stinky gruel on their gums can really get them going again.

IME, if it’s going to work, it usually only takes 2-3 smears. They may not eat much, or may want to just slurp a few more bites off your cupped palm.

Sadly, also IME, once this stops working and they simply will not eat, they’re telling you they’re done very loud and clear.

[PoohLP]

[QUOTE=littleum;8087423]
Poor kitteh. Poor owner. Please try to get some food into her to keep her blood sugar up and protect her liver in the meantime.

Try making her a very warm gruel of very stinky wet cat food. Tuck her against your body and try smearing some of the gruel on her gums. When they’re very sick and been off their feed you sometimes have to push start their eating. Smearing a little stinky gruel on their gums can really get them going again.

IME, if it’s going to work, it usually only takes 2-3 smears. They may not eat much, or may want to just slurp a few more bites off your cupped palm.

Sadly, also IME, once this stops working and they simply will not eat, they’re telling you they’re done very loud and clear.[/QUOTE]

Thank you for the advice. I will try the gruel on her gums. Maybe it will at least help her make it to when the tests come back…just in case it is something that actually is treatable.

[JumpQH]

This thread offers many suggestions for cats that aren’t eating. Hopefully one of these suggestions will help?

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?456683-Canned-cat-food-feeding-only-one-variety-UPDATED

[PoohLP]

Unfortunately, I had to put DC to sleep on Saturday morning. SHe’d gotten worse and was getting extremely weak. Between Wednesday and Saturday, she’d lost another 1/2 pound. Sed would drink a little water, but was eating no food and wouldn’t drink milk or eat yougurt either.

All the test came back negative, so the vet thinks she had some sort of disorder that was shutting all her nervous systems down. Said the few treatments developed for it weren’t terribly effective and didn’t yield a very good quality of life.

Although I’m so very sad she has died, I’m glad I was able to give her a good life and an easy passing before she progressed to a total shutdown. If only we could do the same for our human loved ones when then end is near.

She’s buried under a Fishtail Camellia bush, which I thought was appropriate given her love of fish. I look forward to seeing the flowers she helps bloom.

[trubandloki]

I am so sorry for your loss.

[PoohLP]

Thank you trubandloki. I keep thinking I see her by the door.

[JumpQH]

Very, very sorry. Beautiful thought about putting her under a Camilla bush.

[Bells]

So very sorry.