Cat has poorly eye - sad news

tishywish

It's good news that her heart and kidneys are good, as so many of the elderly cats I've adopted in the past have had kidney problems. Maybe she's just feeling a bit old today? I know mine rarely bothers moving most of the day and if he could sleep 24 hours a day he would - and he's not an old cat, just bone idle!

Bagpuss741

Just wanted to wish you and Shadow the best of luck for tomorrow.

((((Shadow))))

hev_2

DH has just come back from vets with Shadow (I was at home with DS).

Now, way back in the middle of February I said that there was a problem with her eye. So we took her to the vets who said she had a really bad tooth surrounded by rotten tissue and that was affecting her eye. Tooth removed (cost a bomb but worth it for our old friend) and Shadow comes back home.

Eye still iffy - back to the vet - growth or abscess pushing at eye from inside - here are antibiotics. We stuff Shadow with antibiotics, take her back a few times, because of her age they are not willing to do diagnostic surgery, keep taking the antibotics.

Two months later, back to the vets, see a new one at the practice who says, wait for it, she has an infected eye. She is making an emergency appointment with a specialist for us to see on Monday. It will cost £130 just for the appointment which is not covered by the insurance because it is a pre-existing condition, bearing in mind that the insurance started 1 March.

I'm in bits.

We can manage the money, but it is a day off for DH, a load of stress, he's in a right state, it's coming up to the first anniversary of my MIL's passing away and tbh I am in a mess.

And the worst bit of it all is that our old girl has been struggling along with - a poorly eye!

In the cold light of reason I can see why the vets have treated her as they have. I suspect that there is a growth/abscess there. But they never treated the eye! Which we went for in the first place.

I'll probably log off for a bit, but I will update when I find out more.

Thank you so much for your good wishes - I think it is keeping me afloat.

Bagpuss741

At least when Shadow sees the specialist the eye can be looked at properly. It may not be as bad as it is thought to be. Good luck with the specialist!! Stay strong (i know that is easier said than done) You are doing everything you possibly can for your precious Shadow. ((((Hev & Shadow))))

Sue-UU

hev wrote: »

Two months later, back to the vets, see a new one at the practice who says, wait for it, she has an infected eye. She is making an emergency appointment with a specialist for us to see on Monday. It will cost £130 just for the appointment which is not covered by the insurance because it is a pre-existing condition, bearing in mind that the insurance started 1 March.

We can manage the money, but it is a day off for DH, a load of stress, he's in a right state, it's coming up to the first anniversary of my MIL's passing away and tbh I am in a mess.

And the worst bit of it all is that our old girl has been struggling along with - a poorly eye!

In the cold light of reason I can see why the vets have treated her as they have. I suspect that there is a growth/abscess there. But they never treated the eye! Which we went for in the first place.

It sounds to me as though after all this time and given her poor state at present that you need to pick the lesser of 2 evils. Either go for the £130 (!!) appt and hopefully get somewhere or go to another vet for a 2nd opinion.

Apart from all the money your vet's getting from you and all the stress it's putting on you both, it's so unfair to keep having her messed about by a vet if they end up doing her no good anyway! Forgive me if I sound harsh to your vet, but I'm also thinking of you both as well as your pockets and your poor dear friend. Our vet took us for a complete ride and nearly killed our dear dog 2 years ago, I'm sure if we'd kept up with the visits she requested our sally would be long gone, thankfully she's doing great now due to loads of tlc after another vet who said she would be fine IF left alone to heal!!! Vets make me mad at times. All the best and I do hope she soon turns a corner with the eye and regains better health.

Sue

hev_2

Thank you, Sue-UU, it is something to think about.

I still have some faith in our vets. They have not been charging us for a load of visits, they have given her antibiotics because they wouldn't treat for cancer if it was a growth because it would be unfair on an 18 year old cat. We're getting charged mainly for the antibiotics because it is all a follow up to surgery (taking out the tooth - they did a load of tests to see if she could take the anaesthetic and that is when they checked her liver, kidney, heart function and she was really good).

It was us that insisted on keep going back each time the antibiotics ran out. And she is having some problems with her mouth. It's just that Saturday we saw a vet we hadn't seen before (it's a biggish practice) who decided that they needed to act quick on the eye infection. This vet couldn't get us into the specialist she wanted because they were on maternity leave. She's been looking round but another vet in the practice who is much more of an eye specialist hadn't seen her so he is seeing her today. The vet she saw on Saturday rang us on Sunday to say that she had been going through her full notes and realised she hadn't seen their vet who was more of an eye specialist.

She seemed to think that they had to act urgently on the eye, but Shadow keeps spluttering when she eats and is really struggling and sometimes she makes a kind of slurping noise, like there is something wrong with her mouth and she drools a lot. She is losing condition.

I'm sitting here wondering what sort of treatment they can do as she is getting so much thinner and that she is so elderly. I wish they had looked at the eye straight off, but she did get thoroughly examined when she went in, so the infection may have hit later.

Shadow got a small portion of M&S custard on Saturday and enjoyed it - she was okay with the pilchards and cottage cheese. I'm continuing to put down milk. Our old tom cat loved it but it made him ill, but Shadow has never been fussed or ill, but she is having some now.

Having a bad time.

tishywish

It does sound as if maybe they should have thought of getting another vet to look at her earlier, from what the new vet has said. Good for the new vet who spent the time looking through all the notes - that's encouraging, anyway. If the next vet who sees her is a specialist it's got to be money well spent as you may find that a change of antibiotics can solve this problem. I assume your vets have also re-examined her mouth for any more problems as well (for the slurping noises and having problems eating)

Poor Shadow, good luck with the specialist today and I'll keep my fingers crossed for some good news about her.

hev_2

We now have 2 types of eye drops, antibiotics and painkillers. We paid for the pills, drops etc. The consultation, because it was still in house, was @ £10.

There is a bad infection not just on the surface of her eye but also in the goop inside.

We have to take her back next Monday.

Looking back, her eye was clear until the end of last week. Then it started going cloudy so I suspect that was when the really bad infection started, and that a lot of the previous problems were caused by the problem in her mouth...

They also trimmed her claws to make it possible to look at her.

She was left in during the day and from the sound of it got some serious cuddles from the practice staff.

She has just licked a load of gravy off some cat food, and settled down by a radiator.

According to the vet her blood pressure & heart rate are fine, but if her blood pressure goes up then blood can start leaking into the eye. Apart from the eye and the mouth she is in great condition. They are testing to see if a previous problem with her thyroid is having any impact, but it is unlikely.

I have to say, I don't know how much longer it will be fair to treat her.

Soubrette

Hi Hev, just posting to say I've been following this from the start and wishing you all the best.

Sou

Sue-UU

hev wrote: »

I have to say, I don't know how much longer it will be fair to treat her.

I'm so pleased you're thinking along those lines dear hev as it really does make me wonder if they aren't being cruel in keeping her going, she sounds so poorly and weak that it's heart-breaking reading about her - but you getting nowhere.

All the best.

Sue