Good thoughts for our Babe-kitty, please.

[kyrielle]

I haven't wanted to say anything because words make it a little too real, but Babe's had a nasty upper respiratory for a while, and late last week her pupils dilated and stayed that way - not good. So, she's been to the vet and now to specialists. She's definitely (we could tell, anyway, but they confirmed) lost most of her vision, she does still seem to be able to tell high-contrast things apart if they're big enough, but otherwise has trouble. She navigates okay, but much more slowly, since she's having to use every other sense to compensate.

At this point, the two most likely possibilities are both scary, but I definitely prefer the more probable one. There's a fungal infection that starts out as a respiratory and can move to the nerves (and they're pretty sure the optic nerve is involved because both eyes went at the same time). It requires a long-term treatment and has a 60-80% survival rate, with maybe 25-50% chance she gets her vision back. That's not great, but it's not horrible, and if she never gets her vision back, even if she goes entirely blind, she can have a good life (she's indoor-only already, after all). The other high-ranking possibility is brain cancer, which...I just don't want to think about.

She doesn't seem to be in any discomfort or pain (except the occasional sneezing/coughing fit from the respiratory part, but I think those upset me more than her, to be honest). She's snuggly, purring, walking around, and eating.

And I am so, so scared for her, and wishing anyone had id'd this before it progressed to blindness. (If it is the fungal one, though, it's not entirely surprising they didn't - she's been indoor-only for a year and a half, and indoor cats aren't normally exposed to this. I don't know if cats can harbor it a while before it goes active or not, though - and she was an indoor-outdoor cat before that. Still....)

Many thanks to Scott, who has been shepherding the vet appointments since he works much closer to home and our usual vet (and even, as it turns out, the specialist clinic that they sent us to) than I do. Though if she goes back in Friday, which she may depending on the results they get and all, I will probably take her since I don't work most Fridays and this one is no exception.

Prayers for Babe, please. I'm hoping it will be the fungal infection or something else treatable (preferably curable), and that she'll survive just fine, and get some or all of her eyesight back. (I would guess 'some' is more likely than 'all' - one of the other reasons the fungal infection seems more probable is that they can see some lesions in the back of the eyes. I'm guessing those won't help with the eyesight recovery part, but - even if she can get back to where she can navigate the stairs without, say, forgetting the last one and flopping gracelessly to the landing...I'd be happier. Not that I have any room to say much, as I've missed that stair too, with my eyes working.)

Comments

[the_rck]

::hugs hard::

[kyrielle]

*hugs* Thank you.

[susandennis]

Oh I am so sorry to hear that!! You are all totally in my thoughts and prayers.

[kyrielle]

Thank you.

[grey-lady.livejournal.com]

Hoping for the best outcome for Babe, and give her scritches for me.

[kyrielle]

Thank you. Scritches passed along; Babe sends a purr back.

[tibicina.livejournal.com]

*hugs lots*

[kyrielle]

*hugs*

[katbyte.livejournal.com]

Oh I know what you are going through. My last small dog was blind, and he had a very good life. You are totally right. She would be just fine and will adjust to the blindness. Hopefully it is curable and she will be a happy kitty again.

We are sending good vibes her way.

[kyrielle]

Thank you. I'm hoping she gets some vision back, but if not - she'll still be okay. She's coping fine with it (and has managed the stairs several times now without missing the last step, though I admit I tend to go slow and 'talk' her down them as she follows me, with a scuffling foot on the next step - this morning she stood at the top and refused to budge until I'd gone clear to the landing though), I'm just a mess thinking about the fact that the survival rate on the most-probable isn't 100%.

[katbyte.livejournal.com]

I know it is hard thinking about the survival rate, but we do the best we can for our pets and sometimes the best is letting go. The hardest, too.

[kyrielle]

Which I will do if it's necessary, but I'd rather not think about it before it's necessary.

[harpie.livejournal.com]

Poor kitty. We're sending good thoughts your way.

[kyrielle]

Thank you!

[phoenixscribe.livejournal.com]

Big hugs for you and snuggles for Babe.

While I don't know much about the respiratory portion of a fungal infection, I can tell you that ocular lesions are extremely rare in brain cancer patients. As far as her vision returning, she'll likely get some of it back - where the lesions are located is where she'll be least likely to recover vision. If you can get the vet to tell you where the lesions are located, you can figure out what portion of her vision she likely won't have. Retinas work backwards - if she's got a lesion above her macula, she won't be able to see low; if she's got a lesion to the left of her macula, she won't be able to see to the right. Let's just hope she doesn't have any in her macula so she can still see straight ahead.

Much love coming your way.

[kyrielle]

Thank you! And the problem with this fungal infection is, the say it goes from the respiratory system into the nerves. So it's not just the lesion - given the quick onset in both eyes and her near-complete loss of vision, the optic nerve is probably involved. That's the big unknown, compared to the lesions. And of course, until the treatment takes hold, she could develop more lesions. I know that as of a couple days ago she could still see low-straight because she responded to a (dark) toy on the floor. She hasn't since, but I'm not sure if that's vision or disinterest, since she often ignored toys even when she could track them. (Ahead-and-down, rather than straight-ahead, may be the mest important one for her to get back. Those dratted stairs!)

I'm just crossing my fingers that she survives, and after that, that she gets some sight back. And yes, the lesions (bad news as they are in one sense) give us a lot of hope that it's not cancer.

Test results today or Friday, probably (from what I understand) Friday. If it's not the fungal infection, next is a very expensive MRI to check for cancer. (If I were sure those were the only two options, I wouldn't bother, because if it is cancer there is not much to do. But because there are other possibilities that have been dismissed based on her symptoms, if it's not the fungal infection, there's a chance the MRI could rule out cancer instead of confirming it. A poor chance, but not impossible. So if the tests for the infection they think it is are negative, we'll do that, because there's more avenues to reopen and investigate if it's not cancer.)

I'll pass your snuggles onto Babe. I'm sure she'll appreciate them, she's always been a cuddle-bug.

[joyoflj.livejournal.com]

Aw, I am so sorry to read about Babe's health troubles.

Sending you and Babe prayers and BIG HUGS!

[kyrielle]

Thank you. *hugs*

[minion.livejournal.com]

Poor Babe! We will keep fingers crossed here and send good vibes her way. Even Emma although she objects to wishing well for a cat. :)

[kyrielle]

Thank you! (And thank-you to Emma for going the extra mile even if she doesn't entirely want to. :)

[canyoncat.livejournal.com]

*hugs* and sending wonderful thoughts! I am hoping she will get some of that vision back.


Sorry, I have a hard time keeping up these days.

[kyrielle]

Thank you! I hope so too.

And no worries about not reading it right away, that's the nature of LJ (or any online site, or email, or... :).

[canyoncat.livejournal.com]

I just really try to stay away from it at work because it can be so absorbing at times. I can check e-mail and reply to comments there no problem but LJ could be questioned if I spent too much time on it. It's unfortunate because I often realize I have missed things that I wished I hadn't.

[kyrielle]

*nodnods* And catchup in the evenings only goes so far, especially if your evenings are busy.