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Not bad news; uncertain news, but not bad. There's no sign of any tumor in the brain. There is (suspected, anyway, from the MRI results) some kind of growth in her nose/nasal passages. This may or may not be cancerous; it could be something else. I don't have full details on what the vet said (Scott does, but he had a commitment tonight and I told him to go, we'll talk over details later), so I'm not sure how it would play into vision (if it does), but my guess as a layman would be pressure.
Today's MRI was done by Dr. Crole, not our usual neurologist. Dr. Prouty, our neurologist thus far, works Weds-Sat. We should be able to talk to her tomorrow. Based on a quick conversation with Scott, it sounds like the next step will be to sedate Babe again (I am sure she will love this, poor thing) and get a look at it and a biopsy.
Meanwhile, of course, Babe had been fasting since 10 pm last night, then sedated, scanned, and for bonus points had a spinal tap done while she was under. When Scott brought her home they warned she might be woozy, start with water, progress to half her normal food. Babe arrived home looking, according to Scott, very steady, not woozy, and pacing back and forth between the two food bowl locations (both empty of food) while ignoring the water dish. I suggested he tempt her with some chicken broth instead, to get her to ingest some liquid, as the 'water' test. She can't smell the water, and when you're starving, it's probably of secondary importance (seemingly) to a cat. That worked, and he gave her a bit of food.
I've given her a bit more, and also her medicine. I'll give her the rest of the food in a little while, but honestly she seems to be doing fine. Quite content to cuddle on my lap and be petted, although she'd really rather be fed thank you very much. I can't blame her for that! She wasn't as calm during the medicine, I got snarled at. But - Babe being Babe, I was never worried, even though it was me, her, and no restraining devices. I've wrapped cats in towels for medicine before, but with Babe, I've never needed to. She snarled at me like I was about to die on the last 1/3 or 1/2 of the second medicine (the antibiotic), but despite the fact that both front paws were free, she never took a swipe at me. And when I popped the lid on the cat treats bottle (we stopped giving her any when we first got these meds, but resumed - they're still pretty vile, just not QUITE as bad as the previous antibiotic was, since they're at least formulated for cats, but they reek of bitterness) - anyway, when I popped the lid on the cat treats she headed RIGHT for me at the sound, climbing over the leg-bracings of a kitchen chair as needed.
She has a shaved patch on the back of her neck and another on her right leg, and she looks a little silly, but I think she's basically just fine. I may even be allowed to live, despite the medicine, since I've fed her. ;)
I won't stop asking for good thoughts yet, but - maybe, maybe we'll come out of this with something treatable. (As far as medicines, she's on an antibiotic in case it's bacterial and a steroid in case it's immune-related or something else that can help with. Both to continue for the time being. SOMETHING has helped with her upper-respiratory symptoms A LOT the last few days, and it's probably one of those two.)
Apple, meanwhile, has had her food put on the counter in the upstairs bathroom. Babe can't get there right now - she could if she could see, but she can't - and that way Apple can get her full ration. I'd say it means I need to make sure she doesn't graze Babe's food, but trust me, Babe is not letting Apple get one bite that's in a bowl Babe can reach, and she is still the dominant kitty. It's actually kinda funny to watch Apple defer, nervously, to Babe when Babe is just trying to cross the room and happens to toward Apple because Apple is lying in the path Babe picked.
Today's MRI was done by Dr. Crole, not our usual neurologist. Dr. Prouty, our neurologist thus far, works Weds-Sat. We should be able to talk to her tomorrow. Based on a quick conversation with Scott, it sounds like the next step will be to sedate Babe again (I am sure she will love this, poor thing) and get a look at it and a biopsy.
Meanwhile, of course, Babe had been fasting since 10 pm last night, then sedated, scanned, and for bonus points had a spinal tap done while she was under. When Scott brought her home they warned she might be woozy, start with water, progress to half her normal food. Babe arrived home looking, according to Scott, very steady, not woozy, and pacing back and forth between the two food bowl locations (both empty of food) while ignoring the water dish. I suggested he tempt her with some chicken broth instead, to get her to ingest some liquid, as the 'water' test. She can't smell the water, and when you're starving, it's probably of secondary importance (seemingly) to a cat. That worked, and he gave her a bit of food.
I've given her a bit more, and also her medicine. I'll give her the rest of the food in a little while, but honestly she seems to be doing fine. Quite content to cuddle on my lap and be petted, although she'd really rather be fed thank you very much. I can't blame her for that! She wasn't as calm during the medicine, I got snarled at. But - Babe being Babe, I was never worried, even though it was me, her, and no restraining devices. I've wrapped cats in towels for medicine before, but with Babe, I've never needed to. She snarled at me like I was about to die on the last 1/3 or 1/2 of the second medicine (the antibiotic), but despite the fact that both front paws were free, she never took a swipe at me. And when I popped the lid on the cat treats bottle (we stopped giving her any when we first got these meds, but resumed - they're still pretty vile, just not QUITE as bad as the previous antibiotic was, since they're at least formulated for cats, but they reek of bitterness) - anyway, when I popped the lid on the cat treats she headed RIGHT for me at the sound, climbing over the leg-bracings of a kitchen chair as needed.
She has a shaved patch on the back of her neck and another on her right leg, and she looks a little silly, but I think she's basically just fine. I may even be allowed to live, despite the medicine, since I've fed her. ;)
I won't stop asking for good thoughts yet, but - maybe, maybe we'll come out of this with something treatable. (As far as medicines, she's on an antibiotic in case it's bacterial and a steroid in case it's immune-related or something else that can help with. Both to continue for the time being. SOMETHING has helped with her upper-respiratory symptoms A LOT the last few days, and it's probably one of those two.)
Apple, meanwhile, has had her food put on the counter in the upstairs bathroom. Babe can't get there right now - she could if she could see, but she can't - and that way Apple can get her full ration. I'd say it means I need to make sure she doesn't graze Babe's food, but trust me, Babe is not letting Apple get one bite that's in a bowl Babe can reach, and she is still the dominant kitty. It's actually kinda funny to watch Apple defer, nervously, to Babe when Babe is just trying to cross the room and happens to toward Apple because Apple is lying in the path Babe picked.
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We just can't seem to get him to make an appointment, but his doctor has said it's not too serious, but it's better to get it out of there.
My pediatrician, when I was a kid, was named Dr. Prouty too.
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