Question:
My cat has been with me for the past 18 years. She has hyperthyroidism for which I have been treating her with methimazole for the past five years, and her thyroid and kidney values are good.Several months ago, I had her right eye checked out by my vet and he determined that she had a surface corneal abrasion. I applied several ointments and the scratch healed. But her eyesight was diminished.This past Labor Day weekend I noticed that she went blind, and I was beside myself. The doctor checked her blood pressure and saw that it is high. He prescribed Norvasc, and when her blood pressure still was not coming down he also prescribed benazepril HCL. In the meantime, her corneal scratch was back. We tried the same treatment again, but her eye never got back to normal.This past Friday I was told that the prognosis didn't look good. However, her heart is still good, her hyperthyroidism is under control, she's gaining weight (6 or 7 pounds so far) and she still has good bladder control. The vet said I needed to ass
M.L., Stratford, CT Mar 06, 2005
Answer:
I am sorry to hear of your cat's sudden blindness, which is upsetting for you and distressing for your old cat. She may adjust remarkably well since she can still hear, smell and remember where things are located in the house.She is suffering from hypertensive retinopathy, which is one of the usually irreversible consequences of a hyperactive thyroid gland -- a common malady today in the feline population. Chronic renal failure can also result in high blood pressure and blindness.It seems like your cat's veterinarian is on the ball with her diagnosis and treatment, and the best you can do is make your cat feel safe and loved during this major readjustment in her final years.
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