Could Minnie be blind?

[berties mum]

Sorry Gillian, only just saw your answer - thanks for the info, much appreciated.  Seeing the vet at the weekend - I was in there with Bella on Saturday and asked the vet about Minnie's eye - he said much the same as you ...

[Gillian Harvey]

Oh goodness ... thanks for that Gillian.  Do you know what causes them?

Corneal ulcers can be caused by trauma to the eye, you know - a scratch maybe. Some infections can cause them, or, like in Cassie's case - it was due to something called 'dry eye' - can't remember the other name for it - keratin something or other!

[berties mum]

The black dot sounds as though it could possibly be a corneal ulcer, thats what I noticed first on my Cassie.

Oh goodness ... thanks for that Gillian.  Do you know what causes them?

[Gillian Harvey]

meanwhile, she's got a black dot on her left eye, just above the pupil, which is quite large - evidence of some kind of trauma perhaps? 

If she does turn out to be missing some of her eyesight, what adjustments should I be making for her, if any? 

The black dot sounds as though it could possibly be a corneal ulcer, thats what I noticed first on my Cassie. She did lose that eye in the end, but was fine otherwise and lived till she was 18. My Sophie was completely blind, but adapted really well and also lived to a grand old age. 

[berties mum]

Poor Bertie, is that into an empty or full bath?? 

Honestly?  We've had both.  He falls out of windows too 

[jetcleo]

Poor Bertie, is that into an empty or full bath?? 

[berties mum]

My vet in London had a blind cat and it used to go out in the garden , and he said it was absolutely fine and they had a fish pond and the cat never ever fell in!

Whereas Bertie is, without a doubt, fully sighted, and still falls in the bath on average once a week! 

Good luck at the vet, JetCleo - let us know how Ralphie gets on 

[jetcleo]

When Cleo was younger i went through a spell of worrying about her eye sight as she seemed to be bumping into things rather than walking round them and she didnt really react to light.  I took her to the vet and the only thing they found was that she had an infection at the back of her eye, she had anti-biotics and now she's fine.

Hope Minnie is ok.

Ralphie picked up yesterday but has gone downhill again today.  He's off to the vets in the morning, i'm hoping he's just got a bug!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

My vet in London had a blind cat and it used to go out in the garden , and he said it was absolutely fine and they had a fish pond and the cat never ever fell in!

[berties mum]

Thank you Mark, that's so kind of you.    I'll definitely let you know what the vet says and perhaps I can get some advice from your mum!  I actually have a neighbour who has two totally blind Siamese cats (born that way due to their mum having cat flu in pregnancy), so I will be asking her too, although it's slightly different as they have never been able to see and have never gone outside, whereas I suspect Minnie once had full sight and loves to be outdoors as much as possible.

Thanks JetCleo too ... how is Ralphie baby now? 

[Mark]

Hopefully that isn't the problem but if the worst happens. They do adjust quickly. My mums persian mix, Sukie went blind at 6 months. I was visiting mum and she said sukie kept bumping into things and seemed clumsy for a cat. I suggested that she might be going blind and mum took her to the vet. She had a disease where the retina comes away (not painful but not treatable). She lived a happy life until she was 12. The main things were not to move furniture etc as the cat gets to know its way round. Also, it must be indoors - my mum took her in the garden supervised whenever it was warm enough. She flew around the house as if she could see perfectly and was a big purr ball (I will try to get a photo to post) - I wouldn't worry too much now but I'm sure my mum and others on here can give you plenty of help & support if need be 

[jetcleo]

Hope Minnie's ok, like the others have said hopefully the vet will be able to help

 

[berties mum]

Liz, i didn't know you had a Bertie too!!  Fabulous - it's Bertie's very favourite name    Thanks, you've put my mind at rest a bit - I have been wondering how much quality of life she might have when she's older.  Hopefully the vet can shed a bit more light on what's happened to her.

[Liz]

Our Bertie went blind at 18 and we discovered it in photographs his blind eyes did not react to the flash the were matt

He lived to be 21.5 iand moved house at 20 and still played out in his new garden and mastered stairs and lived life to the full and was still first  in the treat queue

I would take her to the vet to get checked as Thyroid issues can leasd to blindness as can high blood pressure

Good luck the adapt quickly and its a great excuse not to rearrange the furniture!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Yes that could be the case, it sounds like it maybe an old injury cos eyes are so fragile.

[berties mum]

Thanks Gill. In answer to your questions, she's seven so middle-aged rather than old.  I've checked her pupils and they both react normally to light. as far as I can see.  Fortunately Minnie's world is a very small one that doesn't involve busy roads ... she spends all her time either in the house, in nextdoor's garden or in a flower pot belonging to a neighbour who lives the other side of a footpath but not over a road.  I'm wondering now whether she deliberately stays nearby because she can't see enough to confidently stray further?

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I think she definately has some loss of vision.

How old is she? If she is older rather than younger she could have a blood pressure problem cos that can make them blind.

How do her pupils react to light,,,,,,,,,,,,if one or both are very large when its very light she definatley as a problem and if its stays like that in the light  she may have a retina problem, often coursed by blood pressure.

It does not sound like she should be going across roaads and with a limit vision she needs to be watched carefully.
Hope the vet can help and give some good advice.

[berties mum]

After being Minnie the Minx's mummy for almost 4 months now, I've come to the conclusion something isn't right with her eyesight and after extensive home testing by me and OH, we think she is partially sighted or maybe even blind in her left eye.  We have an appointment with vet for her booster next month so I'll raise it then, but in the meantime, wondered if anyone with similar experience could tell me whether the following things we've noticed mean she could have a problem.

The first thing I noticed is that she doesn't seem to see things from the same distance that other cats do.  The other morning she was over the road on my neighbour's doormat and I called her ... she heard me, looked all around her and wandered within six feet of me before she seemed to realise exactly where I was and came for her cuddle.  If anything approaches her that you'd expect her to see in her left peripheral vision, she doesn't see it - and if you wave something at her on the left, she turns her head all the way round to look at it with her right eye, if that makes sense.

meanwhile, she's got a black dot on her left eye, just above the pupil, which is quite large - evidence of some kind of trauma perhaps?  Bear in mind that I know nothing about Minnie's medical history as I took her in when her previous owner, my neighbour, moved away and left her - but I have heard from other neighbours that she had a serious accident when she was younger, possibly hit by a car.

If she does turn out to be missing some of her eyesight, what adjustments should I be making for her, if any?  I should add that she is perfectly happy and well otherwise, and settling into life in the Bertie family with gusto and lots of cuddles