Help! Chronic Congestion And Sudden Blindness.

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TampaTony

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My 9 year old Siamese Tabby Mix male started with a flare up of Feline Herpes in January. He has minor flare ups about once a year or so. At that same time he got BLOCKED (second time in 5 years) so he was catherized,flushed and was doing fine. I waited 3 weeks (per two vets) to have his teeth cleaned/extracted as he had severe teeth/resorption,etc. He did great and healing nicely, however, he has since become blind suddenly and the Herpes has invaded his head area which he now has chronic mucous in nose/throat as he swallows, etc. I am an my whits end. They said there is nothing they can do. After $3,000.00 of all his procedures and so much stress, poor SKYE I have no idea if this will ever go away. I was no no mouth gags were used for dental so they state no damage to his maxillary.... I am thinking either his Herpes invaded his cornea, his retina is attached and also the Herpes will not let his chronic congestion go away. His lungs are clear, CBC is good and a healthy cat other than these two issues at the SAME time. I have accepted his blindness although it kills me to see him learning his way but I need him to rid his mucous congestion. I never see the mucous but hear it.
 

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When you say you don't see the mucus but hear it. Do you mean that you can simply hear that his airways are restricted (loud breathing)? I wonder if it's not so much mucus that's the issue but severe inflammation of the sinus cavities/nasal passageways. This could also, if bad enough, put pressure in the ocular area causing blindness. If you can get the inflammation under control (steroids) his breathing could get better and the blindness, if no permanent damage was done, could be reversed.
I had a cat get sudden blindness due to high blood pressure, again, if you can get the blood pressure under control quickly, sometimes vision can be restored.
When it comes to the congestion, has the vet looked into if there may be polyps or other form of blockage? Just suggesting this as you say you don't see mucus. As with my first example about inflammation, a growth, depending on how big, how many and where, could account for the congestion and blindness.
 
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TampaTony

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Thank you for your reply. Yes, loud breathing with occasional sneezing, swallowing,etc. The vet does not want to do steroids as he saids the cats body is already to compromised,his immune system. I finally saw a slight discharge/green from his nose this morning. First time... ANY suggestions are appreciated. I have 5 indoor cats and this one was so full of life and happy prior to this. He does eat,drink,pee,poo so far...does walk around etc.
 
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TampaTony

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Thank you for your reply. Yes, loud breathing with occasional sneezing, swallowing,etc. The vet does not want to do steroids as he saids the cats body is already to compromised,his immune system. I finally saw a slight discharge/green from his nose this morning. First time... ANY suggestions are appreciated. I have 5 indoor cats and this one was so full of life and happy prior to this. He does eat,drink,pee,poo so far...does walk around etc.
Normal blood pressure.
 

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OK, and yes, if he does have an infection/immune system compromised, a steroid would not work, I just wanted to put that out there in case this was not an infection or herpes flair up.

Have you thought about giving him Lysine in his daily routine? Lysine is said to help suppress herpes in cats, many people swear by it to keep symptoms in check.

Has the vet done a culture on your kitties snot? Just to be sure that there is not a secondary infection that would require a specific antibiotic? There could also be a fungal infection so an antibiotic would not work and you would need an anti-fungal. Some bacterial and fungal infections can spread into the brain/eyes and could lead to blindness.
 
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TampaTony

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I use to and stopped years back...my mistake! He is now back on per vet. Not done culture as kitty snot was just today, not before. Skye is napping and no sound..it seems to be more when he walks... probably a simple answer and vets just never seem to find it quickly after so many years of seeing cats. I will suggest snot culture Saturday at his next appt. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I feel very alone with this and u have no idea how much your replies help.
 

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You're very welcome! And I'm sure others will be around shortly to offer even more advice and tips.
You're never alone on this site!!!
If I can think of anything else, I'll come back. And be sure to keep us update on your Kitty's progress and any new symptoms that may arise.
 

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I just though of something else....:D

In most cases, stress is a huge factor in why kitties get herpes flair ups. Are you doing things with him that can help ease his stress?
Using Feliway products has helped many people.
With the new blindness, you might have to find new ways to keep him entertained and play with him. Using scent (catnip) may help.
How is he adjusting to the blindness so far? Do you find he is a little jumpy or fearful in his environment?
Do you think he is TOTALLY blind? Sometimes they may still be able to see shapes and movement, so I would still try to play with him and see how he does.
 

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My 9 year old Siamese Tabby Mix male started with a flare up of Feline Herpes in January. ... to have his teeth cleaned/extracted as he had severe teeth/resorption,etc. He did great and healing nicely, however, he has since become blind suddenly and the Herpes has invaded his head area which he now has chronic mucous in nose/throat as he swallows, etc. I am an my whits end. They said there is nothing they can do. After $3,000.00 of all his procedures and so much stress, poor SKYE I have no idea if this will ever go away. I was no no mouth gags were used for dental so they state no damage to his maxillary.... I am thinking either his Herpes invaded his cornea, his retina is attached and also the Herpes will not let his chronic congestion go away. His lungs are clear, CBC is good and a healthy cat other than these two issues at the SAME time. I have accepted his blindness although it kills me to see him learning his way but I need him to rid his mucous congestion. I never see the mucous but hear it.
... I finally saw a slight discharge/green from his nose this morning. First time... ANY suggestions are appreciated. I have 5 indoor cats and this one was so full of life and happy prior to this. He does eat,drink,pee,poo so far...does walk around etc.
... Not done culture as kitty snot was just today, not before. ... I will suggest snot culture Saturday at his next appt. ...
Poor Skye! :vibes: :alright:

You said the vets say there is nothing they can do, but I am wondering if they ever did a course of antibiotics for him? (either after his extraction surgery, or at any time, really, during all of the last few months of troubles)

Is there any way to move the vet appt scheduled for Saturday up several days, now that you say you are seeing greenish discharge/mucus? You can definitely let the vet(s) now you are now seeing greenish discharge. That is an indication of possible infection, and Saturday is a long ways away! If the vet can culture the mucus to find a more directed antibiotic, or even just put Skye on an antibiotic before Saturday that he/she thinks could work (without testing the discharge/mucus), Skye might be feeling a lot better by the weekend - I hope?!
 
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TampaTony

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I just though of something else....:D

In most cases, stress is a huge factor in why kitties get herpes flair ups. Are you doing things with him that can help ease his stress?
Using Feliway products has helped many people.
With the new blindness, you might have to find new ways to keep him entertained and play with him. Using scent (catnip) may help.
How is he adjusting to the blindness so far? Do you find he is a little jumpy or fearful in his environment?
Do you think he is TOTALLY blind? Sometimes they may still be able to see shapes and movement, so I would still try to play with him and see how he does.
I just though of something else....:D

In most cases, stress is a huge factor in why kitties get herpes flair ups. Are you doing things with him that can help ease his stress?
Using Feliway products has helped many people.
With the new blindness, you might have to find new ways to keep him entertained and play with him. Using scent (catnip) may help.
How is he adjusting to the blindness so far? Do you find he is a little jumpy or fearful in his environment?
Do you think he is TOTALLY blind? Sometimes they may still be able to see shapes and movement, so I would still try to play with him and see how he does.
 
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TampaTony

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Yes, that is why we are waiiting until Saturday. With all the ongoing issues since January 20th, a total of about 10 vet visits..so we agreed to let him be at home for awhile and let his immune system help. His mouth has healed perfectly after removing those Resorption teeth... He was on many antibiotics prior and post both procedures.. the UTI block and the Dental Extractions... might try one last antibiotic on Saturday. I just got a snot and saved it for the vet. It is not all the time with the nasal discharge.
 
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TampaTony

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Poor Skye! :vibes: :alright:

You said the vets say there is nothing they can do, but I am wondering if they ever did a course of antibiotics for him? (either after his extraction surgery, or at any time, really, during all of the last few months of troubles)

Is there any way to move the vet appt scheduled for Saturday up several days, now that you say you are seeing greenish discharge/mucus? You can definitely let the vet(s) now you are now seeing greenish discharge. That is an indication of possible infection, and Saturday is a long ways away! If the vet can culture the mucus to find a more directed antibiotic, or even just put Skye on an antibiotic before Saturday that he/she thinks could work (without testing the discharge/mucus), Skye might be feeling a lot better by the weekend - I hope?!
 
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I am trying to way the pros and cons of so many vet visits to avoid addtl stress on Skye, not to mention I have called in sick 6 times already and afraid to lose my job.
 
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TampaTony

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Sorry, forgot to mention looks like he sees very close only on his left eye as he does a slight blink when I place my finger very close. The other eye does not respond. I avoid touching his whiskers of course. His Retinas are attached the vet said. I have decided to wait on the OPTHO until we get his breathing/congestion back to normal. Way too much stress for him,time,money,running around town,etc
 

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Because your vet has seem him so many times already, I wonder if they would accept your snot sample for testing, and if appropriate, provide you with an antibiotic without having to bring him in for an appointment. Especially if they are in agreement that you should be trying to lessen his stress levels. I know my vet, when I was dealing with a chronic recurring issue with my kitty, would provide me certain medications by my simply asking for them. My case was slightly different as we were managing palliative care, but not all vet care needs a visit. (sample collection if done carefully so not to cross contaminate can be one of those things)
 
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TampaTony

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I just managed to get a snot and ran it over to them. They said it is no good as they need it directly from the cats nose. He did not want to waste my money. We will try on Saturday. I do not want anything Invasive at this point. Great idea and I tried.
 

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Well, at least you tried...bummer that it could not be used. Let us know what they say after your visit on Saturday.

In the mean time, are you managing his symptoms OK? In case you need it these are some things that can help congestion.
- increase humidity in the home, dry air can irritate the nasal passages.
- turn your bathroom into a steam room for your kitty a few times a day for 10-15 minutes at a time. Turn on the hot water in the shower, and bring kitty in there with you with the door closed (in the bathroom NOT the shower!!LOL!). It can help loosen mucus and also soothe the airways.
- if it's really bad, you could get some saline nose drops to put in your cat. If you choose to try this, it MUST BE PURE SALINE. I use the Hydrasense brand (blue box with a dolphin as a logo) for babies. It is 100% pure with no decongestants or preservatives and it comes in individual little droppers that make application really easy.

I really hope Skye starts to feel better soon. And I feel your pain, as I am currently dealing with a stubborn URI with my new adopted kitties. I just want them to feel better!!!!
 

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And if you find that his nose gets irritated if it starts to run and get more snotty, and he starts licking at it all the time, a little petroleum jelly (vaseline) can help with a raw nose.
 
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TampaTony

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THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I tried the bathroom but he panicks now that he is blind. I cannot believe this is all at once. :( It kills me to see his quality of life go down. But I have to also make sure he does not block/UTI. Scary stuff here!! I will try the drops if I can, might not work as I live alone and have no help. Plus the stress for him... his NOISE is coming from his NOSE only, no chest or throat.
 
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