Horner's Syndrome?

[Xena44]

I've found a forum on drugs.com about the Claro otic solution and now I'm panicking all over again. There are multiple mentions about how Claro was used on their cats and they all immediately developed Horner's syndrome, as well as other symptoms like wobbling and even deafness! I am livid now that they would use this medication that clearly states its for dogs only. I wish I had known better to ask more questions about it before they put it in her ears. I am going to call them tomorrow immediately and ask that they rectify this. Specifically to flush it out of her ears. As you said, there has to be a better medication that is actually intended for cats even if the one they normally use is on backorder. This is awful, I can't believe they'd use that medication on her when there are so many complaints about the effects on poor kitties.

I would really relax if I were you. Deep breath. Don’t panic. At this point she seems relatively ok. Take that at face value. And take her recovery a day at a time. A moment at a time if need be. Again, at this point, her reaction seems to be relatively mild. Easy does it Maxine lover. easy does it. And yes. Call the vet and give them a piece of your mind.

 

[Xena44]

There’s nothing to be done about a ruptured eardrum but time to heal. I really don’t think Maxine has one. She would be stumbling and not wanting to play. I don’t think you need to take her to a second vet. They’re not going to be able to see into her ear canal anyway until the medicine has had a chance to clear up the infection. The second vet could actually rupture her eardrum trying to clean again. Better to leave it be and give the medicine a chance.

If I remember correctly, you aim for the corner of the eye with the eye drops rather than the center. Ask the vet or search YouTube. This wasn’t the only thing Krista had going. My memories of that time are getting fuzzy. And since she passed last year, I’ve been trying to curate only the good out of those memories. Her rough spots I remember for her strength, perseverance, and trust rather than all the worry and fuss.

Yes. Remember the good times.

 

[scoutandmaxine]

I would really relax if I were you. Deep breath. Don’t panic. At this point she seems relatively ok. Take that at face value. And take her recovery a day at a time. A moment at a time if need be. Again, at this point, her reaction seems to be relatively mild. Easy does it Maxine lover. easy does it. And yes. Call the vet and give them a piece of your mind.

Thank you, you're right. I know I am getting all worked up, its just so sad to see her eye like that. Should I ask that they flush out the ear medication? Maybe that would help her eye? I'm just not sure what to do. Since her reaction is mild, should I just let it go until her next recheck? I'm constantly going back and forth on this, driving myself crazy. Sorry!

 

[daftcat75]

I don't think they can flush it at this point. There may even still be potential for more harm if they continue to "stir the pot." In any case, I would try to speak to the vet on the phone before you bring Maxine down and learn there's nothing that can be done. Except maybe eye drops. And she doesn't need to ride along for those.

 

[scoutandmaxine]

I don't think they can flush it at this point. There may even still be potential for more harm if they continue to "stir the pot." In any case, I would try to speak to the vet on the phone before you bring Maxine down and learn there's nothing that can be done. Except maybe eye drops. And she doesn't need to ride along for those.

Thank you, this is good advice. If the flushing won't work now then I wouldn't want to put her through it. I think I will just request the eye drops and let her continue to rest. Thanks a bunch!

 

[scoutandmaxine]

I have called the vet THREE times requesting eye drops for Max. And the vet never called me back and now an hour before they close, they say I will have to wait until tomorrow. A simple ask, you'd think, and I'm getting blown off. This particular vet is straight up awful. I've had great experiences with 2 other vets at this location with my other cat so I am very disappointed this is happening. I should not have even been the one to ask about eye drops, the vet should have recommended them when I complained about the Horner's the first time. Its been since Monday that her eye is like this and she hasn't had any eye drops, I hope this doesn't have a negative effect on her recovery.

 

[Xena44]

I have called the vet THREE times requesting eye drops for Max. And the vet never called me back and now an hour before they close, they say I will have to wait until tomorrow. A simple ask, you'd think, and I'm getting blown off. This particular vet is straight up awful. I've had great experiences with 2 other vets at this location with my other cat so I am very disappointed this is happening. I should not have even been the one to ask about eye drops, the vet should have recommended them when I complained about the Horner's the first time. Its been since Monday that her eye is like this and she hasn't had any eye drops, I hope this doesn't have a negative effect on her recovery.

What a damn shame about this veterinarian. But they’re out there. They are definitely out there. is there anybody like a manager that you can speak to? this may be a stretch but do you know if this guy an employee or a partner? Sure is frustrating when it feels like there’s nowhere to turn. Especially when it comes to your little heart there. Do you want to go in and do what you can to protect them and your stonewalled. Maybe give a call in the morning, get a status on this and if you don’t get any action, just show up there tomorrow? Will there be another veterinarian on tomorrow? Can you make an appointment with somebody else? You can voice your concerns during the office visit about the other vet. If this guy is a louse, the other veterinarians know it and sometimes will try to make up for the other guys bad behavior.

 

[daftcat75]

Sometimes you just have to lodge your complaint over the "sneaker net" e.g. walk on down and just show up. This is not a difficult issue. He will either agree with you that the drops are a good idea or he'll say he doesn't think she'll need them. Many cats get through this just fine without them. But this is a vet's call. Not mine and not the internet's. How is Maxine doing otherwise?

 

[scoutandmaxine]

Sometimes you just have to lodge your complaint over the "sneaker net" e.g. walk on down and just show up. This is not a difficult issue. He will either agree with you that the drops are a good idea or he'll say he doesn't think she'll need them. Many cats get through this just fine without them. But this is a vet's call. Not mine and not the internet's. How is Maxine doing otherwise?

She's doing okay, however she is not eating very much. She will take a few bites of dry food and is flat out refusing wet food. Her eye seems about the same. Although sometimes it seems like the eyelid is covering even more of her eye than before. So its not getting any better at all. I'm going to complain to the vet tomorrow first thing. If they continue to be useless, I will make an appointment with the cats only vet to get a second opinion. If there really is nothing that can be done, I'll let time heal her, I hope. But if that awful vet is at fault, I want him to take responsibility. I especially want him to make sure to never ever prescribe Claro for cats again.

 

[scoutandmaxine]

What a damn shame about this veterinarian. But they’re out there. They are definitely out there. is there anybody like a manager that you can speak to? this may be a stretch but do you know if this guy an employee or a partner? Sure is frustrating when it feels like there’s nowhere to turn. Especially when it comes to your little heart there. Do you want to go in and do what you can to protect them and your stonewalled. Maybe give a call in the morning, get a status on this and if you don’t get any action, just show up there tomorrow? Will there be another veterinarian on tomorrow? Can you make an appointment with somebody else? You can voice your concerns during the office visit about the other vet. If this guy is a louse, the other veterinarians know it and sometimes will try to make up for the other guys bad behavior.

I am going to ask that she be seen by another vet, I simply give up on giving this guy any more chances to simply blow me off again and again. I'll be sure to write reviews and complain to whoever is in charge. My biggest concern now is her lack of appetite, I'm just so frustrated with all of this. She had a simple ear infection and now all of this, its hardly fair.

 

[Xena44]

I am going to ask that she be seen by another vet, I simply give up on giving this guy any more chances to simply blow me off again and again. I'll be sure to write reviews and complain to whoever is in charge. My biggest concern now is her lack of appetite, I'm just so frustrated with all of this. She had a simple ear infection and now all of this, its hardly fair.

Ya. Totally not fair. Extremely so. Is she not eating at all? Have you tried novel foods? Her faves? Treats? Is she drinking? And yesyesyes. Dump that jerk vet. And bad reviews are a big deal. But sometimes it’s the only way to be heard.

 

[scoutandmaxine]

Ya. Totally not fair. Extremely so. Is she not eating at all? Have you tried novel foods? Her faves? Treats? Is she drinking? And yesyesyes. Dump that jerk vet. And bad reviews are a big deal. But sometimes it’s the only way to be heard.

I have a variety of canned foods, every flavor, for my other cat because she has kidney disease and I try to get her to eat mostly wet food. Max is allowed to eat some whenever she wants also but she's always preferred dry food. She'll eat one treat and refuse anymore. I've tried the delectables pouches and she started to eat some and then seemed to gag and I thought she was going to throw up but nothing came out. That only happened once. She's also occasionally sneezing but its not like a normal sneeze. Its just one quick burst like she has phlegm stuck in her throat or something. Its little things like this that worry me even though overall she seems just fine. And the fact she plays and jumps normally is great but I'd just feel a lot better if she was eating more and I'm especially worried that with her eyelid obstructing her vision, She could have long term effects from that.

 

[Xena44]

Hey, she is eating something. That’s super good. You could even offer her anything in the world like baby food, or deli meat. Or tunafish. Or anything she will eat. Anything it doesn’t have to be cat food. But the fact that she is eating some is in her favor. And yours. I would definitely try to get into see another vet and have them look in her ears.I know you’re concerned about the stress of the visit. How badly does she get stressed out? Is it just a drag, normal cat vet visit stress or is it severe?

 

[Xena44]

p.s. is your kidney kitty on Aventi or Epakitin something like that to support her kidneys?

 

[scoutandmaxine]

Hey, she is eating something. That’s super good. You could even offer her anything in the world like baby food, or deli meat. Or tunafish. Or anything she will eat. Anything it doesn’t have to be cat food. But the fact that she is eating some is in her favor. And yours. I would definitely try to get into see another vet and have them look in her ears.I know you’re concerned about the stress of the visit. How badly does she get stressed out? Is it just a drag, normal cat vet visit stress or is it severe?

She's actually really relaxed during car rides and she did okay during previous vet visits. It was just this time after the ear cleaning, she seemed totally traumatized. She hid under the bed for most of the day and even a couple days after. And when I called to voice my concerns the first time, they told me themselves that i could bring her back in but there wasn't really anything they could do so i felt totally helpless.. but now as stressful as it'll be, I do think another visit is warranted. I read online that someone said their cat had this kind of reaction from Claro and didn't get back to normal until 4 months later. That seems insane to me! Its such a long time for her to have her eye like that.

My kitty Scout with the kidney disease is not on any kind of medication. Since she is still eating fine and otherwise okay, her vet didn't give her anything but will want to see her again in a couple months I believe. They did try to give me a bunch of prescription food but Scout hated all of it so that was a waste.

 

[Xena44]

Honestly, if it was my cat, I would take her back to the vet and have them look at her post trauma. It’s my humble opinion that she needs to be evaluated for her medical condition can be evaluated and documented. And be upfront with the vet and say whatever you think needs to be said. you know, “treat her gently” and “she was traumatized by her previous treatment and hid under the bed for a couple days after” etc etc. and whatever you think is pertinent. You could ask them if her ears would benefit from being flushed extremely gently with saline only and if the vet can just look into them to make sure that the tympanic membrane is OK. Like I said, it’s only my opinion but it seems to me like her condition should be documented and evaluated by a professional.

 

[Xena44]

She's actually really relaxed during car rides and she did okay during previous vet visits. It was just this time after the ear cleaning, she seemed totally traumatized. She hid under the bed for most of the day and even a couple days after. And when I called to voice my concerns the first time, they told me themselves that i could bring her back in but there wasn't really anything they could do so i felt totally helpless.. but now as stressful as it'll be, I do think another visit is warranted. I read online that someone said their cat had this kind of reaction from Claro and didn't get back to normal until 4 months later. That seems insane to me! Its such a long time for her to have her eye like that.

My kitty Scout with the kidney disease is not on any kind of medication. Since she is still eating fine and otherwise okay, her vet didn't give her anything but will want to see her again in a couple months I believe. They did try to give me a bunch of prescription food but Scout hated all of it so that was a waste.

kitties rarely like the kidney diet. It’s supplements that I was referring to a flavorless powders that you just sprinkle into the food. I prefer Aventi over Epakitin but it’s still a good product. Look them up. You might find them interesting

 

[scoutandmaxine]

Honestly, if it was my cat, I would take her back to the vet and have them look at her post trauma. It’s my humble opinion that she needs to be evaluated for her medical condition can be evaluated and documented. And be upfront with the vet and say whatever you think needs to be said. you know, “treat her gently” and “she was traumatized by her previous treatment and hid under the bed for a couple days after” etc etc. and whatever you think is pertinent. You could ask them if her ears would benefit from being flushed extremely gently with saline only and if the vet can just look into them to make sure that the tympanic membrane is OK. Like I said, it’s only my opinion but it seems to me like her condition should be documented and evaluated by a professional.

I am going to do just this. Thank you so much for the advice and for listening, its been a huge help! I will update tomorrow, hopefully they'll see her right away. I know they up the prices for weekend visits but considering this is a recheck and their fault anyway, I am not going to let them bully me or blow me off anymore.

I didn't know about the supplements, that's a great idea! Thanks again. I hope i can get Scout to eat enough of her wet food to benefit from it, she's very particular about wet food. She mostly just eats in bits at a time all day. Sometimes I have to literally hold the bowl for her bc she is so spoiled. She eats more that way. Such a princess lol.

 

[Xena44]

I am going to do just this. Thank you so much for the advice and for listening, its been a huge help! I will update tomorrow, hopefully they'll see her right away. I know they up the prices for weekend visits but considering this is a recheck and their fault anyway, I am not going to let them bully me or blow me off anymore.

I didn't know about the supplements, that's a great idea! Thanks again. I hope i can get Scout to eat enough of her wet food to benefit from it, she's very particular about wet food. She mostly just eats in bits at a time all day. Sometimes I have to literally hold the bowl for her bc she is so spoiled. She eats more that way. Such a princess lol.

ATTA GIRL! NOTHING MORE POWERFUL THAN A MAMA PROTECTING HER KIDS!!! . And did you say they’re doing curbside? If that is the case or even if it’s not the case, if you’re in the exam room, when your intake is done by the technician, speak to them personally. Look them in the eye and ask them to please take care of your kitty. Make it personal. Most techs are there because they love the animals. They take it personally. And after all is said and done, if things go well, look them in the eye and thank them from your heart. Tell them that you appreciate them. That goes a long way

and since your kitty already has a degree of kidney failure, she is definitely a candidate for the supplements. You don’t have to wait for them to become symptomatic.

 

[scoutandmaxine]

UPDATE:
After calling the vet yesterday, they ended up just making another appt today to see the same vet.. I found the email address of the hospital manager and wrote her a long email explaining how unhappy I am about this whole ordeal. She called me this morning and was very adamant about setting things right and getting Maxine in to see a different vet today and also talking to the medical director about the original useless vet.
I took her in to see this other vet. She checked out her eyes and ears. The tympanic membrane was intact. She said it doesn't take much to irritate it and cause the horner’s syndrome though. The vet techs used cotton balls with a gentle cleanser to wipe off the Claro from her ear. I made sure they did it in front of me rather than take her into the back. The vet prescribed prednisone and an antibiotic. Also she gave her an anti nausea shot. She told me it could take 2 to 4 weeks for the eye to return to normal. But she wants her back in next week to check on her progress. She doesn't think she needs eye drops because Max is able to blink on her own.
Poor girl is hiding under the bed now But she did eat a little when she first came back so that's good. I'm starting the medications tomorrow morning to give her a break tonight from all the poking and prodding.
Now I just hope this will all help with getting her back to herself again. Too bad patience is not something I'm good at. Thanks again everyone for lending your support and advice! I will continue to keep updating with her progress.