I Think My Cat May Be Deaf

Candybee

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My cat is gonna be 19 yrs old in April this year. She recently started BP meds to lower her blood pressure. She has already lost part of her sight due to her BP before it was under control and now here eyes are permanently dilated.

Her meds have given her a second life it seems, she's eating well and more of her old self. She did go through a rough period adjusting to her vision loss and at one point hurt her back leg so bad during a fall off her window perch she couldn't walk and dragged her leg for about 2 days. The vet checked her legs and hip area and she didn't break anything and is walking again. That was a few weeks ago and she is doing really well now. Adjusted to her vision loss and BP under control.

Lately thou I noticed she barely 'talks' anymore. She mouths the meow but is silent. Also, she doesn't respond to my calling her anymore. I have even tried walking up to her from behind and talking and nothing. No head turning around, ear or whisker twitch. When she's sleeping I have to be careful now because if I wake her she sometimes gets startled.

Anyway that's why I think she is now hearing impaired or maybe its completely gone. Don't know. She has another appt. in a couple weeks to see her vet for her BP checkup.

Any suggestions on what I should ask about re her possible hearing loss? This is all new to me. Never had a cat with any disabilities before.
 

jen

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My cat is 15 and she has gone deaf (BP fine) however she now howls at the top of her lungs all day long. Luckily its adorable but man sometimes she sounds like she is in pain. Sorry I have nothing to help your questions other then my cat is absolutely not phased by the fact that she can't hear. If your cat isn't bothered by it I wouldn't worry too much.
 

abyeb

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Since she’s not responding to auditory stimuli, I think you’re right that she’s experiencing hearing loss, which can happen as cats age, just like in people.

Here’s an article that includes tips for living with a deaf cat you might find helpful: The Deaf Cat
 
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Candybee

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Thanks for the article. It helped a bit. If she is deaf I am already resigned to it. She seemed to have gone through her 'adjustment' period with the vision loss. Now I wonder if some of that stumbling, standing in front or walking into closed doors, sitting in the middle of high traffic areas, and falling off things was not a part of her adjustment to her hearing loss as well?

Will see what I can find out when I take her in. Other than that she is doing fine and is still her independent self as cats tend to do. She does seem a bit more affectionate but that may be because I give her a daily brushing, massage, and petting session daily in the afternoons. This came about because she wasn't grooming as much just prior to starting her BP meds.

But the loss of her meow has got me flummoxed! Hearing loss? She still meows but only when I am not in the same room like she is looking for me. But in front of me she only mouths it without sound. No loud meows typical of deafness.
 

PushPurrCatPaws

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My cat is gonna be 19 yrs old in April this year. She recently started BP meds to lower her blood pressure. She has already lost part of her sight due to her BP before it was under control and now here eyes are permanently dilated.

Her meds have given her a second life it seems, she's eating well and more of her old self. She did go through a rough period adjusting to her vision loss and at one point hurt her back leg so bad during a fall off her window perch she couldn't walk and dragged her leg for about 2 days. The vet checked her legs and hip area and she didn't break anything and is walking again. That was a few weeks ago and she is doing really well now. Adjusted to her vision loss and BP under control.

Lately thou I noticed she barely 'talks' anymore. She mouths the meow but is silent. Also, she doesn't respond to my calling her anymore. I have even tried walking up to her from behind and talking and nothing. No head turning around, ear or whisker twitch. When she's sleeping I have to be careful now because if I wake her she sometimes gets startled.

Anyway that's why I think she is now hearing impaired or maybe its completely gone. Don't know. She has another appt. in a couple weeks to see her vet for her BP checkup.

Any suggestions on what I should ask about re her possible hearing loss? This is all new to me. Never had a cat with any disabilities before
.
It definitely wouldn't hurt to get blood work & urinalysis done when you two visit the vet again in a few weeks. High blood pressure can at times be secondary to another disease, like hyperthyroidism, diabetes, kidney disease. Did you get a blood chem panel done when the high BP was diagnosed? Things can change so quickly with elderly cats. I would definitely describe to the vet, too, about the hoarse voice.
:grouphug: :hugs: :redheartpump:
 
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Candybee

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Yes. When I first brought her in she was thoroughly checked out by the vet and had some tests and blood work done. I wanted to make sure here kidneys and liver were functioning within normal parameters and we also tested for hyperthyroidism and diabetes. She even had her blood pressure checked and eye pressure checked because of the dilated eyes.

She is in good health and her BP is now under control. She has a bit of a heart murmer but the vet reassured me it was not a serious matter and she would be fine. Her eye pressure has returned to normal too. She has even gained some weight back and is eating normally once again. Her coat has turned back to its former glossy luster too.

But the high BP effected her eyes and dilated them which in turn made her lose some vision but not all. That seems to be permanent but she has finally adjusted after several weeks of stumbling 'blindly' around. It was hard for me to watch but I gave her encouragement and treats when she overcame obstacles and helped as I could. But she did the hard work herself and came through like a champ.

She has been visiting the vet every two weeks since last December when this all started. Then she was put on a 2 month period inbetween visits so her next visit is in 2 weeks.

I am not terribly concerned about the possible deafness as she doesn't seem to mind and I don't think it will effect the quality of her life. I just want to be sure and have some guiddance for living with an impaired cat.
 
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