Kitten with uveitis

[Dos Gatos]

Since we lost our sweet Echo in May we have known we wanted to add 2 kittens to our home to join our remaining cat. We went to a local rescue on Saturday and fell in love with 2 girls; a 1yo tortie (Leia) and a 15w old gray and white kitten (Luna). They were sharing a cage and were both sweet and playful. They came to the rescue from a high kill shelter in July with 35 other cats. We said we wanted to adopt them but asked that they keep them until this Friday because Luna needed to be seen again by the vet for her eyes, which brings me to my concern. She apparently has uveitis in both eyes. There is a picture of her before the uveitis and her eyes just looked a little goopy, which I know is common in shelter cats. But now they are red and cloudy and she was on drops and they just changed it to another type of drop (don’t know what they are since she is not ours yet.) We thought she was supposed to see the vet again today but apparently there was some miscommunication and the particular vet she needs to see is out until September 7. My struggle is that I looked up info on uveitis and it was pretty concerning. FeLV and FIV comes up, which she was negative for. But FIP can also be a cause, which worries me. She doesn’t have any other symptoms of anything being wrong, it just appears to be her eyes at this point. We are still able to pull out of the adoption but we hate to do that since we all felt connected to her, especially my 8yo daughter. However, the thought of bringing her into our home and then it turns into something really bad scares me.

So I guess my question is does anyone have any experience with uveitis in a kitten/young cat and can give me some reassurance that it will likely be ok? Or is it likely that there is something more wrong with her? We are ok with vision impairment but not a potential deadly disease.

 

[Furballsmom]

Goodness. And not like you don't know this, but September 7th is a long way out--too far.

she was on drops and they just changed it to another type of drop (don’t know what they are since she is not ours yet.)

Who made the decision to change the drops? Thinking of this baby and your daughter, is there any way she can be seen by someone, even a private vet somehow?

 

[Dos Gatos]

She already saw a vet and was diagnosed with uveitis. It was that vet who changed the drops and said she needed to see the other vet. Her eyes were sealed shut a few days before we met so the original drops must have helped some, at least for the discharge. It is weird that they don’t seem to bother her at all, they just look terrible. The adoption coordinator is supposed to touch base with me tomorrow evening and I considered asking her if we could take her to a vet ourselves and we would pay. The vet practice we use knows us pretty well and I am sure they would work her in.

 

[Furballsmom]

Let us know what happens.. ..

 

[CatladyJan]

Since we lost our sweet Echo in May we have known we wanted to add 2 kittens to our home to join our remaining cat. We went to a local rescue on Saturday and fell in love with 2 girls; a 1yo tortie (Leia) and a 15w old gray and white kitten (Luna). They were sharing a cage and were both sweet and playful. They came to the rescue from a high kill shelter in July with 35 other cats. We said we wanted to adopt them but asked that they keep them until this Friday because Luna needed to be seen again by the vet for her eyes, which brings me to my concern. She apparently has uveitis in both eyes. There is a picture of her before the uveitis and her eyes just looked a little goopy, which I know is common in shelter cats. But now they are red and cloudy and she was on drops and they just changed it to another type of drop (don’t know what they are since she is not ours yet.) We thought she was supposed to see the vet again today but apparently there was some miscommunication and the particular vet she needs to see is out until September 7. My struggle is that I looked up info on uveitis and it was pretty concerning. FeLV and FIV comes up, which she was negative for. But FIP can also be a cause, which worries me. She doesn’t have any other symptoms of anything being wrong, it just appears to be her eyes at this point. We are still able to pull out of the adoption but we hate to do that since we all felt connected to her, especially my 8yo daughter. However, the thought of bringing her into our home and then it turns into something really bad scares me.

So I guess my question is does anyone have any experience with uveitis in a kitten/young cat and can give me some reassurance that it will likely be ok? Or is it likely that there is something more wrong with her? We are ok with vision impairment but not a potential deadly disease.

I wish I could give you assurance, I'm dealing with supposedly anterior uveitis in one of my fosters. She has been on antibiotics for over a month, eye drops and ointment. We just had a second check up and the vet said she looked like she was possibly healed, but to continue the eye ointment and finish the antibiotics (Orbax). That was Thursday, tonight she is hiding under my bathtub and is crying out in fear or pain and/or fear. She wouldn't let me come near her so I cannot see what is going on.

 

[Furballsmom]

tonight she is hiding under my bathtub and is crying out in fear or pain and/or fear. She wouldn't let me come near her so I cannot see what is going on.

Oh no! Not to hijack the thread, but have you gotten her out yet?

 

[CatladyJan]

Oh no! Not to hijack the thread, but have you gotten her out yet?

No, she isn't continually crying, she came out to the area right outside and when I got on the floor to reach out to her she freaked out and screamed and hissed at me. I think her eyes are in pain or she went blind. She's not coming out for food either. Thanks for asking.

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh, poor baby, poor you!

 

[Dos Gatos]

Poor baby! I hope she starts feeling better soon. The weird thing with Luna is that it doesn’t seem to bother her at all. She acts normal and her eyes don’t seems painful. In the past few days her right eye is looking much better but her left still looks bad. She sees the vet on Wednesday so we will see what she says. The first picture is of her on Monday and the second is from Friday

.

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh my goodness look at you!!

 

[CatladyJan]

Poor baby! I hope she starts feeling better soon. The weird thing with Luna is that it doesn’t seem to bother her at all. She acts normal and her eyes don’t seems painful. In the past few days her right eye is looking much better but her left still looks bad. She sees the vet on Wednesday so we will see what she says. The first picture is of her on Monday and the second is from FridayView attachment 430968View attachment 430969.

Much improvement

 

[CatladyJan]

How is she doing now?

 

[Dos Gatos]

She is doing well. I took her to our normal vet on Monday and he stained her eyes. He said both corneas are healed and it will just take time for the cloudiness to go away but it might just stay like that. The main thing is that it is not causing her pain. We brought both girls home a week ago and they are loving being in a house instead of a cage. We are hoping we can get then integrated with our existing cat soon but it is very slow going.

 

[CatladyJan]

Did you have them retested for FeLV/FIV? Toxoplasmosis? FIP?
I ask because now I can say I have experience. My cat with uveitis looked to be improving and just had saw the vet who said she looked good and…wham she had glaucoma and is now blind and on retest came back positive for FeLV

 

[Dos Gatos]

We did not have her retested for anything. Our regular vet said he wasn’t even sure it was uveitis, especially because according to the rescue, her eyes never seemed painful.