Possible Ch Kitten ~ Plus Anal Gland Issues In The Other Cat

[Midnight_Echo]

My lil Echo...eh, not so little these days. Assuming the SPCA has her correct age, she’s a little over 7 months old. She’s always seemed a little off ~ still has issues with her third eye lid (hasn’t gotten better or worse). Like my vet, also thinking she’ll be blind in the one eye.

Since getting older, Echo seems to be a bit....clumsier? Very active and loves to play....insisting on being in the same room as I am, lining up her toys in front of me til I get the hint (wants to play fetch). At night, I have her in the upstairs bedroom (cause I’m also a caregiver for my 96 year old grandmom - last thing I need is Echo causing a fall in the middle of the night. Midnight, the older cat, knows better, usually sleeping at the bottom of grandmom’s bed ~ not moving til morning.). When I let her out in the morning, she immediately goes down stairs....but hopping like a bunny.

Anyways, grandmom fell earlier in the year and had home health coming to the house. We also had them last year (same nurses as well as therapy). Everyone fell in love with Echo....but also saying that there is ‘something about her’. Well, today was the last day of occupational therapy. While saying our good byes, she mentioned to call if we need anything...but then said it may be worth getting Echo checked out. She seems ‘off’ from a neurological standpoint.

Thinking about it....the therapist does have a point. The way Echo moves in general seems off ~ hopping up steps (like a bunny), sometimes jumping high enough to skip a step or two; flops over randomly; lack of coordination/misjudging jumps; and head bobbing. Not much coordination either, running into things/everything. Plus she’s trying to be the alpha cat (poor midnight, getting held down by echo for daily cleanings). Got a feeling that her peripheral vision is effected but also wondering if she’s got mild CH. I know she’s still a baby but figured I’d ask the vet when I’m there in March (Midnight’s anal glands stopped working, has to have them manually drained or risk another obstruction). Even if they say she’s got CH...doesn’t change anything. It was love at first sight at the SPCA. Just keep thinking about what the occupational therapist had said....wasn’t really thinking CH but maybe there’s something to it.

Unrelated note... is it worth learning to drain my cat’s anal glands (and save money) or just let the vet do it and not have to worry about it?

 

[abyeb]

I think with cerebellar hypoplasia, symptoms are usually visible earlier on than 5 months, and don’t worsen over time. I did manage to find a thread about a kitten with similar symptoms to Echo’s: Wobbly Cat (maybe Cerebral Hypoplasia?) Videos Included!
Since she seems to have a rabbit-like gait, would you say that this lack of coordination applies only to her bottom half? That was the case in the thread I linked you to. There, Kieka had some great advice, that symptoms like this can be caused by a spinal injury. Did your vet ever take X-rays?

Regarding the anal gland issues, I’d recommend asking your vet to show you how to express them, so that you can do it yourself in the future.

 

[Midnight_Echo]

The SPCA didn’t really have a history on her (just listed as ‘stray’). Been thinking of her gait off and on lately. Vet wasn’t keen on an official diagnosis at first ~ after all, was only three months when I got her (and any odd behavior can be associated with being a kitten). I still remember when Midnight was a baby (different SPCA) - was told she was 3 months but my vet was all ‘ha....try more like 7 going on 8 months’. But even at that, Midnight didn’t act that strange at Echo’s age.

Echo’s lack of coordination seems to be both top and bottom. Her gait isn’t as bad as the videos. Vet did tell me to be prepared for the possibility of her losing the eye in the future. That eye ~ ick...it’s got a black film over it (but I can start to see the real eye behind it). Her litter mates all sported a similar look (third eye lid/funky looking haze over one eye/hernias) ~ but hers was the worst looking of them all. Wish there was a magic cure to get rid of the ‘eye haze’. Echo did have a full exam on more than one occasion ~ minus the eye issues, didn’t seem to have anything wrong (but kinda figured she was blind to an extent; was prepared for clumsiness). No signs of pain or any distress. Just wondering she has mild CH but it wasn’t noticed cause she’s partially blind in one eye. Was told that I could get an eye consult but at the moment I’m broke (...few weeks ago, on my birthday ~ Midnight came down with a severe upper respiratory infection; lungs filled with fluid; and her heart failure at the most severe stage. Luckily the doc was able to pull her back from the point of no return. $600 for the office visit; xrays; blood tests; antibiotics; heart prescriptions; etc). I’m saving up for the cardiology visit ~ time to pay the piper/face reality...the heart failure will likely need frequent medical management for life
Eventually, I’ll get Echo in to the ophthalmology service to be seen (...between Shadow and Midnight, I’ve pretty much seen every specialist - ER, oncology, internal medicine, cardiology, dermatology...only ones I haven’t seen are the dentist and eye folk).