difficult decisions

Hi all,

Well Sesame went back on Tuesday for a checkup and things seemed to be going
OK with her eye if not perfectly. The last month has been discussions with
the vet about hoping things heal naturally but with another option of
surgery if things just dont happen. Her kidneys pose the risk of putting her
under anaesthetic.

Anyway last night her eye ruptured.. she went almost a month with the "plug"
(blood clot and fluid) holding the wound together and stopping the leaking.
So off to the specialist again. We talked in a lot more depth about what our
options are and for the first time got a quote on the surgery to fix this.
$1900 AU. ouch. Unfortunately this just isn't an option. We talked about
doing a third eyelid flap to cover up the wound and add pressure to
encourage it to heal but this adds risk of putting pressure on the cornea I
think he said. And still.. anaesthetic is risky cause of her age. She is
just a few months off 20.

So we've brought her home to think about things. She's not entirely happy..
hasn't eaten all day. She's snoozing in front of the heater at the moment.

I can't bear the though of losing her. I love this animal more than I can
express.

Sending purrs and prayers out to everyone in need, sorry I can't respond
individually at the moment but I am thinking of everyone.

Kathryn and Sesame

Kathryn wrote:
I can't bear the though of losing her. I love this animal more than I can
express.

Would it be possible to remove the affected eye instead? We know a
certain one-eyed lady cat who does just fine like that.

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

I can't bear the though of losing her. I love this animal more than I
can express.

Would it be possible to remove the affected eye instead? We know a
certain one-eyed lady cat who does just fine like that.

That was my thought as well. We've even known completely blind kitties
who managed to get around quite nicely and have rich, full, happy, loved
and loving lives. All I've heard suggests that kitties who lose one eye
need just a little time to adjust to the loss of depth perception, but
make the adjustment WAY faster than humans do.

Dan

"Dan M" wrote in message
...
I can't bear the though of losing her. I love this animal more than I
can express.

Would it be possible to remove the affected eye instead? We know a
certain one-eyed lady cat who does just fine like that.

That was my thought as well. We've even known completely blind kitties who
managed to get around quite nicely and have rich, full, happy, loved and
loving lives. All I've heard suggests that kitties who lose one eye need
just a little time to adjust to the loss of depth perception, but make the
adjustment WAY faster than humans do.

My sister's cat, Old Tom, had to have this operation and recovered from it
just fine. He's still able to Leap Tall Trees In A Single Bound, and pursue
his lifelong ambition to catch one of those pesky Wattle Birds (actually,
it's a game he and the birds play, both seem to get a lot of satisfaction
out of it

From my recent experiences with Princess, I'd say the biggest risk is
probably the anaesthetic. However, if the cat is hydrated properly
beforehand, then it shouldn't be too much of a risk (especially if the
alternative is losing the cat to other complications from this problem).

Kath, you should get a second opinion on this, imo. An eye removal operation
is a lot less risky than trying to fix the eye. And cheaper.

TK

Victor Martinez wrote:
Kathryn wrote:
I can't bear the though of losing her. I love this animal more than
I can express.

Would it be possible to remove the affected eye instead? We know a
certain one-eyed lady cat who does just fine like that.

Yep, we know a totally blind kitty who gets around very well. I'd certainly
explore the possibility.

Jill

"Kathryn" wrote in message


Hi all,

Anyway last night her eye ruptured.. she went almost a month with the "plug"
(blood clot and fluid) holding the wound together and stopping the leaking.
So off to the specialist again. We talked in a lot more depth about what our
options are and for the first time got a quote on the surgery to fix this.
$1900 AU. ouch. Unfortunately this just isn't an option.///

You're stuck between a rock and a hard place. TBH, if it was me in this
situation, I would elect for the eye to be removed. A certain HRFL Tiger
does very well with one eye.

You know the following...

1) She's probably in a great deal of pain.

2) It *IS* likely that an anaesthetic will be needed as the vet will
need to stich the third eye-lid.

3) Recovery is not guaranteed if this course of action (i.e. try to save
the eye) is done, and you still have the fear that it won't recover
fully.

4) If the eye is removed, it will be over and done with and you can
concentrate on her recovery.

What ever you decide, we're here with Purrs and prayers that it works
out OK.

Helen M


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

In article
lgate.org, "Helen
Miles" wrote:

"Kathryn" wrote in message


Hi all,

Anyway last night her eye ruptured.. she went almost a month with the
"plug"
(blood clot and fluid) holding the wound together and stopping the
leaking.
So off to the specialist again. We talked in a lot more depth about
what our
options are and for the first time got a quote on the surgery to fix
this.
$1900 AU. ouch. Unfortunately this just isn't an option.///

You're stuck between a rock and a hard place. TBH, if it was me in this
situation, I would elect for the eye to be removed. A certain HRFL Tiger
does very well with one eye.

You know the following...

1) She's probably in a great deal of pain.

2) It *IS* likely that an anaesthetic will be needed as the vet will
need to stich the third eye-lid.

3) Recovery is not guaranteed if this course of action (i.e. try to save
the eye) is done, and you still have the fear that it won't recover
fully.

4) If the eye is removed, it will be over and done with and you can
concentrate on her recovery.

What ever you decide, we're here with Purrs and prayers that it works
out OK.


Purrs and healing thoughts.

Let me make an observation from human medicine. There is a condition
called sympathetic opthalmia, where one eye goes blind, and, through
some complex and not completely understood mechanism, the good eye will
go blind. The only way to prevent loss of vision in the good eye is
enucleating (removing) the blind eye.

I would ask the specialist the very specific question: does sympathetic
opthalmia occur in cats? If the answer is yes, I don't think there is a
rational alternative to enucleation/removal.

Rowdy, half of my Deadly Duo, has a blind left eye (but it's still in his
head). Sylvie, RB 2/05 from old age, was
*completely* blind from both retinas detached....for a few years before
RB....she was fine, knew *exactly* where food, water bowls and litterbox
were in both old and new dwellings. Sylvie used to wait till I sat down in
bathroom to come over for a love session and I would pick her large tuxedo
self up and get loud purrs as I kissed her and petted her. If possible to
remove offending eye safely, go for it as opposed to the alternative....vets
have safe anesthesia for old cats now;
I think it's more expensive. Best wishes and purrs.


"Helen Miles" wrote in message
news:5b40f768ccdade22f360354391c9fef8.76411@mygate .mailgate.org...
"Kathryn" wrote in message


Hi all,

Anyway last night her eye ruptured.. she went almost a month with the
"plug"
(blood clot and fluid) holding the wound together and stopping the
leaking.
So off to the specialist again. We talked in a lot more depth about what
our
options are and for the first time got a quote on the surgery to fix
this.
$1900 AU. ouch. Unfortunately this just isn't an option.///

You're stuck between a rock and a hard place. TBH, if it was me in this
situation, I would elect for the eye to be removed. A certain HRFL Tiger
does very well with one eye.

You know the following...

1) She's probably in a great deal of pain.

2) It *IS* likely that an anaesthetic will be needed as the vet will
need to stich the third eye-lid.

3) Recovery is not guaranteed if this course of action (i.e. try to save
the eye) is done, and you still have the fear that it won't recover
fully.

4) If the eye is removed, it will be over and done with and you can
concentrate on her recovery.

What ever you decide, we're here with Purrs and prayers that it works
out OK.

Helen M


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

"Kathryn" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

Well Sesame went back on Tuesday for a checkup and things seemed to be
going
OK with her eye if not perfectly. The last month has been discussions with
the vet about hoping things heal naturally but with another option of
surgery if things just dont happen. Her kidneys pose the risk of putting
her
under anaesthetic.

Anyway last night her eye ruptured.. she went almost a month with the
"plug"
(blood clot and fluid) holding the wound together and stopping the
leaking.
So off to the specialist again. We talked in a lot more depth about what
our
options are and for the first time got a quote on the surgery to fix this.
$1900 AU. ouch. Unfortunately this just isn't an option. We talked about
doing a third eyelid flap to cover up the wound and add pressure to
encourage it to heal but this adds risk of putting pressure on the cornea
I
think he said. And still.. anaesthetic is risky cause of her age. She is
just a few months off 20.

So we've brought her home to think about things. She's not entirely
happy..
hasn't eaten all day. She's snoozing in front of the heater at the moment.

I can't bear the though of losing her. I love this animal more than I can
express.

Sending purrs and prayers out to everyone in need, sorry I can't respond
individually at the moment but I am thinking of everyone.

Kathryn and Sesame

Kathryn, when Bandit had her geriatric blood work and urinalysis they found
that her creatinin and BUN levels were slightly elevated. She needed a
dental cleaning so, even though she is 15, we went ahead with it. Well, I
think everyone here knows about the resultant burns. She ended up having
two more surgeries - that's 3 surgeries in as many weeks! Funny thing is,
with all the IV fluids and hydrations during the surgeries and recoveries,
she ended up with better creatinin and BUN levels afterwards than before!

As others here suggested, I'd find out about removing the eye - if that is
less costly, I think she could stand up to that as well as whatever it would
take to stitch up a third eyelid.

Please let us know how it goes. Plenty of purrs coming for her recovery!

Hugs,

CatNipped

in article ,
Kathryn at wrote on 4/30/05 6:47AM:

Hi all,

Well Sesame went back on Tuesday for a checkup and things seemed to be going
OK with her eye if not perfectly. The last month has been discussions with
the vet about hoping things heal naturally but with another option of
surgery if things just dont happen. Her kidneys pose the risk of putting her
under anaesthetic.

Anyway last night her eye ruptured.. she went almost a month with the "plug"
(blood clot and fluid) holding the wound together and stopping the leaking.
So off to the specialist again. We talked in a lot more depth about what our
options are and for the first time got a quote on the surgery to fix this.
$1900 AU. ouch. Unfortunately this just isn't an option. We talked about
doing a third eyelid flap to cover up the wound and add pressure to
encourage it to heal but this adds risk of putting pressure on the cornea I
think he said. And still.. anaesthetic is risky cause of her age. She is
just a few months off 20.

So we've brought her home to think about things. She's not entirely happy..
hasn't eaten all day. She's snoozing in front of the heater at the moment.

I can't bear the though of losing her. I love this animal more than I can
express.

Sending purrs and prayers out to everyone in need, sorry I can't respond
individually at the moment but I am thinking of everyone.

Kathryn and Sesame



Oh my what a difficult situation. Her age is such a concern Purrs for
you to be able to know what to do. I think this is very hard from many
perspectives. My thoughts are with you.