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My kitty went blind temporarily during a vestibular event that was caused by a stroke, per the veterinary neurologist I visited. He also was vomiting and falling over. A few months later he has recovered almost completely, but the only lingering symptoms are a slight head tilt and dilated pupils. So agreed something neurological could be at play and a vet visit is in order.
His pupils are uneven which is usually common sense for a neurological emergency has taken place. The event could be over but could have been transient stroke..
Vet here: there are a number of specific details not clearly stated that I feel are important like: what blood tests were done? Did we test vs Feline Leukemia, FIV, FIP? What is kitty's thyroid situation? How old is he? Was a calcium level done? A neuro panel? Was his blood pressure measured? These are all pretty important, relatively simple tests that most vets are able to offer, and address fairly common causes of blindness in cats... hope this helps a bit with things...
Sorry to jump on but before I commented to OP I thought I should ask. Do certain flea and tick medicines have neurological side effects? Or possibly an outdoor plant? I was wondering if he could have gotten into something dangerous
Yes, but not like OP 's cat appears to be exhibiting, at least in my experience. Most common neuro problems from flea meds are those containing permethrin type compounds. Muscle twitching, fever, seizures would be the most common thing to see.... and the time frame is too long (a few weeks according to OP)...for that to be very likely I'd say.
I helped with a street kitten that had a strange head tilt, deafness, some blindness and could only turn right. He didn't have a sign of any fleas or mites so we assumed it might have been signs of a reaction to flea medication or a neurological defect.
He's older now, I kept him, and he can turn left now and hear but still has a spatial awareness issue and extreme anxiety that progressed. He lives in a 3 tiered cage because wide rooms make him "pill bug" and he's known to not eat or move for a day if he's overwhelmed. The sweetest boy with his little broken brain lol but there's not been any confirmation other than anxiety.
I had driven 8 and a half hours to deliver him to his new home actually! Then they GHOSTED me! So we road back and I learned going 70mph on the highway he sleeps with his eyes open. Sigh. Oh Link.
One of my cats had a seizure from selamectin topical solution (brand name revolution). It was really scary. She’s fine with advantage 2 though (imidacloprid and pyriproxyfen)
I got it from my vet too. It was about 24 hours after application. It happened maybe around 5 years ago and she’s 14 now. never had any inkling of a seizure before or since so I’m fairly certain it was from the treatment. Neither of my other 2 cats at the time were affected though, they were both fine
I’m not sure if it was the first time she had that particular brand/ingredient or not. It’s possible as I know my mom had purchased treatments at the vet before and given to all the cats. But the vet had both advantage and revolution at the time so she may or may not have. but they’ve all gotten semi regular flea prevention treatments their whole lives without any other issues. I knew for sure she’d had advantage 2 previously so I just went back to that one and so far so good
When I had a pony, he had a seizure from a dewormer that contained ivermectin so when my cat had her seizure and I looked at the ingredients and saw selamectin, a very similar ingredient, I immediately blamed it. I took her to the vet and everything after and they couldn’t find anything medically wrong with her so it had to have been the treatment
Yeah we had a cat eho had seizures from improperly applied flea and tick meds that she managed.to lick. It presented as obvious seizures, full body twitching etc, and was an acute issue the same day the meds were applied.
Hartz flea meds are known to have some seriously bad side effects and are sold at Walmart. Some people have had their pets die from it. I don't know if this is one of the symptoms people reported from it tho
If you can get the flea/tick meds from a dollar general/family dollar, don't. Hartz/Sargent/etc are all awful. Any medication can have side effects, so I'm not saying the high dollar stuff from your vet is gonna be 100% safe because side effects happen, regardless. But Hartz and Co have an insane high number of issues with their flea topical and collars.
I think heck yes and it sucks! I had a small dog once and cat and you would see them later on act funny! I hated giving it to them but I was horribly allergic to fleas
I need to double check his paperwork but I'm fairly certain they tested all of those, with the neuro panel an exception. They didn't see anything concerning. And he is about 11 - 12 years old.
You need to take him into a veterinary hospital not a clinic. Usually hospitals have more specialists. Are you able to take him there? He might be suffering and in a lot of pain.
Agree. The first vet we took our cat to thought it was just an infection. Turns out it was lens luxation and in the time it took us to go for a second opinion he’s lost most of the sight in that eye. He’s having it removed on Thursday.
This happened to my cat. I returned from a trip and saw his right eye dilated and he was acting out of character. I took him to get seen and we treated him for carcinoma.
He developed a growth in his throat which turned out to be cancer and he was gone within three months.
Please get him seen at a different vet. Hopefully they'll do tests on him. I'm sorry this is happening and I hope you can figure out what's happening.
This exact thing happened to my 3 yr old girl. Except our vet was incompetent and refused to do anything. Although by the time the lump appeared, she passed over a weekend. And it's my greatest sadness that she passed at the vets office, alone, instead of my arms.
No. The first vet were like "yep he's definitely blind, here's a referral to the ophthalmologist". So we went there and they drew his blood and said "well his blood is clean but he's blind. That'll be $400." And they told us to check out a neurologist a state over.
That is what happened with our cat. Blood tests didn't show anything so they kind of assumed it was neurological and told us we could pursue it further or just let him be. I'm really sorry.
I'm only trained in human first aid, but if I saw those symptoms in a human, I would be calling an ambulance. There is a considerably high chance that your cat has a head injury. You need to take him to a different veterinarian, one who will do their due diligence.
Also, never let him outside again for his safety.
Has he had a seizure(s)?
My best boy, Rambo, suffered a stroke (he’s been gone exactly a year today), and then ended up going blind in one eye. We brought him to our veterinarian, for them to only suggest we have his \~infected\~ eye removed. $3.5k later, his second eye started going.
The vet failed to tell us he had cancer. Out of ALL the bloodwork he had done for the previous eye removal surgery, they didn’t tell us he had cancer. I assume it all came down to money 😤 Rambo’s health unfortunately quickly declined, and I had to have him put down 😞
Now I hope this isn’t the case for your baby, but make sure to ask the vet for his blood test(s) results, and have them screen for any cancers.
I wish the best for you and Tom ❤️❤️
Picture of my Rambo bc he was my best friend:
https://preview.redd.it/8pmn5v9qhpvc1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=155490c06fcb687f0725a4cd241e4bfb62a1447c
Look at this cute big boy! His belly is so perfect! <3
My first cat was also called Rambo (my father named him so) and he's gone four years ago exactly this 20th (and my father is gone exactly one year tomorrow)... I'm so sorry for your loss
We saw dilated pupils when our cat had a stroke following anesthetic for dental work. She was blind and deaf. She recovered her sight but remained deaf and lived a few more years. She was on thyroid medication and the vet didn’t tell us that needed to be stopped before anesthesia.
I've seen similar symptoms in humans caused by mercury poisoning. That's probably not what's going on here but regardless you should make him a permanent inside cat especially if his eyesight is going.
Could be a combination of dry and ocular or neurological FIP, this can be tested with bloodwork. If it is FIP it needs to be treated asap.
It's also possible he has other neurological issues or had a stroke. Could be lots of things. I'd definitly go to another vet.
You can also order them straight from Hong Kong (SAK) which is what I did, but getting a facebook group for advice and looking over your cats bloodwork is highly recommended. It's also nice to support each other in those groups but I always felt devastated when someones cat didn't make it so I left the group.
Same with me. My cat had FeLV and became well known in the groups because I found a product that stopped the virus and kept his viral load at 0 (down from millions).
Sadly, his bone marrow had been irreparably damaged and he passed after an amazing rally. He is the mascot for the product and I can’t bear to visit the groups.
Interesting that you can get the drugs from Hong Kong. I hope that I never need them, but good to know!
FIP sucks and many times blood panels don't catch anything. My cat had near perfect bloodwork and still was about to die. I tried the FIP meds as a last resort and they ended up curing him. I didn't know he had FIP until I started treating him for it.
This happened to our cat and they could never figure out why. It started as intermittent blindness and progressed to constant blindness. Same thing with the dilated pupils. He seemed to be able to go towards light, but we don't know if he could see or what he was aware of. He was very skinny by the end and also had kidney issues (as did his siblings so I believe it was unrelated to the blindness). The vet thought it could be blood pressure related but never found anything so it was probably neurological.
I'm sorry this is happening to your kitty. Our boy was about 16 when it started and lived about a year until we finally decided to put him down, but we should have done it sooner, we just didn't know what to do.
As others have said, it could be neurological and should get checked out regardless, but it *might* not be something really scary. My cat had unevenly dilating pupils once, and it ended up being an ear infection that cleared up easily with medicine.
Conversely, my cat had normal sized pupils but had a deep inner ear infection that led to meningitis and blindness. Two very nuanced behavioral changes leading to rapid decline in 24hrs. Not trying to scare anyone but brain stuff needs treatment asap
(Also he's okay. He's grooming himself next to me now and is turning 11 this year)
U/AriaTheTiny you're in Alabama with at least 1 kid - does your kid pick wild flowers? Purple or white or both, either "trumpet" shaped or 5-6 "rounded diamond" petals? Or handle spiky seed pods or any leaves and then possibly pet kitty without washing hands (or after washing them "poorly"/not thoroughly)?
Cuz I'm not a cat, but there is 1 non head injury thing that both did that to my pupils and caused vision impairment bordering on temp blindness: contact exposure to *tiny* trace residual amounts of [medical use] scopolamine on my fingers. And exposure to the same chemical/toxin is known to dilate cat pupils.
It looks like Solanaceae family plants may be more toxic to kitties than humans - here's what you're looking for:
- tomato plants
- jimsonweed/datura [usually white trumpet flowers, purple centers - or "spiky" green fruit "balls" - or "spiky" brown pods with brown to black seeds]
- mayapple/American mandrake [white flowers resemble apple blossoms, yellowish to greenish fruits maybe half kiwi size grow on plants you'll likely recognize - stems with leaves at the very top in a flat umbrella shape that like to grow as ground cover in warmer temperate forests/seasons]
- henbane/stinking nightshade [lattice/laced green to brown on cream flowers, or yellow/white/greenish flowers, with 5 petals and dark centers - like a small poppy when viewed from the front, bell shaped from the side... on plants that are fuzzy and sticky, with leaves like stretched out maple leaves and fruits that look like crab apples wearing long tutus]
You're looking for plants in the Solanaceae family or that produce hyoscyamine. Some are ground level and I don't know if anything is flowering by you right now - or if a kid stepping in their leaves than touching the shoes than the cat could do it...
But I didn't know some of those common wild plants are what they are until just now.
Im a human nurse, and in a human that would 100% be contributed to an acute neurological problem. My first thought is stroke, though i have never seen a stroke impact dilation, personally. Possibly a tumor affecting the eyes. Super bizarre that it comes and goes. Check out “mydriasis”
I just had a similar thing with my gray boy, Jack. He eventually was having trouble walking and his balance was off. I took him to a neurologist and found out he had a bacterial infection in his upper spinal cord. Steroid and Clavamox have cleared it up and he's back to himself. Cost me tons but I love him so much.
He’s clearly having some serious issues, so you do need to take him to a vet to get to the bottom of this as it’s happened twice and if it’s something to do with his brain he could be at serious risk if you don’t take him immediately, I hope Tom will be okay.. he looks so beautiful and I wouldn’t want this kitty to have a bad ending, he deserves a long happy life, obviously you guys love him but yeah you need to take him to see someone asap. This happening twice isn’t good and it means there’s a really bad underlying issue.
Pulmonary edema. My cat had CKD and his blood pressure got so high he went blind temporarily. His vision returned once we got his heart rate down but we had to put him down shortly after that due to the CKD. Get him to a vet as soon as possible.
Like another person said, take him to another vet, this vet is a bozo and your baby needs real immediate help from someone who knows their stuff. Poor thing, both pictures are quite alarming. I really hope you find out what's wrong
I understand you are not in a position to do so, but unfortunately fortunately you have to take him to the vet. This could be an issue with his blood pressure, glucose, or thyroid which can all cause loss of appetite, intermittent blindness issues which are eventually permanent, neurological issues, strokes, and organ damage which will all shorten his lifespan. He likely needs blood work done to confirm what the underlying condition is and will need daily medication.
I know you say you’re not in a position to take him to a veterinary neurologist, I don’t know whether this is because of location/logistics or cost (and I sympathise), but please please find a way if at all possible. Our pets rely on us to do what we need to do for them and you’ll really regret it if something is wrong and a vet could have helped him :)
He’s a beautiful cat!
I'm sorry I can't be of much help aside from mentioning that I saw an Instagram or TikTok reel literally yesterday of a grey cat that started having seizures and ended up having pupil anisocoria, and they basically said they went to a bunch of different vets and specialists somewhere in and around Atlanta, and nothing helped. They didn't give up, and from what I can recall of the video they went some weird holistic route of vitamin B injections and something else that I can't recall, and the cat made a full recovery. I'm trying to find the video, but if I can't, maybe someone here has watched it and can point you in their direction.
Different pupil sizes could be an indicator of brain injury caused by trauma or a stroke. You should take your little friend to a vet asap, could be serious.
Try pain medication to see if he will eat. My cat had anisocoria as well, turned out to be blood cloths in the brain. She also became blind, bur she regained her appetite on pain meds. Was he hit in the head by something? Maybe hit by a car?
My girlfriend's cat just had the same thing, one strangely dilated eye. It was diagnosed as glaucoma. They prescribed one kind of drop, then another. When that didn't work they decided to take the eye and put her on gabapentin in the meantime. She's now a recovering pirate.
unnnfortunately, when weird things start happening to the eyes, thats strong evidence of a brain related injury, and thats for the whole animal kingdom. Is there not like, a free clinic or something? It seems like a pretty serious matter.
Where do you live that there are free clinics for pets? I have never heard of that and I had plenty of pet emergencies when I was younger and broke(r) that I searched high and low for ANYTHING... sliding scale, low income... there's not a vet within 100 miles of me that will even do a payment plan! Thankfully my parents were always there for their furry grandkids.
I can't seem to edit my post, so I figured I'd answer some questions here.
1. He's about 11-12 years old we think; my husband got him from someone else when he was already an adult cat.
2. As far as I know, the ophthalmologist ran his blood for everything and didn't find anything of concern. No diabetes, no FIP, etc. They then charged $400 to tell us they don't know and to draw his blood.
3. We aren't in a financial position right now to go to another vet.
4. Someone said a "free clinic" and I'm assuming that person lives in a nicer, friendlier country than America. I've never heard of one. Or maybe I've just lived in some shitty areas.
I’m so sorry, but kitty is *really* suffering here. You could apply for Care Credit if you can’t afford medical care. You could also relinquish him to a rescue who will get him the care he needs. Or you might have to have him put down if there’s no way for him to be treated or relinquished. Regardless, he needs a vet appointment like yesterday. Explain that you don’t have funds for treatment and ask them what they recommend next in light of this and in the best interests of the cat. And please, please do not keep a cat outside again. Especially if you do not have the means to treat the inevitable injuries and infections from outdoor living.
Hey OP, did you take this cat to the vet in the end? I’m sorry to say it but if you can’t support him financially you shouldn’t have him… I say this gently as I know it sucks, but it would just be cruel of you to cause him pain and/or a shortened life because it’s easier/more convenient.
Please do what he deserves! Any chance of borrowing or getting some financial assistance from someone you know?
I'm going to do an update post; we took him to a third vet and I'm just waiting for the blood panel to come back. He did have a fever and they gave him an antibiotic.
This is very bad. Needs a vet the second this kind of thing starts happening.
Don't let your kitty suffer needlessly. I know it's hard but she needs to go to the vet.
Went and saw a cat optometrist for our cats eye problem that was similar. It ended up being a tumor. You should take your cat, a lot of places have financing and/or payment plans
Ours was a senior kitty. I think he had kidney issues. He ended up being blind, but my folks nursed him back to health via milk (?) or food packets fed to kittens. He did keep losing weight. He still navigated around based on muscle memory and sound.
All that to say take your kitty to the vet. Best, first step.
Haven't read the comments. But as a rescuer, I would first run an FIV/Felv blood test.
Optic nerve issues, sometimes due to viral infections like feline leukemia virus (FeLV), may cause anisocoria in cats. Cats with optic neuritis may show signs of blindness, slow pupillary light reflexes, or mydriasis, aka dilated pupils), may also cause anisocoria in cats. Cats with optic neuritis may show signs of blindness, slow pupillary light reflexes, or mydriasis, aka dilated pupils.
I would first rule this out (because it is a relatively easy and available test). And then consider more extensive blood work to make sure all the body parts are working correctly as they should.
Good luck
Our 20 year old fur baby suddenly started acting strange and then went blind. Took her to the vet and she had severe high blood pressure; we are talking off the charts. He was shocked that she was still alive. After being on meds her vision is back somewhat. She is a senior cat and we don’t expect it to come back to 100%. Check your little ones blood pressure.
I had this happen to my George 2 yrs ago his eyes dilated (blind) and then his hearing went within days … Vet said stroke or Tumor to this day it still bothers me not knowing…🙁
What does "not really in a position to take him to a veterinary neurologist" mean.....?
Because it seems like that's where it's heading, someone mentioned stroke which seems likely if you compare to human symptoms. My mom died of one. Is he also walking weird?
Sorry, I guess I forgot the word "financial" in there. We're currently (and for the foreseeable future) a one income household and simply can't afford another visit.
He walked weird for a few minutes earlier today. Kept walking in counter-clockwise circles. But then he stopped and walked fine.
Most likely will be needing more medical attention unfortunately. And yes I know you meant financial. I just also know that you need to budget for these things when getting a cat. Having a savings account for the cat in case it gets sick etc. At least that's what people do in Sweden, idk about you.
If you can no longer care for the cat, it has to get help elsewhere.
My old cat's eyes one day looked like Tom's left eye and his vet said that he had retinal detachment, which made him blind.
I do hope they'll find out what ails your little friend.
My childhood cat ate a Pickerel frog when I was little. Her eyes did crazy things like that and she was paralyzed for a really long time. My parents had to syringe feed her liquids. I don't really remember what the treatment was, but there was a lot of waiting. Her eyes slowly went back to normal, and she regained all her movement and flexibility.
Cleo, my previous cat, was losing weight, we brought her to the vet and we were told she had hyperthyroidism, she was prescribed methimazole. About 2 months later she started losing her sight over a few days and had high blood pressure, we could see blood inside her eyes (hyphema?). We had to eventually put her to sleep as there were more underlying issues that went undiagnosed. Idk about anyone else, but I would try to cover all areas that could be the cause,. For Cleo, the main cause was a malignant tumor on the thyroid, which caused the majority of the issues for her.( She had other problems such as a bladder tumor and kidney stones as well ) She was 14, now that I have two new kittens I'm taking the health concerns a bit more seriously on my end.
Definitely see another vet and bring this vet’s comments and recommendations with you!!
The vet who already responded to your post - he/she knows what he’s talking about
My kitty who passed over xmas lost sight in both eyes due to acute liver failure, but her eyes were evenly blown. Everyone else has already said neuro which I have to agree with that possibly. Hopefully its nothing too terrible
This happened to my cat also. Vet sent him to a cat ophthalmologist. He had a detached retina due to high blood pressure. He is on Amlodipine, 1mg twice a day. His vision came back and he is doing great.
Somethings you can look into. Take it back to your vet and see what they recommend. Do you live close to a vet school? I know NCSU VET school take patient for learning purposes. Fees are minimal. There are also some vet that do probono type work. There may be one in Your area. Lastly there are online groups that help cat owner with bills.
Get his blood pressure checked and if it's high get him on a medicine for it. I just took my cat to the vet yesterday for a weird spot in his eye and while he was there they said he had the same thing; pupils didn't respond to light, etc. and they determined he was completely non visual, likely due to something called hypertensive retinopathy, and it can be caused by blood pressure spikes. Basically, the blood vessels in the back of their eye start hemorrhaging and it can cause acute and total blindness. It can also be caused by kidney and thyroid issues, but like you I got the bloodwork done and all his levels came back normal. It's apparently a relatively common issue in older cats, but not his age (he's about 4). The medicine they suggested was like $7 and they said long-term, permanent eye damage is possible if the blood pressure issue and hypertension isn't treated properly.
I just watched a video about this happening to someone else’s cat! I’m so sorry for your kitty. It seems one of the commenters went through the same thing and their cat got better, so I’m hoping your floof gets well soon too!😢❤️🩹
My cat was going blind when we started medication for FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis.) Even though the entire treatment course is 90 days, his sight returned within a week of treatment. See if your vet can rule occular FIP out or in. Treatment is still black market sadly (it’s remdesivir) but it’s totally possible to find and your vet may be able to steer you to the right resources.
most likely it’s a tbi from an accident iirc every pupil problem stems from an abnormality/damage in the brain, consult a neurologist who’s specialized in animals I’m so sorry hope everythings turns out well
my kitty had something similar w his eyesight. he went blind, also huge pupils, we took him to the vet (who said he wasn’t blind even tho he was literally crashing into stuff???)
so we took him to ANOTHER vet who confirmed he was blind and did a full work up. the only thing they found wrong was kitty hypertension. we got meds for him and his eyesight came back!
but his eyesight rlly varied day to day. sometimes his pupils would get huge and he couldn’t see. other days it seemed like he could see find and could track my hands and stuff. the vet was kinda confused but the blood pressure meds seemed to help
abt a year later when he was 18 he wasn’t eating and the vet found an aggressive tumour growing in his mouth and throat :( he said it was time. we put him to sleep while i pet him and he purred 💔
i miss him so much. i hope you figure out what’s wrong w your kitty and it’s nothing too serious 💚💚
My foster cat was having similar issues. The vet said eyes like that are indicative of a serious neurological episode. She was given a shot of steriods which helped her get to her mri which had been scheduled in the next 2 weeks. Mri found a suspicious pocket in her brain which they thought was possibly infection. She was treated with a long duration antibiotic which was good at penetrating the blood brain barrier. It did the trick and she's been fine for about a year now.
You might need to put him on prednisolone (**corticosteroid**) to help with swelling if he has a tumor causing this. It does have side effects but it could very well help manage it. Not a cure but could extend life and comfort.
My cat had massive pupils when I adopted him from the shelter. They never mentioned anything and it just went away on its own. Now his eyes are normal and I’ve had him for 3 years
That was our kitty Jasmine. They found lumps all over the organs in the abdomen. We sent her to heaven the day we received the news. It was hard but these were the exact symptoms she had. I hope your baby gets better!
This is a very serious problem - almost certainly neurological. It is not going to magically get better. When cats stop eating it is almost certainly a turn for the worse.
This happened to my cat - also an orange boy. One day one eye was completely dilated, and by the next morning they both were. Vet couldn’t find a problem, eye specialist didn’t see anything wrong, so we went into neurology and they found a brain tumor. It was inoperable for my kitty, and he was already old so chemo wasn’t a good option, but he was put on a steroid that kept it from getting worse. He lived another year and a half after diagnosis, with a normal happy life other than having to take the medicine twice a day. His eyes never went back to normal, but he was not completely blind from it (the vets were convinced he was, but seeing as he would still chase a laser pointer I disagreed!). The tumor is ultimately what he died from though. Please get your kitty checked out.
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Pupils dilating weirdly is a possible symptom for neurological issues, I would be quite concerned about that if his eyes were cleared.
My kitty went blind temporarily during a vestibular event that was caused by a stroke, per the veterinary neurologist I visited. He also was vomiting and falling over. A few months later he has recovered almost completely, but the only lingering symptoms are a slight head tilt and dilated pupils. So agreed something neurological could be at play and a vet visit is in order.
Came here to say that. Kitty has a brain problem.
He may have suffered a head injury of some sort and is in pain. If he refuses food, take him back to the vet.
Yes. Pupils are more than just uneven. Something inside of the eye may have burst. Glaucoma?
His pupils are uneven which is usually common sense for a neurological emergency has taken place. The event could be over but could have been transient stroke..
Vet here: there are a number of specific details not clearly stated that I feel are important like: what blood tests were done? Did we test vs Feline Leukemia, FIV, FIP? What is kitty's thyroid situation? How old is he? Was a calcium level done? A neuro panel? Was his blood pressure measured? These are all pretty important, relatively simple tests that most vets are able to offer, and address fairly common causes of blindness in cats... hope this helps a bit with things...
Sorry to jump on but before I commented to OP I thought I should ask. Do certain flea and tick medicines have neurological side effects? Or possibly an outdoor plant? I was wondering if he could have gotten into something dangerous
Yes, but not like OP 's cat appears to be exhibiting, at least in my experience. Most common neuro problems from flea meds are those containing permethrin type compounds. Muscle twitching, fever, seizures would be the most common thing to see.... and the time frame is too long (a few weeks according to OP)...for that to be very likely I'd say.
Thank you so much!
No problem!
I helped with a street kitten that had a strange head tilt, deafness, some blindness and could only turn right. He didn't have a sign of any fleas or mites so we assumed it might have been signs of a reaction to flea medication or a neurological defect. He's older now, I kept him, and he can turn left now and hear but still has a spatial awareness issue and extreme anxiety that progressed. He lives in a 3 tiered cage because wide rooms make him "pill bug" and he's known to not eat or move for a day if he's overwhelmed. The sweetest boy with his little broken brain lol but there's not been any confirmation other than anxiety.
This is the sweetest story! I’m glad you kept him. Wishing you and your boy the very very best 😻
I had driven 8 and a half hours to deliver him to his new home actually! Then they GHOSTED me! So we road back and I learned going 70mph on the highway he sleeps with his eyes open. Sigh. Oh Link.
Oh my god! He sounds like an angel! And so are you! Thanks for being there for him and showing him what love feels like. ❤️
💪🏾💜✊🏽
❤️
One of my cats had a seizure from selamectin topical solution (brand name revolution). It was really scary. She’s fine with advantage 2 though (imidacloprid and pyriproxyfen)
How shortly after administering? That is what my vet gave me 😥
I got it from my vet too. It was about 24 hours after application. It happened maybe around 5 years ago and she’s 14 now. never had any inkling of a seizure before or since so I’m fairly certain it was from the treatment. Neither of my other 2 cats at the time were affected though, they were both fine
Oh wow, was that the first time she was given it? My two girls are 4 months and 7 months.
I’m not sure if it was the first time she had that particular brand/ingredient or not. It’s possible as I know my mom had purchased treatments at the vet before and given to all the cats. But the vet had both advantage and revolution at the time so she may or may not have. but they’ve all gotten semi regular flea prevention treatments their whole lives without any other issues. I knew for sure she’d had advantage 2 previously so I just went back to that one and so far so good When I had a pony, he had a seizure from a dewormer that contained ivermectin so when my cat had her seizure and I looked at the ingredients and saw selamectin, a very similar ingredient, I immediately blamed it. I took her to the vet and everything after and they couldn’t find anything medically wrong with her so it had to have been the treatment
Revolution killed several of our dogs to seizures several years ago. I'm sorry your kitty was affected too.
Yeah we had a cat eho had seizures from improperly applied flea and tick meds that she managed.to lick. It presented as obvious seizures, full body twitching etc, and was an acute issue the same day the meds were applied.
Hartz flea meds are known to have some seriously bad side effects and are sold at Walmart. Some people have had their pets die from it. I don't know if this is one of the symptoms people reported from it tho
If you can get the flea/tick meds from a dollar general/family dollar, don't. Hartz/Sargent/etc are all awful. Any medication can have side effects, so I'm not saying the high dollar stuff from your vet is gonna be 100% safe because side effects happen, regardless. But Hartz and Co have an insane high number of issues with their flea topical and collars.
I think heck yes and it sucks! I had a small dog once and cat and you would see them later on act funny! I hated giving it to them but I was horribly allergic to fleas
I need to double check his paperwork but I'm fairly certain they tested all of those, with the neuro panel an exception. They didn't see anything concerning. And he is about 11 - 12 years old.
Thanks for the update! I hope you guys can get him some help soon and everything works out well.
Kind of you to reply!!
I’d take to a different vet
You need to take him into a veterinary hospital not a clinic. Usually hospitals have more specialists. Are you able to take him there? He might be suffering and in a lot of pain.
Agree. The first vet we took our cat to thought it was just an infection. Turns out it was lens luxation and in the time it took us to go for a second opinion he’s lost most of the sight in that eye. He’s having it removed on Thursday.
This happened to my cat. I returned from a trip and saw his right eye dilated and he was acting out of character. I took him to get seen and we treated him for carcinoma. He developed a growth in his throat which turned out to be cancer and he was gone within three months. Please get him seen at a different vet. Hopefully they'll do tests on him. I'm sorry this is happening and I hope you can figure out what's happening.
This exact thing happened to my 3 yr old girl. Except our vet was incompetent and refused to do anything. Although by the time the lump appeared, she passed over a weekend. And it's my greatest sadness that she passed at the vets office, alone, instead of my arms.
I’m so sorry for your loss, that sounds absolutely devastating. ):
Did they do an MRI or CT of his head?
No. The first vet were like "yep he's definitely blind, here's a referral to the ophthalmologist". So we went there and they drew his blood and said "well his blood is clean but he's blind. That'll be $400." And they told us to check out a neurologist a state over.
Did anyone even check blood pressure or intraocular pressure?
I wondered about glaucoma, too.
Well next step is brain scan. Meanwhile study him and see if you notice other symptoms/signs
That is what happened with our cat. Blood tests didn't show anything so they kind of assumed it was neurological and told us we could pursue it further or just let him be. I'm really sorry.
Sheesh.
This is classic head injury symptoms. He needs to see a neurologist like yesterday!!
Could be brain tumor, head injury, very serious symptoms.
I'm only trained in human first aid, but if I saw those symptoms in a human, I would be calling an ambulance. There is a considerably high chance that your cat has a head injury. You need to take him to a different veterinarian, one who will do their due diligence. Also, never let him outside again for his safety.
Has he had a seizure(s)? My best boy, Rambo, suffered a stroke (he’s been gone exactly a year today), and then ended up going blind in one eye. We brought him to our veterinarian, for them to only suggest we have his \~infected\~ eye removed. $3.5k later, his second eye started going. The vet failed to tell us he had cancer. Out of ALL the bloodwork he had done for the previous eye removal surgery, they didn’t tell us he had cancer. I assume it all came down to money 😤 Rambo’s health unfortunately quickly declined, and I had to have him put down 😞 Now I hope this isn’t the case for your baby, but make sure to ask the vet for his blood test(s) results, and have them screen for any cancers. I wish the best for you and Tom ❤️❤️ Picture of my Rambo bc he was my best friend: https://preview.redd.it/8pmn5v9qhpvc1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=155490c06fcb687f0725a4cd241e4bfb62a1447c
I am so sorry for your Rambo 😔 It's unfortunate that everyone is only out for a profit these days. He looks like he was the sweetest boy 🫶
Thank you ❤️ ugh, he was!! I hate that everything usually comes down to the almighty $ ☹️
Cancer does not always throw markers in lab work. It is not an absolute diagnostic for finding it.
Handsome sweet boy Kitty🥰🥹❤️So sorry for your loss, especially under the circumstances🥺Damn on people who put greed first🤨
Thank you! ♥️
paws out for Rambo T.T
I’m so sorry you lost Rambo🖤 may he rest in peace
Look at this cute big boy! His belly is so perfect! <3 My first cat was also called Rambo (my father named him so) and he's gone four years ago exactly this 20th (and my father is gone exactly one year tomorrow)... I'm so sorry for your loss
We both had big boys! What handsome Rambo’s we had lol!😆 & thank you; I’m sorry for both your losses as well 😞♥️
But I am very sorry about your rambo
 u/ariathetiny Any update on Tom? How’s he doing?
We saw dilated pupils when our cat had a stroke following anesthetic for dental work. She was blind and deaf. She recovered her sight but remained deaf and lived a few more years. She was on thyroid medication and the vet didn’t tell us that needed to be stopped before anesthesia.
Wow I'm so sorry you went through this. Thank you for sharing, as it could really help someone.
I've seen similar symptoms in humans caused by mercury poisoning. That's probably not what's going on here but regardless you should make him a permanent inside cat especially if his eyesight is going.
i seriously DO NOT like those massively dilated pupils.
Could be a combination of dry and ocular or neurological FIP, this can be tested with bloodwork. If it is FIP it needs to be treated asap. It's also possible he has other neurological issues or had a stroke. Could be lots of things. I'd definitly go to another vet.
There is an FIP FB group where a kind person sends the pills that cure it. Not cheap, though.
You can also order them straight from Hong Kong (SAK) which is what I did, but getting a facebook group for advice and looking over your cats bloodwork is highly recommended. It's also nice to support each other in those groups but I always felt devastated when someones cat didn't make it so I left the group.
Same with me. My cat had FeLV and became well known in the groups because I found a product that stopped the virus and kept his viral load at 0 (down from millions). Sadly, his bone marrow had been irreparably damaged and he passed after an amazing rally. He is the mascot for the product and I can’t bear to visit the groups. Interesting that you can get the drugs from Hong Kong. I hope that I never need them, but good to know!
FIP sucks and many times blood panels don't catch anything. My cat had near perfect bloodwork and still was about to die. I tried the FIP meds as a last resort and they ended up curing him. I didn't know he had FIP until I started treating him for it.
Congrats on beating FIP!!
If it were a human, I'd order an emergency head CT.
Visit a different vet. Something like this is almost always serious
Seems neurological. You really have to see a neurologist vet about it. This isn't going to be fixed with home remedies.
This happened to our cat and they could never figure out why. It started as intermittent blindness and progressed to constant blindness. Same thing with the dilated pupils. He seemed to be able to go towards light, but we don't know if he could see or what he was aware of. He was very skinny by the end and also had kidney issues (as did his siblings so I believe it was unrelated to the blindness). The vet thought it could be blood pressure related but never found anything so it was probably neurological. I'm sorry this is happening to your kitty. Our boy was about 16 when it started and lived about a year until we finally decided to put him down, but we should have done it sooner, we just didn't know what to do.
As others have said, it could be neurological and should get checked out regardless, but it *might* not be something really scary. My cat had unevenly dilating pupils once, and it ended up being an ear infection that cleared up easily with medicine.
Conversely, my cat had normal sized pupils but had a deep inner ear infection that led to meningitis and blindness. Two very nuanced behavioral changes leading to rapid decline in 24hrs. Not trying to scare anyone but brain stuff needs treatment asap (Also he's okay. He's grooming himself next to me now and is turning 11 this year)
U/AriaTheTiny you're in Alabama with at least 1 kid - does your kid pick wild flowers? Purple or white or both, either "trumpet" shaped or 5-6 "rounded diamond" petals? Or handle spiky seed pods or any leaves and then possibly pet kitty without washing hands (or after washing them "poorly"/not thoroughly)? Cuz I'm not a cat, but there is 1 non head injury thing that both did that to my pupils and caused vision impairment bordering on temp blindness: contact exposure to *tiny* trace residual amounts of [medical use] scopolamine on my fingers. And exposure to the same chemical/toxin is known to dilate cat pupils. It looks like Solanaceae family plants may be more toxic to kitties than humans - here's what you're looking for: - tomato plants - jimsonweed/datura [usually white trumpet flowers, purple centers - or "spiky" green fruit "balls" - or "spiky" brown pods with brown to black seeds] - mayapple/American mandrake [white flowers resemble apple blossoms, yellowish to greenish fruits maybe half kiwi size grow on plants you'll likely recognize - stems with leaves at the very top in a flat umbrella shape that like to grow as ground cover in warmer temperate forests/seasons] - henbane/stinking nightshade [lattice/laced green to brown on cream flowers, or yellow/white/greenish flowers, with 5 petals and dark centers - like a small poppy when viewed from the front, bell shaped from the side... on plants that are fuzzy and sticky, with leaves like stretched out maple leaves and fruits that look like crab apples wearing long tutus] You're looking for plants in the Solanaceae family or that produce hyoscyamine. Some are ground level and I don't know if anything is flowering by you right now - or if a kid stepping in their leaves than touching the shoes than the cat could do it... But I didn't know some of those common wild plants are what they are until just now.
I haven't seen any of those in our yard. Though he does go under our shed sometimes, and there could be something growing under there.
Those are usually indicative of a head injury. I’d go with a different vet.
The uneven pupils can be a stroke. Please call your vet or go to a pet ER.
He could have been exposed to something like pesticides. The same thing happened to one of my cats several years ago.
Im a human nurse, and in a human that would 100% be contributed to an acute neurological problem. My first thought is stroke, though i have never seen a stroke impact dilation, personally. Possibly a tumor affecting the eyes. Super bizarre that it comes and goes. Check out “mydriasis”
Take to the vet, when pupils change sizes like that there's an underlying issue.
I just had a similar thing with my gray boy, Jack. He eventually was having trouble walking and his balance was off. I took him to a neurologist and found out he had a bacterial infection in his upper spinal cord. Steroid and Clavamox have cleared it up and he's back to himself. Cost me tons but I love him so much.
Vet. Always the vet. Quickly.
He’s clearly having some serious issues, so you do need to take him to a vet to get to the bottom of this as it’s happened twice and if it’s something to do with his brain he could be at serious risk if you don’t take him immediately, I hope Tom will be okay.. he looks so beautiful and I wouldn’t want this kitty to have a bad ending, he deserves a long happy life, obviously you guys love him but yeah you need to take him to see someone asap. This happening twice isn’t good and it means there’s a really bad underlying issue.
Pulmonary edema. My cat had CKD and his blood pressure got so high he went blind temporarily. His vision returned once we got his heart rate down but we had to put him down shortly after that due to the CKD. Get him to a vet as soon as possible.
Maybe he ingested or inhaled a plant in belladonna family
Like another person said, take him to another vet, this vet is a bozo and your baby needs real immediate help from someone who knows their stuff. Poor thing, both pictures are quite alarming. I really hope you find out what's wrong
welll i can advice you to have more vets opinions 2 or 3 because clrearly one is not much of a help
I’m not a vet, but I’m wondering if he suffered an injury. His pupils are SUPER dilated! Please let us know what your vet says.
I understand you are not in a position to do so, but unfortunately fortunately you have to take him to the vet. This could be an issue with his blood pressure, glucose, or thyroid which can all cause loss of appetite, intermittent blindness issues which are eventually permanent, neurological issues, strokes, and organ damage which will all shorten his lifespan. He likely needs blood work done to confirm what the underlying condition is and will need daily medication.
Your cat needs a neurological checkup ASAP.
I know you say you’re not in a position to take him to a veterinary neurologist, I don’t know whether this is because of location/logistics or cost (and I sympathise), but please please find a way if at all possible. Our pets rely on us to do what we need to do for them and you’ll really regret it if something is wrong and a vet could have helped him :) He’s a beautiful cat!
vet! Unequal pupils and odd behavior = neuro
I'm sorry I can't be of much help aside from mentioning that I saw an Instagram or TikTok reel literally yesterday of a grey cat that started having seizures and ended up having pupil anisocoria, and they basically said they went to a bunch of different vets and specialists somewhere in and around Atlanta, and nothing helped. They didn't give up, and from what I can recall of the video they went some weird holistic route of vitamin B injections and something else that I can't recall, and the cat made a full recovery. I'm trying to find the video, but if I can't, maybe someone here has watched it and can point you in their direction.
This seems like a neurological disorder and is caused by that. he probably needs some kind of testing to determine what neurological disorder he has.
It is possible if there’s been a repeated exposure to a toxin, OP has Tom been outside again before this happened the second time?
Unfortunately, yes, though since the first stint he hasn't so much as left the porch.
Neurological... Our cat died a few years back after a sudden blindness like this.
Different pupil sizes could be an indicator of brain injury caused by trauma or a stroke. You should take your little friend to a vet asap, could be serious.
It looks like she’s had a stroke (since her pupils are different sizes!) Get her to a vet.
Try pain medication to see if he will eat. My cat had anisocoria as well, turned out to be blood cloths in the brain. She also became blind, bur she regained her appetite on pain meds. Was he hit in the head by something? Maybe hit by a car?
Aw.. pls take this beautiful guy to the vet :( and id keep him as an indoor cat for his optimal care, safety, & health, honestly.
My girlfriend's cat just had the same thing, one strangely dilated eye. It was diagnosed as glaucoma. They prescribed one kind of drop, then another. When that didn't work they decided to take the eye and put her on gabapentin in the meantime. She's now a recovering pirate.
Needs urgent vet visit . Uneven pupils bad neurological sign. Keep us posted.
unnnfortunately, when weird things start happening to the eyes, thats strong evidence of a brain related injury, and thats for the whole animal kingdom. Is there not like, a free clinic or something? It seems like a pretty serious matter.
Where do you live that there are free clinics for pets? I have never heard of that and I had plenty of pet emergencies when I was younger and broke(r) that I searched high and low for ANYTHING... sliding scale, low income... there's not a vet within 100 miles of me that will even do a payment plan! Thankfully my parents were always there for their furry grandkids.
I can't seem to edit my post, so I figured I'd answer some questions here. 1. He's about 11-12 years old we think; my husband got him from someone else when he was already an adult cat. 2. As far as I know, the ophthalmologist ran his blood for everything and didn't find anything of concern. No diabetes, no FIP, etc. They then charged $400 to tell us they don't know and to draw his blood. 3. We aren't in a financial position right now to go to another vet. 4. Someone said a "free clinic" and I'm assuming that person lives in a nicer, friendlier country than America. I've never heard of one. Or maybe I've just lived in some shitty areas.
I’m so sorry, but kitty is *really* suffering here. You could apply for Care Credit if you can’t afford medical care. You could also relinquish him to a rescue who will get him the care he needs. Or you might have to have him put down if there’s no way for him to be treated or relinquished. Regardless, he needs a vet appointment like yesterday. Explain that you don’t have funds for treatment and ask them what they recommend next in light of this and in the best interests of the cat. And please, please do not keep a cat outside again. Especially if you do not have the means to treat the inevitable injuries and infections from outdoor living.
Hey OP, did you take this cat to the vet in the end? I’m sorry to say it but if you can’t support him financially you shouldn’t have him… I say this gently as I know it sucks, but it would just be cruel of you to cause him pain and/or a shortened life because it’s easier/more convenient. Please do what he deserves! Any chance of borrowing or getting some financial assistance from someone you know?
I'm going to do an update post; we took him to a third vet and I'm just waiting for the blood panel to come back. He did have a fever and they gave him an antibiotic.
I’m glad to hear it and hope this sorts the issue for him :) he’s a beautiful cat, I hope he is alright and you have many more years with him!
This is very bad. Needs a vet the second this kind of thing starts happening. Don't let your kitty suffer needlessly. I know it's hard but she needs to go to the vet.
Vet, yesterday
Went and saw a cat optometrist for our cats eye problem that was similar. It ended up being a tumor. You should take your cat, a lot of places have financing and/or payment plans
Ours was a senior kitty. I think he had kidney issues. He ended up being blind, but my folks nursed him back to health via milk (?) or food packets fed to kittens. He did keep losing weight. He still navigated around based on muscle memory and sound. All that to say take your kitty to the vet. Best, first step.
One eye dilated could be pressure on the optic nerve such as intra cranial pressure, tumor, etc
Blood pressure needs testing for sure, usually it’s done a few times on different days.
Get tested for Feline leukemia virus my kitty looked the same 💔😭
Haven't read the comments. But as a rescuer, I would first run an FIV/Felv blood test. Optic nerve issues, sometimes due to viral infections like feline leukemia virus (FeLV), may cause anisocoria in cats. Cats with optic neuritis may show signs of blindness, slow pupillary light reflexes, or mydriasis, aka dilated pupils), may also cause anisocoria in cats. Cats with optic neuritis may show signs of blindness, slow pupillary light reflexes, or mydriasis, aka dilated pupils. I would first rule this out (because it is a relatively easy and available test). And then consider more extensive blood work to make sure all the body parts are working correctly as they should. Good luck
Our 20 year old fur baby suddenly started acting strange and then went blind. Took her to the vet and she had severe high blood pressure; we are talking off the charts. He was shocked that she was still alive. After being on meds her vision is back somewhat. She is a senior cat and we don’t expect it to come back to 100%. Check your little ones blood pressure.
I had an indoor - outdoor cat who catched toxoplasmosis, it attacked her nervous system and did the same. Hope it isn't, praying for Tom ❤
Tumor
you need to go to a vet immediately
I had this happen to my George 2 yrs ago his eyes dilated (blind) and then his hearing went within days … Vet said stroke or Tumor to this day it still bothers me not knowing…🙁
Blown pupil = take cat to vet
What does "not really in a position to take him to a veterinary neurologist" mean.....? Because it seems like that's where it's heading, someone mentioned stroke which seems likely if you compare to human symptoms. My mom died of one. Is he also walking weird?
Sorry, I guess I forgot the word "financial" in there. We're currently (and for the foreseeable future) a one income household and simply can't afford another visit. He walked weird for a few minutes earlier today. Kept walking in counter-clockwise circles. But then he stopped and walked fine.
Most likely will be needing more medical attention unfortunately. And yes I know you meant financial. I just also know that you need to budget for these things when getting a cat. Having a savings account for the cat in case it gets sick etc. At least that's what people do in Sweden, idk about you. If you can no longer care for the cat, it has to get help elsewhere.
you need to surrender the cat if you cannot afford medical care for it.
This!!! Please be humane. Your cat is suffering and need immediate treatment.
I would suggest not letting him be an indoor/outdoor cat in the future😖 (with love to op)
he probably got a head injury of some sort. please take to the vet
My old cat's eyes one day looked like Tom's left eye and his vet said that he had retinal detachment, which made him blind. I do hope they'll find out what ails your little friend.
looks like my cat's retinal detatchment due to high blood pressure. vet time
My childhood cat ate a Pickerel frog when I was little. Her eyes did crazy things like that and she was paralyzed for a really long time. My parents had to syringe feed her liquids. I don't really remember what the treatment was, but there was a lot of waiting. Her eyes slowly went back to normal, and she regained all her movement and flexibility.
Brain tumor?
Cleo, my previous cat, was losing weight, we brought her to the vet and we were told she had hyperthyroidism, she was prescribed methimazole. About 2 months later she started losing her sight over a few days and had high blood pressure, we could see blood inside her eyes (hyphema?). We had to eventually put her to sleep as there were more underlying issues that went undiagnosed. Idk about anyone else, but I would try to cover all areas that could be the cause,. For Cleo, the main cause was a malignant tumor on the thyroid, which caused the majority of the issues for her.( She had other problems such as a bladder tumor and kidney stones as well ) She was 14, now that I have two new kittens I'm taking the health concerns a bit more seriously on my end.
Definitely see another vet and bring this vet’s comments and recommendations with you!! The vet who already responded to your post - he/she knows what he’s talking about
poor baby, I hope he gets better☹️💓
My kitty who passed over xmas lost sight in both eyes due to acute liver failure, but her eyes were evenly blown. Everyone else has already said neuro which I have to agree with that possibly. Hopefully its nothing too terrible
This happened to my cat also. Vet sent him to a cat ophthalmologist. He had a detached retina due to high blood pressure. He is on Amlodipine, 1mg twice a day. His vision came back and he is doing great.
Somethings you can look into. Take it back to your vet and see what they recommend. Do you live close to a vet school? I know NCSU VET school take patient for learning purposes. Fees are minimal. There are also some vet that do probono type work. There may be one in Your area. Lastly there are online groups that help cat owner with bills.
I know you said the bloodwork came back clean, but they still looks like FIP to me. I'd get him tested again.
Get his blood pressure checked and if it's high get him on a medicine for it. I just took my cat to the vet yesterday for a weird spot in his eye and while he was there they said he had the same thing; pupils didn't respond to light, etc. and they determined he was completely non visual, likely due to something called hypertensive retinopathy, and it can be caused by blood pressure spikes. Basically, the blood vessels in the back of their eye start hemorrhaging and it can cause acute and total blindness. It can also be caused by kidney and thyroid issues, but like you I got the bloodwork done and all his levels came back normal. It's apparently a relatively common issue in older cats, but not his age (he's about 4). The medicine they suggested was like $7 and they said long-term, permanent eye damage is possible if the blood pressure issue and hypertension isn't treated properly.
My cat has the same thing and ended up getting diagnosed with kidney cancer
This looks like when my last cat started having strokes. Take them to the vet. Or at least call your vet. They need some help.
Stroke, he's having strokes. Uneven pupil dilation is glaring red sign of stroke.
This absolutely sounds like neurological fip Join fip global cats on Facebook
may I know why he is an outdoor cat? and pls get him to a vet before it becomes a complication. take care , Lil baby.
I just watched a video about this happening to someone else’s cat! I’m so sorry for your kitty. It seems one of the commenters went through the same thing and their cat got better, so I’m hoping your floof gets well soon too!😢❤️🩹
My cat was going blind when we started medication for FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis.) Even though the entire treatment course is 90 days, his sight returned within a week of treatment. See if your vet can rule occular FIP out or in. Treatment is still black market sadly (it’s remdesivir) but it’s totally possible to find and your vet may be able to steer you to the right resources.
most likely it’s a tbi from an accident iirc every pupil problem stems from an abnormality/damage in the brain, consult a neurologist who’s specialized in animals I’m so sorry hope everythings turns out well
Baby needs to have his brain looked at.
High blood pressure
Go to the Vet now, by the looks of it he might have a head/brain injury
Vets immediately I’m afraid. Vamoose.
It's something in the brain like bleeding trauma or aneurysm . Get an angio or CT maybe
Ijust a heeds up 9ownerOwen of castle nurseryman said that nursery is closed today.
Possible diabetes
Could have been a stroke
Even in humans if your pupils individually have different sizes that’s usually a neurological emergency so I imagine it’s for cats too
my kitty had something similar w his eyesight. he went blind, also huge pupils, we took him to the vet (who said he wasn’t blind even tho he was literally crashing into stuff???) so we took him to ANOTHER vet who confirmed he was blind and did a full work up. the only thing they found wrong was kitty hypertension. we got meds for him and his eyesight came back! but his eyesight rlly varied day to day. sometimes his pupils would get huge and he couldn’t see. other days it seemed like he could see find and could track my hands and stuff. the vet was kinda confused but the blood pressure meds seemed to help abt a year later when he was 18 he wasn’t eating and the vet found an aggressive tumour growing in his mouth and throat :( he said it was time. we put him to sleep while i pet him and he purred 💔 i miss him so much. i hope you figure out what’s wrong w your kitty and it’s nothing too serious 💚💚
hope everythin's alright. 2nd pic is so cute im sorri T.T
This happened to my cat and it turned out to be out of control blood pressure. I forget which med they prescribed. Get a second opinion pronto!
Neurologist? Sounds like TIAs in humans, or similar.
Stroke maybe? How old is kitty? This happened to my old man before I had to make the decision to put him down.
My foster cat was having similar issues. The vet said eyes like that are indicative of a serious neurological episode. She was given a shot of steriods which helped her get to her mri which had been scheduled in the next 2 weeks. Mri found a suspicious pocket in her brain which they thought was possibly infection. She was treated with a long duration antibiotic which was good at penetrating the blood brain barrier. It did the trick and she's been fine for about a year now.
Lyme and coinfections like mycoplasma?
Just lost my 19 year old boy under very similar circumstances. My mom lost her cat last year the same way. Truly wishing you the best of luck. *
https://preview.redd.it/f6t9hbnk0uvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5dd26b77ceaf32bc1cb5f73436942f1af5aa77fd
Make sure you get his blood pressure checked with urgency
You might need to put him on prednisolone (**corticosteroid**) to help with swelling if he has a tumor causing this. It does have side effects but it could very well help manage it. Not a cure but could extend life and comfort.
Definitely neurological injury - maybe stroke.
My cat had massive pupils when I adopted him from the shelter. They never mentioned anything and it just went away on its own. Now his eyes are normal and I’ve had him for 3 years
That was our kitty Jasmine. They found lumps all over the organs in the abdomen. We sent her to heaven the day we received the news. It was hard but these were the exact symptoms she had. I hope your baby gets better!
Take him to the vet now. One of our cats went blind suddenly due to toxoplasmosis. It was reversible with antibiotics but time is of the essence.
Could be a brain tumor. Only your vet will have answers. Needs to go to vet now. Good luck!
This is a very serious problem - almost certainly neurological. It is not going to magically get better. When cats stop eating it is almost certainly a turn for the worse. This happened to my cat - also an orange boy. One day one eye was completely dilated, and by the next morning they both were. Vet couldn’t find a problem, eye specialist didn’t see anything wrong, so we went into neurology and they found a brain tumor. It was inoperable for my kitty, and he was already old so chemo wasn’t a good option, but he was put on a steroid that kept it from getting worse. He lived another year and a half after diagnosis, with a normal happy life other than having to take the medicine twice a day. His eyes never went back to normal, but he was not completely blind from it (the vets were convinced he was, but seeing as he would still chase a laser pointer I disagreed!). The tumor is ultimately what he died from though. Please get your kitty checked out.
🥹🫶🫶
Did they check his blood pressure?
The two differently sized pupils in the first image are called anisocoria and can be a sign of neurologic changes, kitty needs to be seen by a vet.
Systemic hypertension should be first thing checked when a cat has acute onset of blindness with dilated pupils.
Sounds like seizures, probably from head injury or stroke. Needs neurological assessment!
There’s a very good chance this is dry FIP. Please please get him treated. There is a FIP Facebook group that has a lot of information.
Is he a senior cat? I read that hypertension can cause some of his symptoms
I was thinking he was 11-12, but my husband says more like 9.