Having young (indoor) cats makes you think you can rest easy for a few years and not have to worry about too many illnesses and trips to the vet (except for regular check-ups). WRONG!
About three weeks ago, on a Friday night at about 11:pm, I was looking into Abbe's beautiful green-gold eyes and to my horror I noticed that the outer edge of the irises appeared to be ringed in dark ruddy red color. My first thought was that she had developed high blood pressure and was having some sort of retinal bleeding going on. Being so late, I decided not to take any chances and packed her up and took her over to the E.R. in Catonsville (next door to where I work).
The doctor on duty and technician were having a difficult time getting her blood pressure reading but it appeared to be about 260 (normal would be more like 140). (Taking a b.p. on a cat involves shaving a small part of the bottom of the hind foot just behind the large pad and putting a little blood pressure cuff around the foot. The technician then listens on a small monitor to get a reading). Well, Abbe must have been so worked up that the reading was out of wack, but top be safe a dose of b.p. medicine was given to her and she had to spend the night. Her retinas looked fine, which was a relief to me.
On Saturday the E.R vet on duty gave me a call and had spoken to the vet ophthalmologist who started Abbe on an antinflammatory eye drop and they let Abbe come home later that day. Her b.p. was normal. A visit to the eye doc on Monday revealed that Abbe had keratitis, which had caused small blood vessels to grow around her corneas and that is what had produced the red appearance. A new immunosuppressant eye drop was started twice a day as well as an oral medicine that has anti-inflammatory properties.
After three weeks on the drops and the medicine, Abbe's eyes are now back to looking normal and beautiful! She will be finished the drops in a few days and the medicine in a week. Without treatment, she would have lost some of her vision and/or could have developed painful ulcers on her eyes. Hopefully this was a one-time thing-the eye doc thinks it was an immune-mediated flare up-something must have gotten her immune system riled up with negative effects on her.
The moral of the story is that no matter how healthy your pets are, always be aware of their appearance, behavior and attitude. When you see a change or something that isn't quite right, err on the side of caution and see your vet without delay!
Abbe and Salty are enjoying the summer evenings watching and listening to the katydids that gather outside on our patio window after dark. They can't understand how to get at them through the window glass! (But they keep trying anyway, pawing on the glass like hampsters in exercise wheels).
Suzanne Sachs
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