ereks mom Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 (edited) My dear Kitty -- 17yo now -- seems to have suddenly gone almost completely blind. What could cause this? Is it reversable? We've noticed over the past year or so that he doesn't seem to see quite as well as when he was younger, but he IS 17yo! This past week, though, we started noticing that he's tripping over things and he can't seem to see things unless they are really close to him. Just a few minutes ago, I offered him a treat (which he LOVES), and he could smell it, but obviously couldn't see it: I held the treat in my hand, right in front of him, then moved it slowly up & down and side to side, just to see if he would follow it. He followed it *some*, but I think that was because he could *smell* it, not because he could *see* it. I stopped moving my hand about 18 inches from his face, and he made no effort to get the treat, which was in plain view, IF he was able to see it at all. He's ALWAYS eager for treats, so I know it's not that he just wasn't interested. Just last week, his vision seemed normal. He's had no injuries, his appetite is normal, he still purrs almost constantly, and his eyes aren't cloudy. Can anyone tell me what is going on with him??? Edited September 1, 2009 by ereks mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Does he have cataracts? (No pun intended...) He might have just been managing, while gradually going blind, and just hit the wall, so to speak-- Our kitty lived to 22--she was very capable until the last few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 We had a cat with kidney problems who also had vision problems. I think there is a correlation there -- the kidney problems cause build up of pressure in the eye, causing the retina to detach. Okay, I just googled cat kidney problem blindness and foudn this: Five common causes of blindness in cats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 retinal detachment from high blood pressure, there are other reasons as well but I would recommend getting him in for a veterinary exam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trixie Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 I have an 18yo kitty with CRF (chronic renal failure), which is fairly common in older cats. One of the related conditions is vision loss due to CRF-induced hypertension. Definitely something to get checked by your vet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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