I want to thank so many of you for asking about Gussie, giving suggestions, and encouragement. We pet lovers know that next to seeing our children suffer, nothing is harder than watching a pet suffer. I don't think she's in pain, but she's frightened, disoriented, and I think, is realizing that the nightime has lasted too long, and would someone turn on the lights, please? She is spending most of her time under the bed, or in her little, round basket. At night, she does get up on the bed, and I go in and spoon with her...talking to her softly and petting her...she purrs like mad.
I took her to the vet, and she told me that due to hypertension, Gussie's retinas have detached, blinding her...the term is "blown retinas". Her blood pressure was way up, and I have meds to give her - very difficult to get them down her, even with the little, expensive "pill pockets"...I end up having to poke them down her throat, and now, she doesn't trust me. She comes out from under the bed (just now), but when I walk in the room and try to talk to her or approach her, she runs back under...I've lost her trust..sigh.
On the initial visit, they did labs for thyroid and kidney disease...trying to find out what is driving the hypertension. Turns out the thyroid is fine, and inconlusive on the kidney, so we go back tomorrow for more tests...How I am going to get her in her carrier is a dilema...Gussie may be blind, but she's a survivor, and she's very smart...
I sleep like a mother with a sick child, with one ear cocked at all times. At three am, she was on the foot of the bed, and she hissed...I think our Raisen startled her. So, have been up since then.
For those who are not cat/pet lovers, I know this sounds like just "high drama", but she's been my darling for fourteen years, and I just want her to be as comfortable as she can be. I won't consider the "final solution" unless she is in pain, or suffering....My vet says cats adjust to blindness very well...much better than I would, I know....
And so it goes....
