Sick pusscat - what to do?

[Dozytoes]

I'm not sure this is the right forum for this particular topic, but I'd like some feedback from the wise ones on this group if possible, to help me choose a course of action.

We emigrated to Australia in 2005 with our three fur-kids, two cats and a dog. Sadly, they all had to suffer vaccinations to come with us, but they were family and we weren't leaving them behind. Our two cats were eleven, and the dog eighteen months old.

We lost one of our two pusscats last year to a very aggressive cancer that almost wiped her out in a matter of days. The vet told us she was suffocating from the lungs up, and would die a painful and distressing death in a matter of a couple of days. We chose to euthanase her, although that decision has never felt comfortable to me. It all happened very quickly and I didn't really have a chance to get used to it.

Now our other puss is unwell. We moved house at the beginning of December last year and she was unsettled for a while. She had a bit of cystitis then lost her miaow. She would sit and open her mouth, but not squeak came out. She was like that for a coule of weeks, during which time we took her to the vet. She checked her over and offered us antibiotics which we declined. She did become vocal again, but she then started sounding very "snuffly" and made a huge amount of noise when cleaning, almost as though she was having trouble stimulating the saliva to do it. She started sneezing frequently although she had no nasal discharge, and to all intents and purposes sounded as though she had a "cold".

We took her to the vet again, but this time a holistic one who practices homeopathy and acupuncture. She prescribed a remedy to address her symptoms and also to try and negate the effects of the vaccines she had before travelling here. She also gave a supplement to boost her immune system. Her diagnosis was of a chronic rhinitis, but she did say that she couldn't be certain that it wasn't due to a tumour. She had the remedy, with a degree of success, and she's been pretty "status quo" the past four to six weeks. She's fine in herself, playful, mischievous, eating and drinking okay and eliminating alright too.

A week ago, I noticed that she had uneven pupils. They are both responsive, but the right pupil is definitely not constricting the way the left one is, and it looks so strange. I rang the vet again and she said she was concerned, and that it didn't sound good, which backed up what I was feeling. She recommended starting her remedy again, and suggested some cranio-sacral therapy to alleviate pressure in the skull. She has said she thinks now that it is probably a tumour. She suggested I might like to take puss to the local vets for a simple x-ray, which may tell us more, but she said a CT scan, which would give the definitive diagnosis, would cost hundreds of dollars.

I have to call her back next week to discuss progress. Bottom line is that there has been none, good or bad. The eyes are no worse but no better, and nor are her snuffles and sneezes. She is a very dear little puss to me for many reasons - she is much more than "just the cat". I don't know what to do next. An x-ray would entail a general anaesthetic which would be a risk in itself. It might, or might not, reveal a tumour, but won't say if it is benign or malignant. We can't afford the CT scan, and even if we could, I doubt that they would consider surgery to remove a tumour on a 15-year-old cat. I have no idea what the prognosis would be, but I imagine that more pressure on her optic nerve might result in blindness, although there is no evidence at the moment to suggest any problems with sight.

Obviously she might go on for a long time yet, but if this is a malignant tumour, am I unrealistic in wanting to keep her at home and nursing her myself? I am not comfortable with euthanasia - we don't do it for our loved ones, so why for our pets? - and I would prefer she passes, when it is her time, in her home with those that love her. But would this involve too much suffering for her?

Does anyone have any experience of nursing a terminally-ill pet, or have any wisdom or thoughts to offer me? I really don't think I could take her for that last journey to the vet and hold her while she dies - I did that for our other puss and it damned near broke my heart... :(

[magical1]

Of course your cat isn't "just a cat"! I perfectly understand... I have an old boy (burmese) who is way more than just a cat. Same age as yours.

He doesn't get vaccinations anymore and if he gets sick I just look after him till he gets better, touch wood he always has without vet visits. For the last two days he has had a giant sized abcess on the side of his face which I have been bathing with colloidal silver and 1 drop of lavender EO. It has burst, the swelling abated and I have been continuing with the bathing but also squirting some CS down his throat. He is a snuffly cat too, has been for years and what I notice is if he gets CS for anything his snuffles clear up too. In no way take this as a "you should do this too" it is just an observation I have made.

Amalie will be able to give you a hand... haven't seen her post for bit.

I will say though that everything I have read about x rays and cat scans tells me to steer well clear if you think there is any type of cancer lurking. Oh and the GA doesn't sound like a good option anyway. Way too much stress on her.

I know that people say don't give cats milk but can you get hold of raw milk? I have heard of so many reports of animals having amazing recovery when given raw mik. I would also keep him off of any processed food if you can. I remember someone asking about food options for their cat and it was super fussy... was that you?

[Seaweed]

I have always read that essential oils are potentially quite toxic to cats something to do with how their liver works.

ETA : http://cats.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=cats&cdn=homegarden&tm=16&gps=396_230_1003_587&f=10&su=p284.9.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.thelavendercat.com/

I had an old cat I ended up having to euthanase & it did not sit comfortably with me. But then I had an old horse I ended up having to get shot & it was the right thing to do. I think you need to be aware of the situation they are in. In the case of the cat, I think he had cat aids as he had been feral for qute a while & had developed a systemic overwhelming infection. With the horse he had a squamous cell tumour which was partially blocking the urethra. It was inoperable & was getting bigger. I called it when he stopped drinking as much as he usually did & had a problem peeing. He had not started to drop condition but basically he probably was cystitisy, then he would have got a bladder infection & then a nasty painful kidney infection & would have died in agony. I was very fond of the horse so it was not one of those business decisions so to speak.

[magical1]

I've never had any issues with Lavender EO with my animals and have been told by a herbalist who has practiced for 30 years to use it sparingly which I do. You read one thing then you read the absolute opposite somewhere else ... I think sometimes if something works for you and your animals then you have to go with that.

[Seaweed]

I would still not give a cat an EO based on that piece of info. The liver sustains a fair bit of damage before you get problems. Mind you, I have always tended to avoid medicating either pharma or herbal where ever possible so that is my default position.

With the cat, have you looked at any of those cat diseases like chlamydia, or the cat flus which the cat always carries once that have contacted them? Chlamydia can make one of the eyes go funny. Stress is often a factor in a flare up such as a new animal in the house. The owner going away & the cat being left on its own etc. I would very definitely start feeding a completely raw diet if you are not already. I can post a url if you need any info. Trap mice for her to eat! Does she get outside?

Doing the maths, she is 15? It may just be her time. With our horse we had to have shot, he was well over 30. I got him from someone who got him from the dog tucker man so I knew our time was limited. Not that that made it any easier as he was a total honey. He may have been ready to go, but I was not ready to lose him. I used to get the horse vet out periodically to look at him. More really to confirm what I was thinking. My horse vet is actually a good vet btw, not one of those revenue generating ones. What he said to me when we came to the conclusion it was just a matter of time was that I was the best judge of this as I saw the animal every day. I knew what the horse was like & could tell when it was too much. I think the reason I am at peace with when I had him euthanased is I got to decide & I made that decision based on alot of thought. I also took him to the hole & fed him molasses while they shot him so I knew he did not feel a thing.

[magical1]

Well on this one we will beg to differ... treating an absess in this manner as opposed to taking him to the vet (he went in his younger years for exactly the same thing in the same place) has prevented him from having a general anesthetic, having it drained, a drain put in place, antibiotic injection, one of those Elizabethen collar thingys for a week, another vet visit to have the drain removed, then two weeks of antibiotics and a huge ammount of stress for him.

Opposed to one drop of Lavender EO diluted with Colloidal silver over two days applied with cotton wool balls which cleared up his issue immediatly.

Yes I do believe that if over burdened with EOs, sure you would have toxicity issues, that goes for most things, but it comes alot down to application. Moderation is key IMO. Most of the info on the net regarding lavender oil is written by vets. They don't like many things that people do alternatively, including giving animals raw food.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

I've never had any issues with Lavender EO with my animals and have been told by a herbalist who has practiced for 30 years to use it sparingly which I do. You read one thing then you read the absolute opposite somewhere else ... I think sometimes if something works for you and your animals then you have to go with that.

I think herbals with animals have to be very very carefully researched and are not something that can be rushed into headlong. Barefoot, I would look for some of the books written by long time herbalists with lifetimes of experience like:

Juliette de Bairacli Levy "Herbal handbook for Farm and Stable" and of course, I think everyone should read anything written by Dorothy Hall. One of my favourites is her "Dorothy Hall's Herbal Medicine" in which she clearly lays out the misconceptions that Herbals are always safe.

Magical is right in that one person says one thing, and another another. However, I agree with Seaweed about the use of essential oils in animals and that their livers are different.

the key to this is to read widely. Go for the most experienced herbal writers. Compare three or four. And then decide what you are going to do.. which of course, isn't helpful in a situation where you are saying, "Sick pussy, - what to do... :giggle:

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Does anyone have any experience of nursing a terminally-ill pet, or have any wisdom or thoughts to offer me? I really don't think I could take her for that last journey to the vet and hold her while she dies - I did that for our other puss and it damned near broke my heart... :(

Yes, I "nursed" Basil until I "knew" inside that it was no longer fair to him to keep him alive. I judged that on his willingness to eat, his ability to move, how much he purred, and whether he exhibitted enjoyment for the day.

In the last week of his life, I knew it was coming up time, because the ascites was really pronounced. When the vet examined him, she couldn't understand, with his massive heart issues, and ascites, why he was still alive, or purring.

The day we had him put down, we knew the time had come. So did Basil. He didn't fight it when we took him to the vet, but lay calmly in my arms. After it was over the vet thought he might have died that day anyway, but that was moot by then. I just wanted to make sure that the end point was a peaceful point, and felt right.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

He doesn't get vaccinations anymore and if he gets sick I just look after him till he gets better, touch wood he always has without vet visits. For the last two days he has had a giant sized abcess on the side of his face which I have been bathing with colloidal silver and 1 drop of lavender EO. It has burst, the swelling abated and I have been continuing with the bathing but also squirting some CS down his throat. He is a snuffly cat too, has been for years and what I notice is if he gets CS for anything his snuffles clear up too. In no way take this as a "you should do this too" it is just an observation I have made.

My practical dealings with both face and neck abscesses after fights is that a mix I make which consists of shaking together first, 25% hydrogen peroxide with 24% white vinegar, then shaking that 50% with white meths, gets rid of the abscesses are gone within three days at most. I load it as a wash into a small syringe shank, and squirt it into the burst abscess. voila. maybe once, or twice a day.

While one of our local felt that was "somewhat brutal", I was astounded at her assumptions since she never saw the cat; had never heard of the mix let alone tried it, and considered injecting cats and doing other various surgical debriding to be quite civilized.

perhaps her comments were just protecting her own patch. :giggle:

[Seaweed]

So did Basil. He didn't fight it when we took him to the vet, but lay calmly in my arms. I think one of the reasons I coped with Snowy being shot is I was able not to have to transport him anywhere.
With the cat, I took him to the vet coz he was way too sick for me to deal with. Then he rapidly went downhill & I had to choose to euthanase him there & then at the vets. I have always said I would get the vet out to euthanase any of my animals which needed euthanasing. Had I known it was going to go that way, I would have simply done just that. I found it profoundly surreal to be given my old cat back in what could best be described as a pizza box with a dove on it & his name written on it. Mind you, standing around a hole with a horse laying in it with blood coming out of its nose waiting for it to start thrashing is quite surreal too. I think our society ill prepares us for dealing with death generally which is why having to deal with our pets dying is often very hard. Especially when you have the heavy responsibility of when to call it.

[Dozytoes]

Ladies, thank you so very much for your responses. I am grateful to each of you for taking the time to discuss this difficult issue.

Hilary, I was very interested to hear about your Basil. I think this is the scenario I envisage with my Smudge. At the moment, I don't feel that she is anywhere near ready to move on, and I am certainly not ready for her to go. I know it is wrong (?) to "humanise" animals, but I have always had a very special relationship with this little puss. I have had five miscarriages across the years and each time she has taken it upon herself to look after me while my husband went to work, firmly attaching herself to my side and not leaving it until my husband came in at the end of the day. When our daughter was born, she nominated herself chief "baby watcher" and never failed to let us know when our baby wanted anything at all in the most strident tones possible.

My common sense tells me that this problem with her eyes would seem to suggest pressure on the optic nerve, but I guess that could come from something other than a tumour. Most strangely is that at times, in dim light when both pupils are dilated, you would not notice anything amiss. Her "snuffles" don't seem to bother her in the least - it's like very noisy, constant purring. She is playing, eating and drinking, although I think she has a furball at the moment as she is constantly on the lookout for dog fur and budgie feathers which she eats when she finds them! She is just going about being herself and she is at present in no apparent distress whatsoever. The vet hasn't actually seen her since July, but is obviously gloomy about the prognosis based on what I have told her.

Whatever the number of her remaining days, and they could be long, I wish to do as you did for your Basil - look after and love her until the time is right for her to go to the Bridge - which I hope she would tell me. My difficulty with euthanasia stems, I believe, from a problem I have myself with facing death; something I need to work on, but it colours my reactions to our pets. I have a friend in the UK who is an experienced and gifted healer, and she tells me that animals really do not have the problem with passing on that humans do. I must explore that further, I think.

It has been so helpful to be able to discuss this and thank you to everyone who has offered suggestions. I am sorry to say that Smudge is not raw fed - we only learned the benefits of raw feeding when we came to Australia and converted our dog to raw feeding, and rightly or wrongly we didn't try that hard with the cats. We were told that they were too old to convert, although with hindsight, this was probably untrue. Any links that anyone can send me for raw feeding of cats would be gratefully appreciated. Smudge is a stubborn eater - she used to enjoy chicken, but now won't touch anything but her Whiskas. And to be fair, she has been a very healthy cat all her life on that.

To add briefly to the subject of essential oils, I am a trained aromatherapist, and my college in the UK cautioned strongly about the use of EOs on the skin of animals due to the potential to cause skin aggravation - especially oils like tea tree - and advised against internal use.

[Seaweed]

My difficulty with euthanasia stems, I believe, from a problem I have myself with facing death; something I need to work on, but it colours my reactions to our pets. I have a friend in the UK who is an experienced and gifted healer, and she tells me that animals really do not have the problem with passing on that humans do. I must explore that further, I think.
With Snowy I was truly not ready to lose him but when it came to it, I could not let him suffer a horrible painful end when I was in a position to do something about it. This was over above & regardless of my opinions of death. I simply ended up having to sort the situation because I could.

re: raw cat food. There is a thread here about it
http://www.beyondvaccination.com/forums/showthread.php?t=341

[amalie]

I'm sorry I didn't see this post earlier... I'm not sure I can provide much wisdom but I can provide a different point of view, since I have been the one giving the injection many times.

As for the question of further diagnostics, in general my opinion about any diagnostics is that they are worthwhile only if it would change what you do, but then they are always worthwhile. I am not sure if you are in NZ but if you are I can tell you that to my knowledge "brain surgery" to remove tumours is not offered here in animals, even in specialist clinics, and nor is radiation therapy. That leaves you with chemo as a treatment option. I will leave you to make your own decision on that one. I wouldn't put my dog through it, but that's just me. It's good to have the option for those who want to.

Euthanasia is such a difficult loaded decision and as the person giving the injection, I am very VERY fussy about not doing it unless the owner is ready.
I always take my lead from the owner - sometimes, once a diagnosis is made they can't handle the illness and decide to euth fairly quickly. Other times, honestly I do feel owners let it go too long. However as I am guilty of this myself I am no position criticise or judge!
I have been in practice a while and so far only once have I made the owner do it, and that was because I truly believe on that occasion, it was a cruelty not to.

I think Hilary is right to make some specific guidelines about when to make the call.
I find if I say things to clients who have pets with chronic, terminal illness things like "you'll know when it's time", in practice they actually often don't. It's too airy fairy. You need to draw some lines in the sand. In my very humble opinion, I think it's because when its your own animal, there are feelings and emotions and to some degree you lose the ability to make a judgement.
I have told myself that with Basil, when it gets near his time I will write a list that would read like:
1. Won't eat at all for 2 or 3 days (he's fussy anyway so a day is no biggie)
2. Won't come for a walk on the farm
3. Doesn't get up when I come home from being out
etc etc.
Include all the things specific to your pet. When all the boxes are ticked, he's crossed all the lines in the sand and it's time. This is what I do with clients, and I think it works for me (And usually for them - maybe they just tell me it does!).

[Dozytoes]

Thank you so much for your very insightful post, Amalie. It has certainly given me something more to think about, and some suggestions for a yardstick with which to measure my actions.

I am still not sure what is wrong with Smudge. Her breathing seems a lot less noisy than it was, although she still snuffles a lot and makes a heck of a lot of noise when she's grooming, as though she can't make the saliva very well. Her eyes seem a lot more even than they did - there is still discrepancy in her pupils in bright light, but in moderate or low light there is little or no difference. She is loving, mischievous, curious as ever, is purring as much as ever, is eating and drinking normally (although I think she has a furball because she is trying to eat dust a fair bit!), pooing and peeing normally, and still very much into everything. She is there at the bedroom door to greet me each morning and mostly when I come in, and she's still bossing the dog around! The only thing I have noticed is that she is sleeping a lot - but then she's getting on and that is what cats do! She is an indoor cat - always has been - but she still enjoys sitting by the door watching what is going on outside.

I definitely don't think she is ready to go anywhere just now. I'm also wondering if there is any other reason she might have these uneven pupils that our holistic vet hasn't considered, because she seems too well to have a brain tumour, if you know what I mean. Maybe I'm just naive but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Thank you so much for your responses, everyone. I feel much more comfortable just having been able to talk about this - so many people I know don't seem to hesitate to euthanase a sick pet and it just doesn't sit well with me. Maybe I will feel differently if she deteriorates significantly, but I will reconsider the whole issue at that time.

[Dozytoes]

I seem to have duplicated myself somehow - sorry!

[amalie]

I have been giving this some more thought Dozytoes, I should first qualify by saying that as a clinician I tend to offer all options and then do what the client wants without prejudice, but as a pet owner i am very non-interventionist myself.

don't be freakedout by the word brain tumour. first of all, it's not like with people obviously, usually we're only guessing a diagnosis based on clinical signs - we'd only know for sure with ct or mri. also it's an umbrella term, there is a world of difference between a slow growing, space occupying mass and an aggressive neoplasm. she is likely to die of something else before the first affects her, while you'll know in days, weeks, possibly months if the second is the case because of other signs.

i will spare an anatomy refresh - bit patronising here - but as the 2 areas you mention (sinus and optic nerves) are not worlds apart anatomically it's not out of the realms of possibility that its the same disease entity you are dealing with.

have to go and deal with grizzly baby i am holdiong in one arm so will finish later!

[Dozytoes]

Thank you for your post. It's helpful to be able to discuss it with someone who knows a lot more than I do - helps put things into a little perspective.

We do seem to have a worsening situation here. For the past couple of days she has slept an enormous amount, only getting up for a wander around the houes and a visit to her litter box on maybe half a dozen occasions. Last night she came and jumped up on the sofa next to me and cuddled down, but when we all got ready for bed she decided to stay there and she seemed almost reluctant to try and get down. This morning, when she was still there, I was more sure that her sight is going/gone because she didn't seem to be able to see her way down. I had to lift her onto the floor in the end. Then she wandered into the pantry and climbed up on one of the lower shelves - and again, couldn't find her way back down. Then she almost walked headfirst into a wall...

I managed to contact her vet this morning and she doesn't like what is happening any more than I do. It's obvious her sight is all but gone and it's breaking my heart to see her struggling to get around. Her vet doesn't consider anything can be done on a physical level, but says she doesn't think Smudge is ready to move on yet, and like me she doesn't like messing with someone's karma. She has suggested treating her on an emotional level to help her make adjustments. Having said that, she feels euthanasia has a place where quality of life no longer exists. Smudge is still eating and drinking okay - although not drinking enough probably, and still using the litter box with no problems. She is still very loving although playing isn't on her agenda. Her pupils are mostly fully dilated, but her eyes also look "milky" and rather opaque, if you understand my meaning. I don't know what this means.

I have an appointment booked with her vet for next Friday - it's the earliest she could manage - and we'll review the course of action at that time. My husband has to go to Sydney on Sunday, so I'm hoping she doesn't decide to leave us while he is away - although this is probably rather selfish on my part.

I'll keep you posted - but if there is anything you can suggest to help me look after a blind/nearly blind cat, I'd be grateful.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

No, nothing to suggest. We've all had to wing it too. :bighug:

[amalie]

I'm sorry to hear this update, it does sound like she is going down hill a bit.

The milky/opaque eyes could be cataracts? Your vet will be able to help. It sounds like you have a good one.

As for the blind thing, the only thing you can do is not move stuff around (she'll remember where furniture etc normally is). I don't believe cats are self aware enough to go through the mental anguish we would if we went blind; its more a practical thing that she just might be a bit reluctant to move in case she walks into, or falls off, something.

The euthanasia question is something you will have to make your own peace with.

[Dozytoes]

Thank you for your responses, ladies. I do appreciate them. I think we are on a fast learning curve too, never having been in this situation before.

Smudge is now undeniably blind. But on a more positive note, she is coping remarkably well. I'm so proud of her. She spent much of the past two days asleep in her basket, but she's also been exploring, and finding her way around. She's able to get to her litter box and food with a bit of trial and error; unfortunately we have to keep these in the laundry with a child gate across to stop the dog eating her food, so the gate has been a bit of a negotiation for her. But she's making it. We have a large, open-plan family/kitchen/dining area and she's making a fantastic job of working her way around that, using her whiskers, of course, and following the line of the furniture to make her way. She's bumping into things a fair bit, but very softly because she is treading carefully and slowly. While it's sad to watch her struggle, it's also quite inspiring to see her determination to do it.

We're keeping everything the same to make it easier for her, and have moved to another room one or two items that could be dangerous to bump into, and we're not letting her in rooms where she might get stuck. She loves climbing behind my desk among all the PC cables and mouse lead, but if she got stuck she could definitely come to grief, so it's off-bounds now. As you say, it's just really common sense.

She's definitely taking it better than I am...but I suppose that's because I am *humanising* her and seeing it as a human would. Animals are much more adaptable, aren't they? She's eating, drinking, using her litter box with no apparent problems, and she's still having her active times when she comes for cuddles, and while she is still moderately happy we have no plans to euthanase her. If it all becomes too difficult for her and she is losing other bodily functions, we will have to review it. Until then, we shall just love her as much as we always have, and make sure she knows it.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about this. I'll let you know what happens at her appointment next week.

[Dozytoes]

Thank you for your responses, ladies. I do appreciate them. I think we are on a fast learning curve too, never having been in this situation before.

Smudge is now undeniably blind. But on a more positive note, she is coping remarkably well. I'm so proud of her. She spent much of the past two days asleep in her basket, but she's also been exploring, and finding her way around. She's able to get to her litter box and food with a bit of trial and error; unfortunately we have to keep these in the laundry with a child gate across to stop the dog eating her food, so the gate has been a bit of a negotiation for her. But she's making it. We have a large, open-plan family/kitchen/dining area and she's making a fantastic job of working her way around that, using her whiskers, of course, and following the line of the furniture to make her way. She's bumping into things a fair bit, but very softly because she is treading carefully and slowly. While it's sad to watch her struggle, it's also quite inspiring to see her determination to do it.

We're keeping everything the same to make it easier for her, and have moved to another room one or two items that could be dangerous to bump into, and we're not letting her in rooms where she might get stuck. She loves climbing behind my desk among all the PC cables and mouse lead, but if she got stuck she could definitely come to grief, so it's off-bounds now. As you say, it's just really common sense.

She's definitely taking it better than I am...but I suppose that's because I am *humanising* her and seeing it as a human would. Animals are much more adaptable, aren't they? She's eating, drinking, using her litter box with no apparent problems, and she's still having her active times when she comes for cuddles, and while she is still moderately happy we have no plans to euthanase her. If it all becomes too difficult for her and she is losing other bodily functions, we will have to review it. Until then, we shall just love her as much as we always have, and make sure she knows it.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about this. I'll let you know what happens at her appointment next week.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

There was a newspaper item not long about, about a totally blind labrador, who, apart from being taken for his daily neighbourhood walk by his owner, teamed up with the family cat. She now guides him around the place, goes and gets him when his food is put down, and sleeps with him.

What I want to know is how did the dog "tell" the cat that he was going blind ? .... in other words, they are a whole lot smarter than we give them credit for.

[Dozytoes]

Well, some good news on the pusscat front, I think. She's been back to see the vet today, and she is very pleased with her. She confirms that Smudge is completely blind, but she now questions whether she does in fact have a brain tumour. She made the suggestion originally based on what I told her over the phone when her pupils first became uneven, but having seen Smudge today, she now has huge doubts that a tumour exists. There were various things she expected to see in that event, and she's not seeing them.

We discussed the possibility of taking her to an opthalmic specialist to try and pinpoint the cause of her blindness, but it appears to be expensive and is not going to change the situation. She considers an x-ray might confirm the absence or presence of a tumour, but that is risky because of the anaesthesia and the radiation, and again won't change anything.

So given the fact that she's happy with her condition, and now considers that the blindness and the sinus/sneezing/rhinitis issues might be totally separate and coincidental, we are just going to carry on as we are, and Smudge has a new homoeopathic remedy to start, and an immune-boosting supplement of 5-mushroom to take too. We're not expecting anything bad to happen in the near future, she is not deteriorating, and Smudge is adjusting well to her blindness and seems largely unbothered by it. So it's business as usual.

Thanks to everyone for the support and for listening. It has meant a lot. It has really made me re-evaluate my attitude to death, I'm much more peaceful with the situation, and now look forward to the time we have together, however long it is. :)

[Dozytoes]

Sorry - duplicated again!

[magical1]

NO worries! You are such a good gaurdian for you pet...

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Glad you've sorted it out in your head. Isn't it funny how it's "OUR" head that is the problem sometimes, not their heads? :lol: