Looking for a little hope.

[oafydude28]

My male cat George was neutered a few days ago.  The procedure did not go well.  The vet said he had an alergic reaction to the penicillin that caused his lungs and heart to shut down.  They were able to revive him but he looks like he has brain damage.  The first day he just layed there and had for be fed by seringe.  

Now we have him home and the vet has us feeding him jars of chicken baby food.  It takes along time to get him started eating.  He can not find the food him self because it looks like he can't see or smell.

We can let him out and he will just walk and walk and walk and walk.  He is running in to every thing.  

What can I do to help him along?  Is there a chance that I could get my old George back? He is only 6 mo. old.

  

[Jade59]

Hello and welcome to our cat community.  Oh my, I am so very sorry this happened.  Hmm...we've seen something like this before on the forum, but I think it was due to the anethesia.  What kind of prognosis did your vet give you?  This may simply be a matter of time and he could snap out of it, but I really don't know.  One other thing - there has been a drug discussed called Manitol that's been used for head injuries, but I have no idea if this would be an option for your boy in this case.  I believe it reduced swelling on the brain.

Also, it's very important George gets enough nutrition even if you have to syringe feed.  A cats liver and other organs will begin to shut down quickly w/o enough nutrition.  Sadly, we've seen that happen here on the forum many times.  I hope your vet discussed this with you.  

I would keep George under tight supervision for now - I'm sure you are.  You just don't want him to hurt himself inadvertently. Please keep posting and let us know of George's progress.  Hopefully, someone else who has some knowledge about this will see your post.  Very best of Luck.  Poor kitty.  

[opus88]

that poor little kitty, I don't know what happened but something sure sounds wrong.....I'm no Vet but I sure have never heard of an allergic reaction like this....? and why was penicillin used anyway? was there an infection to start with?????

Jade instructions above are good and yes we have had others here with brain injuries of all kinds, I was trying to find some of these old posts....here is one you can read on sucessful outcome after an INJURY to the brain...
IMO...even one caused by medication can eventually come around in such a young kitten...PLEASE keep us informed of how kitty is doing and we'd be glad to help in anyway we can with your questions...and I will search for more posts too.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Cats/blindness-due-to-blow-or-injury/show/1338047?personal_page_id=1770406#post_6183555

[Jade59]

Opus is right - since George is only 6mos old, there is a much better chance the brain will repair itself.  Youth is on his side.  I'll see if I can find an additional thread to what Opus found.  See you in a bit.

[Jade59]

Ok, here's another link and this one had a happy ending.  This link is an update from the owner, but owner provided the link to her original thread.  I do think there's hope for George!!

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Cats/kitten-with-head-trauma-update/show/1250095

[Piparskeggr]

There is hope for George.  He has youth and you on his side.

When my old cat Calamity Jane (11/1982 - 03/2004) had a stroke a couple of weeks before she passed on...the vet was trying an enzyme therepy, which was helping her heal.  Unfortunately a 2nd, more massive stroke got her.

See if your vet is aware of this treatment.

Take care - Pip

[oafydude28]

Thank you so much for the support.

We are feeding him chicken and turkey baby food.  I just got him some supplements so he has all the vitamins that he needs to repair his mind.  He has made some small improvements today.  His walk is starting to look alittle more natural and not so robotic.   He is also starting to problem solve when he runs into something and not continuing to walk against an object.  

We are getting a referral to the U of M to see a neurologist to see were he is at and what kind of challenges are ahead.

[opus88]

good for George!!! ...........with a brain injury every little improvement means alot. nice to hear.
tell me what are the supplements you are giving him? these are crucial to his healing and growth as you know.
you said in your first post that 'we cannot let him out' I hope you won't let him anywhere near the outdoors, he is much to vulnerable as he is and would be an easy target for any stays around....he needs alot of protection and extra care until he has completely regained his strength and abilities, I would in fact give him a little crate to sleep in when someones not around to watch him so he doesn't harm himself...at least for the first few weeks..
keep us updated, this is looking very promising.♥

[Jade59]

Oh, I agree..these small improvements are Very promising and definitely a step in the right direction.  If you don't have access to a crate, just a large cardboard box made all comfy  would do for now.  How is George doing with the litter box?  

Please keep posting.  We all care very much.  And Big Hugs to you!  We know taking care of a pet as sick as George is very stressful.  

[oafydude28]

Again thank you for the support it means alot.

When I said we let him out I should have said let him roam the living room.  We are keeping him in our bath tub in our master bedroom.

The supplement that I am giving him is NUTRI-CAL "CAT" its a high calorie nutritional supplement and The vet said he always gives them penicillin after surgery.

I have another kitten who is the sister of George and her name is Gracie.  They were both fixed on the same day and she was able to come home the same day.  George had to stay at the vets for a day and a half.  Well she is now growling and hissing at him.  I can tell he wants to see her because when she makes her call he will walk in that direction but he ends up getting a soft smack in the face.  How can I get her be close with him again now that he does not have any social skills?

I will keep every one updated.  

[LindaTX]

I feel so bad for your kitty but a think the stimulation he is getting can only be a good thing....maybe even pictures on the inside of his crate or toys in the bathtub would be good....anything that would jog his memory or create new memories.  Does he act like he knows or remembers you?  His sister may not have been feeling all that great herself, hopefully she will become more accepting of him because he really needs that connection to her.  I hope he fully recovers....just keep working with him.

[oafydude28]

A few things that i forgot to mention that I thought I had in there.  As of right now he is almost completely blind.  We think he can see shadows in very low light.  We also think that his sense of smell is very diminished as he has to be shown were the plate of food is in front of him.

UPDATE:  This morning was very hard to handle.  He ate just fine but he then became very manic.  He would not let us hold him and he just wanted to walk.  These are the moments that we have the hardest time dealing with as it breaks our hearts to see him like that.  When he is in this mood we cant find a way to calm him down other then kenneling him up were he just paces and cries.

After his nap we let him out while we were taking down the Christmas tree and he was walking good again and was stopping to find solutions when he would get stuck.  His hearing seems to be really good because his head would follow every sound we made.  

We did have one moment that stops us in our tracks that was when we saw him cleaning his paws and a little bit on his body.  This was the first time we have seen him do this.

[Jade59]

Good Morning.  Interest in cleaning is a Very good sign his brain is healing and instinct is there.  The member who's link I gave you, the sight of her kitty slowly returned with first seeing shadows so I am very hopeful in hearing this.  The pacing may be frustration - this is all new to George and I'm sure he's wondering what on Earth happened to him.  

I'm wondering, does George usually potty outside or litterbox?  Our last kitty had a brain injury also and while not nearly as bad as George, she was was an outdoor kitty so we ended up getting a harness to let her walk outside, do her business and sit in the sun.  Would that be a possibility for you?  Unless he's an inside only, of course.

I am very encouraged with your news this morning.  Naturally, the only thing to do is kennel him when he's so agitated.  I know this is heartbreaking to see.  Will you making the appt with the Neuro tomorrow?    

[oafydude28]

George did use a litter box. He used the litter box for the first time last night.  He has been peeing on his bed or anywhere else but he will not sit or sleep in the pee. Our vet is sending the referral over first thing tomorrow and they should be calling us soon afterward.

[oafydude28]

GEORGE UPDATE.

  He has made a lot of improvements.  He can now find his food and eat on his own.  He is not using the litter box yet but he will meow at us when he needs to go and we will walk over were we have the litter box and puppy pads and he will follow us there by the sound of our feet and use the puppy pads.  His manic out bursts have stopped and he now is using all of the different meows that he use too.  His sight has not returned yet but he is learning the layout of the house.  He started playing last night for the first time and did not want to stop I ended up playing with him till 2am.  I would walk some were in the house and scratch the carpet with my finger and he would find me by the sound and when he would get closed and go into his stalking stance and when he would get about 3-4 feet from my hand he would then pounce and would get my hand almost every time.  I can believe how accurate he is by using just sound.

Again that you for all of the support and I will keep everyone updated on his amazing progress.

[LindaTX]

I have to commend you for being such a good caregiver for him.....he is so lucky to have you.  It sounds like he is making good progress daily and you are getting your kitty back.  Good luck to you both! :)

[aligator79]

How is Gracie acting towards him now?

[zodiacqueen]

What a great update!!  I'm loving it!!  I'm sure that he will continue to improve!!

ZQ

[Piparskeggr]

Thanks for the update on George; sounds like he has a good grasp on life and is willing to fight it out...and big kudos to you for being there to help him.

[opus88]

oh I sure second those words....what a wonderful loving and patient mommy you are, George can't help but to continue to do well with your help.........yeah for the both of you!!!!

[oafydude28]

George and Gracie are getting along now and have started napping together.  I uploaded some pics in to my album of George and Gracie as young kittens and some of George after the incident and you can really see his improvements from day one to day 5.  We have our appointment for George on Monday to see if his eye sight will return and to see how his recovery is going.  I will update once we get the results.

[oafydude28]

George update: I took George to the U of M yesterday and he is healing well. His loss of sight is due to damage to the vision center of the brain. The neurologist gave him a 30-50% chance of his vision returning. He has been adapting very well and is learning were every thing is in the house. We had a friend over this weekend and she thought he had some of his vision back with how well he navigated the house. We been working with him every day and he is starting to play again. Its funny because if he gets to excited he will forget were everything is and start plowing in to things. We open the whole house to him and he is using the stairs like a pro already. He is not using the litter box yet but he goes to the right room and is using the puppy pads next to the litter box. I thing he will make a full recover with the exception to his vision that may or may not return.

[Piparskeggr]

Good on George, and gooder on you!!!

[opus88]

I second that Pip!! Well said....♥

[nancyjac]

I'm glad George is doing so well.  Just a comment on the puppy pads.  Since is is not seeing he is relying even more on his sense of smell.  If you want him to use the litter box, next time he uses a puppy pad, put that pad, or at least the part of it he used, in the litter box.  Since he can't see, he is relying on smell to find where he is suppose to go.  If the litter box is clean and no longer has his scent, he will continue to favor the area where the pads have been.