Prognosis for blind kitten due to head unjury

[amyb88]

Hi All,

Wondering if anybody has any advice, we are meeting with the vets to discuss plans tonight but prefer to go a little forearmed.

My kitten was attacked by my dog on Friday night - I read about stories of dogs attacking and there being no warning and I always think rubbish! you just don't know what the signs are, the licking of lips, turning away etc but when I say this was unprovoked and without warning I mean it. the dog has a solid history of being a complete softy and has grown up with cats and for a reason I will never know but will haunt me forever she launched at the kitten who has been with us for 5 weeks and until now got on with both dogs very well. ( I feel like I need to explain because I know what I would think if somebody told me their dog attacked their kitten)

We got her straight to the vets and she was stabilized overnight and treated for shock. They have since thought it was damage to the inner ear, because she didn't know which was was up and which was down then they determined that she is blind and initially thought that is was her retinas but now say that her eyes are totally fine but she is blind so they think that it is due to a brain injury.

Does anybody know what the prognosis is of her getting at least *some* sight back? we are planning to bring her home and give her a chance to adjust to being blind, I have read that blind cats can lead relatively normal lives, but I have read that some brain injuries do recover over a very long period of time - without getting too technical what is the difference between whether they recover or not? is it worth us getting a referal to a neuro specialist to determine exactly what is wrong or just waiting and seeing? is there anything that it could be that could be treated, ie - even if we find out that it is caused by X, could X be treated with anything other than time?

Thanks in advance

[Jade59]

This is awesome news, Amy.  Thanks so much for updating.  It's been a long road for you two.  Hopefully with a little more time, your sweet girls balance and hearing will come back 100%.  

You've done a great job caring for her!  Hugs

[Piparskeggr]

So good to read that Kitten X is doing so well. :D

[AppleBr]

:-)

[amyb88]

Update just in case anybody comes across this at a later date.
Kitten has now been off antibiotics for 16+ weeks and is fine, her balance on her hind legs isn't 100% but people that don't know her wouldn't notice, it is only on uneven surfaces.
Her hearing is also not 100%, she can hear very well but cant pinpoint where it is coming from perfectly.
All in all she is very good, wild infact! A very positive outcome from a very grim time!

[amyb88]

Woops! to add her eye sight seems 100% as well

[AppleBr]

:-(  Lets keep praying for our baby.
Cats are something ... Much mystery,indeed

[amyb88]

Not a brilliant update :( She has been fantastic, completely back to normal, we went to the vets on Wednesday and he essentially 'signed us off', the  in the space of two hours last night went from perfectly normal to her acting like someone was yanking a rug from under her feet, as per her resilience she was pretty happy otherwise and just wanted feeding and trying to play but took her back to the vets, she has been in overnight on anti-inflammatories  but isn't much better this morning and one eye isn't reacting as quickly as the other, so she is being referred to a neuro-specialist asap. :( keep fingers crossed for us. I am clinging on to the hope that it is an inner ear infection (although current vets don't think it is) and that she was so happy in herself otherwise, but time for MRI's and answers as to what is going on now. Hopefully referral wont take long. Will update you as and when.

[amyb88]

So she went to the neuro specialist and had a blood tests, MRI and spinal tap. She a fractured skull, infection on her brain and very deep ear infection, from what I understand her cochlia is full of fluid but has been allowed to come back home and is on antibiotics for three months. After which he wants to see her again to re-examine and MRI. They have also taken samples from her ear and brain infection to assess whether she is on the right antibiotics which I thought was a clever idea.
She is otherwise, really quite pleased with herself and I have my hands very much full in attempting to keep her quiet..!! The vet commented on how well she feels when she really shouldn't! Naughty kitten just wants to run around the house doing impressions of the wall of death!! Fingers crossed now that we know exactly what we are dealing with we are on the road to recovery.

[Jade59]

Hi Amy... how is your kitten?  Your last post on the 6th stated she was 95% back to normal, had a bit of trouble getting back to herself after waking up, and you were taking her back to the vet for an inner ear issue.  All in all, though, it sounded like she is doing Very well!  So happy to hear...and, yes, a miracle baby!

Please let us know how she is doing.  We care very much.  

[Jade59]

Yes, thank you so much for keeping us updated!  Really happy to hear this news.  I put your thread on 'watch', so I can refer to it in the future to give other parents hope.  

[amyb88]

She has been home for 6 days now and is about 95% back to normal. She takes a while to get herself together after a sleep which I don't understand but once she has properly woken up she is good as new! Her ear is still weeping a bit from the inner ear (still on tabs with vet and going to a check up this week in case anyone is wondering) but eyesight is definitely improved again. Can pounce on a toy from the other side of the living room so certain she has a good amount of eyesight. Balance all back to normal I think but hard to tell because she is still so young (don't think I said in my original post - 5 months old) kittens never look that co-ordinated anyway!!
She is very happy in herself and yesterday for the first time was looking for trouble again, hiding round corners and pouncing out. Quite the miracle baby!!! ❤️

[opus88]

Yes a miracle baby for sure, that is awesome news and I'm so thrilled for her and you too. Thx for keeping us posted!! Many out there rely on this sort of info when they too have similar esituations, esp. when it's such a great outcome

[amyb88]

When we went to speak to the vet she had improved so much during the day that they let her come home! She was grooming herself, eating (alot!) and was walking around her cage. When we put her on the floor it was obvious that she could see at least something.
She has been home for 36 hours now and is doing amazingly. She is still a little bit wobbly at times and obviously hasn't got all of her vision back yet hard to know how much she does have but she can see a foot or two in front of her, she runs over to her toys to play with them, happy running around jumping on and off the sofa etc. I am hoping that she will continue to improve over the coming days weeks and months but if we grind to a halt I won't be disappointed with the incredible recovery she has made. She is a happy kitten and is able to 'function' so that is what is important.

[opus88]

That's all sounds so promising to be seeing huge improvements like that so soon. Awesome, happy to hear such a positive report, she will do well even if left with limited vision, cats are such awesome creatures that learn to adapt very well...but I'm really thinking seeing such early gains that she will one day see properly, as far as the wobbly walk that will come as well. Thx for the update, keep us posted

[Piparskeggr]

So great to read the positive update.

[opus88]

hi amy....how is kitty doing? we've had a few on here with terrible head injuries, most did loose their sight, not always permanent, a few did regain their sight...unfortunately I can't give you more info