Cat fight then suddenly blind?

[squidpop]

My friends cat, Cleo, got in a fight the several nights ago. My friend heard Cleo shrieking then ran outside to find that Cleo had fallen into the pool. She assumed Cleo had been fighting with a New Zealand possum (they are kind of like tree dwelling meerkats). Cleo also had superficial scratches on her face but they didn't look very serious. Cleo came in that night after the fight and swim, to warm up next to the fire and after she warmed up seemed fine. But the next day she didn't show up for dinner and couldn't be found anywhere. Then the next day my friend found her under a curtain and she seemed nearly dead. She took her to the vet, she was unconscious and running a fever. Cleo was given IVs for hydration, she had a fever and her hind legs seemed paralyzed. The vet said she might have brain damage but wasn't sure what was wrong with her. They didn't find any wounds besides the scratches. After two days at the vet Cleo recovered, at first her hind legs weren't working but they are better now. However she is blind. What could she have that would make her blind? She had a fever but when they did blood work they didn't find signs of infection, and she no longer has a fever.

 

[Homer]

Holy cow, those things look like tree rats from hell.

Could there be swelling in the brain that is putting pressure on the optic nerves causing the blindness? Is your friend SURE there are no bite marks anywhere? <br /><br /> __________ Wed Jul 16, 2014 3:51 am __________ <br /><br /> Wow! I just did some reading about these little varmints and they are spreading bovine tuberculosis all over NZ. Did the vet check for TB? No wonder the citizens are out to eradicate them.

 

[akane]

You don't have rabies there, right? It could just be a basic bacterial infection. I'm not sure exactly how carnivorous they are but usually the more meat eating, and especially carrion eating, an animal is the more bacteria is in their mouth and possibly even their claws. Animals die of very minor cat bites and scratches because of the bacteria they have. Sometimes people even have to go on IV antibiotics for cat scratch fever. Very minor injuries from certain animals can lead to very serious infections if the circumstances are right.

 

[Sagebrush]

I hope the kitty recovers fully soon. That is horrible what has happened to her. If she had scratches on her eyes when she fell into the pool, the chlorine could have damaged her eyes enough that she is permanently blind. Time will tell.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

What a terrible ordeal! Poor kitty.

I wonder too if it is from head trauma... but maybe she isn't blind, just seems to be because she is uncoordinated? Has your friend contacted the vet again?

 

[squidpop]

My friend got to take her cat home from the vet tonight, it was there for 3 days. She said her cat seems like she is still blind and her head wobbles and she shivers. The gave her antibiotics and anti inflammatories but he vet was apologetic that he didn't really know what had caused it.

Holy cow, those things look like tree rats from hell.

Could there be swelling in the brain that is putting pressure on the optic nerves causing the blindness? Is your friend SURE there are no bite marks anywhere?

__________ Wed Jul 16, 2014 3:51 am __________

Wow! I just did some reading about these little varmints and they are spreading bovine tuberculosis all over NZ. Did the vet check for TB? No wonder the citizens are out to eradicate them.

Lol! That that possum photo is really scary! But possums usually look pretty harmless when you see them and they always run away as if they are shy, however, I've been doing some reading and evidently they are known to kill large dogs, and they have really sharp long claws that can rip other animals to shreds. They came from Australia and have just bred out of control in New Zealand and are eating all the native trees, they are a menace to to the forests here. I wonder if cats can catch that kind of TB they carry? I am going to google and find out when I have time.