Ray & Rachel Visit My Vet!

Mornin' Peeps:

First of all, I hope EVERYONE had a great Black Cat Appreciation Day!  I wasn't around, mainly because MomKatt was helping two very deserving foster kitties that I know at our vet's office, where they were getting a check-up!  Here are the details (so that's how SHE celebrated Black Cat Appreciation Day).

I'll let MomKatt take over to give you the latest.

Purrs!
Selina

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Hi all, MomKatt Laura here, with Ray Charles' and Rachel's vet report results from Sat., August 17, 2013.  They saw Dr. Mark Brigham at the Lake Brandy Vet Hospital in Greensboro, NC, where all my kitties go. 

Overall, both kittens are in EXCELLENT health.  Their teeth are clean w/no tartar build-up; their gums are nice and pink; Dr. Brigham palpated their abdomens and all was as it should be.  They won't need anymore shots, etc. until they turn one year of age, and they are eating/drinking, peeing/pooping like champs.  So on those fronts, we have no worries.  (And they BOTH got mani-pedi's because their claws were QUITE sharp!)  :)

 

As for the vision issues in both kitties, Dr. B said they both have an upper respiratory virus (Herpes).  It is not "catching", so my kitties are not in any danger of getting it (nor would kitties in a potential adopter's home, nor are humans).  I'm familiar with Herpes flare-ups in cats' eyes because two of mine are on L-Lysine daily in order to mitigate any problems they have with that.  Dr. Brigham feels that the entropion is/was secondary to the pathology associated with the Herpes, but that the surgery they received was DEFINITELY the right thing to do for them on that score.  He said that he "strongly suspects" the herpes is what's causing the corneal and lens damage he's now seeing in both cats.

 

In Ray's case, he suffers from BOTH corneal AND lens scarring, whereas Rachel only has minimal lens pathology.  So, while Rachel sees quite well, Ray ... Dr. B said if I could imagine a piece of wax paper being held in front of my own eyes, that would give me a good idea as to how cloudy Ray's vision actually is.  Along with the corneal and lens scarring, Dr. B said Ray has some sequestration going on (he said "sequestration" was pearls of scar tissue on Ray's corneas that create - or don't help with, at any rate - the scarring).

In both kittens, the damage to their lenses causes light  to reach their retinas in a distorted fashion.  Ray needs just enough light to avoid running into things and, apparently, Rachel's getting MORE than enough light to see, judging from how much better her eyes look overall.

 

Dr. B suggested that Ray might (and he wished to emphasize "might") benefit from some antiviral eyedrops.  He said these were a bit more expensive than antibiotic or steroid drops (about $45-50 for month's dosage twice daily).  Our local compound pharmacy will have to make that up and I have ordered some to be made up.  Though I've never put eye drops in a cat before other than one other time years ago with Morticia, I'll give it a whirl with Ray-Ray.  Dr. B said after we run out, I'm to bring Ray back in and he'll take a look and see if the drops have helped him.  

He said, " They WON'T hurt him, and all it can do is help, so I feel it's worth a shot." We certainly can't lose anything by trying.

Took pics while we were there & they are attached below.  :)  They did really well; Ray even "survived" a dog coming into the back room area where they were working with him!  Dr. Brigham said he didn't even twitch when the dog barked!  Cool as a cucumber.  (The dog was "en route" to an exam room at the time.)

 

Also?  They are BOTH cross-eyed!  Dr. B thinks (and frankly, so do I) there is definitely some Siamese/Oriental stuff going on there.  The crossed eyes, the head/face shapes (that triangle/wedge shape) and the timber and distinctness of Rachel's meows/vocalizations (not to mention HOW SMART they are!  I've lived with Meezers and they are brainacs!) all lead us both to think there is more than a bit of Meezer in these babies!  :)  Well, there ARE black Orientals so ... who knows?  Either way, they're adorable and in great health, all things considered.  (These two are also capable of shifting two 15-lb weight plates, did I tell ya'll that?)

 

Lastly, Dr. B gave me a package of "Composure Feline Chews" for Ray (one treat a day) to see if that would help calm him and get him to stop licking his fur.  He sees no signs of allergies or flea infestation that might be causing the thin tummy fur, so he thinks perhaps Ray is like a person who's calm on the outside but worries themselves to death on the inside.  And the stress of this is causing him to stress-lick his fur.  :(  He tried the treats for the first time Sun. night and loved them so I'm going to continue him on them.

Dr. B also says it would be OK to start them both on L-Lysine and I have it in treat form, so I'll give them a try on THAT tonight as well and see if they like them.  Again, it can't hurt them and if it keeps the Herpes down to a dull roar, then so much the better.  He's also going to call in the eye drop prescription later this afternoon.

Overall I was/we were really pleased.  They are thriving and, on Sunday, we had ANOTHER breakthrough, as Ray-Ray allowed me to pet him WHILE HE WAS IN HIS LITTLE BED!  That's never happened before!  (It's probably because he was too drowsy to care but I'll take what I can get.)

Enjoy the pictures!

Love
Selina, Ray Charles, Rachel & MomKatt Laura

Here is Ray-Ray in his carrier.  Isn't his little face just ADORABLE?  I fall in love with him every time I look at him.

Here is Rachel, who discovered running water & a faucet for the first time in the exam room!

Rachel again, trying to get out I think!  LOL

And Miss Rachel, fresh out of her carrier!