Some good news for Hobey!

[ambergirl]

Do prayers work? Yes they do! I was researching deafness in cats and came across a paper written by a veterinarian at a unversity animal hospital in Louisiana. His email address was at the bottom so I thought I would take a chance and send him a note with Hobey's history and my fears. He answered me that evening and assured me that Hobey's deafness is almost positively not caused by a tumor. He said that seizures, when severe or in succession, cause a decrease of blood flow to the cochlea (the hearing instrument of the inner ear) and it damages the neurons. Repeated damage causes the deafness. I researched the ability for neurons to regenerate and it seems in birds this is possible. So, if in birds, why not cats! I am going to continue to believe that at some point Hobey will get some hearing back. He acts at times like he can hear me now, but I realize it is just his alertness and routine we have always had that is probably making it look this way. Either way, he is doing fine and I feel so much better after this kind vet took the time to email me with that information. He is a Professor of Neuroscience, Comparative Biomedical Services at the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine. With those credentials, I feel confident that he has given me a very accurate diagnosis.

I just wanted to post some good news for a change. Thanks again for your prayers! God speaks to us in and through many different ways. For me, it was through this wonderful vet. :)