Cataract surgery is available for cats when their vision is severely compromised. On the other hand, if something irritating — dust, strong fragrances, tobacco smoke, etc. Treatment depends on the underlying cause. The iris is the colored rim of tissue that surrounds the dark pupil at the center of a cat’s eye. In some but not all cases, the symptoms of an eye infection — redness, swelling, discharge, rubbing, and/or squinting — are also accompanied by sneezing and nasal discharge. Examining Your Cat's Eyes Bring your cat to a spot by a window or in a well lit room. Eye problems in cats can include inflammation inside the eye (uveitis), as seen here. If a cat has an eye infection, the most common signs will include swelling, redness, squinting, discharge, and pawing at the infected eye. Feline Conjunctivitis. Frequent Disorders Watery, tearing eyes (epiphora) . Top 10 Ways to Stop Your Cat from Peeing Outside the Litter Box. The technical name for “inflammation of a cat's eyelids,” blepharitis is … However, it’s important to determine what’s causing the pink eye, and to rule out concurrent issues such as an eye ulcer that could cause permanent scarring of the cornea (surface of the central eye area) or even blindness or loss of an eye if severe. Itchy, watery eyes are a common symptom of allergies in people, but this is less common in cats. The 2 species also differ in their array of disorders, with familiar canine abnormalities like cataracts overshadowed by unique feline diseases such as eyelid agenesis and corneal sequestration. The following are some of the more common issues and their corresponding signs: 1. Drainage from the eye may also be evident. Conjunctivitis. Glaucoma can be caused by anatomic abnormalities within the eye, infection, inflammatory disorders, trauma, tumors, an abnormal shift in the eye’s lens, and more. Therefore, he advises, you should have your cat’s eyes thoroughly examined periodically by your veterinarian. A yellow/green discharge is often seen and special cat eye drops will be required as well as antibiotics to clear this condition up. The disorder’s clearest symptom is runny eyes, and it is readily curable if treated promptly. Cats are subject to a host of diseases that can cause permanent damage to any or all of the eye’s components. Eye problems due to an infectious agent such as a bacteria or virus are fairly common in cats, so be on the lookout for these clinical signs. If your cat becomes sniffly or starts sneezing, please contact us about his/her eyes. There are a variety of abnormalities that can affect a cat's eye or surrounding tissues. While iris melanosis is usually not a serious condition, it can be confused with iris melanoma, a potentially serious type of cancer. Causes of Eye Infections In Cats. The signs that your cat has become visually impaired may be quite obvious. Their eyes may be red, cloudy, weepy, and in severe cases, visibly enlarged. There will be little or no tearing in the corners of the eye; the tissue lining the eyelid will be a healthy pink; and the membrane of the third eyelid will not protrude. This is when the soft pink tissue around the eye becomes inflamed and irritated. White cats and blindness/deafness. Masses and tumours – growths can occur behind, in and around the eye. Congenital and inherited ocular diseases are reported less frequently in the cat than the dog. You may be able to see signs of a corneal injury, such as redness, tearing, or blood in the eye. As is the case with virtually all types of feline health problems, the earlier a cat’s vision impairment is diagnosed—whether the result of disease or injury—the better it may be treated. Cornea, the transparent outer covering of the eyeball; Pupil, the circular membrane in the center of the eye that permits the entry of light from the environment; Iris, the round, pigmented membrane that surrounds the pupil and contracts or expands to regulate the amount of incoming light; Lens, a transparent structure that adjusts its shape as needed to focus the light rays; Retina, a sensitive membrane that lines the interior surface of the eyeball, receives the focused light impulses that have entered through the lens, and sends them along to the brain, as visual information; Optic nerve, the conduit leading from the retina to the brain. The Cornell Feline Health Center is closely monitoring the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Obvious signs of potential eye problems are watery discharge (mentioned all about in this post), cloudiness in the eye, frequent eye blinking, and excessive eye rubbing. Even if your cat does lose its vision, chances are it can continue to live a full and happy life. Cats’ eyes are also vulnerable to traumatic and potentially blinding injuries, notes Dr. Kern, such as corneal lacerations (cuts on the outer surface of the eye), which are common. Cataracts block light from reaching the back of the eye, resulting in poor vision or blindness, depending on their severity. This disease, which is most often associated with FIV, FeLV, FIP and other infectious organisms, is usually chronic and is likely to result in gradual blindness. "Most of these animals have eye disease as a primary disorder—they have no other health problems. In these cases, rinsing out a cat’s eyes with an eye-wash solution can help, as long as your cat is cooperative. Other causes of eye trauma in cats include foreign material that gets lodged under an eyelid, predator attacks, falls, and being hit by a car. Clean their eyes consistently with damp, clean cotton balls, and keep your cat's eyes free of any other irritants (like long hair or air fresheners). Infections are one of the most common diseases to affect the cats' eyes. Many other feline eye diseases are attributable to viruses, bacteria and fungal organisms that specifically target cats—such as the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), the feline leukemia virus (FeLV), the feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIP), feline herpesvirus (FHP), toxoplasma (a parasitic organism) and cryptococcus (a yeast-like fungus commonly found in soil). If your cat has any of these symptoms, a thorough ophthalmologic exam should be done as soon as possible. Blepharitis: Irritated Eyelids. 1. FIP. In most cases, early diagnosis and treatment can keep a cat from losing its eyesight, but it's important to look for signs of trouble and ensure your cat gets regular check-ups. Mild, superficial corneal ulcers will usually heal with proper treatment, which may include dealing with any underlying causes, antibiotic drops or ointment, and pain relief. The eye is cloudy and the iris (yellow part of the eye) is red. Eye colour can change for a number of reasons, gradually or over time. This kitty’s eye went back to normal with treatment. Yes-- isolate your kitten so it doesn't get your other pets sick. Mild viral infections will often resolve with symptomatic care — rest, keeping the eyes and nose clear, and encouraging good hydration and nutrition. Many of the causative microbes are highly contagious to other cats, and a few, like Bartonella bacteria and Toxoplasma parasites, can even be transmitted to people. Cataracts are often confused with a normal aging change that affects cat lenses called lenticular sclerosis. Corneal Ulcers. “If you spot anything unusual,” Dr. Kern advises, “get it checked out promptly by your veterinarian.” Early treatment, he points out, may prevent or delay the onset of blindness. If this is not an option, it is important to recognize that most cats adapt very well to having poor vision as long as they live indoors. Of course, cats can develop eye problems other than those discussed here. This structure—the tapetum lucidum—reflects light not absorbed by the retina during its first passage through the eye, thus giving the light a second chance to be absorbed and transmitted to the brain. When a cat’s glaucoma has a genetic underpinning, it is common for both eyes to eventually be affected. Cats have developed several unique vision features during their evolution that enable them to see clearly indoors and out. Most eye conditions require veterinarian care and bringing your kitty in for routine diagnostics and examination early on will prevent more severe disease. Keep a lookout for squinting, watering, changes in appearance, or excessive blinking. FIV. The Special Needs of the Senior Cat. “Such changes can reveal a problem before it progresses to an irreversible stage.”. Trauma is another relatively common cause of eye problems in cats. Keep in mind, however, that the symptoms of eye irritation are really indistinguishable from other, more serious eye problems, so if your cat’s condition worsens or fails to improve, you need to make an appointment with a veterinarian. Common symptoms of an eye problem in your cat include watery eyes, discharge, excessive blinking, squinting, or pawing at the eye. Eye discharge is a typical symptom of an eye problem in your cat. Cats also have a specialized layer of tissue beneath the retina that reflects incoming light. The most frequently diagnosed feline eye disorder, Dr. Kern notes, is conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the conjunctiva—the mucous membrane that lines the inner surface of the eyelid and the outer surface of the eyeball. Since pink eye is a symptom and not a specific disease, a veterinarian can declare that a cat has pink eye just by doing a physical exam. Maybe it’s those vertical pupils, or the incredible colors they come in (sometimes more than one at the same time, a condition called heterochromia). Entropion is the turning in of the edges of the eyelid so that the eyelashes rub against the eye surface. Iris melanosis typically does not cause any problems, but severe cases may result in dysfunction of the iris and sometimes glaucoma (increased eye pressure). If a cat’s glaucoma cannot be adequately controlled, surgery (oftentimes to remove the affected eye) to keep the cat comfortable may be necessary. Sudden Blindness. Welcome to Healthy Pets channel Subscribe today and my channel is all about Pets. It is important to note that all cut eye irritations should not be treated at home by the cat owner. Without appropriate treatment, cats may develop an area of dead tissue over the ulcer (called a corneal sequestrum) or, worst of all, the eye may rupture leading to permanent blindness and disfigurement. "We see cats that are either blind or going blind several times a week," says Thomas Kern, DVM, associate professor of ophthalmology at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. If your cat’s eye starts to change size or shape, or looks like it’s bulging, this could be a sign of glaucoma or other eye conditions. Healthy feline eyes will be bright and clear, the pupils will be of equal size, and the cat will not be squinting with either eye. Unfortunately, these finely-tuned feline eyes are vulnerable to injury and a wide variety of diseases that can dramatically impair a cat’s eyesight or, in some cases, render a cat partially or totally blind. Fortunately, many eye diseases can be caught early and treated, while others can be reversed. However, a condition called iris melanosis can result in the development of brown “freckles” or patches of pigment on the iris, usually in middle-aged to older cats. Our feline pets have numerous eye issues, some of which … Among the diseases that frequently lead to feline blindness, Dr. Kern says, the most common is inflammation of the uvea (uveitis), the middle area of the eye that is made up of the iris, the ciliary body (which produces the fluid inside the eye), and the choroid (which supplies nutrients to the retina). Though eye disease is less common in cats than dogs, you should rush to the veterinarian as soon as you can if your cat’s eye or eyes appear cloudy. Make sure your … While pet parents might argue over the relative beauty of a Siamese’s baby blues or a Bombay’s coppery gaze, we can all agree that maintaining the health and function of our cat’s eyes is priority #1. Unlike dogs, who use a combination of sight, hearing, and smell to become familiar with their surroundings, cats depend mostly on their eyesight for hunting and stalking their prey. Eye infections are quite common in cats and can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and even parasites. Fortunately, cats are better at adapting to blindness than humans, (perhaps because they compensate with their excellent sense of smell and hearing).

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