Cats
are very independent creatures but they need some help from time to time. Cats
are susceptible to a number of minor and chronic diseases particularly related
to their eyes. They may seem very distressing to your feline friend but
understanding their causes and symptoms can help ease your anxiety. Common cat eye problems include the following:
Conjunctivitis
It
involves inflamed eye membrane with causes related to infections like
herpesvirus (FHV-1) or chlamydophila. Symptoms include redness of the eye,
irritation and flow of discharge from the eye. Serous Conjunctivitis is not so
serious and shows minimal swelling and redness because of dirt or debris and
allergies. Purulent Conjunctivitis may show signs of bacterial infection like
pus in the discharge and thick layers impairing vision. It is important to
treat it quickly otherwise there may be permanent vision loss.
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Keratitis
This
is an eye problem that displays symptoms including an inflamed cornea within
the cat’s eye often involving ulcers or lesions. Felines living at higher
altitudes appear to be at a greater risk of developing it. It may be caused by
antigens of viral diseases, certain white blood cells or death of a small part
of the cornea.
Third Eyelids
There
is a third eyelid within a cat’s eye, which may become visible at time,
retracting when viewing sudden motion or example. Like any other eye part, when
it gets inflamed, injured or diseased, it changes form physically. So, this
nictating membrane becomes opaque near the inner corner of the eye as a
protrusion. Horner’s syndrome involves a sunken eye or a smaller pupil due to
infection or cancer, which is untreatable yet. Haw’s Syndrome consists of a
temporary protrusion associated with a problem of the digestive system.
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Cataracts
The
vision is seriously impaired due to the formation of an opaque film all over
the front of the eye lens. This is more common in older cats and has an
increased risk in diabetic felines. The best option is to remove the natural
lens within the eye and replacing it with an artificial one.
Glaucoma
This
is caused by inflammation, cancer, cataracts, injury or infection and occurs
due to a greater build up of pressure within the eye ball, causing it to swell.
The fluid present naturally has imbalanced flow and the arterial blood flowing
constantly is hindered from entering the retinal area. As a result, the cornea
starts to become opaque reducing visual clarity. Quick action is required to
provide relief through prescribed drugs.
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Bulging eye
Bulging
of the eye refers to the swelling of the cat’s eye to unnatural proportions
causing pain and other serious vision problems. If something pierces or hits
the eye in an accident, then bulging eye may occur. It could also occur due to
cancerous growth within the eye causing it to swell.
Retinal disease
The
retina is the integral part of the eye, which contains special cells that capture
light, and they perform an important function in creating the final vision
viewed through the eye. Any infection, disease or injury that damages or
deforms the retinal cells will cause severe optical problems.
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Watery eyes
The
overproduction of tears within the glands tasked to create them for specific
purposes may cause watery eyes. In other cases, the tear ducts may become
blocked. This leads to tears running down the eyes without any reason and
affecting the skin around the eyes.
