Eye diseases in cats: causes, symptoms, how to treat, prevention

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Pets become members of the family, they go through hardships, grief and joy together with people, they love their owners for simply being. When an illness occurs, a person is obliged to help and get rid of the illness. It seems that the cat only ran around the apartment, played and frolicked, but suddenly became less active, began to meow, hide in secluded places. This behavior indicates that the animal is worried about something. Eye diseases are most common in cats, so pay attention to their condition first.

Let's deal with this disease

In modern veterinary medicine, doctors distinguish two types of it: inflammation of the eyeball and disease of the eyelid. There are many causes and symptoms of eye diseases in cats. Consider some of them:

1. Mechanical damage. If the animal is outdoors, then most likely it is in contact with other cats. An example would be a fight, which usually ends with numerous injuries. During the battle, the eyes are more often affected. To the mainsymptoms of injury include: redness, swelling of the eyeball itself and the area around it. Most often, it is the eyelid that is damaged. Scratches and cuts bleed. If you do not provide assistance in time, do not treat the inflamed area, then this can lead to sad consequences.
2. Inflammation of the inner and third eyelids. There are two stages of the disease. The first is swelling, accompanied by purulent discharge. The cat begins to injure the inflamed area, combing the sore spot, trying to wash it with his tongue. An aggressive environment enters the eye and leads to the second stage - severe redness and a deep festering wound.
3. Consider the third reason. These are various infectious diseases. These include: conjunctivitis, keratoconjunctivitis, iritis, keratitis, and blepharitis. We will talk about them later, the symptoms of each infection are individual and are considered directly based on the type of disease.
4. The last reason eye problems can occur is tumors. Indeed, unfortunately, they are no less common in cats than in humans. The first symptom is the appearance of severe swelling, not only the eyeball swells, but also the place around it. Sometimes the size of the tumor reaches impressive dimensions. The cat is suffering, she has a fever. Cancer develops gradually, over time, the pet loses activity, appetite, and subsequently weight. Light sensitivity appears, the animal tries to hide its muzzle in a darker place.

When all these manifestations are detected, a loving owner must takeyour cat to a veterinary clinic, where she will be examined and given first aid. The following are eye diseases in cats with photos so that you can provide first aid based on your own knowledge.

Causes of conjunctivitis

If the owner began to notice that the cat has discharge from the eyes, she constantly scratches them, then this is not a good sign. Treatment and causes of eye disease in cats depend on where the disease originates. When it comes to conjunctivitis, the following are most often distinguished:

• allergic to flowering plants or fungi (mold), household or decorative chemicals;
• foreign bodies;
• mechanical damage;
• infectious diseases.

Main symptoms of conjunctivitis in a pet:

• inflammation of the fundus;
• and places around the eyes;
• appearance of pus;
• flow of tears;
• redness;
• reaction to light;
• cloudy film.

We continue the description of eye diseases in cats. So, they also distinguish: changes in behavior, the appearance of apathy, loss of activity, unexpected reactions to the owner, squinting and closing the eye completely.

Conjunctivitis is a serious inflammation of the eyes, and it is not treated with various folk remedies. A warm solution of tea will help relieve only the first symptoms, but will not be effective in the later stages of the disease. It is important to contact your veterinarian as soon as possible, because the cat, feeling discomfort, will begin to scratch the eye andtrying to get out of it, thereby provoking a new inflammation.

Of course, inflammation is the cause of eye disease in cats, but mechanical damage and infection that the cat re-introduces into the wound contributes to this. Just think how many bacteria she has on her paw pads and fur. If the cat is active, it does not miss a single corner, where dust often accumulates. Sometimes she can pick up something from the floor and eat, and then lick her paw with a dirty tongue to wash her eyes. Therefore, it is worth monitoring the behavior of the pet and try to avoid additional contact until the inflammation passes.

Conjunctivitis treatment

Those remedies that are good for treating this disease in humans are not always effective for cat eyes. But if there is an albucid solution in your first aid kit, it will significantly alleviate the pet’s suffering, relieve swelling and begin to fight the pathogenic environment that injures the animal’s eye. Tetracycline ointment will also help the kitten in the fight against unpleasant symptoms. You need to use these funds, like people, twice a day, until complete recovery.

In the veterinary pharmacy you can purchase special products that are prescribed by the doctor after the examination. All doses are aimed specifically at treating the disease in cats and will be more effective for them. All preventive measures that a person can take to avoid this problem again is to remove all household chemicals and cosmetics in places closed from cats. Get rid of plants that cause allergies, carry out wet cleaning as often as possible, removefungi. Pet nutrition plays a big role, which also needs to be normalized.

Keratoconjunctivitis as a form of conjunctivitis

Keratoconjunctivitis is a type of conjunctivitis also called dry eye. If you notice that a cat has yellow discharge around the eye, then you should consult a doctor. This is one of the symptoms of the disease that is most dangerous for your pet, as the lack of telepathy leads to blindness.

There are a lot of reasons for this disease. These are mechanical damage - dust, sand, dirt getting into the tear ducts of the eyes, and infection - the pathogenic environment of herpes and other viruses.

Treatment of this disease is different from ordinary conjunctivitis. To rid the pet of suffering, use drugs based on antibacterial and antifungal agents. The drugs are quite expensive, they are prescribed only by a specialist. Therefore, take your pet to the veterinarian immediately, who will help to cope with the disease.

Iritis in the eyes

This is one of the most common ailments of the iris. Inflammation of the latter, as well as the ciliary edge of the eye, are symptoms of eye disease in cats. The infection appears after a viral disease or mechanical damage to the eye.

Symptomatology of this disease has a very vivid clinical picture. If a pet has severe lacrimation, the iris of the eye becomes yellow, and the pupil is constantly constricted, then these may be the first symptoms.irita. And also, if a cat has photophobia, purulent discharge from the inside of the eye, then this can also be symptoms of the disease.

In order to diagnose iritis and relieve the cat of pain through treatment, it is enough to take an analysis (smears).

Next rule. Make sure your cat is comfortable first. Arrange a warm place for her, use a bedding or a small blanket. Place a tray, a drinking bowl and a feeder nearby. Speaking of nutrition, cut out human meats, sausages, and special treats for cats.

Treatment is prescribed by a veterinarian. The package of measures also includes hypoallergenic and dietary nutrition, and careful care. After discharge, observe sanitary standards. For first aid, drip a dilute solution of atropine, novocaine, hydrocortisone. A mild antibiotic will do. Providing a pet with comfort and care will bear fruit and the animal will recover very soon.

Keratitis in a cat

Is one of the ophthalmic diseases. The cause of the appearance may be mechanical damage, for example, hitting a hard surface or ingress of dust and dirt. Diseases sometimes go together with infectious inflammation. If a cat has a cold, then its immune system will not be able to cope with elementary conjunctivitis, which, in turn, turns into keratitis. Sometimes a genetic predisposition acts as a symptom of eye disease in cats, when a kitten is born immediately with inflammation of the eyes.

Necessarystart treatment as soon as you detect symptoms. These include clouding of the cornea (rough-matte). Most often, the symptom is observed immediately in both eyes. There is also a flow of lymph, which can be confused with tears. And the main symptom is photosensitivity. The kitten hides its head when a bright light appears.

How to treat the symptoms of eye diseases in cats, only a doctor will tell, because the degree of keratitis can vary significantly. Treatment of eye disease in cats depends on the severity of the inflammation. Sometimes cats have ulcerative keratitis, which can lead to total blindness. If timely treatment is not provided, then even amputation of the eye or corneal plastic surgery is possible.

If you find these symptoms, immediately take the kitten to the veterinary clinic with mom. Timely treatment will save the cat not only from painful symptoms and photophobia, but also leave the possibility of a he althy existence without deplorable consequences.

Inflammation of the nasolacrimal duct

A terrible disease. Obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct in cats is a pathology that can be caused by a variety of reasons. The disease itself is not so terrible as its consequences. If your cat is actively shedding tears and not receiving follow-up treatment, this can lead not only to stagnation of tears, but also to skin and coat lesions, eczema, eye prolapse and chronic conjunctivitis.

There are many reasons for inflammation of the tear ducts. This includes the ingress of foreign bodies, infectious diseases, neoplasms, irritation by the external environment and allergies. You can see eye disease in cats in the photo.

It is important to find the root cause and make the correct diagnosis. This can only be done after a doctor's examination. In order to diagnose this disease, you do not need to have a lot of knowledge in the field of veterinary medicine. If you observe that a clear liquid is intensively secreted in a cat, which leaves tear ducts on the coat, then this is nothing more than a clogged tear duct. Sometimes the disease is accompanied by the discharge of a greenish or yellowish liquid from the nose. Seek medical attention immediately!

Treatment is provided only by an ophthalmologist veterinarian. No folk remedies will save a cat from inflammation of the nasolacrimal canal. Prevention is proper, clean nutrition, care, compliance with sanitary standards in the apartment, as well as regular check-ups at the veterinarian.

Description of panophthalmitis

This is the most serious disease. It is accompanied by copious discharge, inflammation of the fundus of the eyeball and the area around the eye.

The cause of the disease is an injury to the eyeball. The disease occurs as a result of an infection that enters the eye and begins to actively develop, causing acute pain and pus. Appears if an injury has occurred, for example, after the animal ran its eye into a rusty nail, dirty stone or wire.

Treatment of panophthalmitis

The disease causes inflammation of the eye. The symptoms include not the presence of pus and swelling, but clouding of the eyeball. Catceases to see, the iris opens with a dense white shell through which nothing is visible. Sometimes red inflamed vessels are observed on top of the shell.

In order to cure an animal, it must be sent to a hospital where comprehensive treatment will be provided. In case of refusal to observe, the animal loses its sight, after which the infection of all tissues in the body begins and death occurs. Therefore, it is better to be more attentive to the he alth of the pet and provide the correct treatment in time.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma of the anterior part of the eye occurs from increased intraocular pressure. There are two main forms: primary (non-hereditary) and secondary. The first is quite rare in domestic cats. The reason for its appearance can be understood from the name.

Secondary is due to a disease of the lens, inflammation of the nerve tissues. The first signs are the appearance of blindness in a cat, tearing and redness. Diagnosis in the early stages is possible only thanks to an ophthalmologist who can measure intraocular pressure. Treatment is provided with antiseptic and pressure-lowering drugs.