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Common Causes of Eye Problems in Cats
By: Alfred
Probably the most common problem that affects cat's eyes is
bacteria or viruses getting into the eye itself and causing
a greenish yellow, thick mucus to leak from the eyes and
inflame them. This is more commonly called Conjunctivitis
and is usually easily treated with an antibacterial eye drop
prescribed by your veterinarian. In some cases the
veterinarian may prescribe some oral antibiotics to go along
with the ointment.
Herpes virus (FHV-1) is also often the source of
conjunctivitis in cats' eyes. Infection with Herpes virus
(FHV-1) is difficult to treat and can become chronic and
cause repeated cases of Conjunctivitis over the cat's life,
which can damage the cornea and lead to blindness. In such
cases it is important that the cat see a veterinarian or
veterinary ophthalmologist at regular intervals to stay on
top of the disease. Stress is a key factor in a cat's
vulnerability to Herpes virus, so if your cat is diagnosed
with it, try to remove stressors from its environment.
Cats can also have watery eyes as part of their genetic
makeup, but in those cases usually the eye isn't inflamed
and there is no abnormal color to the leakage. If the tear
ducts become blocked from debris this can cause a painful
infection and the tears will drain down into the nose. Or if
you cat has a genetic defect or has had some kind of trauma
to the eye ducts this can happen. Persians are susceptible
to this type of infection because of the shape of their
faces.
Long haired cats are more susceptible to eye problems
because the long hair can fall into and irritate the eyes,
making them red, sensitive and teary. Whether this is really
caused from the hair or some other problem is often hard to
diagnose and a lot of times the cat must be taken to a
veterinarian to make sure that there isn't a bigger problem
such as a kinked tear duct or a scratch on the eyeball
itself.
If an eye infection goes untreated, especially in young
kittens, this can cause scaring of the cornea and the cat
can become partially blind or go completely blind later in
life. Eye infections are serious and need to be taken
seriously. All eye infections or suspected eye infections
should be taken care of by your cat's veterinarian and
failing to treat it isn't an option.
If you find that your cat has a cut on its eyelid or eye you
should take it to the veterinarian as soon as possible. The
veterinarian will probably prescribe antibiotics to prevent
the cut from becoming infected and if the cut is serious
enough the vet may put some stitches in to help the eyelid
heal more effectively.
If your cat goes blind, don't think that its quality of life
is lost. Cats are amazingly resilient, and they also don't
depend on sight as much as we do, since their hearing and
sense of smell are far better than ours. A blind cat learns
to use its other senses and its fantastic whiskers and sense
of place to get around.
Of course you will want to keep it indoors and protect it
from harm. It is also important to keep a routine to its
daily life, and try to keep familiar landmarks such as the
litter box, its bed, food and water dishes and such in the
same familiar places. Remind family members and visitors to
approach the cat with some warning, such as calling its name
or clapping so that it won't be startled. And besides that,
just love it. Your cat will appreciate your touch and care
even more since it is blind.
See also: A Cat's Eyes
Do you know why Alfred is such a Healthy Happy Kitty
and one that Never goes to the Vets for health related problems?
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