|
|
|
 |
Cats Symptoms Cure |
 |
| |
|
Symptoms Cats
> Trauma to or foreign object in the eye
|
|
|
Trauma to or foreign object in the eye
Epiphora and conjunctivitis may be signs of a foreign body in the eye
or eye injury due to trauma. So it’s a good idea to examine your cat’s eye
thoroughly whenever there are such signs. If epiphora and/or conjunctivitis
are unilateral (on one side) only, are accompanied by squinting, pawing at
the eye, or other signs of pain, a thorough examination for a foreign body
or eye injury must be made.
The first thing to do when examining your cat’s eye is to get in a good
light. Slight but extremely important changes in the eye are easily
overlooked in dim light. Place the thumb of one hand just below the edge of
the lower lid of the affected eye and the thumb of the opposite hand just
above the edge of the upper lid. This rolls the lids away from the eyeball,
allowing examination of the conjunctiva and most of the cornea. The
surface of the cornea should look smooth and completely transparent. (If in
doubt, compare it to the opposite, probably uninjured, eye.) Be sure to look
along the edge of the third eyelid to see if there is anything protruding from
behind it. It is a good idea to look under the third eyelid, but most cats with
a painful eye will not allow you to lift this eyelid without some form of
anesthesia. You can, however, moisten a cotton-tipped swab and move it
gently along the inner surface of the lids and under the third eyelid.
Occasionally a foreign body will cling to the swab and be removed, or the
swab will sometimes bring a hidden foreign body into view. This must be
done with extreme care to avoid injury to the cornea and should be
attempted at home with only the most cooperative cat to avoid damage to
both you and the pet. If you see a large object (e.g., foxtail), you can grasp
it with your fingertips or a pair of tweezers and remove it. Small foreign
bodies are most easily removed with a moistened cotton swab or a piece
of tissue. Any foreign object not easily removed should be entrusted to a
veterinarian, and any sign of irritation that persists more than a few hours
following foreign body removal is reason to have the eye examined by an
expert.
Examining the eye for foreign object
In most cases of foreign body in the eye or trauma to the eye
examination is best performed by a veterinarian. Since a cat can’t tell you
when there is eye irritation, it is often easy to overlook small but significant
eye damage. Veterinarians use special eye stains to color the surface of
the cornea. These stains show the presence of corneal damage not
otherwise evident. Veterinarians also can give local or general anesthetic
to relieve pain during examination, allowing a more thorough search.
Prolapsed third eyelid
The third eyelid (nictitating membrane, haw, see Anatomy) often
moves from its normal position near the medial corners of the eyes to
partially obscure the eye. When this occurs on one side only and
intermittently as if blinking, it is often a sign of local irritation to that eye,
such as a foreign body or damage to the cornea. When it occurs in both
eyes (often described by owners as a “film over the eye”) and for
prolonged periods of time (several hours to several days), it sometimes
interferes with vision and can have many causes.
The most common cause of this second type of third eyelid elevation
(third eyelid prolapse, haws syndrome) in a cat who seems relatively
healthy is a gastrointestinal upset. Signs that often accompany this kind of
third eyelid prolapse are a change in appetite, a loose stool, or transient
vomiting. When the gastrointestinal disturbance is corrected, the third
eyelids will return to their normal positions. Third eyelid elevation
accompanied by more serious signs of illness (fever, weight loss,
complete absence of appetite) should prompt you to have your cat
examined by a veterinarian, since serious systemic illness such as
autonomic polyganglionopathy (Key-Gaskell syndrome), a nervous system
disorder, may be accompanied by third eyelid prolapse.
Third eyelid prolapse that occurs in an apparently healthy cat displaying
no signs of illness (not even mild intestinal disturbance) is frequently
without apparent cause. It usually disappears spontaneously. If, after
performing a physical examination, you feel confident that your cat is
healthy you may then choose to wait and watch your cat for a few days in
hopes that the problem will quickly correct itself. If prolapse is severe
enough to interfere with vision, your veterinarian can supply you with a
prescription for eye drops that will provide temporary symptomatic relief, if
no evidence of general illness is found when he or she examines your cat.
| |
| | | | |
|
 |
|
 | | |
