Content
- glaucoma in cats
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Cataract
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- feline chlamydiosis
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Feline eosinophilic keratoconjunctivitis
- Symptoms
- Treatment
The eye is one of Organs most sensitive and important organs in a domestic animal. Feline tutors are often worried because they are not sure whether their best friend, who has certain anomalies, has one or not. eye disease.
One of the most common symptoms present in different eye problems is the appearance of a spot or "white cloth" in the eye. Thus, the whitish eye in cats is not a disease in itself, it is a symptom that shows that the animal is suffering from some pathology or problem. If you've noticed that your cat has a bad eye and you notice this kind of fog, read carefully this article from PeritoAnimal we'll talk about cat with whitish eye, its causes and possible solutions. Still, remember that such solutions should always be done by a veterinarian.
glaucoma in cats
Glaucoma refers to a set of pathologies that cause a increased intraocular pressure (IOP) accompanied by progressive degeneration of the optic nerve in the affected eye. In this pathology, the dynamics of the aqueous humor is affected by a variety of causes, so that its drainage is reduced, which causes its accumulation in the anterior chamber of the eyeball and results in an increase in IOP.
Feline glaucoma as a primary disease is uncommon, being the aqueous misdirection syndrome (SDIHA) its main cause. It is characterized by the aqueous humor entering the vitreous body through small tears on its anterior surface, accumulating in different ways (diffuse or in small gaps or between the posterior vitreous and the retina), displacing the lens to the iris and, finally, obstructing the drainage of aqueous humor. It is a disease that affects cats of middle and old age with an average of 12 years. Females tend to be the most affected.
O secondary glaucoma it is the most frequent form of presentation, usually associated with chronic uveitis first, followed by intraocular neoplasms and traumatic uveitis related to scratch lesions, so it is very important to monitor felines to prevent glaucomatous evolution.
Symptoms
Since its evolution is insidious and slow, the clinical signs are very subtle, for which anamnesis and physical examination are very important. The ones that are evident in the first instance are the signs of uveitis, so that it is observed redness, pain and light sensitivity. Symptoms that lead to suspicion of chronic pain establish progressively, such as changes in behavior, buphthalmia (pathological increase in eye size), anisocoria (asymmetric pupils) and ocular congestion, which is a sign of poor prognosis. Certainly, all this translates into noticing that the cat has a whitish eye, with discharge and inflammation.
Diagnosis includes the examination of the fundus of the eye and, mainly, the measurement of intraocular pressure, and it is essential to perform it in both eyes.
Treatment
As with all diseases, it will depend on the cause and should always be applied by the veterinarian. There are a wide variety of medical treatments that make it easier. aqueous humor drainage, such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, beta blockers, cholinergics, etc., which in some cases can be combined with each other. If there is no clinical improvement, we choose to surgical treatment.
Another article that might interest you is this one about cat with red eyes.
Cataract
Cataracts occur when the lens (lens that allows objects to focus) loses its transparency partially or completely and, therefore, if not treated in time can cause blindness in the affected eye. It is a very common problem in older cats and has multiple causes, the main one being senile degeneration of the lens caused by a process of degeneration and desiccation. It can also be hereditary or congenital, although it is very infrequent. Likewise, systemic diseases such as diabetes or hypocalcemia, trauma, chronic uveitis, toxins and/or ulcers can also cause the appearance of cataracts in cats.
Symptoms
The first evidence is that the cat has a whitish eye, as if it had a gray spot, with which the diagnosis can be established by simple inspection. In some cases, when only one eye is affected, the feline does not show signs of altered vision, but this is not the most frequent. The other symptoms are:
- Slow walking
- tripping over objects
- abnormally moist eyes
Unlike in the previous case, the completely whitish eye is not observed here, but the spot may be more or less large.
Treatment
Although it can be diagnosed by inspection in some cases, a complete eye exam should always be performed to identify the degree of vision loss. The definitive treatment for cataracts is the surgical resection of the lens, however, the application of anti-inflammatory eye drops can cause symptomatic improvement.
feline chlamydiosis
This is another cause of whitish eye in cats and is caused by bacterium chlamydia felis, which mostly affects domestic cats and is easily transmitted between them with an incubation period of 3 to 10 days. Likewise, transmission to humans is described, but it is extremely rare. It mainly affects young cats and those who live in groups, regardless of sex.
Symptoms
presents itself as a mild conjunctivitis persistent, accompanied by rhinitis (sneezing and nasal discharge), watery or purulent tears, fever and loss of appetite. Less often and depending on the feline's immune status, the infection can pass to the lungs. If not diagnosed and treated in time, conjunctivitis can be complicated by corneal ulcers and conjunctival edema, which is precisely when the eye can be seen as whitish or plugged.
As the symptoms are very unspecific, the diagnosis is based on clinical suspicion, based on conjunctivitis as the main symptom, and epidemiological suspicion when several cats live in a house. However, it is the appearance of secretions that confirms the presence of the bacteria that leaves the cat's eye white.
Treatment
The treatment of feline chlamydiosis is based on general care, that is, daily cleaning of the eye secretion and adequate nutrition, as well as antipyretics for the fever and antibiotics for the elimination of the microorganism.
Feline eosinophilic keratoconjunctivitis
It is a very common chronic disease in cats (also horses), whose main causal agent is feline herpesvirus type 1. Structural changes that occur in the cornea are immune-mediated by eosinophils in response to antigenic stimuli, which can affect one or both eyes. So, in this case, not only is it possible to notice that your cat has a bad eye, but it is also possible to have both white eyes.
Symptoms
The first infection is a nonspecific and self-limited conjunctivitis accompanied by lacrimation and, in some cases, eyelid affection. As it is a chronic disease, there are recurrences that usually appear in the form of dendritic keratitis (a lesion in the form of branches located in the corneal epithelium similar to the nerves of a leaf). After multiple recurrences, one or more whitish/pink plaques settle on the cornea cat's eye or conjunctiva or both and which may also be associated with painful corneal ulcers.
The diagnosis of this type of keratitis in cats is made by identifying the typical lesions and identifying eosinophils in corneal cytology or corneal biopsy.
Treatment
The treatment of these animals can be done in a topical, systemic or a combination of both the methods, and must be maintained for long periods of time and in some cases even for life. Subconjunctival injections can be used to reinforce treatment in some cases. As explained, recurrences are frequent in this disease, which is why treatment must be carried out constantly and be aware of the appearance of new lesions.
For all that, if you notice any changes in the cat's eyes, if it is whitish, cloudy, watery and/or inflamed, it is essential to go to the veterinarian to make a diagnosis and establish the most appropriate treatment.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Cat with whitish eye - Causes and treatments, we recommend that you enter our Eye Problems section.