Recognize eye diseases in cats

Turbidity, blinking, redness or tearing: diseases on the eye are usually obvious. It is then important to do something about it in good time before permanent damage occurs and the sight suffers.

Among the sensory organs, the eye occupies a special position: it helps to orient oneself in unfamiliar surroundings, shows exactly the direction in which food is to be found or from which imminent danger approaches. For this reason, all higher animals have varying degrees of well-sightedness. Birds of prey, for example, have developed it to the highest perfection: Eagles on prey flight recognize rodents from several kilometers up. Eyesight is also of great importance to our pets, even though other sophisticated senses such as the ear or nose have become more important. This can be seen most clearly in the cat advertisement: make your cat a pleasure, which, as you know only recently, can also see in color at night. As a classic predator, she is particularly dependent on her eyesight.

Quick action saves the eyesight of the animal

In principle, the eyes of the various pets have a similar structure: the light first passes through the thin cornea (cornea), the outermost boundary of the eye, then passes through the fluid in the anterior chamber of the eye and then hits the lens through the pupil. This focuses the light so that it falls through the transparent glass body on the fundus. Here is the photosensitive retina, which consists of rods and cones as in humans, but in a slightly different distribution. Twilight-active animals like the cat also have a kind of "residual light amplifier" built-in: a reflective layer behind the retina, which ensures that the light passes through the sensory cells twice. This is also the reason for the typical glow of the cat's eyes when they are illuminated at night. According to statistics, about every 15th patient in an average small animal clinic affects the eye. Since basically every single area of ​​the eye - from the cornea to the fundus of the eye - can be affected, there are many different eye diseases and correspondingly many treatment options. Even birds, rodents and rabbits are not immune to it. However, almost all diseases have in common that something must be done as quickly as possible in order not to permanently endanger the eyesight.

Watch for telltale signs

As a pet owner, you should therefore pay attention to typical signs of eye diseases: In conjunctivitis, for example, increased lacrimation or ocular secretion is sometimes the only sign, sometimes rubbing on the eye, light shyness and blinking added. These symptoms may also indicate a foreign body or corneal injury. Frequently, the cornea becomes cloudy at the injured site, and as the process continues, blood vessels also grow from the edge of the eye. The great advantage of such changes is that they are relatively easy to recognize as pathological even for the layman: Always look for redness, cloudiness, clearly visible blood vessels around the eye or in general, all differences in the appearance of both eyes: This is, apart of different pupil colors that occasionally occur, always an indication of disease. If the pet likes it, you should control the eye by grasping the head, holding the lower lid, and carefully pulling up the upper eyelid.

If changes occur, see the vet quickly

Ensure good lighting and pay attention to any irregularities. Then compare the two eyes. Occasionally the examination is made more difficult by the fact that the third eyelid pushes in front of the eye and obscures the view. If the eye is altered or injured, you should immediately consult a veterinarian, ideally with the additional name "Ophthalmology", which can help your pet. This also applies to all eye-related emergencies, be they foreign bodies, injuries, painful conditions or sudden blindness. What you should do in detail can be found in the box below.

The most common alarm signals

The most common signs of eye disease are easy to detect and should be used as an alarm signal: In conjunctivitis, the eye redness, secretion flow and pain, recognizable by rubbing,Light-shy and blinking. In the example on the right, the inflammation is particularly pronounced and has already led to swelling of the conjunctiva. Traces of blood in the eye can result from accidents, but also from inflammation or infection. If the iris is inflamed, it is usually slightly darker and reddish colored. The eye is very painful and the animal avoids the light. As a result, fibrin clots can form. Turbidity can occur both on the outside of the cornea and inside, especially in the lens. While the turbidity of the cornea is usually easy to treat, a cataract can hardly be undone. However, it can give indications of other diseases, for example diabetes mellitus. In a pathological increase in eye pressure, the "green star", the pupil is usually dilated, recognizable in comparison with the second eye or in that it does not narrow when exposed to light. Differences in the appearance of both eyes are always an indication of a disease. In case of sudden blindness, the animals refuse to go or encounter obstacles in unknown terrain. In addition to green cataracts, the cause can be hereditary damage to the retina. (Dr. med. Vet. Thomas Görblich)