The eye is one of the most sensitive and important organs in the architecture of a domestic animal. Feline guardians are often concerned about not knowing for sure if their best friend has an eye disease because they observe certain anomalies.
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 cloudy eye in cats is not in itself a disease, it is a symptom that shows that the animal suffers from some pathology or problem. If you have noticed that your cat has a bad eye and you observe that kind of haze, in this article on our site we will talk about the cloudy eye in cats, its causes and its possible solutions taking into account that said solutions should always be predicted by a veterinarian.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma refers to a set of pathologies that will cause a increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) accompanied by progressive degeneration of the optic nerve of the affected eye. In this pathology, the dynamics of the aqueous humor is affected by a variety of causes in such a way 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 rare, being aqueous misdirection syndrome (SDIHA) its main cause. This is characterized in that the aqueous humor enters the vitreous body through small tears in its anterior surface, accumulating in various ways (diffuse or in small lacunae or between the posterior vitreous and the retina), displacing the lens towards the iris. and, finally, obstructing the drainage of the aqueous humor. It is a disease that affects felines of middle and old age with an average of 12 years and females tend to be the most affected.
Secondary glaucoma is the most frequent form of presentation, generally associated with chronic uveitis in the first place, followed by intraocular neoplasms and Traumatic uveitis related to scratch injuries, 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, so the history and physical examination are very important. Those that are evident at first instance are those of uveitis, so that redness, pain and sensitivity to light is observed Progressively, the symptoms that make one suspect of chronic pain such as behavioral changes, buphthalmia (pathological enlargement of the eye), anisocoria (asymmetrical pupils) and ocular congestion which is a poor prognostic sign. Of course, all this translates into noticing that the cat has a cloudy eye, with discharge and inflammation.
The diagnosis includes an eye fundus examination and, mainly, the measurement of intraocular pressure and it is essential to perform it on both eyes.
Treatment
As in all diseases, it will depend on the cause and should always be applied by a veterinarian. There are a wide variety of medical treatments that facilitate the drainage of the aqueous humor, such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, beta blockers, cholinergics, etc., which in some cases can be combined with each other. If this does not achieve clinical improvement, surgical treatment is chosen
Waterfalls
Cataract occurs when the lens (lens that allows objects to focus) partially or totally loses its transparency and, therefore, if it is not treated in timemay cause blindness in the affected eye. It is a fairly 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 rare. Likewise, systemic diseases such as diabetes or hypocalcaemia, trauma, chronic uveitis, toxic substances and/or ulcers can also cause the appearance of cataracts in cats.
Symptoms
The first thing that is evident is a whitish-grey spot in the eye, 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 vision alteration, however, it is not the most frequent. The other symptoms are:
- Clumsiness when wandering
- Tripping over objects
- Abnormally moist eyes
Unlike the previous case, here the eye is not completely cloudy, but the spot can be more or less large.
Treatment
Although it can be diagnosed by inspection in some cases, a complete ophthalmological examination should always be performed and the degree of vision loss identified. The definitive treatment of cataracts is surgical resection of the lens, however, the application of anti-inflammatory eye drops can cause symptomatic improvement.
Feline chlamydiosis
This is another cause of cloudy eyes in cats and is caused by the bacteria Chlamydia felis, which affects cats to a greater extent domestic cats and is easily transmissible 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 that live in groups regardless of sex.
Symptoms
Presents as a persistent mild conjunctivitis accompanied by rhinitis (sneezing and runny nose), watery or purulent tears , fever and loss of appetite. Less frequently and depending on the feline's immune status, the infection can spread to the lungs. If it is 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 cloudy or covered.
Since the symptoms are very non-specific, the diagnosis is based on clinical suspicion based on conjunctivitis as the main symptom, and epidemiological when several felines live in a household. However, it is the culture of secretions that confirms the presence of the bacteria.
Treatment
The treatment of feline chlamydiosis is based on general care, that is, daily cleaning of eye secretions and proper nutrition, as well as antipyreticsfor fever and antibiotics for the elimination of the microorganism.
Feline eosinophilic keratoconjunctivitis
It is a very common chronic disease in cats (also in horses), whose main causal agent is feline herpesvirus type 1 The alterations Structural changes that occur in the cornea are immune-mediated by eosinophils in response to antigenic stimuli, which can affect one or both eyes. In this way, in this case, it is not only possible to notice that your cat has a bad eye, but it is also possible that it shows both cloudy eyes.
Symptoms
The primary infection is a non-specific and self-limited conjunctivitis accompanied by tearingand in some cases, palpebral affection. Being a chronic disease, recurrences appear that usually appear in the form of dendritic keratitis (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/pinkish plaques appear on the cornea or on the conjunctiva or both and can also be associated with painful corneal ulcers.
The diagnosis of this type of keratitis in cats is carried out by identifying the typical lesions and by identifying eosinophils in corneal cytology or by corneal biopsy.
Treatment
The treatment of these animals can be done topically, systemically or through a combination of both methods, having to be maintained for long periods of time and even in some cases for life. Subconjunctival injections can be used to enhance treatment in some cases. As explained, recurrences are frequent in this disease, so the treatment must be carried out constantly and be aware of the appearance of new lesions.
Because of all of the above, if you see clouds in the eyes of your cats, a cloudy, cloudy, watery and/or inflamed eye, it is essential to go to the veterinarian to make a diagnosis and establish the most appropriate treatment.
