Seeing your cat develop cloudy eyes or lose their vision could be unsettling for cat parents. Glaucomas may not be so common in cats but could affect and distort their daily routine. With the help of this article, you will understand how this condition came about, its symptoms and treatment.
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Glaucoma in Cats Symptoms
Symptoms of glaucoma are usually obvious and present as discolouration of the eye. It could affect one eye or both and is termed unilateral or bilateral glaucoma respectively.
In glaucoma, the eye becomes clouded and appears unusual both in size and color. Before this, other symptoms may have been obvious but ignored. These symptoms may include:
- Eye discharge from both eyes
- Swollen or enlarged eyes
- Change in pupil size
- White cloudy eyes
- Reddened eyes with blood around the iris
- Aggression and isolation
- Loss of vision and coordination
- Eyes with rainbow-coloured halos when around light
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
Advanced levels of glaucoma go as far as causing total loss of vision. To prevent this from happening, install the Petcube Camera in your home and observe your cat for early symptoms of impaired vision like discoordination or stumbling on an object.
What Causes Glaucoma in Cats
Glaucoma in cats occurs when there is a disruption of aqueous humor/fluid in the eyes, leading to build-up of intraocular pressure. This build-up happens when the inflow of aqueous humor is more than the outflow.
Research claims that glaucoma in cats could be a degenerative disorder caused by different factors or conditions which eventually result in glaucoma.
Glaucoma in cats is of two types; primary and secondary glaucoma. Primary glaucomas are commonly due to a genetic disposition such as a developmental anomaly in the eyes.
Secondary Glaucomas are externally induced and start off as an acute condition then progresses to a chronic stage when not taken care of. This condition is caused by different factors such as:
- Eye trauma: Trauma to the eye could damage eye lenses or cause scarring. This could lead to an obstruction in eye drainage and potentially glaucoma.
- Blood clots: Blood clots could cause some form of obstruction in the drainage system of the eyes, obstructing or blocking eye drainage, leading to glaucoma.
- Tumor: Tumor of the eyes such as lymphoma could obstruct drainage of aqueous humor and cause glaucoma.
- Infectious diseases: Some infectious diseases, Feline immunodeficiency virus and Feline leukemia virus, could cause inflammation of the uveitis and lead to blockage in eye drainage and eventually glaucoma.
- Parasitic infections: Parasitic infections such as toxoplasmosis could also be attributed to glaucoma in cats due to its ability to cause inflammation in the eyes.
Other factors such as fungal infection, lens luxation, closed drainage angle and other idiopathic factors could also contribute to glaucoma in cats.
Glaucoma in Cats Treatment
Treatment of glaucoma is focused on reducing the intraocular pressure in the eye. To achieve this, numerous treatment options are employed according to the type of glaucoma.
“In glaucoma treatment, it is crucial to reduce the pressure within the eyes as quickly as possible to avoid damage”, - Dr. Kirk N. Gelatt
Secondary glaucoma can be treated using the following:
- Topical medications like eye drops could be recommended.
- Use of NSAIDs and steroids to control pain and inflammation.
- Use of intravenous fluids like mannitol to decrease eye pressure.
- Surgery may be adopted as a permanent solution to relieve cats of excruciating pain caused by glaucoma.
Glaucoma is treatable when the condition is detected in time. Cats with mild cases of glaucoma respond well to treatment and achieve a stable intraocular pressure.
“My cat achieved stable intraocular pressure with the use of dorzolamide timolol eye drops twice a day”, - Reddit User
The recovery rate in glaucoma could be as low as 10 days, as seen in a case report. This type of quick recovery is possible in cases that are diagnosed and treated on time.
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Conclusion
When diagnosed on time, cats with glaucoma may have a good prognosis. Glaucoma caused by genetic anomalies may not be curable but is managed to avoid total loss of vision. With the help of steroids, eye drops and relevant treatment regimens, cats with glaucoma have a better chance of regaining their eyesight.
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