Of all the various medical conditions that your pet could suffer from, uveitis in cats is definitely one that you shouldn’t overlook.
Cat parents should be well-informed about this eye condition that can, unfortunately, cause permanent blindness.
Feline uveitis has sure signs that you should identify at the earliest. This condition has well-defined causes; hence it becomes a tad easy to prevent its occurrence.
Despite this, unfortunately, many domestic and wild cats contract uveitis in their eye, which could cause a lot of discomfort to them.
So, as a proud cat parent, it’s your responsibility to detect early occurrences of uveitis.
This article aims at simplifying all the relevant info about this medical condition.
Here’s everything you need to know about uveitis in a cat’s eyes.
What is the Uvea?
Let’s understand why your beloved feline can fall prey to uveitis. But first, you need to understand the eye structure of a cat and relevant terminologies.
Uvea is an integral part of the eye. It is the colored interior layer of a feline’s eye and comprises three primary structures.
Iris: It is the thin circular ring surrounding the pupil. It is responsible for controlling the pupil’s size.
Ciliary body: It is the set of muscles that functions as the source of the eye fluid.
Choroid: It is the eye’s middle layer that contains blood vessels. It is responsible for nourishing the retina.
Uveitis in the cat’s eye occurs when these structures become inflamed.
What Is Uveitis?
If you notice a swelling or peculiar redness in your kitty’s eyes, it may be a case of uveitis. It is a condition when one or more of the uvea structures, i.e., iris, ciliary body, or choroid, becomes inflamed.
Depending on the nature of inflammation, this condition has specific classifications.
- Anterior uveitis
- Posterior uveitis
- True uveitis
It is important to note that feline uveitis can occur in one or both eyes. Before moving on to the causes and symptoms, let’s understand each classification in brief.
Types of feline uveitis
Type name | Part affected |
Anterior uveitis | Iris and ciliary body |
Posterior uveitis | Choroid |
True uveitis | Iris, ciliary body, choroid |
In a nutshell, inflammation of the anterior uveal tract leads to the first uveitis condition.
In posterior uveitis, the iris and ciliary body are unaffected.
Finally, true uveitis, also known as panuveitis, involves inflammation of all three structures of the uvea.
What Causes Uveitis in Cats?
Uveitis in your cat’s eye could happen due to multiple common reasons. Some of these include:
Infections – Parasitic, fungal, viral, bacterial, FIP
Diseases – Diabetes, metabolic disorders, autoimmune disease
Toxins – Irritants or chemicals entering or in contact with the eyes
Miscellaneous – Eye trauma, eye tumors, high blood pressure
Having knowledge about these causes can help you prevent this condition in your furry friend.
Additionally, if your cat is showing symptoms of uveitis, knowing these causes can often lead to the quick treatment of this condition.
Strengthening your cat’s immune system is a primary preventive measure to avoid many of these causes. For instance, you can include elements like taurine in your kitty’s food.
What are the Signs of Uveitis?
If your feline is suffering from any discomfort or apparent medical condition, it is always a good idea to take it to a veterinary doctor.
A vet can diagnose conditions like feline uveitis with a proper medical procedure.
However, as a cat parent, it would help to identify common signs and symptoms of this unfortunate disorder. Some of these include:
- Excess fluid causing eye discharge
- Cat avoiding bright light
- Blepharospasm
- Cat keeping eyes shut
- Intense redness of the eyes
- Cloudy appearance of the eye
- Cat blinking repeatedly
- Pawing of the affected eye or eyes
If you observe any or several of the above signs in your kitty, there are chances that it has uveitis. Contact your vet as soon as possible so that you can start the treatment as quickly as possible.
Remember that feline uveitis can often lead to blindness; thus, you must make prompt decisions.
How to Treat Uveitis in Cats Eye
Initially, the main focus of a veterinarian will be on minimizing the inflammation in the eye of your cat.
Depending on the intensity and significant cause, the initial treatment will include one or more of the following methods.
- Eye drops
- Oral medications
- Therapy
- Anti-inflammatory drugs
The treatment aims at curing your cat of the underlying cause. However, early access to such treatment can often reduce further complications and even prevent the chances of blindness.
In some cases, failure of all treatments may lead to the removal of the affected eye. Thus, feline uveitis is a ruinous disorder.
How to Treat Uveitis in Cats Eye?
Initially, the main focus of a veterinarian will be on minimizing the inflammation in the eye of your cat.
Depending on the intensity and significant cause, the initial treatment will include one or more of the following methods.
- Eye drops
- Oral medications
- Therapy
- Anti-inflammatory drugs
The treatment aims at curing your cat of the underlying cause. However, early access to such treatment can often reduce further complications and even prevent the chances of blindness.
In some cases, failure of all treatments may lead to the removal of the affected eye. Thus, feline uveitis is a ruinous disorder.
Is Uveitis in Cats Contagious to Humans?
An underlying infection could be the possible cause of uveitis in your cat. If your kitty develops uveitis due to conditions like FIP, FIV, it can pass the disease to other cats.
In the case of humans, a cat with uveitis due to toxoplasmosis can spread the disease to other cats and even humans!
However, don’t let this scare you!
It is a sporadic occurrence, and in most cases, humans don’t contract any infection from cats and vice versa.
In any case, you must always pay proper attention to the health and hygiene of your cat to keep it away from any diseases.
This way, both you and your kitty can enjoy each other’s company without any underlying fear.
Preventing Cat Uveitis
The best advice to prevent feline uveitis has to be none other than providing a balanced diet to your cat.
To ensure that your cat gets its daily dose of macro and micronutrients, you can give it a good quality cat food as a meal.
Furthermore, you must always include foods that help build your cat’s immune system.
However, if your cat has already contracted uveitis, the best advice would be to take her to the vet as soon as possible. Initial treatment like eye drops, pain-countering medicines can prevent secondary complications and minimize your cat’s discomfort.
However, it’s always beneficial to recognize any visible sign at the earliest.
Moreover, early detection of uveitis in your cat’s eye can significantly reduce the need for surgeries.
Endnotes
Proper and timely treatment of feline uveitis can lead to rapid improvement in your cat’s eye.
Hence, it’s better to stay alert in case you notice any of the signs mentioned in this article.
If you are a cat parent, chances are that your furry feline is an integral part of your life. Thus, you must maintain its health and take care of its nutrition and hygiene to enjoy its warmth and companionship.
You must do everything you can to ensure that it is safe, healthy, and happy. And most importantly, never overlook symptoms that portray a probability of uveitis in cats.
Frequently Asked Questions About Uveitis in Cats
Uveitis is a common disease that can occur due to many underlying causes. As a result of several root causes, this ocular disorder is unfortunately common amongst cats.
It is, therefore, crucial to ensure that your cat gets all essential nutrients. A healthy diet will reduce the chances of most medical conditions.
A veterinarian can suggest anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce swelling of the uvea. Medicines like atropine, tropicamide are effective in the treatment of uveitis.
Pain-relieving medicines like corticosteroids can be effective in treating this feline condition.
Flurbiprofen is another drug that a vet can suggest depending on the state of infection.
However, you should always consult a vet to give the best treatment to your cat and never experiment on your own.
It would be best if you refrained from using over-the-counter drops that are suitable for humans on your cat. Cat-eye infections need an expert veterinarian for proper treatment.
A vet will prescribe appropriate eye drops for your cat. Remember, diseases like uveitis in cats are dangerous, and you shouldn’t experiment with any household remedy.
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