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Glaucoma is a disease that can affect a wide variety of animals, including people, dogs, and unfortunately also cats. If it is not treated in time, the hairy can end up losing vision in the affected eye.
If we take into account that this part of the body is one of the most important for the feline, we must pay attention to any changes that may occur to take the necessary measures as soon as possible. Therefore, I am going to tell you what are the symptoms of glaucoma in cats.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a excess fluid inside the eye. Normally, the internal structures of the eye continuously synthesize fluids in a slow way, and then they are drained. However, when this fluid synthesis occurs excessively, the excess fluid is not drained quickly enough so that it accumulates, causing significant intraocular pressure.
It is a disease that can be hereditary, or appear as a symptom of another pathology such as uveitis or a trauma to the eye. In addition, it can also be acute or chronic depending on how quickly it develops.
What are the symptoms?
A cat whose eye has or is beginning to have fluid build-up may have the following symptoms:
- Acute glaucoma: color change in the cornea, dilated and fixed pupil, redness of the eye and possible loss of vision.
- Subacute glaucoma: bluish cornea, visual impairment, in addition to deformity and dilation in the pupils and redness of the eye.
But there will not only be changes in the eye, but also in the behavior of the feline. Apathy, loss of appetite, and depression are signs to watch out for.
In case we suspect you have glaucoma we must take him to the vet as soon as possible. There they will measure your intraocular pressure and examine the inside of your eye to see how much fluid flow there is. If the disease is confirmed, depending on the case, he will give you an eye drop to reduce the pressure. When the damage is irreversible, he will choose to remove your eye to prevent infection.
Do not let time pass. For the cat's own sake, it should be taken for examination at the slightest sign of illness. Glaucoma does not heal on its own.