The cat's third eyelid does not go away. Eye diseases in cats. Third eyelid in cats. Eye diseases that affect cats

The article contains information about this problem and how experienced people can advise dealing with it. veterinarians, but you need to understand that only after examining a four-legged patient can you count on receiving correct scheme treatment.

Third eyelid in cats: what is it, symptoms and signs, what does it look like?

The third eyelid that appears in cats is a fold of the conjunctiva; it is localized near the inner corner of the eyes. It plays important role when the eyes are open, it is not visible, but in this way the eye is protected.

Its symptoms are as follows: the eye becomes teary. Pus or other mucus may accumulate in the damaged organ of vision. The appearance of the eyelid, of course, immediately becomes noticeable - a thin, light-colored skin is formed, its size varies.

Third eyelid in cats treatment at home, what drugs and tablets to use

First of all, you can pay attention to your pet’s nutrition; it is useful to give supplements that contain the following herbs:

1. Calendula and plantain.
2. Cornflower.

If a problem is detected, you should visit a veterinarian. Under no circumstances should you put drops intended for humans into your eyes. Thus, you can only worsen the situation.

The eyelid may recover within a few hours. If this does not happen, you can use drugs - cycloferon or fosprenil. Thanks to them viral infection will be eliminated.

Does a cat have a third eyelid in both eyes or not, and in the corners of the eye?

The disease can affect either one eye or two at once. This is mainly due to the fact that cats fight often. The resulting injury can become an entry point for bacteria and viruses to attach and, as a result, the development of such an unpleasant disease.

The cat's third eyelid drops anandin reviews, price, instructions for use

The cost of one bottle is from 30 to 100 rubles, depending on the region of residence. Drops allow you to suppress activity harmful bacteria, stop inflammatory process, accelerate the regeneration process.

The lower eyelid of the affected eye should be slightly turned away, then a few drops are dripped. To prevent the medicine from flowing back, it is necessary to lift the animal’s muzzle upward for several minutes.

Review: Ivan, Moscow. Our cat had a problem with the appearance of a third eyelid. The doctor advised me to use anandin drops. After use, everything really returned to normal and the animal recovered.

My cat's third eyelid is inflamed, is it contagious?

In fact, the third eyelid is not considered a disease, which means the animal does not pose any danger to others. You can continue to “communicate” with him and not worry.

Does a cat have a third eyelid after anesthesia or not and what to do, treatment with folk remedies (folk recipes)

A problem can actually appear after undergoing anesthesia. This is a kind of response of the body to medications. But this doesn't happen often. At home, you can give your animal immunomodulatory drugs, this way it will be possible to eliminate the viral infection.

Until recently, it was generally accepted that the third (blinking) eyelid in cats is an organ that does not perform any functions. But it turned out that it saves healthy condition surface of the eye. When blinking, the third eyelid moves along the surface of the eyeball, clearing it of dust particles, distributing tear fluid evenly over its entire surface, and also preventing injury to the cornea. ABOUT serious problems with vision, any inflammatory process of the third eyelid can signal.

This disease in a cat may be accompanied by the following symptoms:

1. Tear production increases;
2. Blepharospasms appear;
3. Purulent or mucous discharge appears;
4. A large formation appears in the corners of the eyes.

Causes of the third eyelid in cats

It happens that the third eyelid is visible in cats even in an alert state. This is a sign of an eye disease in your pet. A white or light blue skin covers part of the cat's eyeballs from the inner corner. When the third eyelid appears, this should alert the cat owner.

If skin appears on one cat's eye, it may indicate the presence of some foreign object in it. And if it’s on both eyeballs, it means the pet is sick.

The appearance of the third eyelid is also called prolapse, and the desired result cannot be achieved with its treatment, since by eliminating only the symptom, the pet cannot be cured of the disease. It is recommended that if you discover a third eyelid in a cat, you take it seriously and show her to a veterinarian. Only he will be able to correctly diagnose the disease and prescribe a course of treatment so that the pet recovers.

It happens that the third eyelid covers only part of the eye, and not completely. This may also mean that the cat does not have serious illnesses. This could happen due to the cat losing weight. Especially if there are no other symptoms with prolapse of the third eyelid. All that needs to be done in this case is to feed the pet more and give it vitamin B12 0.05 mg daily. But to rule out the presence of an illness, it is still better to show the cat to a veterinarian.

Treatment of third eyelid prolapse

Prolapse is often mistaken for prolapse of a cat’s nictitating membrane, but this is a mistake. There is still a difference between these two problems: the conjunctiva with prolapse looks almost normal, that is, it has the appearance of a smooth pinkish, grayish or bluish film lining the surface of the eye even when the pet is awake. Both prolapse and prolapse may indicate the presence of various diseases pet: allergies, diseases internal organs, infections, injuries. any special treatment prolapse does not exist. It is enough to find out the cause of the disease and after it is eliminated everything will work out, fold the conjunctiva will return to its normal position.

If your pet's third eyelid has fallen out, the conjunctiva has become an abnormal color, there is discharge from the eyes and he spends time rubbing his eyes frequently, you should consult a veterinarian. Eye drops purchased independently from veterinary pharmacy, having broad action, can relieve your pet of symptoms, and the cause will remain in his body. And for the veterinarian, if the cat’s symptoms have disappeared, but the cause remains, it will be much more difficult to diagnose this or that disease. And the treatment will take much longer.

For information: once upon a time, our ancestors also had nictitating membrane. They needed it to protect their eyes from grass, dust and various foreign objects. But over time, they learned to walk upright and pick up food with their hands, so the need for the nictitating membrane disappeared and gradually it completely atrophied. By the way, according to similar reason Monkeys also lack a third eyelid.

Treatment of the third eyelid in cats due to adenoma

Adenoma of the third century - benign education shaped like a bean. This neoplasm is bright red or pinkish in color and as it grows, it increases in size and begins to protrude from under the eyelid. There are many reasons why adenoma of the third eyelid arises and develops. Among them various infections, hormonal disorders, eye injuries. Predisposition in representatives of a certain breed also occurs, and Persian, British, and exotic breed cats are most at risk of developing this disease.

A pet that develops an adenoma cannot close its eye completely, so the risk of developing infections and injury becomes higher. Almost always, inflammation in a cat’s third eyelid goes away with purulent discharge, as well as an increase in her body temperature. The most complex cases diseases deprive the pet of mobility, loss of appetite, and make it irritable.

In the treatment of adenoma, only surgical intervention followed by a course of drug therapy. Very often it is necessary to remove the entire third eyelid. But this is a serious step, so you should seek advice from several different veterinarians before you decide to take it. This will help avoid unpleasant fatal consequences in the form of chronic conjunctivitis and lack of tear fluid.

Treatment at home

If you discover a prolapse of the third eyelid in your pet, before contacting a veterinarian for examination and prescribing a course of treatment, you can not waste time and immediately start giving phytomineral supplements containing ivy bud, plantain, cornflower and calendula in the composition. This is the only thing you can do for your pet on at this stage. But under no circumstances should you put drops in his eyes, especially those intended for people.

Sometimes a dropped third eyelid can recover within a few hours, but if it doesn't, surgery may be necessary.

A course of treatment at home may consist of taking immunomodulating medications, such as cycloferon or fosprenil, to eliminate the viral infection.

Treatment of the third eyelid in cats with drugs

Elimination of this problem is carried out by a veterinary ophthalmologist. To begin with, as mentioned above, you will need to eliminate the root cause of the pathology. Loss of the third eyelid in cats, unfortunately, cannot be treated with medication. Set it straight surgical intervention It will also not work, since if the slightest inaccuracy is allowed in fixing the gland, then re-prolapse will occur. The operation must be performed to return the gland to correct position, and the functions must be preserved.

After surgery, your cat will need eye drops. antibacterial drops with a symptomatic effect - Saphrodex, containing 0.25% levomecithin. You will also have to take a course antibacterial therapy and treatment with drugs to protect the cornea. Accidental eye injury can be avoided by using a plastic collar. Prolapse of the third eyelid in a cat in the early stages is easier to cure than when the disease has already acquired running form. Only at this stage is it necessary to operate on the pet, and also if there is malignant tumors. Small tumors are removed, and the function of the third eyelid is preserved. The removed tumor is sent to histological examination to the laboratory to find out his character.

The conjunctiva is a thin mucous membrane lining

surface of the eyeball and inner side century The third eyelid in cats is a fold of the conjunctiva located at the inner corners of the eyes. Why do cats need a nictitating membrane and what do changes in its size, color and structure indicate?

The third or inner eyelid plays an important role in the functioning of the visual organs. When a cat's eyes are open, the third eyelid remains invisible. But the moment the pet blinks or tilts its head to the ground, the fold of the conjunctiva straightens, covering almost the entire surface of the eye. The nictitating membrane acts like car windshield wiper blades, evenly distributing tear fluid and removing foreign particles from the surface of the eye. In addition, the nictitating membrane produces about a third of all tear fluid.

If you notice that your cat's third eyelid is visible even when she is awake, you should contact your veterinarian. An enlarged nictitating membrane cannot cope with the functions assigned to it: the eyes are not sufficiently or too moisturized and are poorly protected from external negative factors.

Prolapse of the third eyelid in cats is not a disease, but a symptom that accompanies many diseases:

It is important to find the root cause, since treating the third eyelid in cats in this case will lead nowhere. You should consult your veterinarian as soon as possible: The longer third eyelid prolapse in cats remains unattended by a specialist, the higher the likelihood of secondary infections, which complicates diagnosis and treatment.

If a cat's third eyelid becomes inflamed, the causes and treatment should be well studied by the animal owners. This is a condition in which a whitish film covers part of the cornea of ​​one or both of your pet's eyes.

The so-called nictitating membrane, which is responsible for irrigating the cornea with tear fluid and clearing it of debris, becomes visible due to various pathologies. Only a veterinarian can correctly determine the etiology of third eyelid prolapse. Independent treatment undertaken by the cat owner can lead to complications of the disease. The owner of the animal can carry out therapeutic measures at home, but only strictly following the prescriptions and recommendations of a specialist.

The timing of seeing a doctor is also urgent: the accuracy of diagnosing the disease is higher in its early stage. It should be added that attempts made by the owner to treat the pet’s eyes before visiting the veterinarian can also negatively affect the establishment of the etiology of the pathological condition.

To understand how difficult it is for a person ignorant of cat diseases to find the correct cause of third eyelid prolapse, you need to list possible options formation of pathology. Here they are:

1. Infections of a bacterial, fungal or viral nature. These include mycoplasmosis, rhinotracheitis, chlamydia and other diseases. One of their symptoms is damage to the cat's eyes.
2. Diseases of internal organs, for example the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. Sometimes the third eyelid falls out after a course of antibiotic therapy.
3. Inflammatory processes in the hearing organs.
4. Disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system.
5. Infection of an animal with fleas or worms.
6. Consequence of injury. IN similar cases Only one nictitating membrane is damaged.
7. Reaction to foreign body entry. Inflammation occurs when tear fluid cannot wash it away.
8. Conjunctivitis caused by food allergy and chemical substances. Cats may be hypersensitive to pollen. Chronic, catarrhal or purulent conjunctivitis occurs as a consequence of diseases of other organs.
9. Benign tumor of the third eyelid (adenoma).
10. Atrophy of the eyeball.
11. Genetic predisposition of animals of certain breeds, for example Persian.

Diagnostics

Unless the exact etiology that causes inflammation of the third eyelid in cats is determined, treatment is unlikely to be effective. Therefore, in many cases, a specialist makes a diagnosis only after comprehensive survey pet, which often includes:

• general and biochemical tests blood;
• ultrasound examination (ultrasound);
• PCR diagnostics (before which they make swabs from the animal’s eye) and the like.

At the beginning of the appointment, the veterinarian asks the cat’s owner about characteristic symptoms diseases. The doctor often begins diagnosis based on medical history.

Before going to the clinic, an amateur felinologist can determine characteristic features some pathologies. Eg:

1. Conjunctivitis is manifested by redness and swelling of the eyeball and surrounding tissues, lacrimation and purulent discharge. The cat may develop a fever and general weakness and photophobia, loss of appetite. The pet owner will see similar symptoms by slightly spreading his eyelid with his fingers.
2. Inflammation of the cornea is accompanied by lacrimation and sometimes clouding. The animal, in pain, rubs its eyes with its paw and shakes its head.

It must be repeated that it is better for the owner not to take independent actions to treat the cat. Similar conditions it may arise not only due to external factors (injury or blockage of the eye), but also internal reasons. It is necessary to seek help from a veterinary clinic as soon as possible.

Treatment of the disease

How is inflammation of the third eyelid treated in cats? At infectious pathologies the specialist prescribes antifungal therapy and antiviral agents and medications that suppress the development of pathogenic microbes. The course includes painkillers, antipyretics, vitamins and immunostimulants. Sometimes intravenous infusions are used pharmacological solutions. The owner is required to provide the pet with adequate nutrition, but not harmful to health, rest and timely (in accordance with the doctor’s recommendations) administration of medications.

Treatment of a disease caused by an allergy will be effective once the allergens are identified. The veterinarian will prescribe antihistamines. In some cases, therapy may be necessary to improve your cat's condition. hormonal drugs local and general action.

In most cases, injured eyes are treated without special difficulties. Doctors first use drops to relieve pain, and then examine the affected areas of the cornea and surrounding tissue. To remove debris or foreign bodies, rinsing is used. Surgical assistance required only in special cases.

It is not needed to remove an adenoma if the tumor does not increase in size and does not bother the cat. Removing the tumor threatens the animal with such a complication as dry eye syndrome. Most often when benign tumor maintenance therapy is prescribed.

At chronic forms diseases of the organs of vision pet the owner is required to strictly follow the recommendations given by the veterinarian regarding the animal’s diet, its diet, physical activity etc.

Cats' eyes look magical not only because of the incredible combinations of colors, but also because of the bizarre change in the pupil depending on the amount of color. cat's eye contains a membrane known as the third eyelid. You may have never seen it because it is a sign of health problems. If you notice a third eyelid on your cat, you just need to know about possible reasons and treatment of diseases.

What is a cat's third eyelid?

The scientific name for this membrane, found in the eyes of several mammals, including cats, is the nictitating membrane, which is also known as the third eyelid or fitting membrane. This is the tissue located around the cornea, conjunctiva and mucous membrane. The third eyelid is usually hidden out of sight in the central (also known as medial - near the nose) part of the eye socket. Unlike the other two eyelids, which open and close by moving up and down, the third eyelid slides back and forth across the eye from the center outward. This is a moist membrane that may be pigmented (dark), or may have no pigment and therefore be pale or pink (due to blood vessels that pass through it). The role of the third eyelid is to protect the eyeball from the penetration of any foreign object and from various injuries. It is also responsible for the release of fluid, antiseptic properties which are able to fight bacteria and microorganisms that can cause irritation and inflammation. If you notice a third eyelid in a cat, either in one eye or in both, this may indicate a malfunction in the body and disease.

Third eyelid in a cat: causes of prolapse

· Conjunctivitis. This eye infection not only causes the appearance of a third eyelid, but also causes swelling, redness and tearing.

· Dehydration. When a cat is suffering from severe water stress, the appearance of this eye tissue is a sign of a serious health condition that must be treated by a specialist.

· Medications, especially a tranquilizer called acepromazine, can cause the eyelid to bulge. After stopping the drug everything returns to normal condition.

· Bruise. Any head injury (even a seemingly minor one) can affect the eyes.

· Foreign body. Anything that gets into your cat's eyes, be it debris, dust or anything else, will cause this membrane to appear as it acts as a mechanism to prevent further penetration of foreign matter into the cat's eyes. eyeball.

· Cancer. Education may influence the appearance of the third eyelid cancer cells.

· Horner's syndrome. A neurological condition called Horner's syndrome can cause a third eyelid to appear. This condition often occurs after ear cleaning because one of the nerves that goes to the eye also passes through the ear. If eardrum damaged during cleaning, the nerve may become irritated, resulting in a syndrome that resolves on its own after some time.

· Genetics. Some cat breeds, such as Burmese, are more prone to developing a third eyelid.

Third eyelid in a cat: symptoms

Look at your cat in bright light and examine the eyes. U healthy pet they should be clear and bright, and the area around the pupil should be white. Wrap the cat in a towel to prevent it from escaping, carefully thumb Pull back your lower eyelid a little – it should be pink inside. Not red and not white. If during the examination you notice several symptoms from the list, this may indicate problems. The third eyelid may not appear immediately.

· lacrimation;

· red or white inner eyelids;

dried pus in the corners of the eyes;

· slightly open eyes;

· cloudy eyes;

· third eyelid.

Third eyelid in a cat: treatment

Because of various reasons which can cause the nictitating membrane to take up more space in the eye than it should, there are several types of treatment, as it all depends on the source of the abnormality.

· If dehydration occurs, you should give your cat plenty of wet food and water to stop the process. It is also recommended that you take your cat to the veterinarian so that he can prescribe maintenance medications and possibly IV drips.

· In case of conjunctivitis, wounds, foreign bodies in the eyes, only a veterinarian's diagnosis can determine the next step. Can be assigned eye drops and other medicines.

· If the cause of the third eyelid is genetic, the veterinarian will use medical research to determine whether the third eyelid is affecting the cat's vision and causing discomfort.

A cat's third eyelid: when not to worry

You are most likely to see your cat's third eyelid when she is sleeping. It is not uncommon for cats to sleep with their eyes slightly open and visible third eyelid covering the eyeball. Some cats have a protruding third eyelid by design. For example, this can be observed in many Siamese. Both of these situations are constant and normal. Owners of such cats usually do not pay attention and do not monitor the age of their pets, because it has been visible throughout their lives. In these situations, there is generally no need to worry.