Uveitis is a frequent eye problem in cats and may be caused by an underlying infection. The uvea is a part of the feline eye and it is in charge with supplying blood to the retina. Uvetitis is a condition that indicates the inflammation of the uvea. Uvetis may be treated with eye drops, but the underlying cause should be detected first.
Causes of Uveitis in Felines
The uvea is an important part of the eye and supplies the necessary blood to the retina. When the uvea is affected, there may be blood leakage in the eye. The uvea may get inflamed due to several underlying causes:
- Infections
- Feline leukemia virus (FeLV)
- Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)
- The feline infectious peritonitis or the corona virus (FIP)
- Toxoplasmosis gondii
- Herpes virus
- Certain medications
- Hereditary causes
In some cases, the causes of feline uveitis are not known; if the vet establishes that the cat has idiopathic uveitis, the cat should be monitored for additional symptoms to find if there may be any clues to what causes the inflammation.
Symptoms of Uveitis
Uveitis may be indicated by the following symptoms:
- Eye redness, in some cases even blood in the eyes or eye hemorrhaging
- A chronic watery ocular discharge, which may turn into puss
- Excessive tearing
- Excessive blinking (may be caused by eye spasms)
- Squinting
- Pain and lethargy
- Excessive meowing due to pain
- Eye color change
The cat may also suffer from photophobia (sensitivity to light) so he may hide and seek areas that are darker.
Diagnosing Uveitis
Uveitis may be diagnosed judging by the symptoms displayed by the cat. However, some of these symptoms may also be indicative of other eye problems such as conjunctivitis, so a vet needs to take a closer look.
An ophthalmoscope will be used and the vet will look in the back of the cat’s eye. The vet should establish the eye pressure; if this is too high, the cat may be affected by glaucoma, which can be a consequence of untreated uveitis.
The vet should also perform more tests to determine if there is an underlying cause (blood or urine tests).
Uveitis Treatment
The treatment of uveitis will be determined by the underlying cause of the condition. If the condition is not treatable, the vet will focus on relieving the pain. Anti inflammatory drugs will also be administered.
The vet will prescribe eye drops that should be administered once or twice per day. You should learn how to administer the drops yourself.
If the condition is left untreated, the blood and the proteins that have been leaked in the cat’s eyes may cause glaucoma or eye cataracts; these are 2 severe eye conditions that may lead to blindness.
If these complications appear, the vet will determine the best course of treatment.