9 causes of entropion in cats - symptoms, treatment, prevention

5115Administration

Inversion of the eyelid in a cat is a pathology in which a fold of skin turns inside the eye. Because of this, the cornea is constantly traumatically affected by eyelashes and hair covering the eyelid. When an inversion of the lower eyelid occurs in a cat, with prolonged absence of treatment, the formation of a corneal ulcer is observed. As a result, the animal loses vision and experiences constant pain. The pet's quality of life is seriously deteriorated, and the cat cannot remain cheerful and cheerful when an entropion has occurred and the eyelid is in an unnatural position.

Why does the eyelid curl up?

In cats, entropion of the eyelids occurs for various reasons. The disease is caused by various factors, the main one of which is a genetic predisposition that causes a violation in the structure, as a result of which the eyelid curls up. This eye disease can occur in pets of any breed, but it most often affects the exotic Sphynx, as well as British and Persian cats.

A cat's eyelids may droop for the following reasons::

Spasm of the muscles of the orbit of the eye - from such an effect the eyelid experiences inversion;
Incorrect development of the eyelids, as a congenital defect, when their length is excessive;
An eye injury in which entropion occurs mechanically. Often injury occurs during play or a fight with another cat or dog;
Foreign body in the eye - volvulus occurs due to mechanical damage;
Scar formation - usually this phenomenon occurs if the cat's eyelid has been thermally or chemically burned and its edge is injured. When the damage heals, a scar appears, which causes volvulus;
Previous unsuccessful surgical manipulations in the eye area, in which the cat did not undergo proper restorative therapy - the structure of the eyelid is disrupted and entropion occurs;
Paralysis of the facial nerve - against the background of this pathology, the cat loses the ability to control the muscles of the eyelids, and they droop or roll up;
Age-related degenerative processes in muscles and skin cause, among other things, entropion of the eyelid;
Neoplasms in the eyelid area of a malignant or benign nature - with such a disease, the eyelid changes (to varying degrees) its shape, which can provoke volvulus.

The upper eyelid inversion is experienced much less frequently than the lower one. The disease has primary and secondary forms. The primary one appears in kittens due to improper development of the eyelids, and the secondary one appears in adult animals against the background of provoking factors associated with muscle dysfunction or injuries.

What is an entropion in a cat?

Entropion in cats is a pathology in which the eyelids roll toward the eye in a roller-like manner. The wool comes into contact with the conjunctiva, sclera, and cornea of the eye, which causes damage to the organs and their functioning is disrupted. The animal constantly feels pain, which leads to a deterioration in its quality of life. Previously playful kittens may become lethargic and inactive, and stop showing interest in toys.

Often the disease is hereditary: the relationship between the size of the cranial bones and the amount of skin is disrupted. The spastic form develops when a spasm occurs due to the entry of a foreign body or mechanical damage to the cornea. Cycatric develops due to a scar from surgery or injury to the eye. Involution occurs when the volume of the eye decreases due to dehydration. The disease is divided into primary (congenital) and secondary (acquired).

The development of a pathological process in cancer is possible due to age-related changes.

The main symptoms of the disease are pain, redness, lacrimation, and swelling. The size of the eyes visually decreases and their shape changes. The fur around the eyes is constantly wet. Gradually, the symptoms worsen: suppuration and mucus appear in the corners of the organs of vision. Ulcers and necrotic processes develop on the cornea. In representatives of the Persian breed, necrosis is accompanied by a change in eye color.

Manifestations of the disease

If the owner knows the symptoms of the disease, then he will be able to identify bloat in the cat and provide timely assistance to the pet. First of all, when the eyelid rolls up, irritation of the cornea of the eye begins. Entropion of the eyelids is accompanied by other noticeable symptoms. Manifestations of the disease are presented in increasing order as it progresses :

redness of the eyes;
profuse lacrimation;
swelling of the cornea of the eye;
external reduction in eye size;
change in the shape of the palpebral fissure due to the fact that the eyelid has rolled up;
constant moisture in the fur around the eye;
formation of a purulent mass in the corner of the eye;
corneal ulcer;
perforation of the eye.

At the last stage of the disease, a rolled eyelid causes such serious and irreversible changes in the cat's eye that it is impossible to save it. If you return the eyelid to the correct position in time, the problem will be completely eliminated.

Forecast and prevention of entropion

Surgical intervention ends successfully in 90-95% of cases. Often the cause of an unfavorable outcome is the negligence of the owners or a late visit to the veterinarian. If you do not treat entropion in cats, severe complications are possible: conjunctivitis, keratitis, blindness, suppuration.

With temporary sutures, the disease can sometimes recur. If this happens, the manipulation is repeated.

To avoid the development of pathology, it is necessary to protect the pet’s visual organs from mechanical damage: burns, injuries. You should regularly visit the veterinarian for preventive examinations in order to identify pathological causes in the early stages, when they are easier to cure. It is important to vaccinate cats in a timely manner: this way they can be protected from bacterial and viral diseases. Particular attention should be paid to the condition of the eyes of representatives of breeds with a tendency to entropion: preventive examinations should be additionally carried out at home.

All information posted on the site is provided in accordance with the User Agreement and is not a direct instruction to action. We strongly recommend that before using any product, you must obtain a face-to-face consultation at an accredited veterinary clinic.

Diagnostics

The disease can be determined by a careful external examination. The animal's eyelid itself is directly noticeable, as well as swelling of the eye and purulent discharge.

Before surgical treatment, a complete examination is necessary. For this purpose, the animal is prescribed

general blood analysis;
biochemistry;
Ultrasound of internal organs;
Analysis of urine;
ECG.

If all indicators are normal, then the cat will easily tolerate standard anesthesia, and the risk of complications will be minimal.

When a corneal ulcer occurs, after instillation of a fluorescent substance, the eye is examined using a slit lamp. If an infection of the eye is suspected, bacterial culture of the mucus and pus discharge on a nutrient medium is necessary to identify the pathogen and select antibiotics to which it is not resistant.

Basic information

Most cases of primary entropion of the eyelids occur in very young cats, who have just turned six months old. As a rule, a sick animal can only be cured with timely surgery. But in some cases, volvulus goes away spontaneously, without any medical intervention. But this only applies to young cats. It is important to understand that even in relatively severe cases you will still have to wait until at least four months of age to have surgery.

Treatment

The disease necessarily requires surgical intervention if it is not prohibited due to the general condition of the animal. If a sore eyelid is left untreated, the cat will not only go blind, but also lose an eye.

During therapy, one of two types of surgery can be performed. The first is the application of a temporary suture, and the second is eyelid surgery. The veterinarian will choose what kind of intervention the animal needs.

The first method is used in cats up to 7 months, when correction is possible due to the growth of the animal. To return the eyelid to a safe position, its lower edge is connected to the skin under the eye with a special mattress suture. The manipulation is simple and does not require anesthesia, which makes it much easier for the pet to tolerate.

If the cat is older than 7 months, then the pathology can only be eliminated with eyelid surgery. This operation is performed under general anesthesia. During the intervention, a piece of excess skin is cut off, which is why the eyelid is curled inside the eye. The edges of the wound are then sutured, which returns the eyelids to their natural state.

Both types of surgery are performed only in the clinic.

Operation and consequences

It is important to properly prepare for surgery. For 12 hours you need to exclude food and give water in small quantities. Give the animal the last drink no later than 2 hours before the medical procedure. The cat will have to undergo a full examination to determine how he will tolerate the operation and anesthesia. Blepharoplasty for cats is performed under general anesthesia.

The animal will require special care for a week after the intervention. To prevent the pet from scratching the stitches, a special collar is put on it. The affected area is treated with antibacterial ointments (tetracycline or synthomycin). Iris or Tsiprolet eye drops are also used. An overly active animal can be given sedatives to reduce the risks. The sutures after blepharoplasty will be removed after 10 days.

Temporary sutures only require the use of eye drops. Such operations are most often easily tolerated by animals and rarely cause undesirable reactions.

Sometimes the stitches begin to fester. In rare cases, a veterinarian may damage the animal's visual organs during surgery. In addition, eyelid inversion occurs; this phenomenon goes away on its own.

Symptoms

Knowing the signs of entropion increases the chances of early detection and prevention of complications by providing timely assistance to your pet. When the upper, lower or third fold is inverted, the cornea is first irritated and characteristic symptoms appear, which worsen as the pathology develops. The main ones include:

redness, swelling of the eye with a decrease in size and a change in the shape of the eyelid itself;
severe lacrimation, while the flowing liquid acquires a serous-mucosal component;
moisture in the fur around the affected area;
the appearance of pus in the corners;
blepharospasm or spasmodic closure of the eyelid.

A possible complication of the pathology is the formation of ulcers on the cornea of the eye.
Signs of complications:

corneal ulceration;
perforation of the sclera;
necrosis of corneal cells (typical for representatives of Persian breeds).

Symptoms

The first symptom is pain, which is associated with irritation of the cornea. Cats experience redness, lacrimation, and swelling of the cornea and palpebral fissure. The eye visually looks smaller than usual, its shape changes, and the fur around it is constantly wet.

The longer the irritation continues, the stronger the signs of inflammation become:

A mucous or purulent discharge appears in the corner of the eye.
Redness of the conjunctiva.
The appearance of a corneal ulcer, necrotic sequestration, up to perforation of the eyeball.

In cats of Persian breeds, a common complication is corneal sequestration - necrosis of corneal cells and impregnation of it with pigment masses.

Etiological features of the pathology

Specialists from the Center for Veterinary Ophthalmology of Dr. A.G. Shilkin clarify that entropion of the eyelids is more often diagnosed in Sphynxes, Maine Coons, Britons, Persians, exotics and Himalayan cats. Veterinarians identify several reasons for the development of the disease:

Genetics. Risks are determined by the presence of a recessive gene.
Developmental anomalies. If the size and shape of the eyelid is non-standard, for example, smaller or longer than the eyeball, then entropion occurs more often.
Injuries. The pathology develops against the background of damage to the eye, contact with the mucous membrane of a foreign body. If a cat has a chemical or thermal burn, and the affected area is healed, or scars remain after a severe dermatological disease, entropion of the eyelid also occurs.
Muscle disorders. The twist may be the result of spasms or contraction of the orbital muscles, paralysis of the facial nerve with the development of muscle atony.
Operations. Problems with the eyelid are possible after unsuccessful surgery.
Age-related changes. In old cats, the skin loses tone, the muscles weaken, the eyelids sag and entropion occurs.
Other pathologies. Neoplasms of a benign or malignant nature also provoke a hemorrhage.

This pathology can develop in the third eyelid of the animal.
Experts distinguish entropion of primary and secondary types. The first occurs in kittens due to genetic predisposition, abnormalities in muscle development or the fold itself. The second develops against the background of injuries, ophthalmic pathologies or age-related changes. Entropion of the lower eyelid occurs more often than problems with the upper eyelid. The volvulus of the third century is considered separately. This form of pathology develops as a result of degenerative changes in the structure of the cartilaginous plate or acts as a complication of follicular conjunctivitis in a cat.