The cat has a third eyelid. Inner eyelid in cats

A cat's third eyelid is located in the corner of the eye, between outer part eyes and cornea. The cat needs the third eyelid to protect the fragile membrane of the eye. The nictitating membrane, as this fold of skin is otherwise called, secretes a certain amount of mucus that covers the surface eyeball. Mucus collects dust and traps germs. Prolapse of the third eyelid of cats unpleasant illness, often blocking vision. Treatment for bulging depends on the cause of the excessive bulging of the membrane.

When a cat closes its eyes and tilts its head, the nictitating membrane straightens, completely closing the eye. Therefore, in normal conditions the fold should not be visible. When the third eyelid falls out, the natural hydration of the eye is disrupted and the barrier function pathogen rejection. Significant waterlogging or excessive dryness of the eyes may occur.

Causes of third eyelid prolapse

It is better to leave it to a specialist to find out the reasons for the slippage of the third eyelid. Protrusion of the nictitating membrane is quite dangerous for visual system cats. Long stay in external environment may provoke development secondary infections. Then the therapy will be very long.

Diseases of the third eyelid of cats

There are two diseases that can be classified as real diseases of this part of the eye. Firstly, an adenoma is simply a tumor. The tumor causes the membrane to swell greatly, taking on the appearance of a bean. Adenoma occurs due to hormonal problems, injuries, breed characteristics. It has been noticed that Persian cats British breeds more often they are faced with adenoma.

A cat with an adenoma cannot close its eyes normally and becomes irritable and aggressive. Gradually, the tumor falls outside the eye, turns red, the temperature rises, and pus may flow. Getting worse general state, the cat loses its appetite. Treatment of adenoma is only surgical: the tumor is excised. Preferably third eyelid still keep it, restore it to its original size.

Secondly, prolapse. A specific type of crawling out, which is characterized by maintaining the membrane in a constantly straightened form. There is no inflammation, the color is normal. The manifestation of the disease also has a lot of true factors; prolapse will never occur on empty space. As soon as real source the problem will be found, eliminated, and the third eyelid will return to its place.

Symptoms of third eyelid prolapse

The main problems are as follows: the nictitating membrane is clearly visible, the cat has difficulty closing its eyes, redness of the conjunctiva, swelling, excessive tearing, possible itching, and increased body temperature. Any listed symptom requires a visit to the vet. Treating it yourself is fraught: drops will relieve local irritation, but will aggravate the general condition. It will be difficult to make a diagnosis due to distortion of signs.

Treatment of eyelid loss

Sometimes the bulging of the nictitating membrane goes away on its own, and within 24 hours the membrane returns to its original position. However, the cause of the condition still needs to be established; relapses are possible. Treatment depends on the etiology; if there is an underlying disease, then anti-infective drugs aimed at the desired disease. If inflammation such as an adenoma is detected, the tumor is surgically removed. There is no need to fear the intervention of a surgeon: the operation is quick, simple, recovery period short-lived.

Clear signs eye diseases in cats- suppuration, tearing, formation of a blue or white film on the eyeball. Another symptom is the appearance of white skin ("third eyelid" or nictitating membrane), covering part (sometimes quite significant) of the eye from its inner corner.

If the eye is suppurated or inflamed, blue or white film and your eyelids are swollen, this may be the result of inflammation, injury or irritation caused by foreign bodies, such as grass seeds. This condition requires professional intervention - otherwise it may worsen and even total loss vision.

Often the cause of discharge from the eyes is not illnesses themselves eye, they are concomitant signs of other diseases. These are like this infectious diseases, like chlamydia, herpes virus ( infectious rhinotracheitis). Remember: timely detection of the disease and timely treatment will help your cat save not only her eyesight, but also her life. Signs that something is wrong with your cat's eyes: rubbing his eyes with his paw, squinting and avoiding bright light, blinks frequently and shakes his head. Carefully examine the cat's eyes - accumulation of pus in the corners, tearing, redness or clouding of the eyes is a reason to show the cat to the doctor.

A bluish or whitish film covering the clear front of the eye (cornea) is not a cataract. The latter manifests itself in clouding of the lens located in front of the pupil; it also gives a blue or white tint, but in the deeper parts of the eye.

At dusk, in dim light, when the pupil dilates, most of the lens immediately becomes visible, and, accordingly, its cloudiness (cataract). In some people, the lens sometimes appears blue, but this does not necessarily indicate a cataract, but may be associated with changes in the refraction of light by the lens (similar phenomena occur in middle-aged people). The lens itself remains clear, transparent, and does not go blind.

Partial covering of the eye third century- a fairly common phenomenon, which does not at all mean the onset of blindness, it also occurs in cats quite healthy. The reason may be, for example, weight loss and sunken eyes due to the fact that the fatty layer lining the eye socket has been reduced. This may also portend cat flu.

Remember: appearance third century on one eye indicates the entry of a foreign body into it, on both – a sign of disease.

Therefore, if third eyelid becomes noticeable, watch your cat carefully and show her if other symptoms appear. If there are no other signs, then try to feed her more and give her 0.05 mg of vitamin B12 daily with food or in tablets.

In the process of work, the veterinarian has to resort to different methods treatment eye diseases in cats- in some cases, he may instill anesthetic drops to numb the area around the eye and remove foreign object; in others, she may not only apply ointments and drops, but also give an injection under the conjunctiva, the pink membrane covering the front of the eye. Using an ophthalmoscope, he will carefully examine the eyeball, and by analyzing a smear of the cat's tears, he will find out the cause of the infection.

To cure strabismus, blockage tear ducts and cataracts usually require surgery.

Eye diseases that cats are susceptible to:

Conjunctivitis - with this disease in a cat, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes occurs, most often caused by allergic reaction or infection (viral, less often bacterial).
Keratitis – inflammation of the cornea
Entropion (turning of the eyelids)– this disease affects mainly representatives of certain breeds: Persians,
Epiphora –
Sequestration or necrosis of the cornea
Retinal detachment is a disease usually associated with hypertension and problems with cerebral vessels.

How to wash a cat's eyes

The cat's eyes can be washed with a special solution or chamomile decoction.

The rinsing solution must be prepared in advance; it must be at room temperature. Cotton pads must be clean.
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap
If the cat does not like the procedure and breaks away, get a helper or wrap the cat in a blanket
You can wash your eyes with a generously moistened cotton pad, pipette or syringe without a needle. Gently instill the solution into the outer upper edge of the eye.
If the discharge from the eyes has already dried, then first moisten it with the solution, and after 2-3 minutes, carefully remove it with a cotton pad.
Then gently wipe your eyes cotton swab or a napkin in the direction from the outer part of the eye to the inner.

If you need to use eye ointment, like hydrocortisone, tetracycline or solcoseryl, this is done as follows: the lower eyelid is carefully and gently pulled back with two fingers - the thumb and middle, and a small amount of ointment applied to the pad index finger is placed inside. After this, you need to gently press the cat’s eyelid and move it, spreading the ointment over the eyeball. If you have long nails, have someone else do the procedure. You should not squeeze the ointment onto the eye directly from the tube; you can injure the cat’s eye if it suddenly twitches.

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 an 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 an eyelid, of course, immediately becomes noticeable - a thin skin forms light color, its size is different.

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, the 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 viral infection.

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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, 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 right reason prolapse of the third eyelid, need to be listed possible options formation of pathology. Here they are:

Infections with bacterial, fungal or viral in nature. These include mycoplasmosis, rhinotracheitis, chlamydia and other diseases. One of their symptoms is damage to the cat's eyes.
Diseases internal organs, for example, the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. Sometimes the third eyelid falls out after a course of antibiotic therapy.
Inflammatory processes in the hearing organs.
Disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system.
Infection of an animal with fleas or worms.
Consequence of injury. IN similar cases Only one nictitating membrane is damaged.
Reaction to hit foreign body. Inflammation occurs when tear fluid cannot wash it away.
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.
Benign tumor of the third eyelid (adenoma).
Atrophy of the eyeball.
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 examination 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:

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, slightly spreading his eyelid with your fingers.
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 can be treated without any 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, for a 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 have a predisposition to. And there are countless such diseases. One of the most common and frightening is the third eyelid in a cat.

It is worth noting that cats always have a third eyelid and this is the norm. They need this education to protect their eyes from injury during hunting or to preserve their vision from infectious diseases. This is a thin transparent mucous film on the cat's eyes. When she's in in good condition, it cannot be seen with the naked eye.

The problem is inflammation of the third eyelid in cats. This indicates that the pet’s eyes are affected by pathogenic microflora.

Why is there a problem?

Prolapse of the third eyelid in cats is not an independent disease, but rather accompanying symptom main pathology. This is a signal to owners that there is clearly something wrong with the pet’s eyes. Visible third eyelid in a cat, the causes of its occurrence and treatment have been known for a long time. And this defect indicates the presence of one of the problems:

One more problem is worth discussing separately. This is a third eyelid adenoma in cats, representing benign tumor that looks like a bean small sizes. This problem can be caused by any of the above reasons or hormonal processes in the animal’s body.

Therefore, a film on a cat’s eye is an ambiguous formation, and it is impossible to say for sure why it appeared.

The 3rd eyelid is not a single symptom, most often accompanied by the following signs:

increased lacrimation;
presence of blepharospasms;
mucous and purulent discharge;
volumetric formations in the corners of the eyes.

The film on a cat’s eye becomes inflamed for the following reasons:

weakening of the ligaments that hold the animal’s eyelid in the correct position;
eversion of the cartilaginous base.

Treatment of the third eyelid in cats can be carried out surgically, however, sometimes it is also possible conservative therapy. Only a professional veterinarian evaluates all the symptoms of the pathology and chooses the most effective and least risky treatment path.

If the film on the cat’s eye is due to the presence of a viral, fungal or bacterial infection, then the veterinarian may well prescribe conservative treatment.

To begin with, the doctor selects special drugs in the form of ointments that are applied to the eyelid, which allows you to quickly get rid of unpleasant symptoms. Also with special antibacterial solutions to disinfect the affected area.

You cannot treat your pet halfway, as the health problem will return again. Therapy should be continued until not only the visible lesion, but also invisible symptoms. Even with a noticeable improvement, you cannot stop treatment, you need to complete it.