In addition to the usual two eyelids - lower and upper - cats have a third (nictitating limbs) located in the inner corner of the eye, near the nose, which protects the eyeball from injury and produces tears to keep it healthy. Usually, it remains hidden and it is the internal nerves of the eye that manage its movement. However, under certain circumstances, one or both of these eyelids remain on the outside. If you notice one or both protruding, you need to take your cat to the vet for proper treatment.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Treating a Diagnosed Protrusion
Step 1. Ask your veterinarian for advice on treatment and follow his advice carefully
Sometimes, this problem clears up on its own, but in other cases, doctor-prescribed treatments are needed to return the third eyelid to its original position. After a thorough examination of the cat's eyes, the doctor defines a treatment plan, which typically consists of the administration of drugs and surgery.
- Ask your vet any questions about recommended treatments, for example you may want to know how medications work and how the surgical procedure is performed.
- Sticking to the treatment plan increases the chances of successfully treating the condition.
Step 2. Give your cat anti-inflammatory medications
If you notice a prolapse of the third eyelid or the tear gland is red and irritated, you can use eye drops to soothe the inflammation, such as those based on steroids. In the case of "cherry eye" (the lacrimal gland protrusion of the nictitating membrane), steroid eye drops relieve enough inflammation to allow the gland to return to its natural position.
- To put the eye drops on your cat, you need to grab it gently but firmly and hold it on your lap or on a flat surface; then bend his head, open the eyelid with the non-dominant hand and instill the drops into the eye with the other hand, respecting the veterinary instructions.
- During the procedure, make sure that the tip of the bottle does not touch the eye.
- Cats generally dislike this treatment; He then considers proceeding to a time close to the meal, so that he sees food as a reward.
Step 3. Treat possible underlying diseases
If the cause of the prolapse of the third eyelid is a pathology, it must be addressed. For example, severe intestinal parasitosis is often associated with Haw syndrome (the protrusion of the third eyelid); in this case, the vet prescribes deworming to kill the pathogenic organisms.
Step 4. Give him topical epinephrine
Also known as adrenaline, this drug is used to treat such ailment (when both third eyelids have prolapsed). A few drops of the medicine are enough to quickly return the eyelids to their original position; they usually retract spontaneously over a few weeks or months.
- However, it is quite rare that eye drops are administered, because the prolapse of the third eyelid is a symptom that in itself can be a syndrome; it is not a dangerous disorder and for this reason many vets prefer to explain what has already been described so far and treat the underlying cause or wait for the problem to resolve itself.
- In addition to epinephrine, a similarly acting drug called phenylephrine is sometimes given and is used to treat Haw syndrome.
- Both medicines are applied in the same way as other topical anti-inflammatories; follow your veterinarian's directions regarding the number of drops to instill in the diseased eye (s).
Method 2 of 2: Recognizing a Potential Protrusion
Step 1. Look for the third eyelid
It is a white or slightly pink membrane and when it protrudes you can see it sprout and partially cover the cornea (the transparent part of the eye); as long as it occupies "less" than 50% of the cornea, the cat is able to see quite well.
- Haw syndrome is a neurological disorder involving the protrusion of the third eyelid of both eyes.
- Another neurological disease that can cause the same problem is Bernard-Horner syndrome.
- The nictitating membrane has its own lacrimal gland, so instead of seeing the eyelid, you may notice the gland protruding; in this case, we speak of "cherry eye", a rather rare disease in cats, in which the lacrimal gland appears as an oval, pink mass.
Step 2. Remember when you saw third eyelid prolapse
It is not always an unusual situation; for example, it may protrude when the cat is deep asleep and retract when it wakes up. It may also come out when the cat is involved in a fight between animals - a small eye muscle can push the eye towards the socket, leaving room for the third eyelid to pop out. If prolapse occurs when the eye does not need to be protected, it is an abnormal circumstance; among the various causes that lead to this situation, consider:
- Noticeable weight loss or dehydration that causes the eye to sink into the socket
- Tumor or inflammation of the third eyelid
- A mass inside the eye that pushes the third eyelid outward;
- A neurological disorder (such as Haw or Bernard-Horner's syndrome) that affects the nerve that controls the third eyelid.
Step 3. Check to see if your cat's eyes are red
If there is a protrusion of the third eyelid, you may notice that his eyes are red due to inflammation; for example, if the lacrimal gland of the third eyelid has come out of its place, it could become red due to dust in the air; even dust can in fact be a cause of irritation and redness of the third eyelid.
Step 4. Take the cat to the vet
This disease can be caused by different factors; the doctor is able to perform various in-depth tests and carry out various tests to identify the cause. During the checkup, the vet examines the third eyelid, measures tear production (through the Schirmer test), evaluates the pupillary response to light (pupillary light reflex) and uses green fluorescein to check for possible corneal lesions.
- If he suspects a neurological cause, he may perform other diagnostic tests, such as neurological tests and a skull X-ray.
- Over-the-counter drugs for human use are not good for cats; you don't have to cure his eye problem with these treatments without first talking to your vet, otherwise it can be much more difficult for him to be able to diagnose the problem.
- If your cat is suffering from any eye injury, take him to the doctor immediately for treatment.
Advice
- Since the protrusion of the third eyelid can cause a lot of irritation, it is recommended to proceed with early treatments.
- Follow all care instructions carefully.
- The protrusion of the third eyelid associated with Bernard-Horner syndrome resolves on its own.
