When your cat's eye just won't get better: Feline Temporary Partial Tarsorrhaphy

Feline Temporary Partial Tarsorrhaphy

Cats are prone to a number of eye problems, some of which are easy to overcome and others which are not. Kittens can suffer from chronic upper respiratory infections that may damage the eyes (corneal ulceration and corneal sequestrum). Cats of any age can scuffle and scrap with each other and injure an eye (corneal laceration), or stick their noses where they don't belong and get foreign objects in their eyes. Injury, illness or genetic defect can cause the eyelids to roll inwards (entropion), allowing the fur on the face to rub against the cornea and cause irritation.

Whatever the cause, sometimes eye drops or eye ointment are not sufficient to quickly and effectively treat an eye problem. In these cases, a special eye surgery called a temporary partial tarsorrhaphy can be performed to help protect the eye and aid in healing. In some cases a complete tarsorrhaphy is necessary.

This surgery involves suturing the eyelids together so that the cat cannot open its eye fully. The temporary closure of the eyelids allows the cornea to heal without allowing additional damage from irritants, self-trauma (rubbing at the eye or blinking excessively), or excessive drying.

This may sound distressing, but cats tolerate it quite well, because it relieves much of the pain and irritation associated with the affected eye. A partial closure allows a cat some visibility from the eye (and allows the veterinarian to continue to monitor healing), and medications can still be applied to the eye.

Pre-surgery, Ricky was squinting and uncomfortable

10 week old Ricky was one such kitten who needed additional help. He came to us from a rescue and was under the care of a veterinarian. He had been bottle raised, and had been battling upper respiratory infections since he had been found. Both eyes were treated with both an oral antibiotic and two different eye medications - an antibiotic drop and an antibiotic ointment. One eye recovered nicely, but unfortunately, his right eye just did not want to heal. Additionally, whether due to a birth defect or due to chronic illness, the eye was smaller in size than normal, so the eyelid was rolling inwards, allowing his fur to rub up against the surface of the eye every time he blinked and causing further irritation and inflammation.

Dr. Demos performed a temporary partial tarsorrhaphy on his right eyelids, closing part of the eye to prevent the eyelid from rolling in, and to relieve irritation to the cornea. Within minutes of recovering from anesthesia, little Ricky was bouncing around and playing and eating like nothing had happened. We started him on an oral antibiotic and a different topical antibiotic drop and we will check his healing in about 7 days.

 

Post-surgery, Ricky really got into his food

What brings you here, today? The top 10 feline medical problems of 2014

Dr. Brooks examines a pediatric patient

If you have had a cat for any length of time, you have probably had to take him or her to the veterinary hospital for something other than an annual checkup at least once - anything from a bite wound from another cat to a broken toenail; stuffy noses, runny eyes or even (every cat owner's nightmare) choosing to urinate outside the litterbox.

Have you ever wondered, while sitting in the exam room waiting for the doctor, what other visitors to the hospital are bringing their cats in for? Veterinary Pet Insurance analyzes their claims each year, which can give us a good idea why most people are bringing their cats in to see the veterinarian. Last year, the top 10 reasons that cats visited the veteirnarian for a health issue were:

Cancerous cells typical of lymphoma

10) Lymphoma: a common and treatable form of cancer that affects one of the white blood cells (lymphocytes) and lymph nodes of a cat



9) Upper respiratory infection: Many young cats and kittens visit us because they are sneezing or have a runny nose or watery eyes. Some cats that have been affected by an upper respiratory infection as a young cat may have chronic but fairly manageable problems for the rest of their lives.

8) Inflammatory Bowel Disease: IBD is not a single disease but a complex group of symptoms and conditions that result from increased inflammation in the digestive tract. This condition can cause problems with digestion and absorption of nutrients, susceptibility to bacteria and viruses in the intestinal tract, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, poor hair coat, increased production of hairballs and more. For more information, you can read our blog article on IBD, here.

Drawing up insulin injections for a diabetic cat

7) Diabetes: Middle-aged to older cats, especially males and overweight cats are at higher risk for diabetes. As the obesity problem in US pets grows, the prevalence of diabetic pets has also increased. Almost 60% of cats are overweight in the United States, according to data collected by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) last year (2014).  For more information, you can read our blog article on diabetes, here.

6) Diarrhea or intestinal upset: Sometimes caused by intestinal parasites, diarrhea can be any stool that is soft or not well-formed, whether the cat can make it to the litterbox or not. Other causes of diarrhea may include diseases such as thyroid disease, IBD, or other problems, such as constipation (oddly enough), or eating a non-food item, such as a toy or ear plug.

5) Excessive thyroid hormone: Overactive thyroid glands produce more thyroid hormone than necessary, which can cause symptoms such as increased hunger and thirst, rapid heart rate, hyperactivity, vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss. For more information, you can read our blog article on hyperthyroid disease, here.

4) Vomiting/upset stomach: Vomiting may be related to an underlying medical issue such as thyroid disease, or may be caused by a food allergy, ingestion of a non-food item, a hairball that has become stuck in the digestive tract, heartworm disease, constipation or other problems.

3) Chronic kidney disease: A common problem in older cats is a progressive decrease in kidney function which can cause symptoms such as weight loss, vomiting or nausea, poor appetite.  For more information, you can read our blog article on Chronic kidney disease, here.

Annual oral exams help prevent serious dental disease

2) Periodontitis/dental disease: About 85% of cats over the age of 3 years have some amount of dental disease. Imagine the state you might be in if you didn't brush your teeth for three years or more! Most cats will need some level of dental care at some point in their lives. Just like people, a lot of a cat's dental health is related to genetics - enamel strength, tolerance of bacteria in the mouth, but regular dental checkups and cleanings can help prevent severe dental disease. For more information, you can read one of our blog articles about dental disease, here.

Making sure your cat likes the litterbox can help prevent urinary issues

1) Bladder or urinary tract disease: Just like VIP, the most common reason that we see cats for
medical care at Exclusively Cats is due to bladder or urinary problems - often because the cat has started to urinate outside the litterbox. There are many reasons that a cat might develop litterbox issues, many of which are medical and none of which are due to revenge or spite, despite what many people think or feel. As Dr. Deporter at Oakland Veterinary Referral Service is fond of saying, a cat's urine marking behavior is like leaving a sticky note with important information in a certain area. When we go by and clean up the urine without looking for the root of the problem, we are removing valuable cat information from the spot. This means the cat feels the need to re-post the sticky note - and they will continue to do so until the problem is addressed. The cat can read the "sticky note", other cats can read the "sticky note", but we humans cannot read the "sticky note" and need to use other means to figure out what the cat is trying to tell us. Sometimes it may simply be "Hey! My litterbox is stinky!" other times it may be a different cry for help. For more information, please read the 4 part series of blog articles that we have prepared on bladder and litterbox issues which begins here.