Foreign body in the cat’s eye: treatment and remedies for corneal lesions
Corneal lesions in domestic cats are often caused by the presence of a foreign body in the cat’s eye: here’s how to treat them with the most suitable remedies.
There are many occasions in the life of a domestic feline in which it is possible for a foreign body to enter the cat’s eye: cats often love to walk and browse outdoors, following their natural hunting instincts and going to hunt places strange!
Usually, the presence of a foreign body in the cat can be superficial, penetrating or perforating: in the first case, we have a foreign body that simply rests on the surface of the cornea, in the second case all those more serious cases are included in which the foreign bodies they penetrate the thickness of the cat’s cornea and finally the third case, in which the cornea is penetrated for its entire thickness.
Depending on the severity of the situation, different types of corneal lesions could occur: the best thing is to know how to recognize and treat in the most appropriate way the individual cases of the presence of a foreign body in the cat’s eye, to avoid dangerous consequences for the eyesight of the cat our feline friend.
Symptoms of a foreign body in the cat’s eye
The presence of a foreign body in the cat’s eye and the possible formation of a more or less serious corneal lesion are identifiable by some symptoms that the cat shows in this type of situation, but in some cases also common to other problems and eye diseases of the cat.
First, the cat with something in the eye will likely have itching and discomfort which will prevent it from keeping its eye open and will cause it to scratch. This in turn causes the cat’s eye to become red and possibly swollen.
Other more serious symptoms are the presence of secretions or pus from the cat’s eye (usually transparent in a first phase, which then tends to become yellow, gray or greenish) and the loss of transparency of the cornea that becomes opaque due to the wound.
How to help a cat with a corneal injury
If we notice one or more of the symptoms described in our cat, it is likely that there is a foreign body inside the eye that must be properly removed before it degenerates into more serious problems such as feline corneal ulcer.
If it is a superficial problem, it will be easy to remove the intruder: a few drops of anesthetic eye drops are applied, then the foreign body in question is gently removed with a sterile cotton swab or by washing with physiological solution. The procedure should be done by the veterinarian.
If, on the other hand, we are dealing with a more serious case of perforating or penetrating foreign body, it will be necessary to surgically remove it. The wound or corneal lesion usually creates a dangerous ulcer that will be treated properly after the operation by administering the prescribed medications to the cat.
The cat has something in the eye: when to worry?
There are many types of possible foreign bodies that can get inside the eye of our cat: let’s think, for example, of the very dangerous holes but also of thorns, splinters and fragments of wood or other material with which the cat can easily come into contact. Usually, this type of foreign body causes deeper lesions to the cornea of the unfortunate feline.
As mentioned at the beginning, if the cat has something in the eye but it is a superficial foreign body it is not necessary to worry: the cat’s organism spontaneously defends itself with the natural tear film that protects the cornea, so it will be enough to consult the veterinarian. to proceed with a simple removal procedure with special eye drops.
If, on the other hand, the cat has a penetrating or perforating foreign body, the consequences could be decidedly more serious and the problem represents a real veterinary eye emergency to be addressed immediately: there is a risk that the problem could pass from the cornea to others. parts of the cat’s eye, such as the lens or iris.
