How to Diagnose and Treat Bulging Eye in Cats
Look closely at your cat’s eye., Determine if the cat suffered an injury., Look for a foreign body., Check for discharges, plaque, or lesions., Bring the cat to the vet as soon as possible., Have the vet take a blood test and culture., Consider...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look closely at your cat’s eye.
Take a moment to inspect your cat’s eye closely and then get your cat to the veterinarian right away.
As you do this, compare one eye with the other to see if one or both eyes are bulging.
Be sure to tell your cat’s veterinarian anything you noticed about the bulging, but don’t worry if you cannot identify what exactly is bulging.
Your veterinarian will examine your cat closely and use tests to help them determine the cause of the problem.
Some of the potential causes of bulging may include:
Something pushing on the back of the eyeball causing it to bulge out, such as an abscess or a tumor.
Swelling in the eyeball itself, such as with glaucoma.
Swelling in the tissues surrounding the eyeball, such as in the eyelid. -
Step 2: Determine if the cat suffered an injury.
Being hit by a car, getting into a fight with another animal, and other traumatic injuries are common causes of a bulging eye in cats.
Traumatic injury is the most likely cause if the bulging eye developed suddenly with no prior symptoms of infection, like squinting, discharges, or gradual swelling.Bring a cat with a traumatic injury to the vet as soon as possible to reduce the risk of vision loss and other complications.
If the cat’s eyeball is out of the socket and hanging, then this is also an emergency requiring immediate veterinary treatment.
You can soak a gauze swab in some saline solution and place it over the eye to help prevent it from desiccating.
Take the cat to the vet immediately after that. , Examine the eye and socket for an obvious penetrating injury or for small pieces of glass, metal fragments, sand, or other small objects.
Call the vet and ask if you should attempt to flush small objects with saline solution before bringing the cat to the office or en route.Do not attempt to remove larger objects that penetrate the eye or socket. , Examine the eye and surrounding skin for signs of infection.
Look for clear or pus-filled discharges, cloudiness, and white or pink plaque or lesions on the surface.
If the cat showed any gradually worsening symptoms before the bulging eye became obvious, a bacterial or viral infection is a likely cause., As you make your first observations of the injury or infection, call a vet and advise them that you’ll be bringing a cat with a bulging eye to their office.
Be prepared to report as many details as possible, including:
The cat’s medical history, if known.
Whether the cat suffered a traumatic injury and if any foreign bodies are present.
Foods it’s recently eaten.
Whether the bulging eye developed suddenly or if you observed prior signs of infection.
Its vaccinations, including whether it was vaccinated against feline herpesvirus (FHV). , The vet will give the cat a physical examination and, if injury isn’t the obvious cause, take samples of blood and corneal (surface of the eye) tissue.
They’ll take a complete blood count and test the samples for viral and bacterial infections.
They might also test for allergies, especially if cultures showed no signs of infection.You can also request dental x-rays.
Your vet may x-ray the cat's teeth roots to see if a tooth root abscess may be pushing the eye forward from behind. , If the vet rules out causes such as injury, infection, or allergies, they might suggest administering an MRI.
The bulging eye could be caused by an cancerous or benign tumor.
If a scan reveals a tumor, or if the vet suspects a tumor is present, they’ll take a sample for biopsy to determine if it’s malignant. -
Step 3: Look for a foreign body.
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Step 4: Check for discharges
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Step 5: plaque
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Step 6: or lesions.
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Step 7: Bring the cat to the vet as soon as possible.
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Step 8: Have the vet take a blood test and culture.
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Step 9: Consider giving the cat an MRI.
Detailed Guide
Take a moment to inspect your cat’s eye closely and then get your cat to the veterinarian right away.
As you do this, compare one eye with the other to see if one or both eyes are bulging.
Be sure to tell your cat’s veterinarian anything you noticed about the bulging, but don’t worry if you cannot identify what exactly is bulging.
Your veterinarian will examine your cat closely and use tests to help them determine the cause of the problem.
Some of the potential causes of bulging may include:
Something pushing on the back of the eyeball causing it to bulge out, such as an abscess or a tumor.
Swelling in the eyeball itself, such as with glaucoma.
Swelling in the tissues surrounding the eyeball, such as in the eyelid.
Being hit by a car, getting into a fight with another animal, and other traumatic injuries are common causes of a bulging eye in cats.
Traumatic injury is the most likely cause if the bulging eye developed suddenly with no prior symptoms of infection, like squinting, discharges, or gradual swelling.Bring a cat with a traumatic injury to the vet as soon as possible to reduce the risk of vision loss and other complications.
If the cat’s eyeball is out of the socket and hanging, then this is also an emergency requiring immediate veterinary treatment.
You can soak a gauze swab in some saline solution and place it over the eye to help prevent it from desiccating.
Take the cat to the vet immediately after that. , Examine the eye and socket for an obvious penetrating injury or for small pieces of glass, metal fragments, sand, or other small objects.
Call the vet and ask if you should attempt to flush small objects with saline solution before bringing the cat to the office or en route.Do not attempt to remove larger objects that penetrate the eye or socket. , Examine the eye and surrounding skin for signs of infection.
Look for clear or pus-filled discharges, cloudiness, and white or pink plaque or lesions on the surface.
If the cat showed any gradually worsening symptoms before the bulging eye became obvious, a bacterial or viral infection is a likely cause., As you make your first observations of the injury or infection, call a vet and advise them that you’ll be bringing a cat with a bulging eye to their office.
Be prepared to report as many details as possible, including:
The cat’s medical history, if known.
Whether the cat suffered a traumatic injury and if any foreign bodies are present.
Foods it’s recently eaten.
Whether the bulging eye developed suddenly or if you observed prior signs of infection.
Its vaccinations, including whether it was vaccinated against feline herpesvirus (FHV). , The vet will give the cat a physical examination and, if injury isn’t the obvious cause, take samples of blood and corneal (surface of the eye) tissue.
They’ll take a complete blood count and test the samples for viral and bacterial infections.
They might also test for allergies, especially if cultures showed no signs of infection.You can also request dental x-rays.
Your vet may x-ray the cat's teeth roots to see if a tooth root abscess may be pushing the eye forward from behind. , If the vet rules out causes such as injury, infection, or allergies, they might suggest administering an MRI.
The bulging eye could be caused by an cancerous or benign tumor.
If a scan reveals a tumor, or if the vet suspects a tumor is present, they’ll take a sample for biopsy to determine if it’s malignant.
About the Author
Anna Morales
A seasoned expert in advertising, Anna Morales combines 2 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Anna's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.
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