Cat with eye problem - suspected uveitis

MsFifers

Hi
Does anyone have any experience of dealing with a cat with uveitis?

Our v. young cat's right eye was looking weird over the weekend - kind of cloudy - and she was squinting with that eye a bit. So we brought her to the vet this a.m. and he found slight bleeding in her eye (and a few scratches elsewhere - think she got herself into a fight), and then he said he thinks she might have uveitis.

She's now on 2 different antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory.

Reading up on this - it seems like it can be a serious life-long condition which is very worrying! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Irish Stones

I don't want to scare you, but uveitis can be a signal of a much more important disease, FIP, Feline Infectious Peritonitis, that unfortunately could leave no space for hope.
Very young and young cats are more exposed to this disease.
I really do hope it's not this, I pray it's not this, but if I were you I would keep an eye on other symptoms that could come visible, like a rounder belly and a lack of vitality.
Talk to your vet about this.

If all the problem is related to a scratch after a cat fight, well, I'd be more than happy!

MsFifers

Thanks - yes, the google-machine did throw that up alright, along with lots of other serious conditions. The vet isn't 100% she has it, so we'll just have to keep the fingers crossed.


She's very lethargic at the moment and not eating - am hoping its just the antibiotics though for now, as she was full of beans yesterday.

Irish Stones

Yes, unfortunately yhere's no test that can tell you if it's FIP with 100% certainty.
They say only a post-mortem can tell if FIP was the cause of death.
Do you know mom and dad of your kitten? Do you know if your kitten has other siblings? It could be useful to know if other kittens of the same litter have some symptoms of that kind.
Where does your ktten come from?

tatli_lokma

I don't know specifically about cats, but uveitis is an inflammation of the inner eye, usually due to an autoimmune response to perceived infection elsewhere in the body. So a lot of humans with arthritis tend to get it. It is not caused by injury to the eye. So given that the cat seems to have been in a scuffle it could just be a case that the eye has been damaged hence and inflammation.

If it is uveitis as mentioned this is an indicator of a more serious systemic problem. I hope for your sake your vet is just misusing the term uveitis for an 'inflammation' and it is caused by the scuffle. Bit concerned that the vet wouldn't know that uveitis is caused by a systemic problem though and not injury.
Have you much experience of this vet from before?

MsFifers

Thanks.
The cat was found on the street as a very small kitten - only 4 weeks old - so we have no details about its family health history. As she's possibly from a feral or stray mother there could be issues there.

No, the vet didn't mix up the scratch to the eye with the uveitis - he was just commented that the scratch was there and he feared there was also this worse, very serious problem. He kept saying she was lovely and he hoped she doesn't have it! She isn't even 1 year old yet.

She's better today - eating again but still moving very slowly & carefully and sleeping a lot. Doesn't seem like there is anything else that can be done for now except continue with the antibiotics & anti-inflamatory.

tatli_lokma

Poor little mite. If she does have uveitis then my heart goes out to her. I suffer with recurrent uveitis, and it is not nice at all, can't imagine how awful it must be for poor kitty. Bu least I can wear sunglasses to protect against the photosensitivity. Please god it's just a once off and not something more serious.

Irish Stones

I hope everything will be fine with this therapy!
Anyway watch her carefully and if you think that other symptoms get visible hurry to your vet.
As I said i my first reply, should it be FIP one of the main signals is the belly getting rounder and swollen with serum-like liquid. The vet will help you understand by taking some of thus liquid and analysing it.
Finger crossed for your sweet kitten!