What is Retinal Detachment?
The retina is a thin, delicate tissue lining the inside back wall of the eye, essential for vision. It captures light and converts it into signals sent to the brain. Retinal detachment occurs when layers of the retina separate, which can lead to blindness if not addressed promptly.
How do I know if my cat is suffering from retinal detachment?
The most common signs associated with retinal detachment in cats is compromised vision or blindness.
Cats will be less inclined to explore the outdoors, may be hesitant to climb up and down stairs (or may even trip and fall) and they may bump into walls or objects that would have easily avoided previously.
Most commonly, the pupil of your cat’s eyes will appear large and dilated and, in most cases, the pupil will not constrict nor take the characteristic slit appearance when bright light is shone to the eye.
In some cases, fresh blood can be noticed in the anterior chamber (the front of the eye).
What causes retinal detachment in cats?
A variety of conditions can cause the retina to become detached in cats:
- Hypertension: middle aged and older cats very commonly suffer from increased blood pressure. Hypertension is directly associated with problems of the eyes, heart, kidneys, thyroid and brain. Hypertension leads to accumulation of fluid under the retina and the “bursting” of the blood vessels of the retina, leading to detachment and bleeding at the back of the eye, which can subsequently move and migrate to the front of the eye
- Some types of cancer or neoplasia: unfortunately, there are particular forms of cancer which can spread to the eye and lead to secondary detachment of the retina and blindness
- Growths of the eye: growths developing inside the eye can progress and expand to affect the majority of the back part of the eye, leading to detachment of the retina
- Systemic infections (such as fungal infections): although rare in the United Kingdom, fungal infections can spread with the bloodstream to the eye and lead to severe inflammation and retinal detachment
Can retinal detachment be prevented?
Prevention is always better than cure, so early detection of any problems will help prevent irreversible damage to the eye!
If your cat is 10 years or older, they would benefit from an annual blood pressure check, a general geriatric blood screening and monitoring of the thyroid hormones.
This ensures that any developing problems will be identified early and treatment in most cases will prevent or significantly delay the development of retinal detachment.
Is there available treatment for retinal detachment?
Treatment of retinal detachment in cats is heavily reliant and dependent on the underlying condition leading to the problem.
For example, underlying systemic hypertension can easily be treated with anti-hypertensive medication which normalises the blood pressure and allows the retina to reattach.
Some of these cases will even regain vision, if treatment is started in a timely manner! In other cases (for example when a tumour or cancer is responsible for the problem) treatment options, sadly, may not be available.
Concerned about your cat’s eyes?
If your cat experiences one or more of the symptoms above, we are here for you. Request an appointment and get in touch with one of our specialised ophthalmologists.
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