Be on the look out …

Have you ever seen a luxating lens before? This is where the lens (the part of the eye that enables us to focus) detaches from the ligament-like structures holding it in place causing it to move somewhere it shouldn’t. In this case, rather than sitting behind the iris (the coloured part of the eye), the lens has popped out in front of it and is essentially floating on the front of the eye. The cloudiness indicates damage.

In certain cases, where the eye is still able to see, the damaged lens can be removed to give the patient some sense of shapes and light through the affected eye. In our patient’s case, unfortunately we needed to remove the eye as it had become non-visual and was too damaged to leave in situ.

If you notice your cat’s eye or eyes have taken on a cloudiness, do book a vet appointment. Cloudiness may indicate cataracts, but can also be symptomatic of ocular trauma and eye disease. Sight is such a precious sense for our pets, so it’s always best to get anything unusual checked out.