Tigs has a poorly eye

[rogerzilla]

First noticed yesterday along with other signs of fighting...well, he is a large and youngish cat.  Nasty pink weal, almost as if a pink flower petal was stuck onto the eyeball, just above the iris.  Vet was flummoxed yesterday and so was her colleague.  She thought it was a growth.  Different vet looked at it today (it's now twice the size) and reckons it's "healing tissue".  In view of the deterioration he's staying with them overnight so they can medicate him more frequently and do something if it gets worse.  He won't be very happy but I don't want to risk his sight.  Thankfully he is young enough to be insured (when they get to about 10 years old it becomes mega-expensive) so I'm only in for £50.

[rogerzilla]

4 days in and the pink stuff is definitely turning transparent again (apparently there was also an ulcer which has now gone...turned out it was quite nasty in the end).  Should bring him home tomorrow as I think the heavy steroidal medication is finished.  He was sitting there looking very bored yesterday but gave an enormous meow as soon as he saw us.

I expect the cat that did it is in small pieces somewhere...other cats generally don't tangle with Tigs as he's 13lb, rather territorial and has a streak of madness in common with all ginger cats (they are generally amiable but bonkers).

[matthew]

good to hear he's on the mend. Of course it may not have been another cat that caused it, but yes I expect he gave as good as he got.

[ian]

Feline herpes can cause corneal ulcers, apparently it's pretty common symptom (ours has it, though the ulcers have never reocurred after the first bout she had as a kitten.). It's incurable (and no, it's not any of the types that afflict humans) but you can get antiviral eyedrops.

[rogerzilla]

Yes, it turns out to be eosinophilic keratitis  potentially associated with feline herpes and the cat doesn't normally experience any discomfort which explains why he is a bit miffed by all the attention. He's on a couple of different eye drops and a human antiviral drug for another fortnight.  Have been told it may recur (like chicken pox/shingles) although, now they know what it is, any future occurrence will just be a case of home treatment until it goes away.  It appears to be a reversible condition in all cases, although Tigs managed to get an ulcer along with it.  I'd still not rule out a fight triggering it due to the ulcer and some associated evidence of paggs, viz. notch in ear and loose tufts of fur.

[ian]

Our cat never had a recurrence (yet) and she's seven. There's a blood test for herpes, but it's mildly pointless since there's not a lot a lot that can be done other than alleviate any symptoms. We got it done because the critter is insured and it wrote off any other potential problems that a rescue kittie might have come with.