What Are the Causes of Feline Blindness?

Cats are known for their impressive eyesight. They are great hunters, in part, because their vision is superior in detecting motion and they actually see better in semi-darkness than any other animals, including humans. Their sense of hearing and touch, through their whiskers, fur and tails, is highly developed, though, allowing them to adjust fairly well if a condition develops that causes partial or complete blindness.

  1. Cancer

    • If a tumor develops in or around your cat̵7;s eye it can affect her eyesight. Pressure on the optic nerve may cause partial or temporary blindness. Once the tumor is removed, the eyesight may improve, but if the tumor attached to the eye or nerves, the blindness will be permanent. In these cases, removal of the eye might be necessary depending on the extent of the growth of the tumor and the damage it may have caused.

    Hypertension

    • It is surprising to learn that cats can develop hypertension, or high blood pressure. Hypertension can be caused by something as simple as a high-sodium diet or other diseases like diabetes and kidney disease. It is a condition that leads to blindness in cats if left untreated. The pressure can rupture the retina in the cat̵7;s eye, causing permanent damage, so the blindness will develop in just a few days if the cat̵7;s blood pressure isn̵7;t brought down and under control.

    Retinal Atrophy

    • A hereditary disease that causes blindness is retinal atrophy. It is a condition that slowly progresses to eventually cause complete blindness. Your vet can do a series of tests that will pinpoint whether the atrophy is due to an inherited condition or if something else might be causing the disease. There is no effective treatment for retinal atrophy.

    Optic Nerve Swelling

    • Swelling of the optic nerves in a cat can be a primary condition, or it might be brought on by another condition. Some causes of the condition include dysfunction of the central nervous system, toxoplasmosis (a parasitic disease) or lead poisoning. In order to treat optic nerve swelling, your vet needs to determine the cause and treat the root condition. Even if another condition cannot be found, there are still medications your vet can prescribe to ease the symptoms. Total blindness isn̵7;t always the result, but routine visits to your cat̵7;s doctor can help minimize the effects of the optic nerve swelling.