Has anyone ever heard of this

[jessicasoosweet]

My gramma noticed a filmy sorta substance in the eyes of one of her cats, she took her cat to the vet and the vet told her it was a second or third eyelid ( I don't remember what number it was that my gramma said). The vet told her not to really worry about it and keep an eye on the cat and if it does not clear up within a month to 6 weeks take him back.

I just thought it was really wierd cuz I have never heard of this before

[StarryEyedTiGeR]

The other eyelid the vet was refering to is called a "nictating membraine" - you normally don't see it on a kitty except when they're sleep or sick. The one big sign that a kitty is ill is when the nictating membrane is present. If you see this (and the kitty isn't tired or just waking up from a nap)...and the kitty looks ill...it is a good idea to take he/she to the vet to make sure everything is ok. Also, when a kitty gets stressed out, such as being moved or introducted to other animals or a new situation, sometimes under stress, the nictating membrane will appear more visible as well. If the vet has already examined the kitty, i wouldn't worry too much. However, if it doesn't clear up within a week, i'd take the kitty to a different vet for a second opinion- a kitty should not be made to wait 6 weeks with a nictating membrane present before going back to the vet.

[jessicasoosweet]

Thank you I had just never heard of it before so I thought I would ask about it. I will tell her about getting a second opinion.

[Epona]

There is a condition where the nerve that controls the 3rd eyelid doesn't work properly (haw's or horner's syndrome) for a period of time. The nerve runs along the jaw close under the skin and sometimes a bruise in that area from the cat bumping on something, or from surgery or other medical procedures, will cause the nerve to be bruised and stop working properly. It usually clears up by itself within a few weeks or sometimes up to six months.

I would make sure to rule out any other cause first though, because as mentioned above it can be a sign of illness, so I would have her back to the vet to rule out illness.