Has anyone ever seen this before? It was hard to get a good image but it is on the right corner of her eye in the photo. It almost appears as a tiny contact lens is on her eye. It doesn’t seem to be bothering her but I’m not sure if it is something she should go to the vet for. She is 14 years old.
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What is wrong with my cat’s eye?
- Thread starter Tmkresa
- Start Date
It's called a nictitating membrane. (AKA: "Third Eyelid.")
It's there to help protect the eyes when a cat attacks its prey or to help wipe away dust and debris that would irritate the eye.
Sometimes, the third eyelid gets inflamed or otherwise irritated and sticks out a little bit more than usual.
Most of the time this is not a problem. It's kind of what God intended when he created cats. The problem should go away by itself.
Think of it like the windshield wipers on your car. Sometimes they get full of snow and crud and you need to clean them off.
If you think your cat has dirt in the eye, you can take a clean washcloth and dampen it with warm water then gently wipe your cat's eyes clean. Be careful! Don't hurt your cat. If he doesn't want you to touch his eyes, don't force it! Just let him be!
However, if the problem looks severe, if there are signs of infection, if it looks like the cat can't see or is in pain, call your vet.
It's there to help protect the eyes when a cat attacks its prey or to help wipe away dust and debris that would irritate the eye.
Sometimes, the third eyelid gets inflamed or otherwise irritated and sticks out a little bit more than usual.
Most of the time this is not a problem. It's kind of what God intended when he created cats. The problem should go away by itself.
Think of it like the windshield wipers on your car. Sometimes they get full of snow and crud and you need to clean them off.
If you think your cat has dirt in the eye, you can take a clean washcloth and dampen it with warm water then gently wipe your cat's eyes clean. Be careful! Don't hurt your cat. If he doesn't want you to touch his eyes, don't force it! Just let him be!
However, if the problem looks severe, if there are signs of infection, if it looks like the cat can't see or is in pain, call your vet.
If you notice signs of overall illness in your cat, call the vet. The membrane can appear in those cases as well.
I am sorry to be dense, but did you mean the third eyelid, or do you see something else in the pic?
I am sorry to be dense, but did you mean the third eyelid, or do you see something else in the pic?
