Feline Ophthalmology Check Up – Minnie

3rd June 2024 by Kim Edwards

Feline Ophthalmology Check Up

Minnie was brought in to see Dr Shannon Gaffaney to check her weepy left eye. Minnie is a British Short Hair and is just over 5 years old. She is also prone to sneezing which can cause mucous discharge but hasn’t done this for a while. She is otherwise a healthy cat. It is possible that Minnie’s eye lids are very tight to her eye balls which can cause the normal tear development to spill out rather than stay on the eye to lubricate. However, it is not bothering her and the discharge is not an infection. Shannon suggested that further investigation under sedation to ensure tear ducts aren’t blocked could be considered but to monitor regularly in the meantime.

British Short Hair cats (amongst others) have brachycephalic head shape, which means their heads are short and rounded. As a result, the more flat faced breeds of cat can have narrowed tear ducts causing improper drainage of tears and mucus. This issue leads to a build-up around their eyes and frequent infections.

Minnie is a very affectionate soft cuddly cat and loves to chase flies around the house and try to catch the squirrels that frequent her garden, unsuccessfully!