08/06/2025
On Sunday afternoon, we realized that Jeff hadn’t been to see us for his 200th cuddle of the day and so we went in search of him. We found him hiding out in a closet and when we coaxed him out, we saw that he had something wrong with his eye. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that his 3rd eyelid (yes, cats and dogs and many animals have 3rd eyelids that help protect and keep lubricated their eyes) was stuck.
Normally, 3rd eyelids will cover the eye when an animal is resting to keep the eye lubricated. But if you are seeing it when they are awake, it can be indicative of a larger problem.
So Monday morning had us at the vet. After a thorough examination including testing how reactive the eye was, listening to heart and lungs, checking for ear or tooth infections - the vet could find nothing else wrong with Jeffrey. Then our vet told us about Horner’s Syndrome.
This condition is common neurological disorder of the eye and facial muscles, caused by dysfunction of the sympathetic nervous system. The condition usually occurs suddenly and typically affects one side of the head. It can be caused by a variety of issues including illness or trauma, but it can also happen for no reason, especially in older cats.
It would appear that Jeff has the “for no reason” or idiopathic version because otherwise he is a healthy happy guy. After his trip to the vet and another half day of hiding, he got used to a little less vision in that eye and was acting like his old self as well.
We will continue to monitor him closely and use the eye l**e the vet prescribed and hope in 6-8 weeks that the problem will resolve on its own 🤞
