Healthy cat eye - photo by *Melody*
A cat eye scratch is a corneal abrasion in medical language. The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye. It refracts light as does the lens of the eye. An injury to the cornea of the eye of a cat is very painful even if our cat can't or doesn't clearly indicate that to us. However damage to the cornea can be indicated by squinting, watering eye and pawing at the eye. Sometimes the third eyelid comes out to help protect the damaged cornea. When the injury is bad the area of the cornea surrounding the injury is swollen looking opaque or hazy.
If the cat eye scratch is on the upper part of the eye it may be due to eyelashes that are out of position. If on the bottom of the eye the damage may be due to a foreign body trapped on the eye. In the latter case the foreign body will naturally have to be located and removed before the eye can heal. A careful examination by a vet will be necessary usually and is recommended. Delay in removing foreign bodies can lead to a corneal ulcer or keratitis (an inflammation of the cornea of the eye).
The cornea will usually heal within 24-48 hours.
Cat Eye Scratch to Cat Illness Symptoms
Photo published under creative commons:
What is the eye? Everyone has them, but few people really know anything about how they work or how they should care for them. Our eyes are how we view the world. Keep yours healthy. I found a great article you and your readers may find interesting.
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