Second eyelid visible in my kitten

Question
Hello, Jessica,

I have a kitten named Chipmunk that is 6 1/2 months old. He is normally very happy and healthy, but 3 days ago, I noticed something is wrong with his left eye. It is completely clouded over, and looks almost iridescent. It is not the white eyelid that shows when they are feeling ill. We put ointment in his eye, but that did not change anything. He did not appear to be in any kind of pain, and carried on normally, as if nothing were wrong. This morning, though, I noticed him squinting with that eye.

Chipmunk is able to walk around just fine. He is not stumbling or walking erratically as if he cannot see. His eye is not infected or inflamed in any way, and there is no pus.

I think Chipmunk might also have the feline equivalent of Down's Syndrome. My sister has Down's, and he shares a lot of the Down's characteristics with her, such as a thick neck, almond-shaped eyes, and short limbs. He also has not yet reached puberty, but his three brothers have. In short, I think he has a chromosomal disorder. Is it possible that his sudden eye condition could be related to his disorder? I am not concerned about the potential chromosomal disorder right now; my concern is his eye. I only mentioned it in case it might be related.

Thank you,

Beverly

Answer
Hi Beverly,

A photo would be helpful, but it sounds possible that your kitty could have a condition of the eye such as feline keratitis or uveitis. You may want to look up photos of these and see if either of these looks like a match. Keratitis affects the cornea, the clear layer of the eye which covers the iris. It will cause a hazy appearance over the eye. Anterior uveitis (the most common kind) affects the inside of the eye in front of the iris and can cause a cloudy appearance within the eye, or a change in eye color. This is due to a collection of red or white blood cells, or the formation of scar tissue. Both conditions become intensely painful without treatment, and both often lead to the loss of some sight due to the formation of scar tissue. Uveitis is especially dangerous because it creates pressure inside the eye, which can result in the displacement of the lens or detachment of the retina. Once this occurs, sight is totally and permanently lost in that eye without dramatic surgery. Fortunately, both of the conditions can be treated with eye drops or an ointment, but they must contain a strong steroid to reduce inflammation. Those which contain antibiotics alone generally won't be enough to treat these conditions.

Uveitis occurs most of the time for unknown reasons. Sometimes it's related to a deep penetrating  eye injury or secondary to a disease such as the feline leukemia or AIDS viruses, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) or toxoplasmosis. These diseases could also explain Chipmunk's stunted development. Your vet can examine him and decide whether any other symptoms are present to suggest these are probable. I recommend that all cats be tested for feline leukemia and AIDS at some point, since the tests are easy, reliable and relatively inexpensive.

Keratitis tends to be secondary to viral upper respiratory infections that most cats have contracted early in life, such as herpes and calici virus. It's primarily a condition seen in older cats in these cases, but this isn't always true. I had a pair of Siamese who had the condition at three months old. Theirs was believed to be due to calici virus. Keratitis can also be caused by bacteria, fungi and other germs.

I hope he's feeling better soon!

Jessica