Why is there hair growing inside my cat's eye? Is surgery needed?

I would recommend referral to an ophthalmologist or dermatologist, it is likely he will require corrective surgery to improve the angle of his eyelids and prevent the hairs from scratching his eyeball causing pain. It is likely Luna will also require surgery

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Buddy he has been through a lot! A dermoid cyst is normal tissue located on an abnormal spot, on the eye is tends to be hair that grows on the surface of the eye. The dermoid cyst is removed via a keratectomy. That is usually curative. I think what your vet says Buddy has now are ectopic cilia, which are tiny hairs that have grown in an abnormal location and are irritating his eye causing pain. They can cause excessive tearing, blinking and can even scratch the cornea (surface of the eye). Another possibility is distichia. Distichia are abnormal rows of eyelashes that, due to abnormal conformation, rub against the cornea. If Buddy has symptoms the hairs should be removed. Electrolysis or cryosurgery is used to remove the offending hairs and is done at an Veterinary ophthalmologist. I hope this helps and I wish Buddy the very best! https://www.embracepetinsurance.com/health/distichiasis-and-ectopic-cilia https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2684

Hello. That looks like a growth, not a sty. It may be benign or malignant, but due to the close proximity to his eyelid margin, it would be best to consider surgery to remove it. If it continues to get larger, it may cause issues with the eye or tear glands. Please have your veterinarian examine your cat and discuss surgical options. Thank you

HI, thanks for using PetCoach! Most cats and dogs that get thick mucous or a hair stuck on their eye are just fine. They eventually are able to blink enough to get the hair off the eye. These animals do not even notice it meaning the eye is open and not red. If Oliver is keeping his eye closed and seems painful then he needs to see a Vet. It could be something stuck irritating the eye or he could have a scratch on his eye, uveitis or glaucoma. You can use an eye safe flush to try and rinse the eye but other wise he needs a Vet to examine the painful eye. https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=1229 I wish you the best!

I can’t say for sure but it looks like there may just be some fur in his eye. Try to close his eyelid and see if you can get it to move around. If not then I worry it is something on or inside his cornea like an ulcer and I would have your vet take a look at him. ypur vet will be able to flush his out if needed and start him on the proper antibiotics. I hope this helps!

Tinkerbell's eye lid does appear to have some sort of tear or ulceration. This could be related to trauma or a viral infection. Tears on the eyelid should be care for quickly. I recommend to have Tinkerbell examined by his veterinarian within the next day. Make sure to protect the area from rubbing by having him wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Rubbing the eye can make it worse. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. It is difficult to say for sure what the cause is based on the pictures you provided, but I suspect that the hairloss around the eye is secondary to Magic scratching / pawing at the eye. There may be something in the eye causing irritation / discomfort or an infection that needs treatment. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Magic so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.