My cat's inner eyelid is red, swollen, covering half. Is it serious?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The white tissue in the corner of the eyes is the third eye lid. It goes up like this when a cat is unwell. It is not a specific sign for one particular disease but it often means that a cat has fever, has breathing problems, has abdominal discomfort, muscle or joint pain. Please, take Lancelot to your local vets tomorrow for full clinical examination. Your vet may recommend a blood test or abdominal scan to find out what is going on. Good luck !

Cats with really painful eyes (such as from a scratch to the cornea or something stuck in the eyelids) will elevate their third eyelids to help protect the eye. Though some types of neck injuries can damage a nerve to works in the face and can also cause this to happen. Since I am concerned that this beautiful kitty is in pain, I would recommend taking her to the emergency vet. After the examination, discuss financial constraints with the vet to determine what can be done to alleviate pain but still fit within the budget you have set. Many times we are able to come up with plans B and C to do what we can to help the pet!

It's difficult for me to understand what is happening here, but it makes me think of conjunctivitis as this could appear as swollen tissue that may make his eyelids appear to roll outward. I agree that there is nothing you can do personally and an ophthalmic exam is needed.

Having the third eyelid up is often a sign of a systemic disease from a virus or infection, not an eye problem itself. This can also be caused by intestinal parasites. I recommend a veterinary exam and testing of his blood for feline leukemia and aids and a fecal test for intestinal parasites. They will also check him for anemia and make sure his organs are functioning properly. Once they find the reason then they can prescribe the correct treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Mochi.

What you are seeing is Zoe's third eyelid, which is a normal part of a cat's anatomy. What isn't normal, however, is it being out while her eye is open. Normally it comes out when her eye is closed, and if it's out while her eye is open, that signals a medical problem such as an eye infection. An eye infection would also keep her from opening her eye as normal. The eye is such a delicate and important structure that any problem with it should be considered an emergency. That's because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I would have Zoe seen by a vet as soon as possible to have her eye examined and treated.

Poor Sweets! He could have injured his eye, or could he have a severe eye infection. This is something that needs to be treated promptly by a vet, as leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I would have your daughter take him into a vet now. Best of luck.

It is not normal for the third eyelid in a cat to be out when the cat's eye is open, so if Rexx's third eyelid is out, then this is a concerning sign. It's typically only out in times of illness. I would take Rexx into the vet today for an exam. If he has a slowly healing cut, he may have an infection causing it to heal slowly, and that could lead to third eyelid staying out.