My cat's pupil looks scratched, but has no symptoms. What is it?

Without seeing it I’m just giving ideas. Cats, especially strays or shelter cats may develop chronic changes to their corneas due to infection with feline herpes virus. It can happen even without signs of respiratory disease. There are drops and sometimes oral antiviral medications that can help this. I would plan a follow up appointment with your veterinarian. If they don’t have a diagnosis you may consider requesting a referral to a veterinary ophthalmologist. Good luck and thanks for using Pet Coach.

Thank you for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. A blurry spot can mean that you pet either has a scar on the cornea or it could indicate a corneal ulcer, depending on how this looks. There is also the potential it could be nuclear sclerosis, if it is a deeper opacity that you are seeing. Please submit a photo of the eye in question for clarification on what this likely is, or have your vet do a physical exam to confirm. If it is a corneal ulcer, it needs to be confirmed with an eye test through your veterinarian and then treated with medication. Corneal ulcers however cause excessive blinking and eye discharge. Nuclear sclerosis is common in older cats, and I'm not sure how old your cat is, but they don't require any treatment.. And corneal scars are basically scarring from a previous corneal injury, which typically are permanent and don't require treatment. I wish you the best moving forward with your fur baby. Take care.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sadly the picture you attached doesn't show Ghost's eyes on my end. It has most of his head cut off. I can only guess that maybe he had uveitis before you got him and is suffering from anterior synechiae, which are fibrin strands that prevent the pupil from changing. It definitely could be genetic. As for a long term prognosis I can't be sure with out a picture. Synechiae can lead to glaucoma potentially which can affect vision. I hope this helps in some way, please feel free to repost with a new picture.

While I can see the lesion you're referring to in the pictures it's difficult to tell where it originates from. It could be a growth coming from the iris or foreign material stuck in the eye. I would recommend catching him for your vet to take a look - it is possible that it's something that could affect his vision. If it's really difficult to take him to the vet you could see if there are any mobile veterinarians in your area that could come to the house, but you would still need to confine him somewhere inside (without many areas to hide) for the visit.

It very well could be a scratch. If he is also squinting his eye and develops eye discharge then this is definitely a corneal scratch. However if he doesn’t seem bothered by it and the eye is clear otherwise, it may be a pigment or old scar on the corneal surface. If he becomes symptomatic then have your vet examine him and do a confirmatory eye test so that he can be prescribed antibiotic eye ointment to help this scratch heal. Best of luck with your kitty Kidogo. Take care.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cat. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian. He seems to have an opacity in his eye. This can be on the cornea (surface of his eye) or on the lens. He could have a scratch across his eye or even a scar. If the problem is on his lens, then a cataract is a possibility. His veterinarian will examine his eye with a special instrument called an ophthalmic scope. Some tests may be recommended as well. I hope this information helps!

It looks like that left eye may have some ongoing damage ongoing problem with the cornea clear, (front part of the eye). Does she seem like she can see? Does she walk along walls (as though looking to be leaning in for a knowledge of where she is), does she bump into things? If she does not bump into things and DOES seem to be able to see, then her pupils are probably functioning appropriately even if you can't see it. However it is possible too that she has some lens changes... the lens in the left eye looks a bit cloudy in the picture. As long as she's an indoor cat, it shouldn't matter too much whether or not she can see. Most blind animals do quite well and function great as pets. However, if she seems uncomfortable or painful, I would encourage you to take her to your vet to have the eyes re-evaluated. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!