My kitten has genetic eye issues. What future health problems could arise?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This is likely a genetic malformation during birth. The only thing I would watch out for is pain in the affected leg and any abrasions from the leg dragging on the ground. Otherwise, she should be able to adapt to her malformation. 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.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Cinder. It's very hard to see good detail with these pictures. This can be the effects of a chronic infectious conjunctivitis due to a virus (herpes) or chlamydia, an eyelid abnormality such as entropion, or a congenital disorder like eyelid agenesis or eyelid atresia. I would advise getting a second opinion on this eye or even requesting a referral to a veterinary ophthalmologist. I think it's important to see what the scleral infiltrate is and if it can be treated. Cats with eyelid agenesis will often have scleral infiltrate which can extend down onto the cornea. If herpes is suspected and confirmed, maybe a trial of Famvir (famciclovir) would be indicated or some anti-viral drops. If entropion or an eyelid problem is noted, surgical correction may be indicated. Good luck with Cinder.

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.

Hi, and thanks for your question. That is likely to be due to a mild to moderate conjunctivitis and eyelid inflammation, probably secondary to a trauma or infection. A check up would be needed as appropriate treatment would include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops. Corneal injuries must be ruled out as well. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

She is such a little cutie! Sometimes animals can be born with one eye smaller than the other. This condition is called microphthalmia. It can run in the genes and be passed from parents to the kittens, but it can also occur spontaneously. In most mild cases, they can lead a normal life and have good vision. Sometimes they can have problems with vision or cataracts down the road. At this time, I would recommend monitoring her. If you do see cloudiness, redness, squinting or discharge, then I would take her to a veterinarian for evaluation.

Although the pictures are not very clear it does indeed look like there are significant birth defects in the facial structure which may not be compatible with life. I recommend a full physical exam by a vet as soon as possible in order to assess long term prognosis. Birth defects can arise for many reasons including genetic issues, exposure to toxins during development of kittens or in some cases for no apparent reason at all. I would consider neutering the mother to prevent passing on any genetic predispositions in the future

Ehlers-Danlos is a genetic condition that can have symptoms such as easy skin tearing, joint issues and organ dysfunction. As there isn't a cure for it, it's usually treated symptomatically to maintain quality of life for as long as possible. While declawing is not usually advocated in cats, it can help with this particular condition to keep cats from accidentally tearing up their own skin, however it is best to weight the pros and cons between declawing complications and ED symptoms. While Ehlers-Danlos is the human version term for it, you may have better luck researching Feline Cutaneous Aesthenia which is the cat version of the same illness. As this is genetic, any pets affected should also be spayed/neutered and not bred to avoid passing the disease to their kittens.