Closing an "eye" by surgery - yes or no

[mkatjp]

We have a blind cat which only has one eye. Our vet says she doesn't see on it. I am not sure if the vet is 100% correct. I think she might have be able to distinguish between dark and not dark. Anyway, it is about the missing eye.

When our cat was a kitten, the vet said, we let it as it is. However, in recent time, it seems to start to itch, bleed and fester - a little bit.
What do you think, shall we request to get it closed now? Are there known disadvantages to surgically closing? Will it stop to itch, bleed and fester?
Does surgery mean they are just sawing it shut or does it mean they try to let the inner back and inner front grow together?
Thank you!

 

[Norachan]

Hi mkatjp

Does she have an eye in that socket or is already gone? Her other eye looks kind of cloudy in the picture, so I'm not sure if we're talking about a cat that is completely blind, or one that has one good and one blind eye.

If they do surgery on a cat that has a bad eye, called an enucleation, they will remove the eye completely and then stitch the lids together.

I really recommend that you talk to your vet about this. An eye that weeps and bleeds could well indicate a serious underlying health problem. I'm going to post some pictures of my cat, Happy, who was FIV+ and suffered from lots of eye problems. The underlying cause of the bleeding was cancer. We had her eye removed but unfortunately the tumors continued to grow and she died a few months after surgery.

I have another cat who has been blind in one eye since he was a kitten. He gets along fine with only eye. I think the fact that your cat's eye is getting infected is certainly worth considering having her eye removed for. But please talk to your vet about what might be causing the changes in her condition now.

 

[mkatjp]

Norachan
Thank you for your answer. There is nothing in it, they eye is already gone. The bleeding is by far not so strong as in your picture shown. I just realize when wiping the fluids away that it looks a little bit reddish. Of course, I will talk with the vet. I just want to prepare the talk. I just wait now that the temperatures get "normal" again. Lisa is already 5.

 

[Norachan]

Please keep us updated on how she does.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

mkatjp I think that the questions you have would be best discussed with your vet. This way you can get specific information. Do you know what is causing the itching and blood/discharge? If not that would be the first thing to mention to the vet.
Then next you could ask what next steps could be taken. As I have no idea if they will sew the eye shut as it is an eye that has already been removed and healed..
I have no experience with this maybe someone else does and can offer more information.
And if you don't mind me asking.. How is her vision in her left eye?