Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat lost vision and got brain infection after tooth extraction
By Reeh, Solveig et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2025·Department of Small Animal Internal Medicine and Surgery, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ascending bacterial optic neuritis and meningoencephalitis following tooth extraction in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old cat developed severe eye swelling, loss of appetite, and lethargy six days after a routine tooth extraction. The cat's left eye was swollen and it had lost vision, which led to a seizure and a rapid decline in health. Unfortunately, the prognosis was poor, and the owners chose to euthanize the cat. A postmortem examination revealed serious complications, including inflammation around the optic nerve and brain, linked to the dental procedure.
People also search for: cat eye swelling after dental work · cat seizure after tooth extraction · cat lethargy and inappetence causes
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Dental procedures in cats are routinely performed, with complications rarely reported. However, when complications do occur, they can be severe, potentially resulting in penetrating ocular trauma, often leading to vision loss and subsequent enucleation. This report describes retrobulbar abscessation, ascending bacterial optic neuritis, and bacterial meningoencephalitis as a complication following routine tooth extraction in a cat. CASE PRESENTATION: A 12-year-old cat was presented six days after a routine dental procedure due to left-sided eye swelling, inappetence, and lethargy. General and ophthalmic examination revealed absent vision, hyphema, and exophthalmos of the left eye, suspected to be secondary to ocular trauma. During hospitalization, the cat's mental status deteriorated, and a generalized epileptic seizure was observed. Due to the poor prognosis, the owners elected euthanasia. A postmortem MRI of the skull revealed retrobulbar and optic nerve inflammation, meningoencephalitis, and a suspected intracranial abscess potentially associated with the recent dental extraction. Necropsy confirmed a retrobulbar abscess, ascending bacterial optic neuritis, and bacterial meningoencephalitis. CONCLUSION: Bacterial meningitis and encephalitis should be considered as differential diagnoses in cats presenting with ocular changes and intracranial neurologic signs following routine dental procedures.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41398265/