Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat bumping into objects - signs of retinal degeneration?
By Giuliano, E A & van der Woerdt, A·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·1999·Department of Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline retinal degeneration: clinical experience and new findings (1994-1997).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 26 cats, mostly Siamese, were brought in for issues like bumping into things, having dilated pupils, and being hesitant to jump, which indicated they were having trouble seeing. Upon examination, the vets found signs of retinal degeneration, similar to what is seen in dogs with progressive retinal atrophy. Unfortunately, these cats often came in late in their condition when their vision loss was severe, but they adapted remarkably well to their blindness. There were no early signs like night blindness or complications such as cataracts noted in this study.
People also search for: cat vision problems · Siamese cat dilated pupils · cat bumping into things · feline retinal degeneration symptoms
Abstract
A retrospective case series of 26 cats with diffuse retinal degeneration is presented. The most common presenting complaints included bumping into objects, dilated pupils, and reluctance to jump. Ophthalmic examination findings were consistent with those reported in dogs with progressive retinal atrophy. Breed predilection of the Siamese cat was observed. Cats with primary retinal degeneration presented late in the clinical course of their disease, when vision loss was severe. Early symptoms such as night blindness and secondary ocular complications (i.e., cataract and retinal detachment), reported in dogs with progressive retinal degeneration, were not observed in this study. All cats showed excellent adaptive capabilities to blindness.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10580912/