Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How general anesthesia affects tear production and eye health in cats
By Haubrich, Kaitlyn N et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2025·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Impact of general anesthesia on feline aqueous tear production and the feline corneal epithelium.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 42 cats undergoing general anesthesia for non-eye surgeries were monitored for eye problems and tear production. While none developed serious corneal ulcers, 14 cats had some corneal erosion, and tear production significantly decreased for at least four hours after anesthesia. The study found that the type of pain medication used before anesthesia and how much the eyes were exposed were important factors in eye injuries. To protect your cat's eyes during and after anesthesia, it's recommended to use frequent eye lubrication.
People also search for: cat eye problems after anesthesia · feline corneal erosion treatment · cat tear production decrease after surgery
Abstract
ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to identify the prevalence of corneal injury in cats undergoing general anesthesia (GA) while receiving prophylactic ocular lubrication, identify risk factors for corneal injury and quantify the effect of GA on tear production in cats.MethodsA total of 42 cats undergoing GA for non-ophthalmic procedures were included. Before GA, an ocular examination including a Schirmer tear test-1 (STT-1) and fluorescein stain (FS) was performed. Prophylactic lubrication was administered at the time of anesthetic induction and repeated every 15 mins until extubation. At 1 h after extubation, STT-1 and FS were performed and repeated hourly for 4 h. A Shapiro-Wilk test and paired-test compared STT-1 results before and after GA. Logistic regression was used to analyze corneal injury and possible risk factors for corneal injury.ResultsNo cats developed FS uptake consistent with corneal ulceration. In total, 14 cats and 23 (27.4%) eyes developed corneal erosion at all time points. There was a significant decrease in tear production at all four time points after GA. Pre-medication opioid choice and corneal exposure were identified as significant risk factors for corneal injury.Conclusions and relevanceCorneal ulceration did not develop after GA in this study. There was a significant decrease in tear production in cats for at least 4 h after GA. Cats appear to have a higher prevalence of corneal injury after GA compared with dogs. Frequent eye lubrication is recommended for feline patients during and after GA.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41024328/