Enophthalmos in Cats

Symptoms of enophthalmos in cats are usually noticed as a change in the appearance of one or occasionally both eyes. If your cat is experiencing enophthalmos, you may notice one or more of the following:

• Eye that appears smaller or farther back in the socket than is usual
• A dramatically drooping eyelid
• Mucous coming from the sunken eye
• Elevated, and often reddened and inflamed, third eyelid
• Severe weight loss as a result of dehydration
• Constricted pupil
• Blindness in the affected eye
• Nasal discharge

There are numerous possible causes of enophthalmos, or sunken eyeball, in cats, which include the following:

• Severe dehydration, which causes a decrease in the fluid within the eye
• A mass growing in the eye socket or sinus cavity that is pushing the eye back in the socket
• A traumatic injury that damages the bone structure of the orbit
• Horner’s Syndrome, which is a disorder of the sympathetic nervous system that often results from a traumatic facial injury such as being hit by a car or a fight.
• Dangerously rapid and drastic weight loss that includes the loss of the fat that helps to hold the eyeball in place
• Although it is much more common in dogs, it is possible that a cat may have a congenital condition that results in one or both eyeballs being smaller than is normal

If your cat appears to have a sunken eye, your veterinarian will take several steps to diagnose the cause of enophthalmos, including:

• Listening to your observations regarding the symptoms you have observed and especially to when the symptoms began
• Reviewing your cat’s medical history
• Performing a thorough physical examination of your cat, paying special attention to the area around the affected eye
• Test the blood, urine, and/or feces for evidence of severe dehydration and to determine the overall health of your cat
• Order x-rays to determine if there is orbital damage to the skull or a mass growing near the eye socket

Treatment for enophthalmos generally consists of treatment for the underlying cause of the condition. The possible treatments are as follows:

• If dehydration is determined to be the cause, IV fluids to rehydrate your cat
• If a growth in the anterior, or front, area of the eye socket is found to be present and pushing the eyeball back in the socket, the veterinarian, often in consultation with a veterinary surgeon, may determine that it is in the best interest of your pet’s health to surgically remove the growth, therefore releasing the pressure that is pushing the eyeball backward.
• If the growth is found to be cancerous, chemotherapy may be ordered in an effort to rid your cat’s body of possibly fatal cancer.
• Surgery may also be required to repair the orbital socket or sinus cavities in the case of a traumatic facial injury that likely occurred as the result of being hit by a car or injured in a fight with a larger or wild animal.
• In the case of Horner’s Syndrome or in idiopathic cases, meaning that the cause of the enophthalmos is unknown, your vet may choose to keep the eye clean and possibly administer medicated eye drops while waiting to see if the condition will resolve on its own without any further treatment.