Has anyone else here been told that cats can become blind because of poor nutrition? My mother has a rescued cat that has vision problems and we were told that poor nutrition was probably the cause.
Hi - I'm new here - spotted your post first. Did a VET tell her that? And what is the problem? - I've never been told that, but ... I have a ferral that we rescued about 5 years ago. He was completely wild, but developed an infection in his eyes. He had reached the point that he went UNDER our fence to leave our yard, because he could no longer see to jump over it. And even at that, he did it by bumping the fence. We trapped him, had surgery on his eyes (as well as elsewhere). They literally sewed his eyes shut for 3 or 4 weeks, and I had to put medicated drops in 3x/day. He still cannot see completely, and is easily startled, but gets along with the other 5 cats and 2 dogs! The mal-nutrition might explain why another of my rescued animals has serious vision problems. He only weighed about 11 pounds when I found him, and he's a BIG CAT! He's healthy, and weighs about 21-22 pounds now. (My vet thought I had finally trapped a wild animal).
I have never heard that but I guess it's entirely possible for a cat that's been outdoors its entire life. It has been proven that some pet foods and treats can cause health issues but nothing like blindness. I'd ask a few vets about that, it's always great to have a second opinion.
My assumption is that poor nutrition could cause sight issues. Heck, it can cause many problems in animals and people. I think the bigger questions is if the sight issues WERE caused by that. Illness, wounds and other things could also cause the poor sight.
If her vet simply looked at the cat with an eye wand (or what ever you call those little lighted sticks they use) and then said "I proclaim poor nutrition the cause of all this cat's eye woes" then I would roll my eyes and take my business to another vet. Hopefully proper blood work was done as well as a complete examination, especially if the cat was a rescue or feral (though I doubt it was a feral if your mom just took it in).
Also if a vet ever tells you something that you question or that would lead to expensive tests or surgery, please get a second opinion by another qualified vet. Not that the original vet was wrong, but I would hope that if your doctor told you something bad and that it would lead to tests, surgery and such that YOU would also seek a second opinion to be safe. :)
Just my opinion. I personally am not a vet or expert in the field of cat health or behavior, so please never take my advice and run with it. Always consult a licensed veterinarian with any advice you get that you want to try. :)
Hello, I know cats need an essential amino acid called Taurine. Cats can not make this amino acid themselves and it has to be provided in their diet. It is found in the brain, heart, muscle and eyes of other mammals. This may explain why the feral cat in our neighborhood catches small critters and usually only eats those parts. A deficiency of this amino acid has been linked to retenal degeneration in cats. Most commercial cat foods are fortified with this amino acid. I think I remember on one of those animal cop shows there was a lady who thought her cats needed a vegetarian diet. Most of the cats were in poor health including a lot of eye problems. You can probably do a goggle search on taurine and get lots of information. Cornell's Veterinarian program also has a website which may be helpful. Lisa
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