# Retinoblastoma in a cat?



## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

Hi..

I was showing pictures that I took of my kitty to a friend today, and he pointed out the weird "red-eye" thing going on in her eyes. He told me about "Retinoblastoma"... Which is some sort of cancer found in kids.

I did some research and all I could find was a page on Wikipidia about "Tapetum Lucidum".. Which is normal for cats..

But I'm still worried.. When I took these pictures on eye was always blue, while the other was always yellow...:










The thought of my baby girl having cancer just makes me so worried! I know I'm probably over reacting, but I'm just care so much about her.. and wouldn't want anything to be wrong..

Thanks


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## ErbslinTrouble (Sep 1, 2008)

have you spoken to your vets about it? if they can't help you they could send you to a referral clinic that could. hopefully its nothing and lil kitty will be fine. but best to check at the vets!


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## BlackCat (Feb 17, 2008)

Do her eyes appear normal to you generally? The tapetum lucidum is found in the eyes of most animals and causes light reflection so this isn't a problem. Occasionally when you take a picture with flash this can cause alteration of the eye (like red-eye when we are phographed). Try not to worry as ocular cancers are very rare, especially in young cats though if you think that the eye generally doesn't appear normal then its worth having her checked.


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

BlackCat said:


> Do her eyes appear normal to you generally?


Not really. Since I adopted her (maybe two months ago) she's always been a bit cross-eyed.. And only in one eye. 

I'll try and make an appointment with the vet.. Just somthing that makes me so nervous is.. If she has cancer.. There's nothing that I can do for her.. I'm only 16, and my parents are deeply in debt.. I'm just going to have to keep my fingers crossed!


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## BlackCat (Feb 17, 2008)

I know its worrying and we tend to think the worst when our pets are ill (I'm terrible for it). Do try not to worry though but get her booked in for a vet check so that if there *is* a problem, it can be caught early.

Good Luck!


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

Ok well I'm going to try my best to get her to the vet this week.. My mom's out of town for the weekend.. So I may have to wait for her to return..

If this helps at all (I know I'm just being silly.. but just in case) Here's a bunch of pictures I copy and pasted together.. Just so you guys can get a better idea:


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## goatguru (Sep 24, 2008)

Take the cat to your vet, an expert needs to look at the pupil through an ophthalmoscope. The pupil does look cloudy in the photos, it could be anything (from glaucoma to congenital cataracts) or could just be the camera - it would be irresponsible for me to say either way. Your friend is quite right in saying that children with retinoblastoma will often display abnormal eye reflections but this is true of a number of other conditions e.g. Coats' disease.


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

The one eye that looks cloudy is doing that because of the flash on the camera.. I'm going to make an appointment asap

Here're some non-flash pictures of her:


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## ErbslinTrouble (Sep 1, 2008)

she's really cute. i kinna like her wonky eye it makes her special. like lauren hutton's teeth  i hope she's alright and you can get her sorted.


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## kozykatz (May 18, 2008)

hi Rachel

did your cat have cat flu as a kitten? I just wondered if she'd had her eye damaged due to herpes. It's very common. But the others are right, you should get it checked out by a vet. She is very pretty 



rachael said:


> The one eye that looks cloudy is doing that because of the flash on the camera.. I'm going to make an appointment asap
> 
> Here're some non-flash pictures of her:


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

kozykatz said:


> hi Rachel
> 
> did your cat have cat flu as a kitten? I just wondered if she'd had her eye damaged due to herpes. It's very common. But the others are right, you should get it checked out by a vet. She is very pretty


She's still a kitten, only about 4 months- I believe.

And not that I know of.. The foster parents said they found the litter under a car coverd in dirt.. She thought they were all solid black kitties before she gave them a bath. 

I guess it could be likely since the first few weeks of her life she didn't have proper food, hygiene, and living conditions.

ErbslinTrouble: I like her wonky eye as well! I fell in love with her (and it) the second I saw her 

I'm not sure if this should allow me to be less worried, but I have had her eyes looked at just about a month ago (or more?):
You probably can dig up my thread somewhere.. Anyways.. She had a problem with one eye about a week after I had her.. She just kept it squinted.. I took her to the vet, and he looked at her eyes with different lights and eye drops. Just turned out to be an infection, and he perscribed an eye ointment.

Would it be something that he would have been able to catch then? Or is it only on certain tests that it could show up?


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## ErbslinTrouble (Sep 1, 2008)

rachael said:


> She's still a kitten, only about 4 months- I believe.
> 
> And not that I know of.. The foster parents said they found the litter under a car coverd in dirt.. She thought they were all solid black kitties before she gave them a bath.
> 
> ...


has it gotten worse since that check? it's possible she damaged it when she was abandoned and it's scaring. but really none of us can tell you on the internet. you really would be better off checking at the vets.


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## goatguru (Sep 24, 2008)

from the photo looks like she might have ventro-medial strabismus, which could have been caused by the infection reaching the nerves supplying the eye muscles. Don't panic just take your cat to the vet for a check-up and see what can be done - no one can say anything to help here, it really does need a vet.


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

ErbslinTrouble said:


> has it gotten worse since that check?


Nope. I gave her the ointment twice a day for I believe 10 days.. And it cleared up.

I know I should take her to a vet but I really can't take her anytime in the next few days..

I was looking at her left eye and I remembered something that I noticed she's always had.. It looks like a little line on/near her pupil... Not really on it.. It looks like its burried under a few layers- not a scratch. Maybe scar tissue? It's like a little ripple.. I can't get a photo of it- my sister won't let me use her camera right now.. (Also it's hard to see)

So here's a drawing of it:









I just called my mom and there was no answer.. I'm trying to atleast get her an appointment


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## Laura J (Jul 13, 2016)

Hello Rachael, how is your kitty doing?


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

This thread is 8 years old, the kitten is a middle aged cat now !
Rachael hasn't posted since 2013.


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