This endearing kitten was picked up as a stray by our partner, the Brooklyn Animal Care Center. It was immediately clear he had proptosis of the left eye, so they contacted us, knowing we could help. Proptosis is the sudden protrusion of the eye from its socket, and most likely caused by an infection. “Eyes like that usually start with just a simple conjunctivitis,” explained Dr. Gerard Laheney, Animal League America Senior Veterinarian. “Left untreated, the ocular discharges increase, the kittens try to remove the discharges and self-traumatize the eye. A vicious cycle ensues with progressively expanding inflammation and infection. Eventually, you end up with proptosis and corneal rupture. Now Zucchini will require enucleation, which is surgery to remove the eyeball. Fortunately, he’s otherwise perfectly healthy and shouldn’t have any problems going forward.”
