West Yorkshire vet practice saves kittens from blindness – by reconstructing eyelids

A WEST Yorkshire vet practice has been praised for saving the sight of two rescue kittens who were born with a rare and painful condition.

Preston and Rupert, who were found dumped in a bin bag in a skip, underwent life-changing surgery at Chantry Vets in Wakefield to reconstruct their upper eyelids which had not fully formed due to a birth defect.

The condition, eyelid agenesis, makes it difficult to blink or produce tears meaning the kittens had no protection from fur or eyelashes irritating their eyes which they barely opened due to the pain.

Eyelid agenesis can also cause ulcers, infections and scarring with a risk of blindness, and if untreated eyes have to be removed.

Dr Lisa Flood, surgical director at Chantry Vets’ Brindley Way Veterinary Hospital, said both kittens were missing two thirds of their upper eyelids but had lashes growing out of the abnormal tissue which was irritating their eyes.

Dr Flood carried out delicate reconstructive surgery by creating a skin graft from the lip at the edge of their mouth, rotating it upwards and stitching it to create new, functional eyelids.

The operation lasted about an hour and a half and was carried out while Preston and Rupert were under anaesthetic and being monitored by veterinary nurses.

Dr Flood, an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery, said: “Without treatment this condition would have become very painful and progressed to ulceration. If left untreated, they would have ended up having to have their eyes removed.

“This operation will massively improve their quality of life. They will now be able to produce tears and the eye protection will make a big difference to them.”

“I’ve done similar surgery before for pets that have had a tumour or wound on the lower lid, but it is rare to have to bring the lip up to the upper lid. It’s important to ensure there’s no tension or any risk of pulling so I had to be very careful with the measurements to make sure there was enough tissue to fit comfortably and heal.”

Preston and Rupert were given anti-inflammatory medicine and buster collars to wear to prevent them from scratching the stitches while the new eyelids healed. The new lids now prevent hair from rubbing on their eyes, sparing them from chronic discomfort and potential blindness.

Owner Amy Scott, who lives in Middleton, said the operation had given Preston and Rupert a chance of a happier life and praised the veterinary team’s care and treatment.

Amy is a student veterinary nurse working at Leeds PDSA Pet Hospital where Preston, Rupert and their brother Beans were taken after a passer-by found them abandoned in a bin bag in a skip.

Despite them being riddled with fleas and suspected cat flu, Amy took them home to nurse them back to health, fell in love with the trio and adopted them.

She said that after their turbulent start and poor eye health, their quality of life is much better thanks to the care and treatment at Chantry Vets.

Amy said: “I am so grateful to Chantry Vets and can’t thank them enough. I can’t compare the standard of veterinary care they received with anything I’ve experienced.

“When they were younger, they were very squinty because their eyes were so sore that they kept them closed. That made them nervous about moving about and they weren’t confident or happy to jump up.

“Rupert had to have one eye taken out because of the condition and the trauma caused by eyelashes falling into his eyes before he was able to receive the treatment. But after the surgery, they can now see and are racing around and climbing up their cat tower. Their quality of life has improved so much and they are now like new kittens.”