A cat might have dilated eyes after a general anesthetic. This may worry the cat’s owner because anesthetics can harm or, rarely, even kill a cat. However, anesthetics have greatly improved over recent years and are considered safe. Although, I had to sign a consent form before the operation indicating some risk. No doubt, this is standard procedure.
The reason why I am writing this very short post is because my cat has recently undergone dental cleaning and repair together with another procedure – an endoscopy of the intestine – under general anesthetic. When I picked him up his eyes were permanently dilated. Dilated eyes (actually the pupils) look like the eyes in the photo below. This is not my cat. I couldn’t photograph him. I was too concerned about him:
When I saw Charlie’s eyes I immediately notice his dilated pupils. I remarked about it to my vet (the best vet I have employed). She said it was the adrenaline. I didn’t ask a follow-up question that would explain what she meant, despite being interested. I was too wound up.
However my research indicates that adrenaline (also called “epinephrine”) is used sometimes in anesthetics to improve the way the anesthetic works. My research tells me that it increases the nerve block and decreases bleeding as it is a strong vasoconstrictor (it narrows the blood vessels).
The adrenaline effect lasted until the following morning having picked him up in the evening the day before. I presume that adrenaline causes the eyes to dilate as it excites that part of the cat once he is awake. It makes parts of his anatomy more alert when awakened. This heightened state of alertness makes the eyes dilate so they let in more light to see better. I think that is the theory. Or the blood vessels feeding the retina are constricted making the eye less sensitive to light resulting in a compensation through dilated eyes.
My cat is still dopey and not himself but the eyes can be dilated. It looks a bit strange and disconcerting, but things get back to normal in due course.
I wrote this post to reassure some people who might have the same concerns as me after agreeing to anesthetise their cat.
Charlie is back to normal both in voice and with respect to his eyes.
Her u.r.i.–sorry.
Yah?They (2 vet clinics) now want to put my poor little female 17 yr. old cat under just to take her blood pressure after anesthizing thrice including the 1st one, a dental where 5 teeth had to be taken (including the 4 canine teeth). Dialated eyes since! + , no diagnosis/test for mystery uti! Terrible!
Thanks for sharing Sharon and the best of luck to you both. Sometimes anesthetics can cause brain damage. Your vet’s advice seems to be off the mark. It indicates that he thinks there is something wrong with eye other than the possibility of the anesthetic causing injury. But I am unqualified so I am just speculating.
It’s been 3 weeks since dental surgery for Pebbles 15 years old. She was under about 4 hours due to extensive work. She is just not the same and one eye is dilated. Vet looked at it and could not see anything but told me to watch for her pawing it. Nothing like that but she still has one eye dilated. Does worry me
On Jan 6 My pet Cat Mittens was scheduled for teeth cleaning . The vet did numerous blood work an test an vaccines before They did put her on anesthesia an gave her something to wake back up.when I went to pick her up her eyes were fully dilated an she looked an acted scared out of her mind. Which scared me also . They told me everything was normal as far as the tests go I read alot of reviews I see a similarity that people are saying that even though the vet said everything was normal some of there pets ended up with brain damage, loss of eyesight & other things . My Question to everyone reading this how long will my pet mittens have dilated eyes ? She also haven’t slept like they told me she would . Also mittens have been under anesthesia yrs ago when she got fixed an she never acted this way please reply in detail something I can do or the reason why this is happening
That’s okay. I think your cat, judging by your last comment, has had her teeth cleaned under anaesthetic and on waking up her eyes are dilated. If that is the case, the following page is on this subject:
https://pictures-of-cats.org/cat-has-dilated-eyes-after-general-anesthetic.html