Checking A Cat’s Eyes For Infection
Antibiotic & Other Treatments For Eye Infections In Cats
Eye infections in cats can be caused by a host of issues from bacterial or viral infections to injuries or other more serious underlying conditions. The cause of your cat’s eye infection will dictate the treatment recommended by your veterinarian. Here our Charlotte vets share some of the most common treatments for eye infections in cats.
When To See A Vet For Cat Eye Infections
These cat eye infection home remedies can help your feline companion get relief from the symptoms. It is, however, important to get the attention of your veterinarian if cat eye infection doesnt show any improvement after 24 hours of treatment with these home remedies.
Eye infections and related problems can cause serious consequences ranging from major ocular damage to blindness. Your veterinarian will rule out each of the possible underlying causes and treat your cat accordingly.
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Treating An Eye Infection Medically
How Can I Treat My Cat’s Eye Infection
There are various ways you can go about treating your cats eye infection, depending on whats causing it and how severe it is. In some cases, cat eye infections will resolve on their own, but otherwise a vet will likely prescribe either eye drops or topical ointment. In more severe cases, oral antibiotics may be needed to address an underlying condition thats causing the eye infection.
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Remember You Can Help Your Cats Eye Infection
Fortunately, most eye infections arent serious or life-threatening and go away quickly with the right treatment. We hope you found the information in this article helpful and are able to help your cat feel better. Remember, if your cat is showing any more serious symptoms, and youre not seeing any improvement, its time to talk to a veterinarian.
If you have any questions or comments, please let us know!
Vetericyns Feline Eye Care Products
Dont take any of theeye problem lightly. While any suspicions that your cat has an eye infection should be confirmed by your vet, there are steps you can take to treat your cats eye infection at home and remedies you can use in conjunction with vet-prescribed treatments to speed up recovery times and prevent future bacterial infections. And under no circumstances should you treat your pet human eye drops. The risk with this is it would cause further eye injury. The most you can do is gently wipe any tears or ocular discharge with a cotton ball while waiting for appropriate eye medication.
At Vetericyn, we want your cat to live a comfortable, happy, and healthy life. Thats why our pet care formulas are designed to treat current conditions at homelike eye infectionsas well as prevent future flare-ups.
Find us in a store near you, or shop our pet-safe treatment products online to keep your cats eyes captivating, clear, and infection-free. Visit , Petco, Chewy to shop your favorite Vetericyn products today!
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What Are The Symptoms Of An Eye Infection
If your cat is suffering from an eye infection you may notice one or more of the following symptoms:
- Whites of your cat’s eye may turn red
- Clear, yellow or green discharge from the eye
- Winking or squinting
- Rubbing or pawing at one or both eyes
- The third eyelid may be protruding and covering part of the irritated eye
Your cat’s symptoms may affect one or both eyes. Often a cat will only show symptoms in one eye but the infection then spreads to the other eye.
Upper respiratory infections frequently cause eye irritation. Symptoms of URIs in cats include sneezing or nasal discharge.
If your cat is displaying any of the above symptoms book an appointment with your primary care veterinarian as soon as possible in order to prevent the infection from spreading to the other eye, becoming more severe, or being spread to other pets in your household or neighborhood.
Cat Eye Infection Home Remedies Causes And Pictures
Eye discharge coupled with unusual blinking and rubbing may be a sign of eye infection in cats. Although eye infections are relatively less common in cats than dogs, they can still occur when cats get exposed to infectious agents . Some cases of eye infections are harmless and will go away on their own, but others may be serious, especially those involving a traumatic injury. Learn a few of the more common causes along with the top cat eye infection home remedies that you can try at home. Most importantly, you will learn when to see a vet over cat eye infections.
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When To See A Doctor
Minor kitten eye infections due to herpes may clear up on their own, without treatment. However, if you’re not sure what may be wrong with your cat, it’s always a good idea to take them to the vet, especially when they have eye problems. When eye problems go untreated, they can potentially lead to vision problems or even blindness.
The veterinarian will give your cat an exam and prescribe the appropriate antibiotic or steroid treatment, depending on the diagnosis. Your doctor may also show you how to administer the medication so you can do it at home.
If your cat has the herpes virus, they will probably get another eye infection in the future. However, if it was only a bacterial infection, it should not reoccur. Your cat’s eye infection should start to get better after a few days of treatment. If it does not, let your vet know, but do not stop the treatment until your vet tells you to.
Show Sources
American Journal of Veterinary Research: “Effect of oral administration of L-lysine on conjunctivitis caused by feline herpesvirus in cats.”
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: “Cat Grooming Tips.”
Mayo Clinic: “Pink eye .”
Mount Sinai: “Lysine.”
Understand The Signs Of Cat Eye Infection
Veterinarians say the first signs of an eye infection owners notice are pretty straightforward, and aside from the cat’s third eyelid , these signs might sound a lot like humans’ when we get an eye infection:
- The white of your cat’s eye may show some redness.
- You may see eye discharge that’s clear, yellow, or green.
- You may see excessive blinking, or it may look like your cat is winking at you.
- Your cat’s third eyelidwhich actually closes sideways, instead of up and down like our eyelidsmay be covering up more of the eye than usual.
- And if their eye problem is tied to an upper respiratory infection, your cat may also be sneezing or experiencing some nasal discharge as well.
Some eye problems can go away on their own, but because many eye conditions are indicative of something more seriouslike diseases that can lead to blindness or worsediagnosis is crucial.
“Most cases are going to require intervention by a veterinarian,” says Ernie Ward, DVM, a writer, podcaster, pet nutrition advocate, and veterinarian who works with cats at animal rescue groups in North Carolina. “Eyes are emergencies. Eye can be intensely painful. I can’t overstress that.”
Here’s how to know what could be causing your cat’s eye trouble so you can get it treated quickly and effectively.
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What Causes Eye Infections In Cats
If your kitty is suffering from an uncomfortable eye infection the cause could either be an infectious or a non-infectious underlying condition.
Infectious Conditions that May Cause Eye Infections
- Some of the most common infectious conditions that can lead to eye infections in cats are Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis and Feline Calicivirus. Both of these viruses are highly contagious among cats and are known to cause feline upper respiratory disease which can lead to symptoms such as eye infections.
Non-Infectious Conditions that May Cause Eye Infections:
- Viruses aren’t the only cause of eye infections in cats. If your cat’s eyes are sore and irritated it could be due to allergies, a foreign body in the eye, a hereditary eye condition, trauma, tumors, or even an autoimmune disease.
Treating A Cats Eye Infection
The right cat eye infection treatment ultimately depends on the root cause of the infection. There are various ways you can go about treating a cats eye infection, such as:
- Cleaning your cats eyes
- The best cat eye infection home remedy is to just clean your cats eyes yourself to get rid of eye discharge. Eye discharge can accumulate in your cats eyes and be quite uncomfortable for them, so its important to do this regularly if your cat is experiencing any eye discharge. You can do this with a cotton ball to wipe away the discharge. Gently wipe starting from the outside of the eye and make sure to use a fresh cotton ball on each eye. Never touch the eyeball itself. If the discharge is not easily cleared away, then do not wipe harder and seek care from a veterinarian.
- Topical treatments, including ointments or drops, should be applied directly onto a cats eyes. You may need a second person to help to properly apply the medication to your cats eyes.
- Oral antibiotics, which are usually only prescribed if an infection is present.
- Treating root cause
- If your cats eye infection is a result of an underlying condition, your vet may prescribe oral antibiotics, which may also clear the eye infection.
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Symptoms Of Eye Infections
Symptoms of eye infections include:
- Redness and inflammation around the eye
- Your cat may rub his eye frequently, either with his paw or against objects
- Thick mucus-like discharge from the corner of the eye the discharge could have a slight green tinge to it
- Inability to completely open his eye
- If your cat has pink eye, the symptoms may be more severe and include a pink coloration around the eye
Natural Treatment For Eye Infection
If you believe your dog or cat may have some eye irritation, try using a homemade saline solution made from 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of lukewarm water. Drip the saline solution into your pet’s eye using a cotton ball or eye dropper 3 or 4 times a day. Bacteria can form in homemade saline mixes so ensure that you make a new solution for each application and use a separate cotton ball for each eye.
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Which Medications Treat Eye Infections In Cats
This depends on the diagnosis. Chlamydia and mycoplasma are two common types of bacteria that can cause eye infections in cats, but eye issues may arise from other problems like ulcers, cherry eye, tear duct blockages, foreign body, etc. Your vet may prescribe or advise that you use some of the following ointments or eye drops at home on your cat:
Herbal And Homeopathic Treatments For Cat Eye Infection
Giving certain herbal and/or homeopathic supplements can as well help to relieve the symptoms of eye infection in cats including inflammation , redness, and itching. Examples of these natural treatments include aconite, euphrasia, sanicula, chamomile, calendula, and eyebright.
There are as well numerous natural preparations formulated to treat cat eye infections naturally. The Cat Health Guide website recommends looking into Pet Alive Eye-Heal.
Ask for these natural treatment options at your local pet stores and health food stores.
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Symptoms Of Cat Eye Infections
There are a variety of symptoms that may indicate an eye infection in cats. It is common for a cat to display only one or two of the above symptoms, especially during the early part of the infection.
- Eye discharge that may range from clear to yellow to green
- Reddish or inflamed whites of the eye
- Excessive tear production
- Protrusion or inflammation of the 3rd eyelid which usually covers the affected eye
- There may be accompanying symptoms such as sneezing or nasal discharge (commonly associated with upper respiratory infections.
** These symptoms may be evident in one or both eyes.
Uncomplicated eye infections usually have an excellent prognosis. Eye infections caused by bacteria tend to respond well to appropriate medication, and viral infections generally resolve on their own with time.
However, if the eye infection is secondary to another condition, the prognosis will depend to a large extent on the severity of the primary issue.
Home Remedy Extra Strength Herbal Treatment
Combine ½ cup distilled water with 5 drops of ONE of the following teas: Chamomile, calendula, eyebright, or red clover Allow the tea to cool so that it is only slightly warm Add 5 drops of St. Johns Wort , ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp. of aloe vera juice. As with the other remedies, administer 2 3 drops into the affected eye, up to three times per day until the infection clears.
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How To Tell If Your Cat Has An Eye Infection
Cats with an infected eye will often squint and have runny eye discharge.
One or both of your cats eyes will look abnormal. The cat may be squinting with the eyes half closed. You may be unable to see the eyeball properly due to swelling of the lining of the eye.
There may be discharge from the eyes. The eyes may be runny, with an ocular discharge and wetness. Sometimes yellow or green matter may be seen around the eye, often streaming down the front of the face.
Cat Eye Infection Treatment
Veterinary medicine has learned a great deal about eye infections in cats, and a visit to your vet is essential to deal effectively with all eye issues.
Heres how your veterinarian may treat your cats eye infection:
- Your vet will carry out a full examination of the eye, checking for any underlying causes of the eye infection.
- Cytology may be carried out, with the vet collecting a sample from the eye to examine under the microscope.
- A Schirmer Tear Test may be carried out to measure the cats tear production to rule out dry eye , which happens when a cat stops producing the normal amount of tears.
- Swabs may be sent off to the laboratory to carry out extra tests for a causative agent such as Chlamydia.
- Fluorescin dye may be applied to the eye to check for any damage to the cornea such as corneal ulcers or scratches. The dye will also allow the vet to confirm that your cats tear ducts are functioning normally.
- Finally, the vet may apply local anaesthetic drops to the eye to allow the third eyelid to be lifted up so that the vet can check for any foreign bodies that may be trapped beneath this, causing discomfort and damage.
- Once this detailed examination has been carried out, the vet should be able to make a provisional diagnosis, and then give appropriate treatment.
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Treatment Of Feline Eye Infections
Generally, veterinarians use eye drops or ointment to treat feline eye infections. Some cats are not agreeable to being held tightly and having medication put in their eyes. If possible, find a quiet moment after cuddling or petting to gently apply the medication. If you are having difficulty administering medication for your cats eye infection, consult with your veterinarian for options that may be more successful. In some cases of immune system disease, an oral medication may be prescribed. If eye dryness is a problem, your vet may recommend regular application of artificial tears.