Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva, the pink inner membrane of the eye. This is the most common eye disorder in cats. In fact, most cats will experience conjunctivitis at some point in their life. If your cat has conjunctivitis, her eyes will look and feel very uncomfortable. You need to act quickly so your cat can receive treatment and feel better.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Treating the Cause of Conjunctivitis
Step 1. Identify the cause of the conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis in cats is classified as infectious or non-infectious. Sources of infectious conjunctivitis include viruses (feline herpesvirus, feline calicivirus), bacteria, and fungi. Examples of non-infectious causes of conjunctivitis include foreign bodies (such as dust), chemical fumes, and allergies.
- Infectious conjunctivitis is most commonly caused by feline herpesvirus, Chlamydia felis, and feline mycoplasma. Chlamydia and mycoplasma are types of bacteria.
- Take your cat to the vet to help you determine the cause of the conjunctivitis. If the condition is not caused by a non-infectious agent, the doctor will perform various diagnostic tests to identify the infectious agent.
Step 2. Discuss treatment options with your veterinarian
Once your vet has identified the cause of your cat's conjunctivitis, he or she will suggest various treatment options. Discuss these options with your vet. For generalized conjunctivitis (without a specific cause), treatment usually consists of administering antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory drugs (eg hydrocortisone) are given into the affected eye.
- For feline herpesvirus conjunctivitis, treatments include topical antivirals and oral interferon alpha (suppresses the immune response to the virus).
- Topical antibiotics for generalized conjunctivitis or herpesvirus will treat bacterial infections that occur when the immune system is suppressed after a viral infection.
- For bacterial conjunctivitis, topical antibiotics are usually used. Chlamydial infections are treated with Tetracycline.
- If a foreign object is stuck in the cat's eye, the doctor may suggest surgery to remove it.
- Topical eye treatments are usually available in the form of drops or ointments.
Step 3. Isolate the cat in the house
If you have multiple cats, sick cats will need to be quarantined. Infectious conjunctivitis can be passed on to other cats so make sure the disease doesn't infect other pets
Keep the cat isolated during treatment
Step 4. Give the sick cat eye drops or eye ointment
Eye drops are easier to administer than ointments, but are given more often (3-6 times a day). Eye ointments don't need to be applied as often as eye drops, but they are more difficult to apply. If you don't understand how to apply eye drops to your cat, ask your doctor to show you how before leaving the doctor's office.
- The vet will prescribe a number of eye drops (if possible) and tell you how often to give treatment.
- Before giving eye drops or ointment, you should wipe the liquid in the eye with a clean cotton swab and an eye cleaning solution. Your vet will recommend an eye cleaning solution for you.
- The eye drops will spread on the surface of the eye quickly so that the eye does not need to be rubbed afterward.
- For the ointment, you will need to run a line of ointment along the eye. This ointment is thick so you will need to close and massage your eyelids gently to ensure the ointment spreads evenly.
Step 5. Complete the complete treatment
Your cat's eyes will appear healthier in a few days. However, do not stop treatment. This is especially important for infectious conjunctivitis; if treatment is stopped too soon, the infectious agent may not die completely and cause a recurrence of the infection.
- It usually takes 1-2 weeks before a cat's eye heals completely from conjunctivitis. Even if your cat's eyes appear to be feeling better within a few days, treat them for up to a week or so to make sure the eye heals completely.
- You may need to treat the cat for up to 3 weeks.
Step 6. Learn about the challenges associated with treating conjunctivitis
While there are treatments available for feline viral conjunctivitis, a cure has not been found. That is, treatment for this type of conjunctivitis is very frustrating and challenging. In addition, topical antiviral treatments tend to be very expensive and must be administered frequently. If your cat has viral conjunctivitis, be prepared for long-term treatment, not short-term cure.
Part 2 of 2: Controlling Conjunctivitis Relapse
Step 1. Reduce the cat's stress level
Since viral conjunctivitis is incurable, it can recur after the initial examination. These relapses are usually due to stress. Therefore, it is important to identify and eliminate potential stressors in the cat's environment. For example, keep your cat's daily routine as calm as possible.
- If you have multiple cats, make sure each has its own items (e.g. food and water bowls, toys, litter boxes) to reduce cat fighting.
- Cats can also feel stressed if they are bored. Give your cat lots of toys and rotate them regularly. Puzzle toys are great for keeping cats busy and entertained.
Step 2. Add oral lysine supplements to the cat's diet
Herpesviruses need an amino acid called arginine to thrive. However, if an amino acid is present, the virus will eat lysine instead of arginine, which will stop the virus from multiplying. Your vet will recommend a special oral lysine for your cat.
Lysine can be used as a long-term control option for feline herpesvirus conjunctivitis
Step 3. Consider getting your cat vaccinated
The severity of conjunctivitis recurrence can be reduced by ocular vaccine (no injection / injection). Vaccination works by strengthening the immune system so that the cat is able to defend against relapse. Discuss these vaccine options with your veterinarian.
Step 4. Minimize your cat's exposure to allergens
If the conjunctivitis is caused by a cat allergy, it is best to reduce the animal's exposure to the allergen as much as possible. For example, if he is allergic to dust, it's best to keep the cat indoors and protect it from outdoor allergens such as pollen.
If your cat's eyes become irritated when using a household cleaner, make sure the cat cannot enter the area being cleaned
Step 5. Look for symptoms of recurrence
If your cat's eyes begin to swell and become red, or have a colored discharge (such as green or yellow) from the eye, it's likely that the conjunctivitis has recurred. Other symptoms of recurrence include increased tear production, squinting, and sensitivity to bright light. When your cat has a relapse, contact your vet to find out how best to control it.
Tips
- Consult your veterinarian before giving medication to your cat.
- All cats can get conjunctivitis.
- Conjunctivitis is most common in young cats, mainly due to high pressure environments (catteries, shelters, outdoors).
- In addition to topical medications, your cat may need oral antibiotics if the conjunctivitis is severe enough.
- Conjunctivitis goes away on its own. However, if your cat's eyes are leaking fluid and it seems to be making her feel uncomfortable, take her to the vet for examination and treatment.
- Many cats who have conjunctivitis will develop immunity to the condition and show no recurrence.
Warning
- Kittens with conjunctivitis also have an upper respiratory infection, which makes them very sick.
- If your cat has ulcers on their corneas, do not use hydrocortisone to treat conjunctivitis. Hydrocortisone can slow ulcer healing, or make it worse
- Treating viral conjunctivitis itself can be exhausting, which makes cats more likely to suffer relapses.
