Conjunctivitis in cats: symptoms, causes, treatment
Unfortunately for our pets, conjunctivitis in cats is one of the most common eye health problems. It is very easy to detect and causes a lot of discomfort to the feline. You have to act quickly and treat the disease, as it is liable to worsen and end with serious problems in the cornea.
My cat has conjunctivitis, what is it?
The Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the lining of the eye and the inner eyelids. This disease can be a side effect of a greater evil. As it is easy to detect the inflammation of the mucosa of the eye, although we can treat conjunctivitis at home, the most sensible advice is to have the cat checked by the veterinarian, to rule out something more serious.
It is common to find cases of conjunctivitis in small cats less than 6 months old. The reason is that they are stray cats or that they have not been well cared for, the veterinarian will prescribe the treatment that must be carried out so that our pet’s eyes improve.
As a general rule, the treatment is usually a topical product and you will have to apply it directly to the eyes. The administration of the treatment is usually done every few hours and you will have to extend it for several days. At the same time, they are sure to advise you on some ocular hygiene habits for these cases.
Regardless of the treatment, the veterinarian will see if it is necessary to do some type of test, in case the conjunctivitis was caused by some other disease. However, this condition has a good prognosis, provided it is detected at an early stage.
It is very important that, as soon as we detect the first symptoms, we take the cat to the vet. Conjunctivitis can worsen if it is not caught in time and have fatal consequences. In addition, you have to be very aware of the pet, because cats are very prone to relapses with conjunctivitis.
It is necessary that you be clear that, if the evil of the eyes is due to another type of disease, even if your pet is cured, it will be a carrier and could infect other specimens. Whatever the cause of the disease, it is very important to act as soon as possible. Untreated pink eye could end up blind your cat.
Types of conjunctivitis
Not all cats suffer from the same conjunctivitis. Therefore, it is necessary that we review the main types that exist of this eye disease.
Serous Conjunctivitis in Cats
This type of conjunctivitis in cats is the most common. It is not usually difficult to end it. The symptoms are mild and you may notice that your cat has a little swollen eyelids and that it is constantly tearing. Allergy or street air may be the cause.
Purulent conjunctivitis in cats
It is an aggravation of serous conjunctivitis. Generally, the condition of the animal worsens because of a bacterial infection. In these cases, the tearing fluid is much thicker, turning into mucus or even pus. You will see that the eye is closed because of the scab. You have to be very attentive, because, if the disease occurs in both eyes at the same time, it could be the manifestation of a disease of the respiratory system of viral origin.
Feline follicular conjunctivitis
An allergy or infection can cause this evil in the cat’s eyes. It is characterized by a tearing in the form of mucus. The eyelids swell and the surface hardens. As in the previous one, the vet will tell you how to treat it and what type of eye hygiene the kitten needs.
Remember that conjunctivitis can be of infectious, traumatic, allergic or parasitic origin.
Causes of conjunctivitis in cats
You have already seen that there are various reasons why your cat can get conjunctivitis, from infectious processes to allergies. However, it is important that you know that there are some diseases, especially of respiratory origin, that cause conjunctivitis as a side effect.
With this type of disease you must be very careful, since, if not treated in time, they can leave serious consequences in the eyes of your kitten.
Another important cause of conjunctivitis in cats is the dirt in the environment, since it carries the risk of infections if the animal is exposed to dirt and bad habits, such as not cleaning its eyes regularly. In fact, as we already mentioned in the previous section, dirt is the main cause of conjunctivitis in abandoned small cats.
You must be aware of drafts and excess cold. Cats are very prone to colds and this can also end up causing this eye disease.
In some cases, conjunctivitis in cats is recurrent and has its origin in genetic factors and a predisposition to complications from eye diseases.
How to tell if my cat has conjunctivitis: symptoms
The truth is that this eye problem can be detected very easily. Symptoms are very common.
● Red eyes.
● Inflammation of the inside of the eyelids.
● Excess tears.
● Abundant and thick discharge, with a yellow or green color or a lot of legañas.
● The third eyelid bulges due to mucosal inflammation.
● Eye closed due to inflammation or discharge.
● Itchy eyes.
● Cloudy cornea or change in the shape of the iris or the color of the eye.
Treatment of feline conjunctivitis
The most effective advice is that, before any of the symptoms that we have described, take the cat to the vet as soon as possible. It is very important to know what is the cause of conjunctivitis.
The doctor will provide you with a treatment to administer to your pet and will also give you some eye hygiene guidelines. A simple and very common example is to use saline solution and sterilized gauze to clean the eyes, avoid dirt and the appearance of blemishes.
Home remedies
We can reinforce the veterinarian’s treatment with some issues that will make the cat healthier. For example, we must ensure that he has an adequate diet , so that his immune system is strong.
If you notice that the cat scratches its eyes a lot, clean them with a gauze soaked in chamomile or thyme infusion. But the most important thing to avoid conjunctivitis in cats is that you keep your pet clean, cared for and well fed.
