To see your pet cat in pain can turn a great day sour. Every pet owner wants to take the utmost care of their feline friend and maintaining good eye health of your kitten is equally important. If you suspect an eye infection, don’t panic as cats are susceptible to such infections.
That’s when it becomes important for a cat owner to be prepared with some knowledge on how to prevent and treat it. In most cases, eye infection occur when either bacteria, viruses, or fungi enter the cat’s eyes. Moreover, there’s no one particular source as your cat can contract it from myriad sources including physical illness, open wounds, or even foreign objects.
Watch out for symptoms so that you can nip it early before it damages your pet’s eye.
Among some common symptoms that you might be able to spot are swelling of the eyes, redness, visible discharge, fever, or other behavioral changes that you may observe in him/her. The best way to treat any illness would be to take your furry buddy to the vet’s clinic. However, some home remedies can be used to treat your pet’s problem.
Whenever in doubt, consider consulting your vet. Remember that some issues could be detrimental if left untreated for long, causing possible vision loss. Read more on diseases that could cause this in cats @ https://www.quora.com/What-disease-causes-a-cat-to-lose-their-vision-seemingly-overnight.
Check for infections
Looking out for signs and symptoms is the very first way too early detection and treatment. Some common symptoms that your cat may show include rapid winking of eyes or pressing the eyelids way too close than usual. This can be caused by conditions that lead to its inflammation or in case a foreign object gets trapped under the eyelids.
If you see your four-legged friend with swollen or red eyes, look out for an allergy or infection to have caused it. Formation of gloop around the corners of your cat’s eye is normal but it should wash away on its own. If it doesn’t, you might need to look for signs. If you spot green or yellow-colored discharge instead of the clear one, it is a sign of an infection.
The dullness of the eyes and loss of its sheen is another indicator of its poor health. The blood vessels should not show up in the white part as this could be reflective of an underlying condition such as an infection, an allergy, or glaucoma.
A good way to check for any ailment is to inspect your cuddly companion’s eyes in a well-lit space. This will allow you to identify any inflammation, soreness, or discharge.
How to care for your cat’s eye health at home
For runny discharge, you can use a moist cotton wipe to remove the gloop. Make sure to pat her eye dry and use fresh cotton balls each time. If you see that the eyelids are glued, use clean damp cotton wool to gently clear the build-up from inside to the outer corners. Follow this link to see how to clean your cat’s eyes.
Always ensure that your buddy’s eyes are clear of any irritants. Be it their hair, or any foreign objects such as toys. Simultaneously, free the surrounding of aerosols as your cat could be sensitive to it.
Vaccinations are important and can be life-saving for your pet. Some common conditions such as Chlamydia and flu affecting cats can be prevented with appropriate immunization.
Take your kitten to the vet for a regular check-up and keep him updated on vaccinations. Most bacterial infections can be treated with topical medication. These could be administered in the form of drops or ointment. There is no one drug to treat all eye conditions as the cause could be different.
Regardless of the treatment, you offer your pet, always make sure to sanitize your hands well and thoroughly wash them. Bacteria can colonize in your cat’s eye and handling him can transfer them into your hands. Thus, it’s vital to disinfect yourself after caring for your kitten’s eye ailment.
Observe him/her and if home remedies don’t seem to help in the short-term, he/she might need antibiotics prescribed by the vet.