Cats quite often suffer from conjunctivitis or, in a simple way, eye inflammation. If the animal begins to blink frequently, rub its muzzle with its paws, shake its head and constantly squint, you should be alert. Conjunctivitis is a real health hazard for your pet, so your vet visit should be done as soon as possible.
How to treat allergic conjunctivitis
Cats, just like humans, can suffer from allergies to chemicals or pollen. In this case, allergic conjunctivitis manifests itself with the usual human symptoms - itching, redness of the eyes, and active lacrimation. At the same time, the cornea is slightly edematous, and the discharge from the eyes is completely transparent, without the presence of pus.
In the presence of pus in the eye discharge, one should immediately suspect conjunctivitis of bacterial origin.
Allergic conjunctivitis itself is not contagious, but the cat suffers greatly from it and needs urgent treatment. First of all, it is necessary to identify the allergen to which the reaction has gone - this can be done using a number of tests. After identifying the allergen, it is necessary to remove the irritant or isolate the animal from its source, be it chemicals or plant pollen. The veterinarian will then prescribe antihistamines for the treatment of feline conjunctivitis, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs that will help to cope with the consequences of the disease.
Infectious conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis of an infectious nature usually appears as a result of a viral or bacterial lesion of the cat's eye. The symptoms of infectious conjunctivitis are puffiness and watery eyes, anxiety of the cat, and yellow-green purulent discharge. From pus, the eyelids stick together and are difficult to rinse, which can subsequently lead to the development of such serious diseases as loss of vision, corneal ulceration and blood poisoning.
Before starting treatment, it is imperative to determine the root cause of the appearance of infectious conjunctivitis.
After determining the cause, the veterinarian will order a series of special tests, which include culture for sensitivity to certain bacteria. Having found out which medicine the microbe reacts to, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of tablets, injections, drops or ointments.
In the course of treatment, you will have to thoroughly rinse the eyes and nasal passages of the animal with a medicinal solution, after which it will be possible to instill or lay basic medications. In addition, the cat will be prescribed special immunostimulants in the form of injections. The treatment will be difficult and will last at least two weeks, but without it, the animal may simply die.
