How to treat conjunctivitis in a cat at home?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Today, almost every second family has pets that bring joy to their owners. It is important to understand that any animal needs proper care, attention and care from its owner. Cats are incredibly cute creatures that can feel the mood of their owners and adapt to it.

However, keeping them is not as easy as it might seem, since these animals are prone to a large number of diseases. One of these is conjunctivitis. This disease is considered one of the most common. It can develop when foreign objects and infections get into the eyes. Although the pathology does not seem severe, it can lead to various serious problems.

To prevent this, you need to take your pet to an experienced veterinarian in time. Let's figure out what to do if the cat has conjunctivitis. This article will consider not only effective medications, but also folk methods with which you can quicklyheal your four-legged friend.

Main causes of disease

This aspect should be given special attention. Before we talk about how to treat conjunctivitis in a cat, let's first understand why it develops. There can be quite a few reasons, as animals have very weak corneas.

The nature of the occurrence of this disease is as follows:

Infectious:

-viral;

-fungal;

-bacterial.

• Allergic.
• Traumatic.

To understand how to treat conjunctivitis in a cat, you must first find out what caused it. Based on this, medications are selected. It is difficult to determine the cause on your own, so you should contact your veterinarian. It is impossible to delay this for too long, since the disease can develop into a chronic form and periodically manifest itself in the form of relapses.

Symptomatics

How to treat conjunctivitis in a cat at home? Before answering this question, it is necessary to study the symptoms of the disease. Every person who has pets needs to know them. The disease manifests itself with characteristic clinical signs.

Among the main ones are:

• Persistent tearing.
• The animal begins to wash itself more often than usual.
• Various secretions accumulate on the eyelids.
• Pet has puffy eyes in the morning.
• On the corneaa cloudy film forms.
• Cat reacts negatively to bright light.

Based on all these symptoms, it can be concluded that the animal has an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes.

Diagnosis

Let's see how it is done. Only a qualified specialist can give an exact answer to the question of how to treat conjunctivitis in a cat after an examination. First you need to determine the nature of the disease, and only then select any medications. To do this, make a selection of secretions for biochemical analysis. In addition, a veterinarian can make a preliminary diagnosis by the nature of the discharge.

They can be as follows:

• Serous - with viral and infectious lesions.
• Mucous - with an allergic reaction.
• Purulent - with fungal and bacterial infections.

When an accurate diagnosis is made and the nature of the disease is determined, a suitable therapy program is selected. How to treat conjunctivitis in a cat in various cases will be described in detail below. You will learn about the most effective ways to quickly restore your pet's he alth.

Medications

Treatment of conjunctivitis in a cat at home is possible, but it will not be very effective. To achieve a quick result and facilitate the well-being of the animal, an integrated approach is required. Therefore, it is better to seek help from a veterinarian who will select the optimal program.therapy.

As a rule, it includes the following drugs:

• Painkillers.
• Antibiotics.
• Drops.
• Ointments.
• Corticosteroids.
• Flushing products.
• In some cases, antimicrobials.

If an animal turns sour in one eye, then both should be treated. Otherwise, there is a high probability that the infection will pass to the second eye.

Flushing

Treatment of conjunctivitis in a cat is best done by a veterinarian. Having noticed the first signs of the disease, you should immediately show the animal to a specialist. In a neglected form or with an acute course of the disease, the likelihood of developing many serious complications is high.

But before going to the clinic, you can give your pet first aid, which will make him feel a little better. The most effective way will be washing the eyes with herbal decoctions, such as chamomile or calendula. The liquid should not be too hot or cold. You can also use strong black tea for the procedures.

How to wash a cat's eye with conjunctivitis to quickly defeat the disease? The best option is a solution of furacilin. To prepare it, you need to dilute 1 gram of the drug in 5 liters of warm boiled water. Some people claim that potassium permanganate can be used, but veterinarians do not advise doing this, as it dries the mucous membrane too much, and at high concentration it can leave burns.

Another good cleanser isboric acid. It is diluted with water at the rate of 1/2 teaspoon per 200 milliliters of water. To relieve the pain syndrome, two drops of 2% Novocain are dripped into each eye twice a day. This drug also relieves puffiness well.

But don't stop at just rinsing. Self-medication should not be carried out, as it can distort the clinical picture, which will negatively affect the results of future therapy.

Antihistamines

How to treat purulent conjunctivitis in a cat? As a rule, it is the result of an allergic reaction, so antihistamines are prescribed. Alternatively, they can take measures to improve the affected environment, but taking medications is considered a more effective and gentle method of treatment.

Among the best medicines are:

• "Dimedrol". Not only stops the allergic reaction, but also relieves pain. However, you must strictly adhere to the dosage prescribed by the veterinarian. Otherwise, the animal may die.
• "Diphenhydramine". Has a sedative effect. Do not give to cats during pregnancy and nursing.
• "Hydroxyzine". One of the best medications for conjunctivitis in animals. Its main advantage lies in a wide spectrum of action. Tablets relieve allergy symptoms, soothe, improve breathing, prevent vomiting and relieve pain.
• "Chlorpheniramine". Used to relieve intensitymanifestations of symptoms. It is administered intramuscularly. It is forbidden to use more than three days due to the large number of side effects.
• "Clemastin". Possesses the prolonged action. But do not give it for too long, as this can lead to indigestion and a short-term change in the pet's behavioral factors.
• "Pipolzin". Another effective drug that is used to treat allergic conjunctivitis. Among the contraindications are diseases of the cardiovascular system, liver failure and CNS disorders.

If a cat has eye conjunctivitis, it is not recommended to start giving antihistamines without first consulting a veterinarian. After all, the disease can be caused not by an allergic reaction, but by some viruses or fungi.

Drops

This is one of the best methods for treating inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes. Most often, conjunctivitis is treated in a cat with Albucid. These drops have a wide spectrum of action and are used for the following diseases:

• Blepharitis.
• Keratitis.
• Blennorea.
• Barley.
• Corneal ulcer.

"Albucid" has a bactericidal effect, so it can also be used for ear drops in various diseases of bacterial etiology.

The following drops are good analogues:

1. "Bars". Domestic drug withhigh efficiency. Introduce two drops into each eye 3 to 5 times a day. The duration of therapy depends on the severity of the course of the disease. The main advantage is the complete absence of contraindications and side effects.
2. "Iris". Produced on the basis of gentamicin, which has a wide spectrum of action. Drops are completely safe even with prolonged use. Among the contraindications, only individual intolerance to the active substance can be distinguished.
3. "Lacrican". If the cat has severe conjunctivitis, then you can try these drops. They have a bactericidal effect and have a wide spectrum of action. According to the reviews of many veterinarians and pet owners, they can be used to defeat many pathologies of viral origin in just 2 weeks.
4. "Floxal". Although these drops are human, they can also be used to treat conjunctivitis in pets. The drug has a bactericidal and antibacterial effect, has virtually no contraindications and side effects.

Using the drops listed above to treat conjunctivitis in a cat at home, you can not only make your pet feel better, but also defeat the disease in just a few days. In addition, veterinarians advise periodically dripping pet eyes in order to prevent the development of a number of pathologies.

Ointments

As mentioned earlier, the treatment of conjunctivitis in a cat should becomplex. Together with drugs and drops, it is recommended to use ointments. It is best to apply them with cotton swabs after washing the eyes. Plunge boiling water over sticks before use.

Among the best are the following tools:

• Tetracycline ointment. It can be purchased at any pharmacy. The tool has practically no contraindications and has a wide spectrum of action. Apply directly to the eyelid under the eyes 2-3 times a day for 7 days.
• Erythromycin ointment. It has antimicrobial and antiparasitic effect. The drug belongs to the group of antibiotics designed to increase the protective functions of the body. The active substance has a detrimental effect on the overwhelming number of pathogenic microorganisms.
• "Mizofen". Produced on the basis of a broad-spectrum antibiotic. It is prescribed for conjunctivitis of viral and bacterial origin. It has no side effects, but should not be used in case of hypersensitivity to any of the components that make up the ointment.
• "Optimmun". Ointment intended for the treatment of various eye diseases. According to the instructions, it has no side effects and contraindications. Has antimicrobial and immunosuppressive effects.
• "Conjunctivin". The drug effectively copes with any form of conjunctivitis and almost never causes side effects. The ointment quickly relieves swelling, inflammation and pain, which has a positive effect on the entire treatment. In its compositionthere are antibiotics that inhibit the vital activity of harmful microorganisms.

If the cat does not go away with conjunctivitis for 2 weeks or more, then it is worth stopping the treatment and taking him to the veterinarian. This may be due to an incorrectly selected ointment, so some adjustments will have to be made to the therapy program.

Folk methods

Many people are interested in the question of whether there are any folk ways to treat conjunctivitis in a cat at home. Undoubtedly, there are a huge number of different recipes in traditional medicine, but they can only be used as an auxiliary measure aimed at relieving symptoms and improving the well-being of a sick animal.

It is recommended to periodically wash the eyes with a decoction of chamomile. This must be done very carefully, as the pet will behave restlessly and may be injured. It is best to carry out the procedure together, so that one person holds the cat in his arms, and the second performs the necessary manipulations. In the prepared medicinal product, it is required to wet a cotton swab, and then gently remove plaque from the eyelids with it.

Also, a decoction of eyebright has proven itself. To prepare it, you need to add 3 tablespoons of dry grass to 500 milliliters of water, then bring the mixture to a boil, remove from heat and let it brew for 30 minutes. When the product has cooled down, you can start washing.

With severe puffiness, essential almond oil helps well. It is dripped one or two drops into each eye of the animal 2-3 times a day. The tool is completely safe and can be combined with any medication. However, it should be noted that self-medication should be done with extreme caution, as it can cause an exacerbation of the disease and lead to many negative consequences.

Prevention measures

Conjunctivitis is a contagious disease that spreads quickly from one animal to another. To keep your pet safe, follow these tips:

• Give worm medication periodically.
• Make sure the animal is comfortable.
• Take the cat to the vet every six months.
• Giving vitamin supplements to boost immunity.
• Make sure that the hair does not get into the eyes of the pet.

If the animal has conjunctivitis, then you should immediately start rinsing the eyes with a decoction of chamomile. It is necessary to show the animal to the veterinarian. If this is not possible, you can drip any drops based on silver into your eyes. If, after all the measures taken, the disease continues to progress, then in this case it is necessary to find an opportunity and show the pet to a qualified veterinarian.

Expert Tips

In case of conjunctivitis, the treatment program is selected individually for each animal. This takes into account many criteria, among which the main one is the etiology and form of the disease. Veterinarians recommend seeking help at the clinic immediately after the discovery oftheir four-legged friends eye discharge.

Together with the main treatment program, it is desirable to drip the eyes with drugs that have an analgesic effect. They will improve the well-being of the cat. Then he will behave more calmly and will make it possible to carry out medical manipulations. Also, to maintain immunity, it is worth giving the animal a course of vitamin therapy.

Conclusion

This article details how to cure conjunctivitis in a cat. It is worth noting that this disease is very serious. It is not always easy to treat, so it is better not to delay it, but immediately contact the clinic. If you value your pet, then you need to show it to the veterinarian at least twice a year and take preventive measures. This will reduce the incidence. Then the animal will definitely be in a playful mood. It always pleases the owners and cheers them up.