Conjunctivitis in cats

Conjunctivitis in cats, also known as pinkeye, is the inflammation of the mucous membrane that covers the inside of the eyelids, that are placed near the globe and up to the edge of the cornea. Most cases of conjunctivitis have an infectious cause: either the herpesvirus (FHV-4) is involved in the pathological issue, or a genre of Chlamidophyla. So, take care, if you have a cat that’s not vaccinated and that commonly interacts with other cats, it may soon get a viral conjunctivitis. If the latter occurs in young ages, it is quite difficult to diagnose and treat. The immune system of kittens usually does not permit strong treatments with multiple antiviral or antibiotic drugs. Which is why, most of the times, conjunctivitis can actually lead to blindness.

There are more than one type of conjunctivitis.

There is the serous type, which basically means that your cat will have itchy eyes and will constantly try to scratch the area of the affected eye. As well as this, there will be a type of excess fluid inside the eye, which will lead to you having the impression your cat is crying. This first type of conjunctivitis can successfully be treated at home with chamomile tea, artificial tears or a diluted solution of boric acid.

Then there is the purulent type, that usually occurs in the continuation of the first type we were mentioning above. The purulent conjunctivitis is way more severe than the serous type. In this stage, you will notice the presence of pus inside the eyes, which is, of course, a quite unpleasurable experience. Take in mind that removing some of the pus may cause pain to the cat, so it is highly recommended that you take your cat to the veterinarian if you have reached this point. This type of eye inflammation also requires treatment with antibiotics, which leads us, once more, to recommend you go to a vet’s clinic as soon as possible.

Follicular conjunctivitis is mostly caused by allergens with which the cat comes in contact with.
Keep your cat healthy by checking on your pet at a daily basis.