Signs Of Conjunctivitis In Your Cat And What You Should Do
If you are a cat owner, your cat's well-being and health are important to you. However, you may not know all you could about the conditions that can affect your cat. Conjunctivitis is one such condition. Learn more about conjunctivitis, its signs, and what you should do if you suspect your cat has conjunctivitis. Then, you can better care for your cat if they develop eye issues in the future.
What Is Conjunctivitis?
Conjunctivitis is essentially inflammation in the tissues of the eye. Oftentimes, it is the result of an infection in the eye.
Conjunctivitis in cats can be mild or severe, and almost every cat will experience some form of conjunctivitis in their lifetime.
What Causes Conjunctivitis?
As previously mentioned, infections (both viral and bacterial) can cause conjunctivitis. However, there are also other potential causes. If your cat gets into some type of chemicals, this can irritate their eyes.
Allergens can also be a cause, and yes, cats can have allergies. This can be an allergy to external things like dust and pollen. Your cat could also have a food allergy and develop conjunctivitis from that. They may also get a hair or something else lodged in their eye that can cause conjunctivitis.
What Are the Signs of Conjunctivitis?
Oftentimes, the first sign of conjunctivitis in cats is that they will have their eye or eyes closed and will not open them fully when they do open them.
Cats may also blink rapidly and a lot when they have conjunctivitis because of the irritation in the eye. Other signs include watery eyes, eye discharge, and redness in the eye (specifically in their third eyelid).
What Should You Do About Conjunctivitis in Cats?
Firstly, if your cat does have something stuck in their eye causing conjunctivitis, you should not try to remove it yourself. Eyes are delicate organs and you could accidentally damage or injure your cat's eye in your attempt to help.
Instead of trying to deal with it yourself, take your cat to the animal hospital or veterinarian's office if they show signs of conjunctivitis. They will examine your cat's eye and try to determine the cause of the condition.
The veterinarian will likely prescribe eye drops or other medications to help your cat with their conjunctivitis. If there is an infection present, for example, antibiotics may be necessary to resolve it.
Now that you know more about conjunctivitis in cats, you can be certain that you contact the animal hospital right away if you notice any of the signs and symptoms of the condition in your cat.
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