Conjunctivitis in cats, also known as pink eye, is the most common eye condition that affects your cat, and can be very painful for your pet. You can come and go frequently, or can become chronic.
Although it is a common condition, must be taken very seriously, as if left untreated can cause corneal ulcers in your pet's eyes and can blind.
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the tissue lining the eyelids eye near the cornea. It is a transparent membrane covering the sclera, the white part of your cat's eye, and consists of numerous small blood vessels. These vessels act as lubricates and protects the eye socket of your cat.
When the eye becomes infected or injured these vessels dilate making the white parts reddish appearance, so the term pink eye. Bacteria and viruses can cause this condition.
Causes:
There are several possible conditions that may cause conjunctivitis. Your cat may have a birth defect, like a very small tear duct that does not allow adequate lubrication, the scar tissue that has been of a previous infection in the eye, or a new infection. It can also be caused by allergies of some kind, such as secondhand smoke, pollen, or certain kinds of grass. It can also be caused by bacteria or fungi.
However, most of all cats, the cause is an infection and that infection will herpes virus.
Most of all cats will be vaccinated against shingles as kittens, but this virus is very hardy and can lay dormant in your cat to long waiting time for your pet's immune system to be weak. Vaccination does not prevent this form of the infection, but they do much less serious. Vaccination is totally guided by upper respiratory infections or feline distemper.
Since this infection the immune system attacks the system, that cats are under stress are more likely to develop conjunctivitis. Pink eye is actually very painful, because it causes a lot of watery discharge on your pet.
Symptoms:
Cats by nature do not like bright light, and as a result, squint a lot. However, if your cat begins to squint a lot more normal, this is your first warning sign.
Conjunctivitis usually affects only one eye, and the following symptoms you should watch for is the inflammation of an eye, and any type of irrigation or crusting.
When this happens, the last symptom to continuously monitor your cat rubs his eyes with legs, or constantly rubbing against a stationary object, and they are trying to obtain what is out there.
Once you start rubbing, Most likely your cat has conjunctivitis.
Then you need to look for the coherence of the type of discharge, as this will help you determine the real cause. If infected by bacteria, your cat's eyelids really stick. If it is a very clear and watery discharge, this is probably an allergic reaction and not anywhere near as severe.
Treatments:
Whatever the cause is, you should have to deal immediately after it has emerged. Your veterinarian can perform a literacy test to determine the actual cause, and drops or ointment is often the treatment.
If you are determined to be an allergy, medication containing an anti-inflammatory drugs are recommended and usually contain hydrocortisone in some form. However, if chronic, be very careful, because this type treatment may slow the healing process and make it much worse if your cat is the development of corneal ulcers in the eye.
After processing, the condition should dissipate within a week or two.
Prevention:
Because conjunctivitis is most often related to an infection that attacks the cat's immune system, there are several things you can do to help build your system to prevent further attacks.
You can supplement with several options.
Giving your cat vitamins A, C and E help your immune system and all three have antioxidant properties that help protect the lens of the eye of your cat. Vitamin C is especially powerful because it also is a fighter of pollutants, and helps clean toxins from the blood and tissues of the eye.
The mineral zinc helps to protect ocular tissues from damage from bright lights and a swelling agent, and is found in trace amounts in the tissues of the retina of your pet. Lutein also very effective in protecting your cat's eyes from ultraviolet radiation, which is very sensitive.
And finally, try some blueberry extract and add a few for food. This is often known as the herb of vision. It is derived from a fruit that is very similar to blueberries and is particularly effective in the initial phase of conjunctivitis in cats. If you catch the symptoms early, they have tried, to help prevent future attacks of conjunctivitis, which carry a cat much happier life.
I am an avid lover of pets and my wife and I have had several pets throughout our years. We are especially fond of dogs, and we have a 12 year old Dalmatian (our 3rd) and a “mutt” that we rescued when someone threw him away to die in a vacant field.
He found us, nearly starved to death, and weighed about 2 pounds.
After severe bouts of mange and severe dehydration, and over 1,000.00 in veterinarian bills, we saved the little guys life, and he is one of the best, if not the best, dogs we have ever had and today is a muscular, fit, and firm 70 pound best friend.
After finishing my MBA, which at middle age was not easy, I decided to keep the research work ethics that I acquired, and devote about two hours each night in understanding the health benefits of supplementation for both humans and pets and how they might strengthen our, as well as our pets, immune system in a pre-emptive approach to health rather than a reactionary approach.
Both of my daughters are avid cat lovers, and asked me to help them with health concerns and challenges with their cats.
I am not a veterinarian nor claim to be, just a lover of pets that loves to research and pass on some knowledge that might be helpful, or at least stimulating to the thought process.
Several of the articles that I have written can be found on my website;
Liquid Vitamins & Minerals for Humans & Pets
http://www.liquid-vitamins-minerals-humans-pets.com/
No 1 CAT Trainer in India Byju Raveendran coaching 1200+ students at a time in Bangalore.
