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 Photo by fazen @ flickr.com |
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is the membrane that covers the eyeball and inside of the eyelid. There are many tell tale signs and symptoms of feline conjunctivitis: runny eye discharge, excessive eye blinking, tearing, pawing at eyes, and itchy swollen red eyes.
In some baby kittens with conjunctivitis, you may see an exposed membrane in the eye (also called the nictitating membrane). Normally, the nictitating membrane is hidden in most felines.
What Causes Conjunctivitis?
Bacteria, viruses, dust, chemicals, and allergies are all causes of conjunctivitis. In kittens, the most common causes of “pink eye” are the herpesvirus and the chlamydophilia virus. These viruses can be passed from the mom cat to her offspring during or after birth.
Crowded conditions in a litter of kittens can help to facilitate spread of conjunctivitis. Herpesvirus and chlamydophilia can spread quickly in a litter of newborn kittens.
Any type of dust or chemicals can irritate the eye causing redness and irritation. Allergies to pollen or dust can bring about excessive tearing, eye discharge, and an inflamed conjunctiva.
How to Treat Conjunctivitis
Feline conjunctivitis can be treated very effectively. Both medical interventions and at home remedies can help to comfort your kitten with “pink eye”. If you suspect that your kitten has conjunctivitis, take them to see a vet right away. What may look like “pink eye” could really be a more serious eye problem.
If your vet suspects conjunctivitis, they will get a sample of your kitten’s eye discharge and examine it under a microscope to look for bacteria. If bacteria are present, the vet will prescribe an antibiotic to treat the eye infection. The antibiotic may come in the form of eye drops, ointments, or oral medications.
If the vet feels that the conjunctivitis is caused by a virus, they the vet may order an antiviral medication. Allergic conjunctivitis may correct itself within a couple of days. If not, anti-inflammatory eye drops may be needed to soothe the eye and reduce redness and swelling.
At home, you can apply warm moist cloths to infected eyes to reduce swelling and irritation. Or you can try other natural remedies.
If none of the above interventions help to alleviate conjunctivitis, your vet may have to manually clean the eye themselves and open and drain the eyelids.
How to Prevent Conjunctivitis
Vaccinating your mom cat before she becomes pregnant is paramount in preventing newborn conjunctivitis. There are vaccines for feline herpesvirus and calcivirus available that can help lower the risk of contracting these viruses.
At home, you can use homeopathic remedies such as the amino acid l-lycine which has been shown to enhance the immune system in cats and kittens; hence, reducing a cat’s risk of acquiring infections. Decreasing stress also boosts the feline immune system.
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