Conjunctivitis in cats

Conjunctivitis and other cat eye diseases Domestic animals, cats, dogs, can be victims of different eye pathologies of various origins, some benign, others more dangerous, up to the loss of vision such as conjunctivitis in cats. All require prompt care, ranging from simple ointment and eye drops to emergency surgery. The most common is conjunctivitis which, although easy to treat, could escalate if ignored. Cats naturally have beautiful, bright, clear eyes and a beautiful white eyeball area. However, it can happen that the white turns pink or even red. Dull eyes, clear or thick tearing of greenish or yellowish color, sticky eyelids, visible third eyelid, edema, blurred gaze, all hallmarks of the development of an eye disease, conjunctivitis in cats. This infection of the conjunctiva can be of infectious, bacterial, fungal, viral, allergic or traumatic origin, affecting one eye or both. We must remain vigilant and attentive to the symptoms because it can be contagious between cats in the same environment or from one cat to another during their escapades outside. The immune system of kittens, older cats, or immunocompromised cats is more fragile and less efficient and they can therefore develop this disease more easily than healthy adult cats.

Causes of conjunctivitis in cats Although conjunctivitis is a fairly common disease and easy to treat when symptoms appear, the underlying causes for its development should not be overlooked. Of infectious origin, the treatment will necessarily have to take into consideration the elimination of viruses, bacteria, parasites attacking the conjunctiva, causes of the symptoms of the resulting inflammatory reaction, first in one eye and then in both. Of allergic origin, the irritation produced by small particles in the air such as pollen, grasses, dust, can cause conjunctivitis following the inflammation produced and in this case, conjunctivitis is present in both eyes simultaneously, the discharges are then clear or watery. The introduction of a twig or other foreign body into an eye will induce conjunctivitis by trauma. Cats living in a community can inflict scratches in the eye, causing irritation and therefore inflammation of the conjunctiva. It is therefore clear that in case of doubt a veterinarian will be able to determine the exact cause of conjunctivitis by carrying out some diagnostic tests and recommend an appropriate treatment.

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THE DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS / BACTERIAL INFECTIONS of conjunctivitis in felines. All conjunctivitis does not induce the same symptoms which vary according to the cause underlying its development. Bacterial or fungal, the infection will manifest itself by thick, yellowish or greenish discharge, crusts at the corners of the eyes, an eyelid stuck together with pus. The conjunctiva turns dark red, the cat blinks, eyelid spasms are visible. The chlamydophila felis bacterium most often responsible for this infection between carrier or affected cats will take 2 to 7 days to declare itself, affecting only one eye then both. Its close link with coryza syndrome will require a lot of vigilance because conjunctivitis could be only one of the symptoms associated with this disease.

VIRAL INFECTIONS in cats

The coryza syndrome, which is very common in cats (like our head cold) does not only have a bacterial origin but also an association of three viruses, the Herpes virus, the Calicivirus and the Reovirus.

With the Herpes virus, in young cats, we will denote, in addition to conjunctivitis, coughing, sneezing, runny eyes and nose, weakness, while adults will only develop serious conjunctivitis but also corneal ulcers . A Calicivirus will also cause discharge from the eyes (which can be confused with the onset of conjunctivitis) and from the nose, fever, depression, ulcers in the mouth, loss of appetite. Affected by a Reovirus, the cat will have developed rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal passages), stomatitis (inflammation of the oral cavity) and conjunctivitis. All three therefore induce several symptoms of varying importance, including conjunctivitis common to all three which will be more or less severe depending on the age and state of health of the affected animal. The Herpes virus is the most dangerous, deadly for the weakest untreated subjects, while the Reovirus is quite benign. Conjunctivitis can also be a symptom of another very serious disease, FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus or cat AIDS).

Corneal ulcer
In the absence of adequate treatment, conjunctivitis will be able to degenerate, reaching the very structures of the eye, then the vision to be alreated. In cases or foreign bodies would be the cause, for example, (even if invisible to the naked eye), cat scratches or caused by the herpes virus, a rupture of the outer surface of the cornea appear, a corneal ulcer. Containing no blood vessel and perfectly transparent, brilliant and smooth, the cornea contributes to what the light transmitted to the brain forms clear images. Its external layer serves as a barrier to bacteria, debris and microorganisms. Reached, this layer loses thickness (hollow lesion), and even if most

Corneal ulcers are superficial, those inflicted by claw blows risk a bacterial superinfection, deepen and risk a perforation of the eyeball. This condition is very painful for the cat, one will observe for example a bluish and opaque reflection on the cornea, an excessive tearing, edema of the eyelids, the conjunctiva, the cornea, redness, spasm and intensification of pain in full light.

Dry conjunctivitis (keratoconjunctivitis dries) Sickness of the eyes of felines
This kind of conjunctivitis, rarer in felines, is caused by a lack of production of tears. The poorly lubricated eye is poorly protected from microbes, leading to infectious conjunctivitis, an infection of the eyelids (keratitis), a corneal ulcer. Various origins, note more particularly a feline herpes, chronic conjunctivitis (in the cat). Specific tests will establish diagnosis and treatments will focus primarily on the stimulation of tears production, but also inflammation, bacterial infections, and secondary corneal ulcerations.