My cat has a splinter near her eye. Can I remove it safely at home?

Hello, and thanks for your question. You can try using an eye rinse and gently flush the hair out of her eye. If this doesn’t work or if she continues to squint, she really does need to be seen by a vet as there’s no safe home care remedy for an eye injury or infection. All the best to you and Missa. Hope this helps!

HI, thanks for using PetCoach! Most cats and dogs that get thick mucous or a hair stuck on their eye are just fine. They eventually are able to blink enough to get the hair off the eye. These animals do not even notice it meaning the eye is open and not red. If Oliver is keeping his eye closed and seems painful then he needs to see a Vet. It could be something stuck irritating the eye or he could have a scratch on his eye, uveitis or glaucoma. You can use an eye safe flush to try and rinse the eye but other wise he needs a Vet to examine the painful eye. https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=1229 I wish you the best!

I would have your cat seen by a vet and not try to get this thing out yourself anymore. You could accidentally do real damage to the eye by doing this. I would find an ER vet or a vet on call to see him today if your regular vet is closed. This is because any eye problem is considered an emergency. Leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I hope this helps!

That’s a hair or fiber on Felix’s cornea. If you have eye drops at home or can pick up artificial tears or visine at your local drug store, you can flush it off of his eye that way. Avoid touching his eye with your fingers to avoid damaging his cornea. You might be able to push it down to the lower eyelid edge of his eye where you can pull it away by very gently closing his eyelids. Good luck!

You can clean the area with hydrogen peroxide. I would then take a hot wet washcloth and massage the area. The heat and massage will improve the blood supply to the area so it will heal more quickly. If there is a pocket of puss the goal is to get the scab off so the infection can drain. If there is an open wound then I would apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it afterwards. If she becomes lethargic and not eating then I would bring her in for an exam as she may have a fever and need antibiotics. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

I recommend cleaning the area with a warm damp cloth to remove the discharge. Then you can apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. Actually, now that it’s draining the infection his fever should break and this should heal quickly. It’s important to keep it clean and for the wound to stay open so the infection doesn’t stay under the skin. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Smudge.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I recommend calling Zildjan’s veterinarian if the wound is not healing well. Be sure you are only cleaning as directed by her veterinarian. Some antiseptics or cleaners can inhibit healing. Do not use hydrogen peroxide to clean wounds daily.