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My cat's eye is swollen, squinting, scratching after drops, vet needed?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My cat has been getting eye drops (chloramphenicol) for watery eye. The watery eye has stopped but now her eye is swollen and she is constantly squinting and scratching it, do I take her to a vet again?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 5th, 2020

Yes, definitely take her back into a vet asap. Put a cone on her to keep her from scratching her eye until you get her into a vet so she doesn't make it worse. You can make one at home or buy one from a pet store.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ffR-LzyW1M

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on November 20th, 2017
Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! I am sorry you have been to multiple veterinarians with no resolution. Unfortunately, this can happen with many diseases and health problems as they don't always respond to our recommended treatment. From the pictures you provided, it does not appear to be a condition that would respond to a eye medication. What this looks like to me is either a pigmentary change to the iris or an eye tumor such as an iris melanoma. I would recommend a workup by a veterinary ophthalmologist for a second opinion. Unfortunately, if you are unable to work him up further, there is not much you can do at home for an eye tumor as these need to be surgically removed or the eye needs to be removed. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on June 8th, 2018
You may need an assistant to get the drops in: one person to hold her and one to administer the drops. You could also try a tighter wrap for her, and I am a big fan of the pheromone spray Feliway that you can spray on a towel to help her relax. If you’re still struggling contact your vet: there might not be an alternative to topical drops but they may be able to recommend someone who can help, or potentially borarding until she is better.

Sorry you’re struggling - there are some pets who just won’t tolerate eye medications!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on January 14th, 2018
I would seek more help for Amma. The eye is such a delicate and important structure, and leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. It may be time to seek the opinion of a veterinary ophthalmologist to diagnose what is causing her eye problems so she can be treated. I would speak to your vet to see if there is one in your area that you can make an appointment. At the very least, take her back into your vet this week. I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My cat's eye is squinting after a fight. Should I take her to the vet?

I'm so sorry that Myrtle has been injured. Injuries to the cornea (the clear outer portion of the eye) are very painful, so that is likely why Myrtle is keeping her eye closed. Hopefully Myrtle just has a small scratch that will heal well, but I would strongly recommend having it evaluated ASAP to get her on antibiotics if there is a scratch. Unfortunately, a cat scratch to the eye can be very serious. I have included a link to more information below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=554 I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using PetCoach.

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My cat's eye is watery, pink, and swollen shut again. What's wrong?

The pictures are quite dark, so it's not possible to actually see the eye, but this type of case is usually due to a scratch to the outside of the eye, or a foreign body stuck under the eyelid. Scratches to the outside of the eye are not usually easy to see and we often need to apply a special stain to the eye in order to detect it. For now, it's best if you can flush the eye with normal saline. Saline flush can be bought at the pharmacy, or supermarket in the eye care section. Flush the eye 3-4 times daily and gently wipe away the discharge with a warm/moist cotton or cloth. Below is a link to a good video that demonstrates how to flush the eye. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lXVNMcPzhs If the eye is still swollen tomorrow, then it's best to take him to the vet for an exam. It's also possible that there is an infection in the eye, or conjunctiva that is causing this. The vet should be able to narrow-down the cause of this rather quickly and provide the necessary treatment. I hope that helps and Simba gets better soon.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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