Cat eye infection: Why is vet treating only one eye for herpes?

By far the most common cause of corneal ulcers is herpesvirus; so although antibiotic drops are usually indicated to treat secondary bacterial infections or prevent infection, Kit might not be improving because she has viral eye disease. Some vets will try oral antiviral medication or topical antiviral drops. Herpesvirus can be very difficult to treat and it never goes away completely. You may want to ask about referral to an ophthalmologist for the best treatment.

Hi and thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Cidofovir ophthalmic has a typical length of about 10 days and Famciclovir has a recommended duration of 2-4 weeks. Kittens less than 5 days old may only need only a 2 week treatment. The chloramphenicol length of time is determined by your prescribing veterinarian. As always, you should receive all dosing and prescribing information directly from your veterinarian who is Rx the medication. I hope this has helped!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to the upper respiratory infection or an ulcer for example. Regardless, he is likely going to need eye medications. I recommend you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Best of luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would recommend making sure he does not have an underlying disease that may be predisposing him to these infections. Test him for feline leukemia (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) at your veterinarian's clinic to rule these possible causes out. Some cats will have chronic viral infections their entire life and we just treat these as they come. If you are not giving lysine supplementation and not giving Purine Fortiflora, I would definitely recommend doing so as both of these have been shown to lessen the severity and duration of the herpes virus flare ups. I would also consider an upper respiratory culture to make sure that there are no other bacterial causes that may be resistant to the antibiotics currently being given. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Unfortunately, the picture is not clear enough for me to fully see the lesion. However, a diagnosis would require a full ophthalmic exam by a vet, so we would only be able to give educated guesses anyways. Cats with feline herpes virus at a young age can get severe ulcers in the cornea (the outside layer of the eye ball). This, or swelling within the cornea are the common causes of the cloudy appearance. With severe ulcerations, the cornea does not heal perfectly and can have a permanent scar - this could definitely be a reason for the cloudy spot you are describing. However, I would have expected one of the previous vets to have diagnosed this already, so it may be something else. Considering you have been to many veterinarians already and have not received an adequate answer, or potential treatment options (corneal scars can be remedied with minor surgery), I recommend seeking a referral to a veterinary ophthalmologist. They will be able to definitively diagnose the condition and will be the best professional to offer treatment. You can ask your vet about this option and I'm sure they will ensure you get the necessary information and referral. I hope that helps and all is well with Cinder.

This lesion seem to be due to a chronic irritation of the cornea, an active corneal ulceration seem not to be present, but only a fluorescein test at your local veterinarian can confirm it (=rule out further corneal damage). The eye looks fairly comfortable anyway. I suspect the conjunctivitis is due to a viral type of infection/inflammation (herpesvirus can be involved). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hello. It is very common for an upper respiratory tract infection to also cause eye symptoms. This may include a clear watery discharge and inflammation of the eyelids and conjunctiva. If the discharge becomes thick and yellow/ green or your cat squints or is holding the eye closed, she should be rechecked and started in eye medication as well. If the symptoms are mild as they are now, it may resolve on its own when the virus runs its course and goes away. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach