My cat's eyes are itchy. What can I give or put around them to help?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. This could also be something like mange. This is something that it is typically differentiated based on a physical examination and basic cytology which your veterinarian could do. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Yes, this can be very normal. Cats and dogs can get allergies just like humans. Sometimes the allergic reaction manifests as itchy skin, but they can also have itchy, watery eyes, and respiratory symptoms. Based on what you were describing with your cat, since it happens seasonally, I would be suspicious of allergies. One other thing to consider in your cat would be an upper respiratory virus. These viruses can remain in the system for long periods of time and cause ocular symptoms like you are describing and also sometimes cause respiratory symptoms. Sometimes cats need medication to get over these respiratory viruses but often times they self resolved within a couple of weeks. Since rinsing his eyes out routinely last year helped I would recommend starting with that again. You may also want to try and over-the-counter anti-histamine like Zyrtec as well. If you don’t see improvement within a reasonable period of time then you might want to take him back to the vet to have him checked out. Sometimes goopy eyes can be indicative of more complicated diseases like anterior uveitis or corneal ulcers. I hope this helps. Thanks reason Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Itchy ears and eyes can be caused by allergic reaction, eye infection, ear canal infection, skin mites and more. If there was no improvement to the antibiotics Peri was prescribed, you should take her back to your vets for re-assessment. She probably will be prescribed a short course of steroids to stop itching.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It depends on which pill you are giving. I would recommend that you check with her veterinarian who knows her medical history well before giving any medications. I agree with you that this is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to an eye injury or conditions such as a corneal laceration, corneal ulcer, conjunctivitis, dry eye (also known as KCS), among many other conditions. I highly recommend that you have Puma evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further therapy would be based on the findings. He may be pawing at the eye due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively! Good luck and best wishes!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to allergies. Benadryl is good as is prednisolone for example. However, these are only going to help with the itch temporarily. However, it is crucial to get rid of the allergic component and treat the allergy as if not, the itch will continue. Also, it is crucial to treat the likely secondary infection. There is no at home treatments as the other medication that can be used in cats for this is a prescription medication called prednisolone. One thing you can do at home besides dealing with the possible allergies is using an e-collar which you can get from your local pet store or online to prevent any further self-trauma. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

I am sorry to hear about Piff! We can have allergies result in a conjunctivitis in pets that is itchy and can cause a discharge. We can also have bacterial infections, or scratches or ulcers on the cornea (surface of the eye) that can cause similar symptoms. I would recommend rinsing the eye with a sterile eye wash to remove any discharge buildup several times a day and scheduling an appointment with your vet to have the eye examined. They can put a special stain on his eye to be sure there are no defects in the cornea and can prescribe safe medication to make his eye more comfortable and treat infection if present.