Can I use saline or eye drops for my cat's irritated eye discharge?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes a scratch can be naked to the visible eye and you need a special stain to see it. I would recommend having a vet check that first. If negative, he may have herpesvirus. This is common in cats and can flair up in times of change or stress. If so, there are antiviral oral and eye medications if needed. Good luck and kisses to Onyx!

The symptoms of a corneal ulcer or scratch to the eye are squinting or holding that eye closed, discharge (clear to yellow/green), and redness of the conjunctiva and sclera (the tissues around the eye). Upper respiratory viruses can also cause some squinting and discharge. If onyx continues showing symptoms I would have a veterinarian examine his eyes. It may be important to get him started on a topical antibiotic medication. I hope onynx heals quickly. Great name!!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Many times cats develop herpes virus infections. Most of the time the infection clears on its own. Secondary bacterial infection can occur, in which case an antibiotic is beneficial. If it is just viral, we have to rely on the body to fight the infection. If the eye is improving, the discharge will likely clear up. If it does not resolve 100% or worsens, I would have a vet examine midnight. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

This could be due to a scratch on the eye and/or an infection. The possible infection can be on the outside, or inside of the eye. There are also some eyelid disorders that can cause damage to the eye. Without seeing it, I can't narrow it down more than this. However, the cloudy discharge is concerning enough that it's best to take Shasta to a vet within the next 24 hours. Infections and other problems can quickly cause irreversible damage to the eye, so it's best to have it diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. For now, you can flush the eye 3-4 times a day with saline (can get this at the pharmacy or supermarket in the eye care section) to help clean and soothe it. Below is a link to a good video that demonstrates how to do this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDGzdUTUdNI I hope that helps and Shasta gets better soon.

Since she does not want to hold it open, it may be an abrasions on the cornea from a previous foreign body such as a hair or a small scratch that is not big or deep. It can be from allergies or a mild respiratory infection that is early and just starting. You can flush the eye with saline eye drops and apply a warm compress if she will let you. If this does not get better in 24 hours or you notice further respiratory signs then I would get her checked by a vet as soon as possible

Her duct that draining the eye could be clogged. I would put a warm compress on inner part of the eye near the nose and gently massage. You could also try Benadryl twice a day to see if there is an allergy component. If this doesn’t help, I would talk to your vet about y’all trying an antibiotics eye drop with or without a steroid to see if that helps it. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat/benadryl/

Excessive discharge and crusty nose as well may be due to an upper respiratory tract infection possibly due to a viral infection. These infections can be quite severe and cause superficial keratitis when they affect the cornea as well. That may be the reason for the cloudy appearance of the left eye. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!