My cat's eye is puffed up and he can't open it. What's wrong?

Poor Tiger! It sounds like he may have a corneal ulcer or very severe conjunctivitis. Eye conditions can be very painful and can quickly progress to emergencies, so Tiger should be seen by a vet right away, as an ulcer is unlikely to heal on its own. In the meantime, you can get Tiger an E-collar or "cone" to prevent him from scratching the eye and causing further trauma. I hope this helps and that all is well with Tiger!

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, allergies, dry eye (also known as KCS), among many other conditions. Given that this seems more associated with when he has been outside, allergies seems likely. Another possibility is an upper respiratory infection. I highly recommend that you have Dexter evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further therapy would be based on the findings. Good luck and best wishes!

That is likely to be due to a mild to moderate conjunctivitis, probably secondary to a trauma or infection. The puffy cheek may be due to an abscess, possibly related to teeth. A check up would be needed as appropriate treatment would include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops. Corneal injuries must be ruled out as well. In case of a tooth abscess systemic antibiotics and tooth extraction will 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!

If there is an emergency vet within a reasonable distance, I would recommend that Willie get checked out sooner than later. Eye problems can be very painful, and can go from bad to worse very quickly (even overnight). There can be many causes of squinting an eye, including something stuck under the eyelid, corneal abrasion or ulcer, autoimmune disease, among a few others. Without personally seeing it I can't be certain, but what you may be seeing with him "looking to the upper right" is the effect of a raised third eyelid covering the inner part of the eye to make it look weird. You can try to flush the eye with a saline eye rinse, but do not apply any medications topically. Keep him inside in a dim room since bright light makes many eye problems more painful.

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.

I am so sorry to hear that Ichabod is experiencing these problems with his eyes. Thank you for providing an excellent picture, it seems slightly redx the third eye lid is protruding, and has discharge. Start by placing an e-collar or cone on Ichabod to prevent scratching or rubbing. If the eye is infected it is likely painful, this will prompt Him to scratch or rub hiseye. However, this could inflict further damage, infection or even an ulceration. Because eye concerns with cats, such as infections, corneal ulcerations, cataracts and glaucoma, can progress rapidly in I would have him examined by your veterinarian to diagnose the issue. The precise medication can then be dispensed by your veterinarian. Please do not attempt to treat an eye infection at home with any over the counter medications, drops or ointments. This can lead to permanent damage and unnecessary pain or discomfort. I hope this answer was helpful and that Ichabod feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both!

I see what you mean. He could be squinting because the light is painful to his eye, and it may be he has injured his eyes or has an eye infection. Any eye problem is an emergency because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I'd take him into a vet right away to get checked out. Best of luck.