My senior cat has eye discharge, can't afford vet. What can I do?

I would have Junor seen by a vet. This discharge can be indicative of an eye infection, and that requires an antibiotic eye ointment to treat. The eye is such a delicate and important structure that any problem with it should be considered an emergency. That's because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I would take Junor into a vet right away to have his eyes examined and treated.

It's concerning that Erebus's eye is getting cloudy, and he has to see a vet for it now. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. I'd also see if you can borrow money from family and friends. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/

I wouldn't worry too much. If she is tolerating you wiping it, just clean it as needed with with a warm wet cotton ball. If she is pawing at her eyes or rubbing her face on the ground, or seems to have any other issue going on, call your vet and get her in for an exam. This product may help, though I doubt its entirely necessary. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

This looks pretty serious I'm afraid. I would be worried that this is a a cancer. You will need to take her to a vet for an exam. There is no way around that. This clinic in you area does $15 exams - they can tell you better what may be going on after they examine her in person. Then you can talk about your options. In the meantime, you can apply this topical wound spray gel (linked below) to hopefully help soothe the skin. http://www.sosohio.org/services-pricing/ https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-cat-wound-and-skin-hydrogel

One possibility is that the tears are not draining properly. If the eye is small, then this would definitely explain why it's not draining properly and is ending up on her face. They can also get blocked tear ducts that will cause a similar problem. If the eye and conjunctiva do not appear red, then I would not be worried about infection or other inflammation causing the discharge, but I'd have to examine her to be sure. Unfortunately, what you are describing is not specific to any one condition, so I am not able to narrow-down the causes and provide advice about treating it. I can say that if it is a blocked tear duct, or other drainage problem, then it would require veterinary intervention. It is best to have a veterinarian examine her to get a specific diagnosis. I'm sure that a great amount of information can be obtained from just an exam, or some minimal testing. I hope that helps and all is well with Ellie.

From your description, I would be concerned about an infected tooth root. I would start saving up for a vet visit and possible surgery to remove the tooth if this is the case. Antibiotics will help temporarily, but it will happen again until the tooth is removed (if the vet determines it is a tooth issue). If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant.../ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary.../ www.thepetfund.com/

CJ really needs a vet visit when you can manage it. In older cats hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease are possibilities and require bloodwork to diagnose. The good news is many of the conditions can be treated or managed but you need a diagnosis in order to determine the best treatment. Some areas may have low cost clinics or many vets accept Care credit http://www.carecredit.com/apply/ I would contact local humane societies to see if they can offer any suggestions. Some have programs that may help with vet bills. Good luck and thank you for using PetCoach.