How To Know If Your Cat Has An Eye Infection
One of the common cat health problems cat owners have deal with are eye infections in the cat. At first they may go unnoticed, but soon they become evident when your cat looks at you with a red eye or a discharge coming out from it. A cat eye infection can have different origins and causes, but they all share these common signs of redness and discharge, so you can check immediately your cat.
Now, not because they look the same at first means it is the same problem. A cat eye infection can be caused by a virus, bacteria or even a fungus. It is very important that you take your cat to the veterinary as soon as possible because in some rare cases the infection can be detrimental to the overall health of your cat. As an extreme case, cats that have an eye infection caused by Feline Immunodeficiency Virus have a life expectancy of only 2 years.
Of all the possible eye infections in cats, the most common one is caused by the Feline Herpes Virus, which is also the number one cause of conjunctivitis. If you have a cat try to keep it away from other cats with eye problems, as this virus is very contagious. A cat with FH will have the main two symptoms accompanied by cornea inflammation, ulcers in the cornea, segment of dead bone, dry eyes and eyeballs stuck to the lid.
If your cat is infected, veterinarians will likely use antibiotics to fight the problem. You will also learn that there are some natural treatments and over-the-counter products that promise help against eye infection. I would advise that before trying one of them, you ask your veterinary about what is best. Know in any case, that these are no substitutes for medical treatment.