Taking care of our pets is less than we can repay them for their devotion and selfless love. Everyone in whose house a cat lives is in awe of her well-being and health, because the animal alone will not be able to tell us where and what hurts him. Therefore, the longevity of the pet lies solely on your shoulders, it is your responsibility.
If you notice that the cat’s eyes are flowing, changes in her behavior, it seems to you that she is sluggish, she has a bad appetite and apathy towards the outside world is manifested, then you should take a closer look at her. Is it a serious illness or a temporary phenomenon? Do you need to urgently run to the veterinarian, or is what is happening to your pet a normal natural process that has nothing to do with potential ailments? What to do and how to alleviate the condition of your pet – we will discuss further.
Symptoms – how to understand that your cat is sick.
There are many unpleasant diseases that can affect your pet’s organs of vision. It is important to have time to recognize them in time and seek qualified help, because the lack of treatment or untimely intervention of a specialist will aggravate the situation and even lead to complete or partial loss of the pet’s vision.
You should seriously worry about the condition of a furry friend if you notice the following symptoms:.
- Brown discharge from the eyes of a cat, often with an admixture of pus, indicates the presence of a bacterial infection in the animal’s body. Additional symptoms in this case may be lethargy, nasal discharge.
- Transparent discharge, as well as abundant and thick, warn you about a viral infection.
- Brown discharge most often appears when the tear ducts are disrupted.
- If a cat has swelling of the eyes and tears with ordinary tears, without admixture of pus, but in large quantities, she sneezes and itches, then most likely it is an allergic reaction. This ailment is also foreshadowed by redness of the eyelids and their swelling.
- Reddish discharge from the eyes can easily be confused with brown if the cat has a dark coat color.
Perhaps they are not so pronounced, and it is difficult for you to decide what exactly is troubling your pet. In this case, it is worth observing his behavior. - Follow his reaction to others – does the cat make contact or has he become unsociable?
- Has his appetite changed?
- Check for scratches and other mechanical damage near the eyes.
- Try to find out what shade the discharge from the pet’s eyes is, whether there is an admixture of pus in them.
If all these symptoms are absent in your case, and the cat’s eyes are watering with ordinary transparent tears, then there is no reason to panic. There are a number of reasons why even a healthy animal can have watery eyes. This is an inappropriate diet, breed characteristics, an allergic reaction to certain components or substances.
Why the cat’s eyes are streaming – possible reasons.
An ordinary healthy cat always has a clear liquid secret from the organs of vision, but it is almost invisible. Those rare cases when a pet has copious lacrimation are also considered the norm. This happens due to the negative influence of external factors, such as smoke, dust, harsh lighting or caustic chemicals, non-compliance with hygiene. As a rule, after the cat returns to its normal habitat without external stimuli, the release of tears stops.
It is worth worrying when a cat has dark discharge from the eyes, as this is direct evidence of the presence of infection in the animal’s body. If you notice cloudy, brown, white or red discharge in your pet, immediately seek help from a specialist and do not try to treat the animal yourself at home.
If there is not a viral infection in the animal’s body, but a bacterial infection, you will notice eye discharge that differs from tears. They can also be white and yellowish, and provoke inflammation in this area.
There are a number of diseases that can cause disruption of the tear ducts in cats:
- This is the formation of tumors and neoplasms that constrict the channels.
- Allergy to external stimuli or to food. This reason is one of the most common.
- Non-infectious inflammation of the lacrimal sac.
- Physical eye injury.
- A foreign object that got into the lumen of the tear duct.
- Stenosis of lacrimal points.
- Narrowing of tear ducts due to inflammatory processes in the body.
- Infectious conjunctivitis.
- Inflammation of the eyelids.
- Incorrect eyelash growth (trichiasis).
- Corneal damage.
- Ocular vascular disease.
- Glaucoma.
- Predisposition of the breed. Some breeds of cats, such as the Persian or British, have a brachycephalic structure of the skull, which is why they have a shortened tear duct and increased tear production.
- Worm infestations.
- Problems with immunity. It is most common in kittens and old cats, who often catch a cold, which is why they have copious lacrimation.
Do not forget that whatever the cause of the diseases, a prolonged lack of proper treatment will aggravate the situation. All this time the animal will experience discomfort. As a result, the cat will begin to scratch the sore eye, combing it to the wounds and increasing the area of infection with microbes.
Treatment of Maine Coon at home.
In order to determine how to cure your pet at home and not cause him even more damage, be sure to consult with a veterinarian beforehand. After carrying out the necessary tests and a thorough examination, your cat may be prescribed antibacterial or antiviral treatment, as well as drops, antibiotics or special anti-inflammatory ointments. In some cases, the animal is prescribed physiotherapy or surgery.
If your cat has constant copious lacrimation and there are scabs in the corners of the eyes, or the cat has swollen eyelids, dark discharge with an unpleasant odor, blurred vision, then you should show it to a specialist. Pay attention to the body temperature and general condition of the pet. Fever, lethargy, depression, sneezing, and refusal to feed, these are all symptoms of the disease that require detailed study.
You should also urgently contact a veterinarian if a foreign object gets into the cat’s eye. In no case do not try to extract it yourself, because without special tools and the necessary skills, you will injure the animal.
You can not wait for a visit to a specialist and have a positive effect on the well-being of your cat. But keep in mind, the following tips will not cure your pet, but only temporarily and partially alleviate its suffering before the cat is examined by a veterinarian and prescribes appropriate treatment.
How to wash Maine Coon’s eyes at home?
Suitable herbal infusions of chamomile, oak bark, phys.the solution will help your cat cope with the disease before the doctor’s examination. You can also wash her eyes with an alcohol-free antiseptic solution.
It is necessary to wash the cat’s eyes with a cotton swab, from the outer edge to the inner. This should be done very carefully and gently, so as not to harm the pet and bring him a minimum of discomfort.
Discharge from the eyes and nose is also treated with special ointments. In some cases, the cat needs to pull back the lower eyelid and put ointment there, for example, tetracycline ointment, novocaine, hydrocartisone drops, levomecitin drops. Keep in mind, it is not recommended to use antibiotics and ointments yourself without a veterinarian’s appointment.
Maine Coon has festering eyes – how to treat?
White discharge from the eyes, as well as watery and transparent, usually indicate an allergic reaction. Suitable eye drops, rinsing with solutions and the use of ointments will help you overcome it. It is necessary to determine the cause of the allergy, because without eliminating the primary source of the disease, it makes no sense to deal with the symptoms.If you notice blood discharge, then this may indicate the presence of an infection in the pet’s body, or a violation of the patency of the tear ducts. In both cases, only the advice of a veterinarian and a thorough examination will help. Home treatment without prior consultation with a specialist is highly not recommended.
Black discharge from the eyes is manifested in infections, chlamydia and herpesvirus. Sometimes they occur due to ordinary injuries and have a shade close to brown. By themselves, these secretions are extremely dangerous, because apart from them there may not be symptoms. In any case, you need to visit a specialist for examination and appointment of a course of treatment. Most often, antibacterial eye drops, solutions from chamomile broth or strong tea are used. Rinsing with warm water is also suitable. Black selections remove phys. solution.
Since there are quite a lot of reasons for the appearance of discharge from the eyes of cats, it is better not to do home treatment without visiting a doctor. Trust the professionals and give your pet a long and happy life. An experienced veterinarian will not only identify the source of the disease and prescribe a suitable course of treatment, but will also share with you valuable recommendations to prevent similar problems in the future. Your cat will certainly appreciate such a reverent attitude and will be grateful for the attention, care and kindness.