Conjunctivitis is also called pink eye but the cat I'm concerned about has a grey film across one eye so that you can hardly see the eye beneath. Can conjunctivitis also take this form?
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Is It Conjunctivitis Or Something Else?
- Thread starter siami
- Start Date
Conjunctivitis is typically swelling of the membrane around the eye which causes the hallmark red eye. Since you see less of the white of a cats eye the redness isn’t always as apparent as it is in humans. It can present with other symptoms then the typical redness or with other symptoms.
The grey film makes me think there is something else going on. I would take the cat to a vet as soon as possible to get proper treatment started.
The grey film makes me think there is something else going on. I would take the cat to a vet as soon as possible to get proper treatment started.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
Hello, thank you for responding. The problem is that this is a very feisty cat who forms part of a group of abandoned village cats that a team of us feed twice daily. She is the doyenne, at least 18 years old and when I tried to catch her yesterday she managed to bite through my thick protective gloves and I let go. Needless to say, this put the wind up her and today she was very wary of me. I'm worried if I did manage to put her in the cage, the shock and the fright might kill her.
I took photos (not very clear b&w) of her eye to my vet this afternoon. He thought it was probably conjunctivitis which would need twice daily drops - impossible - and suggested at that age it might be best to leave her be. He also said that after a short time, the cornea would be damaged and it would be too late to saver her sight, also that by that time, it wouldn't be causing any pain.
Now I'm home and reading about conjunctivitis and pink eye, and wondering what's best to do, or even if there's anything I can do if I can't catch her.
I took photos (not very clear b&w) of her eye to my vet this afternoon. He thought it was probably conjunctivitis which would need twice daily drops - impossible - and suggested at that age it might be best to leave her be. He also said that after a short time, the cornea would be damaged and it would be too late to saver her sight, also that by that time, it wouldn't be causing any pain.
Now I'm home and reading about conjunctivitis and pink eye, and wondering what's best to do, or even if there's anything I can do if I can't catch her.
I disagree with the vet. She should be boarded at a vet hospital where people are good at handling feral cats and giving them medications until her eye is better so she can live a normal life. It will NOT kill her to live in a cage for one week. She is fine otherwise and vets do board geriatric cats.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #6
Daisy6, I was talking about the impact of me struggling to get Mimi into a cage to transport her, not about her being in a cage at the vet. As I said, she's a very old cat, at least 18, and accustomed to her routine of living on the street. Getting her to the vet is the first problem. IF it is conjunctivitis, and IF what the vet said about her not suffering after a certain time is true, I would leave her be, as the doc suggested.
If it is conjunctivitis a vet is your only option..I just went through this with a stray kitten for the last 2 weeks....A little antibiotic and it clears right up. Either way it will not get better on its own....
If it is worse than conjunctivitis, she can't be left alone. Aer there any house call vets around?
