Eye infections are one type of conjunctivitis in cats.

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation or infection of

the conjunctiva, the tissue lining the eyelids and attaching to the eyeball near thecornea. The conjunctiva in
cats can become irritated due to allergies induced by pollens, grasses, etc., or from infections caused by viruses,
bacteria, or fungi. If the white portion of the eye (sclera) is also inflamed, this condition is occasionally referred to as
'pink eye.' Conjunctivitis is the most common ailment affecting the eye of the cat.

What are the symptoms of eye infections and conjunctivitis?

The symptoms of conjunctivitis in cats vary depending on the cause. Typically, both allergies and infections cause a
severe redness or 'meaty' appearance of the conjunctiva. This is caused by edema or fluid build-up and an increase
in the size and number of blood vessels within the tissue. Either allergies or infections cause the eye to discharge or
'weep.'

The consistency of the discharge often helps determine its cause. Usually eye infections in cats caused by bacteria,
fungi, etc., create a thick yellow or greenish eye discharge. The eyelids may actually stick together. This results from
the accumulation of white blood cells or 'pus' excreted into the area in an effort to fight off the infection.
Allergies, on the other hand, generally cause a clear or watery discharge. Regardless of the cause, a cat with
conjunctivitis will often squint and/or keep the third eyelid partially covering the eyeball. Conjunctivitis is often painful,
causing a cat to paw at or rub the eye against objects such as your leg or the carpet.

What are the risks of eye infections and conjunctivitis?

Normally, conjunctivitis and eye infections are not life threatening, however, in advanced cases of infection, the
organisms can spread and affect other structures of the eye. Vision could become impaired. In addition, eye
infections or foreign bodies may cause corneal ulcers which are extremely serious conditions. Conjunctivitis may also
be a symptom of a more serious disease such as feline immunodeficiency virus infection. As in humans, some eye
infections can be transmitted to other individuals or litter mates. Allergies are not contagious and therefore pose no
threat to other cats.

What is the management of eye infections and conjunctivitis?

All cases of conjunctivitis should be treated at once. A culture and sensitivity test may be necessary to determine if
bacteria are the cause, and if so, what medication should be used for treatment of the eye infection. Scrapings of the
conjunctiva can be made and examined to test for various viral infections in the cat.

Eye drops or ointments are usually the drugs of choice. Eye drops are watery solutions that must be applied every
few hours, while ointments last longer and are usually only applied two to three times per day.

If the cause of the conjunctivitis is suspected to be allergy, then various medications are available containing anti-
inflammatories, usually hydrocortisones. If the cause is an eye infection, then bactericidal or fungicidal ointments or
solutions may be applied. In severe cases, oral antibiotics are used in addition to the topical preparations. Most
cases will respond to treatment, however, it may take one to two weeks to fully recover. In general, treatment is
continued for several days after the eye regains its normal appearance.

It is important not to use hydrocortisone-containing agents if a corneal ulcer is present. Hydrocortisone, although
great at minimizing eye inflammation, may actually hinder the healing of or worsen an ulcerated cornea.
 Conjunctivitis and 
Corneal Disease in Cats 
"The Squinting Cat"
Cats don't have as many eye problems as dogs do, but when an eye disease occurs in a cat, it is usually chronic,
lasting months to years, and sometimes is a lifetime problem for the cat. Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the pink
membrane part of the eye, which lines the white part (sclera) and the inner eyelid. The conjunctiva can become quite
reddened and swollen in some cats, and often it is just in one eye and not in both. This causes intermittent or
constant squinting. It can occur on and off, for months to years. The conjunctivitis may occur without any other eye
problems, or the eye may also have a corneal ulcer or erosion (painful open sore on the cornea, which is the "clear
windshield" part of the eye), Keratitis (corneal inflammation), and/or uveitis (intraocular inflammation). Corneal
involvement and uveitis are often caused by Feline Herpesvirus-1 (see discussion below).

Signs of conjunctivitis:
Signs include squinting (which is severe if the cornea has an ulcer or erosion) and mucoid or watery discharge (that
can be clear, gray, yellow, green, or a rusty dark red color that looks like dried blood but ISN'T). Cats that have this
unusual dark tear color are often Persians or Himalayans. The conjunctiva is reddened and sometimes swollen or
thickened. The cornea can be clear, or can be cloudy if there is an ulcer, erosion, or scar tissue present. The iris (the
colored part of the inside of the eye, that forms the pupil) can be a different color too (usually a "muddier", duller color
than normal), if uveitis is present. All of these eye signs may be present, or some of them, and it may be in both eyes
or one eye. Sometimes the cat shows signs of an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), and is sneezing.

Causes of conjunctivitis:
Most of the causes are infectious. While many different kinds of infectious organisms can cause conjunctivitis, there
are only three that are common culprits: Feline Herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1), Feline Chlamydia, and Feline Mycoplasma. It
is important to know that a case of conjunctivitis can have one, two, or all three organisms together causing the
problem, and that Feline Herpesvirus cannot be transmitted to people -- only to cats. It is a very species-specific
virus.

Diagnosing the cause of conjunctivitis and/or keratitis:

Often, the medical history and the clinical signs present are sufficient to aid in diagnosis, but sometimes special tests
are needed. These tests include (but are not limited to): collection of conjunctival
and/or corneal cells for culture, or cytology (looking at the cells under a microscope),
or special DNA tests for FHV-1 infection.

Treatment of conjunctivitis and keratitis:

Mycoplasmal infections usually respond well to topical antibiotics, and Chlamydial
infections often also respond, but can recur. However, FHV-1 infections do not
respond at all to topical antibiotic therapy, and are very frustrating to treat.
Sometimes topical antiviral medications are also used.
Corneal erosion (stained with
Because FHV-1 conjunctivitis and keratitis are complicated diseases, we will discuss diagnostic flourescein dye) in a cat,
caused by FHV-1.
this virus in more detail:

FHV-1 is a very common virus in cats, and most of the cats on this planet have it, and
are exposed to it when they are small kittens. The virus can then be dormant in the cat's body for the rest of the cat's
life, or flare up and cause problems at any time. A key factor in the severity of the disease and how recurrent it is, is
STRESS. Anything that stresses the cat can suppress the immune system and allow the virus to reactivate and
cause problems. This is similar to coldsores in people, which is caused by a human herpesvirus. Cold sores can
worsen when the person is stressed. Cats are the same way! This is why some cats benefit from special oral
nutritional antioxidant supplementation.

It is also important to know that FHV-1 conjunctivitis and/or keratitis cannot be cured, only controlled. In between
flare-ups, the cat's eyes can be quite normal. Flare-ups can occur frequently, or there can be years in between each
flare-up. Some cats will never have a flare-up.

There are many different possible treatments for conjunctivitis caused by FHV-1, depending on the clinical signs
present, and there are even more different drug treatment choices if the cornea is involved. If the cornea is involved,
vision might be compromised if the virus is not controlled, but it is rare for a cat with ocular FHV-1 infection to become
totally blinded by the disease. Rather, the disease is more likely to cause long-term pain and discomfort without
proper treatment.

What to do if you suspect conjunctivitis and/or keratitis in your cat:

First of all, have your family veterinarian examine your pet. Sometimes your doctor may recommend referral to a
veterinary ophthalmologist (which is often the case if FHV-1 is suspected to be present) if your cat's eyes are not
improving with medication or are worsening.