Monday, September 23, 2013

Eye infection.

Poor Pixie, has an eye infection.  I've been treating him for it since last Thursday with the same approach I had treated Jethro's eye infection a few years ago.  I first wash the eye using a solution of 1 cup of water for 1 drop of baby shampoo.  I use either cotton balls or makeup pads to wash the eye. Once it's washed and I've unstuck all the crusts, I put a drop of polysporin antibiotic eye drops. Make sure it goes on all the affected areas and then dab any excess with makeup pads.   So far it appears to be slowly clearing.

It's weird, his tears are dark red, so it looks like crusty blood around his eyes, but it's not blood. He's not bleeding anywhere nor does he have open sores. Tonight I did a bit of googling and figured out it's most likely conjunctivitis,  likely caused by  FHV-1 or cat Herpes .    And much like the human variety, you can be infected as a small child and the virus can lay dormant for 40 years and then you have reoccurring flare-ups.  It's the first time I see his eye infected like this, and hopefully the last time.

He was pretty upset the first few days I was treated him, now he seems more docile. Dunno if it's because he's realized he doesn't have a choice, or because he's realized it's actually feeling better.  Either way I have to fight less to treat him and that's always a bonus. He actually showed up when I called him for his treatment when I got home from work.

I haven't put an Elizabethan collar on him because he does not appear to rub his eye or scratch it. 

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