Dorothy's got eye issues...

It started the Monday before Thanksgiving with sneezing. By Wednesday it was enough sneezing still that I knew it wasn't just some allergies, plus she was hiding and not quite acting like herself, so I made a vet appt for Saturday, hoping it would be cleared up by then. But she was still sneezing a lot, so we went. Instead of The Dotster, she was The Snotster.  The vet, who is a new vet filling in for our regular vet who is on maternity leave, thought it's probably a cold, and gave us the option of antibiotics in case it was more than that, or we could wait and call for antibiotics if it wasn't getting better by Monday or Tuesday. After some discussion, we decided to wait and see. Sure enough, by Monday night Dot wasn't sneezing much at all anymore and acting more like herself, not hiding like she was the previous week. Yay!

Then yesterday, Friday, when I got home from work, she had a really runny, goopy right eye. Sigh. When I dabbed it with a tissue, the discharge was yellow, so I figured it's an infection of sorts, so we went to the vet again this morning. They checked for an ulcer or scratches and didn't find any, which was good, but we got sent home with some antibiotic ointment AND A CONE COLLAR. Dororthy is very sad about this collar. I don't know if I can make her wear it for a whole week. She didn't seem to be scratching or pawing at her eye at all yesterday, so I don't think she would, but thems the rules I guess.

Anyway, BF is in Carlsbad for a beer fest, and I'm headed there this afternoon and coming back tomorrow morning. Uncle Scott is coming over to feed, medicate, and hang with the cats. I stopped at his house after the vet to let him know about Dorothy's eye and all that, and he said he should be able to do the ointment. I told him I'll leave a towel out if he wants to burrito her.

Poor Polka Dot, throughout the cold and everything, she still had a good appetite, which was great, but I don't know if she'll eat with this cone. So at some point before I leave today, I'll take the collar off for a bit to make sure she will eat something. Anything else I should be aware of with an e-collar? Will she make it a whole week with it on? Can I cheat and take it off?

And lastly, I suppose I'll humbly ask for a few TCS healing vibes for my Dorothy. Thanks!

   Maia and I are sending lots of Dorothy's way! Does sound like some kind of infection, maybe pink eye?  "The collar" sucks! You haven't seen her scratch or rub her eye at all? I would think it would be ok for you to take her collar off for brief periods for eating. I can't imagine how she uses the kitty litter with the collar?! Poor girl

Oooh, an OINTMENT? That sounds icky...

Kramer had pink eye in September, and the vet just gave me drops, one in each eye 2x a day for 10 days. I figured out the best way to do it is when he's sleeping; he just groggily sits there while I quickly plop them in, and then he goes right back to his nap.

Maybe you could ask for drops instead? Seems an easier way than the ointment. Plus she can't rub them off, so no collar.

Just my thoughts

Aw, for Miss Dot! :rub:

When you're back tomorrow, I suggest putting the ointment in without the cone collar, and keeping an eye on her. If she doesn't rub, I don't see why you'd need the collar. :nod:

Flowerbelle needed eye ointment. She never messed with her eyes, so no cone!

Thanks, Dorothy is definitely under the weather, and really really hates the cone. I did have it off most of this afternoon, but then I caught her rubbing at her eye, like when she cleans her face with her paw, so I put it back on. We all hate the cone, but we want her to get better soon. So pretty much if she's hanging in the same room as us and we can watch her, then we'll take the cone off. But at night and when we're at work or whatever, then I'll leave it on her just to be on the safe side.  

As for the ointment, it's really easy, actually, and she is good about it. Her Uncle Scott had no problems putting it in last night and this morning, and BF held her while I put it in this afternoon, she didn't squirm at all actually. I once had a bad eye infection and had an antibiotic ointment, and I remember it didn't burn or anything, it was just weird cos it was goopy. I hope it starts to help Dot really soon though, she needs a break. How the heck does an indoor cat who has no contact with other cats (besides G-cat) get a cold and an eye infection??  

In the meantime, Genever is still dutifully grooming Dot's face when the cone is off, so I'm kind of just waiting for her eyes to get runny... hopefully not, but I guess if it happens, at least we've got the ointment. Sigh... wish us luck!

Hi Erica . Oh poor Dorothy hno:. those collars are brutal to deal with. Pipsqueak had an eye infection last year. I never used the cone. He completely lost his mind when he had to wear it. So I went without. He was just fine and left his eye alone. I am sure there was some rubbing, but not enough to irritate the eye more. He had eye drops and those worked great.

Sending Dotster many vibes tonight for her eye to heal fast :cross:

Well, Dorothy doesn't like the cone, but she doesn't go crazy with it. When I put it on, she walks along a wall as if she's trying to scrape it off or something, but she only does that for a minute or 2 and then it's like she's resigned to it and just goes for a nap.

Now.... Scott was just over to watch the Sunday night football game, and before he left he was saying goodbye to Genever and noticed she's got a watery eye now! Also the right eye, like Dot. Jeez! It's watery, and she's got a red spot above her eye- a cyst maybe? It doesn't look like a scratch or anything, just a red circle dot thing, and it's not in her eye, it's definitely above it. So.... BF and I think we should put some ointment in her eye tonight and do it for a week as well to make sure any bacteria doesn't come back and get resistant to the antibiotic, and hope the spot doesn't get worse, but if it does then I'll take her to the vet. Sigh. I don't think I want to try a cone on her though, she scratches a lot with a regular collar, so I can't imagine how she'd be with a cone.

Seriously, normal people spend lots of money at the mall this time of year, but I spend my money at the vet.

Oh Erica :lol3: on the money spending comment. I am right there with ya - ALL my money is going to the vet's lately I would check with the vet on Genever's eye - but I think you could use the ointment for her too AND PERLA also just started with a runny eye yesterday. Seems to be a pattern here - just add her to my list of patient's to treat each morning

I have gone through many an eye infection with ointment and NEVER had to use a cone.  As long as she doesn't paw at her eye and scratch it, she'll be fine sans the cone of shame.

Merry Christmas! For Christmas this year, you get healthy kitties! We sympathize over here too!

Oh Lauren - HOW did Miss Polka Dot manage to spread it to Perla?

for all the watery-eyed kitties!

LDG said:

Oh Lauren - HOW did Miss Polka Dot manage to spread it to Perla?
for all the watery-eyed kitties!

Click to expand...

Must have come through the computer last night when I was posting for Dotster :rofl: I have extra drops from Pipsqueak's eye thingy. They don't expire till next Spring. So I started her on those. Probably the stress of the vet visit and the vaccine the other day. The rincess: will be just fine .

and :rub: :rub: :rub: to both Dotster and G-Cat !!!

Aww, I know a lot of you have much bigger kitty health issues (and vet bills) to deal with, and I kinda felt dumb even posting, but I did anyway. I apologise for spreading Dot's goopy eye to Perla!!  I hope she gets better soon.

That said, Dot's eye was still gross this morning, but by the time I got home from work, it looked a lot better!! So no more cone, and I will still do the ointment for the rest of the 7 days, but I am very happy that her eye is getting better. Also, Genever's eye isn't bad either, still a bit swollen around with that spot above the eye, but no goopiness. Yay!

Get them both on l-lysine. It's quite possible that it's the herpes virus that has started this. Even if it isn't herpes, l-lysine will boost their immune systems and help them fight the infection, especially if it's viral.

I personally prefer oral antibiotics to eye ointments, but I am not a vet.

for both Dorothy and Genever.

PS I use the pure l-lysine powder. No taste except slightly salty. 500 mg a day which is 1/4 teaspoon mixed in the food (or 1/8 teaspoon twice a day)

YAY Good news to hear Dorothy's eye was a bit better. It will take a few days before the ointment takes effect. Perla's eye is just fine and no worries - we ALL have one vet bill after another. It comes with the responsibility of loving and being owned by our furbabies :heart3: It helps to complain about the bill's here, right ??!! :lol3:

The L-lysine is a good suggestion from Otto . I give all of my cat's the Lysine everyday now. I give 1/8 (250 mg.) per day for maintenance. If I see someone starting to sneeze - runny eye - etc. I boost it to 1/4 tsp (500 mg.) per day. Other's here will give it twice daily - which I have done on occasion for Pipsqueak. But just for a couple of days, then back to the lower dose.

Feel better girls - G-cat and Dotster :heart3:

GREAT to hear our babies with eye issues are having the problem clear up! :bigthumb: there are no set backs!

Thanks again for all the vibes and well wishes and everything. Dorothy's eye is mostly back to normal, and I just cannot believe she doesn't even flinch when I put the ointment in her eye!!! She fights everything! So no problems finishing off the week with the ointment to make sure the infection doesn't come back with a vengance. Also, G-cat's eye never got worse and is fine.

I am planning on getting some L-lysine, for now I'm thinking of giving it when I see some symptoms starting, but if the girls start a pattern of this stuff then I might start giving it daily for maintenance.

Again, I do appreciate the support. I know many of you are dealing with much more serious health issues with your cats than Dot's cold and following eye infection, but it's good to be part of a group that supports each other.

Thanks for the happy update! I wonder if the ointment feels soothing, and that's why Dorothy is allowing you to put it in without a fight.