Conjunctivitis and Erythromycin

tonks

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Hi! My 3 year old kitty was just diagnosed with conjunctivitis on Thursday and prescribed erythromycin ointment twice a day for five days. Today is day four and I don't see a ton of improvement. Do any of you have experience with this? Should I take her back to the vet on Monday?
We are scheduled to go out of town on Wednesday and I really don't want to leave her with the pet sitter with uncomfortable eyes!
 

stephanietx

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I would call them on Monday and explain that she's not any better and ask for a different medication.
 

arouetta

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Take her back to the vet.

Conjunctivitis can also be viral or fungal in nature, not just bacterial.  Those would require different treatments, and if fungal in nature, antibiotics would actually make it worse (bacteria eat fungus).

If the cause is feline herpes (which Google says is a common cause), then you definitely need an anti-viral and it never really goes away, it goes dormant instead.
 
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tonks

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Her eyelids are not as red as they were, but I would have expected them to be closer to normal by now. I'll call the vet on Monday.
Her original symptoms were a runny eye with some greenish grayish discharge. It was worse in the mornings. I think the discharge has cleared up, but her eyes are still weepy and a bit swollen.
 
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tonks

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Update: took her back to the vet and he stopped the ointment and prescribed lysine for a possible FHV diagnosis.
 

stephanietx

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Did he give you any eye drops?  That would make sense, in addition to the lysine. What about adding a daily antihistamine to help with any possible eye allergy problems?
 
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tonks

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No eye drops, as her eye tissues are looking better. He felt like they are on the mend on their own and the Lysine would be enough. He said her eyes show no sign of corneal lesions and advised us to just watch her for pain or cloudiness in the eyes.
 
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