One of my babies eyes are very swollen, allergies?

My neutered Orange Tiger Loco, has had swollen eyes for about the last week and a half. Oddly these symptoms seem to go right along with my sons allergies. His eyes are swollen and the inner eyelid is puffy and is noticible. I do hope that it is possible that cats can have allergies. He seems to be loosing weight, he was a bit overweight though. I am on an very limited income so I try to take really good care of them so they don't get sick because Vets are sooooo costly. Any ideas.

By the way I am new, Hello, Sorry. I just adore my Loco and if this sounds like anything serious I am going to have to do some serious fancy something to figure out a way to get him to a vet. I will do an intro on the right thread.

The inner (third) eyelid being swollen is a serious sign. There are three- do you mean the second one, which closes inside to outside, or the third one which closes up and down under the outer one?
Do you think there's a chance that your cat has herpes? (http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body...nctivitis.html)

Pictures and info are no replacement for a veterinarian.

I've heard of cats having allergies, but usually just a bit of sneezing here and there or else a food allergy. It is odd that it matches your son's allergies, but it could be a coincidence.

Oh, and welcome to TCS!

Hi Welcome to TCS!

I would definitely get the cat's eye checked out. Yes I have heard of animals having allergies, but like what Zissou'sMom said, it could be something more serious if its the inner eyelid.

My oldest cat does have allergies that make her eyelids swell a little. It's only certain times a year. Her eyes look red and slightly swollen. It never gets worse but it gets better during fall and winter. The funny thing is she is orange also.

It is the one that is like in the inside corner of his eye, my Mom said she thinks it may be something really serious. I am going to have to use rent money to take him to the vet. If he picked up something when I got him neutered at this program they have at Animal Control, I will never forgive myself.

You can ask about payment plans when you go to the vet. There's no way to expect the vet to accept it, but some will be willing to work out something esp if you've been before.

You are a wonderful cat parent. So many times people come here with far more serious (not that this isn't) problems, and then just won't take the cat to the vet no matter what. And for some of them, I don't think they'd hve to do anything as drastic as using rent money. Your cat is very lucky to have you!

How long ago was he neutered? If you suspect he picked it up there, I doubt that your cat is the first one to have the problem. You should call them and describe what is going on.

I'm not sure if this will help you, but what you described sounds like what my dog went through in the Spring the first two years when we moved to our new home in the country. I let her go outside with me and she would run through the fields with me (I walked, she ran ). When we would come inside her eyes would get so red, swollen and watery. She would even take her paw and rub her eye. She looked awful. But,I got the same way I knew what her problem was (I knew that animals also could suffer from allergies). After the second year she got better because I thought I would try keeping her out of the fields and just in the yard. It worked. This is our fourth Spring, and she has not had the prob. again. Again, she can not go into the fields until closer to Summer. I think there may be a particular "something" that grows in the early Spring that bothers her because after about 2 months from the start of Spring she was okay to go back into the fields (and so was I )

Maybe this is the case with your cat ( in hopes that it is not anything serious). But, if you can take it to the vet that is best.

Hi Amy Jo,

It must be so frustrating to have your cat and your son sick at the same time. Although i agree you need to have it checked out, do tell the vet if there are some noticeable coincidences between your cat's symptoms and your son's. Perhaps it's something you're using to clean as an example? But again, it's important to have it checked out.

However, if you have to use your rent money, there may be some help out there for you. I can't say for sure, but I can suggest some possibilities.

Find the no-kill and rescue groups in your area (I'll give you a link to find a listing of them). Call them and explain your situation, and tell them it means using your rent money, and you have a young son, is there anything they can do to help you find either a low-cost vet, or perhaps help you in any way. They may not, but you never know unless you ask. When I took in a pregnant cat one of the local rescue groups actually paid for a vet visit so I could get the mom and kittens checked for a upper respiratory infection and for the antibiotics (I kicked in $20, which they appreciated). The vet only saw one kitten, but basically they said if one had something, they all did, and it did work out that way. Since the vet worked with this group, she gave me medicine for all.

Is it what I would have done if I had lots of money? Nope, I probably would have brought them all in, but I'm on a fixed income, and they were really great to help. And if the vet had said, based on seeing the kitten and what I said that they all needed to be seen, they would have helped with that too.

To find a list of no kill rescue groups in your area, go to www.petfinder.com In the upper right hand area click on shelter and rescue groups, then put in your state for a local list.

I don't know if all the rescue groups would do that, but again, it can't hurt to ask. You never know what help you may find.

In fact, after that I started to foster for them, and because of the time and energy I've put in, they've helped me in other ways too, like with shots, which I got at a very discounted price.

Also, check with your local Petsmart or Petco. Some of them have vets right there, and I don't know if their prices are less than a private vet, but it can't hurt to ask and check (each area is different). Also, if you have a vet school near you, call and see if they have a low-cost clinic. The one near me doesn't, but again, you never know.

If (and I hope this is not the case, but if they do need major emergency care (like an operation) that would be prohibitively expensive, here are a list of organizations that will help pay for something like that (only emergency situations) for people with low incomes.

Click on this link, then click on the 2nd choice "Can DDAF help me pay my companion animal's medical bills?" You'll bring up a list of places you can apply to for emergency help. Below that if you scroll down are some area-specific groups also. And do check the "general/miscellaneous" in the first list, because there are more resources there too. Read through them and see if there is anything that can help you even with non-emergency situations (which I haven't read through completely so who knows, there might be).

http://www.ddaf.org/faq/

I think when people who really have financial problems are trying their best to do the best for their animals despite the problems, and are willing to sacrifice if they have to, that's when I find people and places are willing, if at all possible, to help. That's why even when they helped me with the kittens, and they were going to take them to put up for adoption, I still wanted to put in something, even if it was $20, because they now could use that $20 to help someone else.

I do know how hard it can be. The vet might even be willing to let you pay some out if you give them something.

Good luck, and let us know what happens.

We have an appointment Thursday at the Vet. The office visit and the test will be over $100, I asked the woman on the phone if we could do only one of the tests because I just can't afford quite that much and she said maybe. I paid my rent, and not my "media" bill, so if I drop out of site you will know why . Most everyone seems to think he has the Feline Leuk, he acts fine for now. My son is a big muscle bound 23 year old who has bad allergies, he is fine. Thank you for all of this information, I will use all of it and hope for the best. We are going to have a bare bones month, hopefully this sacrifice will keep my Loco boy with me. I have lost so much the last couple of years, my dogs, my oldest daughter, my husband, and now my sweet little girl has decided to become the little "hood rat" from hell. My Loco has been my comfort, he kisses my tears, he hates it when mommy cries so he has been a very busy kitty.