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Eye infection in feral cat

Species: Cat
Breed: a feral cat
Age: 1-2 years
I have a feral colony. A few of them had URI symptoms which were quite bad and lasted 4-6 wks. One of the cats which is very hard to get near appears to have a raging eye infection. His head is swollen and his eye is filled with fluid. Unfortunately he has avoided capture. The only way I could treat him is with a once a day antibiotic that I can put in his food. He eats like a truck driver. Is there anything I could ask for that would be effective?


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Thanks for trying to help these poor cats out. Situations like this are difficult because the disease keeps spreading. Unfortunately, unless every single cat can be trapped and properly vaccinated and boosted the virus is just going to keep spreading.

Unfortunately for eye infections they don't usually get better unless we are able to put medicine in the eye and you'd have to do that several times per day. So this is a tough situation. The antibiotics in the food may help somewhat but may not cure the problem. :(

One thing you could ask your vet about is using a product called lysine. This is an amino acid that you can add to some food and hopefully the cats will eat it. The amino acid helps stop the reproduction of the virus. This may help the cats recover quicker.

One other thing...if you can catch him, you could ask your vet about treating him with an injection of Convenia. This is an antibiotic that lasts for 2 weeks, so you wouldn't have to get him to eat the oral antibiotic. It's not as good as putting meds directly in the eye, but it should help.

I wish I had more answers for you! I hope this guy gets better soon.

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.