How to Take Care of a Neutered Cat After an Eye Removal

When a male, neutered cat has a severe eye infection that does not respond to treatment, trauma to the eye, a deformity of the eye or a disease of the eye or socket, he may require eye removal surgery, also called enucleation. After removing the eye, a veterinary surgeon will suture the eyelid edges closed and your cat will need special post-operative care. Watch your cat's behavior and monitor the surgical site to ensure your cat recovers quickly and the area heals safely.

Things You'll Need

  • Antibiotics
  • E-collar
  • Canned cat food
  • Food and water dishes
  • Litter box
  • Pain medication
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Instructions

    • 1

      Ask your veterinarian how soon the cat can have food and water after coming home. Usually you must wait eight hours after surgery to give your cat a small amount of canned cat food and water. If the vet has held your cat overnight, he may have food sooner, usually an hour or so after coming home.

    • 2

      Administer antibiotics and other medications as directed by your veterinarian. Antibiotics usually come in either liquid or pill form. Open your cat's mouth with the index finger of one hand and use the other to either squirt the liquid into his mouth or drop a pill as far back into the mouth as you can.

    • 3

      Place an e-collar on your cat to keep your cat from pawing at the eye. Usually the veterinarian will provide this collar. Collars come in hard opaque, clear or soft, fabric-like varieties. Depending on your cat's personality, it may prefer a different type of collar than the one your veterinarian provides, especially if it impedes his ability to eat. You purchase other types of collars at a pet supply store.

    • 4

      Confine your cat to a small room with his food and water dishes, as well as a litter box. Take the top off of a covered litter box as the e-collar may prevent the cat from being able to enter the box. The healing process usually takes about 10 to 14 days after an enucleation, according to PetPlace.com, so keep your cat in the room during this period. This prevents your cat from overexerting himself, hiding, opening the sutures or having another pet in your home injure the surgical site.

    • 5

      Administer any pain medications your veterinarian has given you to keep your cat comfortable after his surgery. Your veterinarian will either give you oral medications or a Fentanyl Patch, which delivers a controlled amount of pain medication directly through your cat's skin, according to the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center website. Your cat should only experience pain for the first three to four days after surgery.

    • 6

      Monitor the surgical site for any signs of infection. A small amount of bloody fluid oozing from the site or coming out of the nostril on the same side of your cat's face as the removed eye is normal. Some swelling is normal for the first few days after surgery, but if the swelling persists longer than this or the eye oozes green or yellow discharge and feels warm to the touch, it may indicate an infection. Take your cat to your veterinarian to have him examine the area.

    • 7

      Bring your cat back to his veterinarian after 7 to 10 days to have any sutures removed and the area checked to ensure it heals properly. At this time you can remove the e-collar.