Feline Eye Problems & Erythromycin

Cats' eyes are mysterious pools of rich color, shaped in a way that many humans try to emulate their appearance with makeup, contact lenses and even tattoos. Felines rely on their vision for hunting and safety, especially at night when their pupils dilate so they can see in the dark. Eye problems can prove detrimental to your cat's vision and, therefore, should be diagnosed and treated immediately.

  1. Types

    • Your cat can suffer from an array of eye problems, including allergies, bacterial, viral or fungal infections, eye worms and trauma (a feline's eye can get scratched during a fight with another cat). Any one of these issues causes conjunctivitis, "an inflammation or infection of the conjunctiva," according to Pet Education.com. The conjunctiva is the tissue that lines a cat's eyelids and connects to the eye near the cornea. Erythromycin might be prescribed if your cat's conjunctivitis is caused by a bacterial infection.

    Symptoms

    • Symptoms of conjunctivitis include "redness, swelling, itching, squinting, tearing and discharge," reports Vetinfo.com. Bacterial eye infections usually produce thick, yellow or green discharge. In severe cases, the discharge mixed with pus made from white blood cells might seal the cat's eyelids shut. You may also notice your feline pawing at its eye constantly, or rubbing it up against things; this is because the conjunctivitis is uncomfortable, causing your cat some pain.

    Diagnosis

    • A veterinarian will perform an eye culture to determine the type of bacteria causing the eye infection. This is necessary to ensure the appropriate antibiotic treatment is prescribed. Testing might also include scraping of the conjunctiva to rule out any viral infection that may be present and causing the conjunctivitis, or running concurrently with a bacterial infection.

    Treatment

    • Once the bacterial source is determined, a vet will likely prescribe an antibiotic ointment or drops to heal the infection and cure the conjunctivitis. Antibiotic ointments and drops come in singular form, where only one antibiotic is present in the medication, or triplicate form where combinations of three different antibiotics are used. Erythromycin is an antibiotic commonly used for feline bacterial eye and eyelid infections and comes in both singular and triplicate forms.

    Warnings

    • Side effects are rare with erythromycin treatment; however, some unfavorable reactions are possible. The most common side effect to erythromycin is an allergic reaction to the antibiotic's ingredients. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include facial swelling and itching and breathing difficulties. If you notice the cat's eye infection getting worse instead of better, discontinue using the erythromycin and take your cat back to its vet immediately because, in rare cases, the medication might actually make the bacterial infection worse.