Sometimes small and adult pets have eye problems. For example, the cat has too much lacrimation, the eyelids stick together and slightly redden, purulent discharge begins. The animal often covers its paw with eyes from the light.
The reasons for this condition are different: trauma, breed features, foreign objects, infection, virus, helminths, allergic reaction, age, twisting of the eyelid. Even the common cold or the effects of a draft provoke a disease. But not everyone knows how to wash your cat’s eyes at home.
Features
Before starting treatment, it is necessary to consult a veterinarian - a person with a medical education and experience will be able to correctly establish the cause of the animal’s malaise. After all, even the presence of a foreign object in the eye can sometimes be detected only with the help of special equipment.
Do not wash your cat’s eyes for preventive purposes. It harms feline health. Without visible signs of the disease, veterinarians categorically do not recommend "climbing" the animal’s eyes at all.
The need for a procedure
It is not enough to find out how to wash the cat’s eyes at home. You must also understand when it is necessary:
- An infection has got and it is necessary to cleanse the organ of vision from purulent secretions for subsequent treatment. In this case, it is better to consult a doctor to know for sure than rinse the cat's eyes from pus.
- Some breeds require rinsing due to the structural features of the lacrimal canal. Persians, lop-eared Scots, Sphinxes and Shorthair British really need a regular procedure.
- A small foreign object fell into the cat’s eyes and provokes irritation of the mucous membrane.
- Eye injured.
- The animal is allergic to pollen or other substances that could get into the eye. Then it makes sense to wash the irritant.
Recommendations
Before washing, no action is necessary - you can injure your eye or cause an infection.
Between eye washing and the use of therapeutic ointments or other means, you need to withstand 10 minutes so that the active substances do not react.
What to wash eyes
Funds can be prepared at home, bought in a regular or veterinary pharmacy, but before use, you need to make sure that the medicine is safe for the organs of vision. It is better to consult with a specialist.
Most people have no idea how to flush the eyes of a cat. According to experts, the best effect will bring the procedure with "Chlorhexidine." This antiseptic is suitable for first aid in any disease. Eye-safe concentration - 0.01%. An increased content of the active substance leads to irritation or burns of the mucous membrane.
When asked about how to rinse a cat’s eyes at home, veterinarians often recommend a solution of “Furacilin” - it gives a good result. But with an incorrectly calculated concentration, it can cause burns to the mucous membrane and cornea. It is better to use a drug that is sold ready-made. Only a doctor can prepare a solution of the desired concentration on his own.
If the animal does not have wounds, skin lesions and bleeding, Boric acid can be used for washing. It is necessary to dissolve a teaspoon of powder (5 grams) in 200 milligrams of distilled or chilled boiled water.
Saline solution is also suitable for such purposes. It can be prepared at home, but it is difficult to observe the proportions, so it is best to buy in a pharmacy.
The potassium permanganate solution is suitable for washing the eyes at a concentration of 1: 50,000. The liquid must have a very faint pink color, otherwise chemical burns will occur.
Veterinarians do not recommend experimenting with the above drugs. Indeed, on sale there is a tool called Diamond Eyes specially developed for the treatment of cat's eye diseases. It consists of succinic acid, taurine and chlorhexidine. This medicine is also suitable for washing the eyes.
Home Care
Many do not know how to rinse the cat’s eyes at home. First aid is a tea procedure. It should be infused for about 12 hours, without any chemical additives, including sugar.
Decoctions of various herbs are also suitable for washing: chamomile, sage, elderberry, linden, string, yarrow, calendula or others that have anti-inflammatory effects. The concentration of the broth should be weak: 1 teaspoon per glass of boiling water. The infusion is carefully filtered and cooled to room temperature. Too hot or cold tea will not cure, but only exacerbate the disease.
Many breeders are interested in how to rinse the cat’s eyes at home. Experts note that boiled or simply distilled water at room temperature is perfect for these purposes, especially with allergic reactions.
Things to remember
When washing your eyes, it is very important to observe the safety conditions:
- The concentration of the solution should not exceed the norm.
- The temperature of the liquid should not be too high or low.
- The solution or decoction should not aggravate the situation.
If washing does not bring relief, then the product must be changed or consult a veterinarian nevertheless.
How to rinse your eyes
Quality flushing anesthetizes, relieves itching and greatly alleviates the condition of the animal. The result is access to wounds or damaged areas.
The procedure must be carried out with clean medical gloves.
Flushing steps:
- Fixation of the animal. You can use an assistant who will hold the cat, or wrap the animal in a strong cloth, such as a towel.
- Along with the washing solution, you need to prepare cotton, and preferably sterile bandage swabs. You can use a syringe without a needle. Each eye is washed with a new swab. As it becomes dirty, it is also replaced with a new one.
- The swab is impregnated with a liquid that is squeezed onto the eye. If the pus is dry, you can get your eyes wet without pressing hard. The more fluid, the better the effect.
- To remove soaked crusts, they pass through the eye with a gentle movement in the direction from ear to nose, removing all unnecessary. If the eyelids stick together, you need to move in the opposite direction. You can not start treatment until the eyes are completely clean.
- Touching the cornea is very unpleasant for the animal. If possible, these actions should be avoided.
- After the eyelids open, fluid is poured onto the cornea. It is convenient to make a swab. If there is a foreign object in the eye that cannot be washed with liquid, in no case can it be removed independently. This should be done by a veterinarian using tools.
- After the procedure, the pus residues are wiped with a dry swab or cotton pad. The cornea should not be touched, only the region of the upper and lower eyelids. Ordinary cotton wool leaves villi and is not recommended for use.
- After the solution has got into the eye, the eyelids must be closed with your hands to allow the medicine to evenly distribute along the mucous membrane.
Veterinarian Tips
Each disease dictates its own treatment conditions. If the cat’s eyes are watery, it will be enough to rinse them with boiled or distilled water. This will solve the problem of allergies, wash the particles of sand or dust that have come into contact with the eye.
If purulent discharge forms in the cat's eyes, then the situation indicates infection. In this case, it is necessary to use anti-microbial agents. Veterinarians recommend the use of "Tetracycline ointment", drops of "Levomycetin" or "Hydrocortisone ointment".
Many experts disagree on the use of Chlorhexidine and Furacilin. The only general solution is that the concentration of Chlorhexidine should not exceed 0.01%, and Furacilin - 0.02%. In cats, individual intolerance to the components of Furacilin is very often observed, so before using it, you need to check the reaction of the animal.
When doubts arise about the causes of secretions, decoctions of herbs can be used. These funds will not bring harm, and it is allowed to use them for diseases, injuries and the ingress of foreign objects.
If the eyes of small kittens are soured, for the period of treatment, the babies should be placed in a room with dim light.
The inflammatory process can occur due to the presence of helminths or other parasites. If the cat has an inflamed and reddened cornea, this indicates a disease with chlamydia or mycoplasmosis. Home remedies can not cope with this problem. Only a veterinarian should prescribe a course of treatment.
Now you know whether it is possible for a cat to wash his eyes at home. We only recall that for any signs of pet discomfort it is better to visit the veterinarian.