FIV cat with recurrent eye infection

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Olliepops
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FIV cat with recurrent eye infection

Post by Olliepops »

Hi

Just wondered if anyone knows of any home/alternative remedies for treating our FIV cat's recurring eye problems, he'd had antibiotic drops and ointment 3 times now, but a week or 2 after stopping them it flares up again.

The vets have checked his eyes and can't find any foreign bodies, scratches etc. he finished his last ointment around 2 weeks ago, but again the redness and gunkiness have reared their heads!

He's completely not bothered by it, only washes noticeably if there seems to be a lot of gunk (we do clean them with cooled boiled water, but sometimes he beats us to it!). He's happy enough, not out of sorts, eating well etc etc, but it's so frustrating that it just keeps coming back, we don't really want to keep taking him for more and more antibiotics if anyone knows of any other way we could try to clear it up. He gets very stressed at going to the vets, so bearing in mind their treatments just seem to keep it at bay for their duration, we thought maybe it's time to try treating it a different way.....

Hope someone can help.
Thanks
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bobbys girl
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Re: FIV cat with recurrent eye infection

Post by bobbys girl »

Did the vet use dye when examining his eyes? 2 weeks back Bobby seemed very reluctant to open his left eye. When we tried to see what was the matter, we could not see anything. At first the vet couldn't either. But then she used a green dye and found two tiny spots. She said they were ulcers and gave us drops to use. they worked very well and he is fine now. I'm sure she wouldn't have found them without the dye - they really were tiny pin pricks. Mind you, his eye wasn't full of gunk!

Bobby is FIV+ and I am aware this might come back. But so far so good.
Olliepops
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Re: FIV cat with recurrent eye infection

Post by Olliepops »

bobbys girl wrote:Did the vet use dye when examining his eyes? 2 weeks back Bobby seemed very reluctant to open his left eye. When we tried to see what was the matter, we could not see anything. At first the vet couldn't either. But then she used a green dye and found two tiny spots. She said they were ulcers and gave us drops to use. they worked very well and he is fine now. I'm sure she wouldn't have found them without the dye - they really were tiny pin pricks. Mind you, his eye wasn't full of gunk!

Bobby is FIV+ and I am aware this might come back. But so far so good.

Hi

Thanks for your response, yes, they've put the dye in twice now (different vets did it) and haven't found any problems with his eyes, the first time the dye didn't work it's way out through his nose, so that vet wondered if he had a blocked tear duct, though she did say he may have just been super fast at licking his nose when he felt it coming through, so it didn't stain his fur (he's white so it would show up very easily lol). But the second time they used the dye it clearly came through his nose too.

It's just so frustrating because he seems fine other than this and really doesn't seem bothered by it to be honest, but I don't think we should do nothing, but I'm also not convinced repeated antibiotics are doing the problem, or him any good......
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greenkitty
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Re: FIV cat with recurrent eye infection

Post by greenkitty »

In my experience eye infections can take weeks to get under control, I spent the best part of 6 months trying to get Hectors cleared up once and for all and it took several changes of drops to finally knock it on the head. Just keep plugging away with the vet visits.
Olliepops
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Re: FIV cat with recurrent eye infection

Post by Olliepops »

greenkitty wrote:In my experience eye infections can take weeks to get under control, I spent the best part of 6 months trying to get Hectors cleared up once and for all and it took several changes of drops to finally knock it on the head. Just keep plugging away with the vet visits.

Hi thanks for your message.

I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and phone the vets again in the morning, I just worry that prolonged antibiotics aren't good for him, but I'm also aware that leaving a lingering infection won't do him any good either. Hopefully they'll just let us pick up some more ointment rather than take him in again, as he gets sooooo stressed when he has to go, which lasts several days after the trip, so obviously that's not doing him any good either! It's very frustrating, but it's a comfort to see someone else has had a similar problem, thanks!
Olliepops
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Re: FIV cat with recurrent eye infection

Post by Olliepops »

Well we went back to the vets and have now got him back on the eye ointment, but our usual vet was on holiday, so we saw another different one, he said he'd like us to go back in a couple of weeks to see the other vet to see what he thinks is best.
He also gave him an antibiotic injection in case he needs a bit if extra help because of his FIV. I now have a different worry, he also gave him another injection that he didn't mention until I questioned it, he just said it was to help with the inflammation in his eyes.
We found out the name from the printed invoice, metacam, the name kind of rang a bell, so I googled it. I'm now worried as it doesn't seem to be a very good drug to give to cats, because it can cause kidney failure. My cat already has that problem, though it is well controlled at the moment by diet food. So now I'm worried that he's been given a drug that could cause real harm, does anyone know anything about the safety of metacam?
I getting really frustrated with the vets to be honest, every time I go I have to keep reminding them that he is FIV positive, but this time I forgot to mention the kidney problems. Is it wrong for me to expect something to be there in his notes and for the vets to actually read them? I'm so worried that this injection may have caused him some harm now!
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Crewella
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Re: FIV cat with recurrent eye infection

Post by Crewella »

I don't have an FIV cat, but several of us here have oldies with dodgy kidneys and arthritis and use Metacam for pain relief (for quality of life), but keep an eye on kidney function. There's a thread here that might help - it's not ideal, but you don't need to panic!

http://www.catchat.org/felineforum/view ... acam#p5548" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Olliepops
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Re: FIV cat with recurrent eye infection

Post by Olliepops »

Crewella wrote:I don't have an FIV cat, but several of us here have oldies with dodgy kidneys and arthritis and use Metacam for pain relief (for quality of life), but keep an eye on kidney function. There's a thread here that might help - it's not ideal, but you don't need to panic!

http://www.catchat.org/felineforum/view ... acam#p5548" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Thanks so much for your response, it does make me a little more comfortable with it, there's no suggestion that he will stay on it, I think/hope it was just a one off treatment, I just read lots online and there were so many horror stories, I was panicking that even the one injection could have done some serious long term damage, I realise that's not impossible, but seeing that lots of others have used it long term without a problem, makes me feel a bit easier that this one off dose hopefully won't cause too much of a problem.
We have to go back in 2 weeks to get his eyes checked so we'll see if he's ok by then. I think I am certainly going to ask that something be put at the start off his notes to say he has FIV and renal problems.
He hasn't had a blood test for a while, mainly because he gets so stressed by it (to the point where he hides from us if we go near him for ages afterwards, and then at bedtime when he likes a cuddle, he was literally slapping my boyfriend in the face! Not at all like him as he's such a loving cat usually, but he is very easily stressed) so we have him on a renal diet and keep a close eye on what he drinks and how much comes out of the other end, up to know he's been so much better on the diet, better than he's ever been to be honest, it just really worries me that this could be undone with the metacam. Hopefully he'll be fine and we won't have to use it again. If we could just get rid of this damned eye problem!!
Thanks so much for taking the time to respond, it's GREATLY appreciated!
matthew
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Re: FIV cat with recurrent eye infection

Post by matthew »

Hello,
My cat has exactly the same symptoms with her eye as you have had with your cat.
Did you find a solution in the end?
(must seem ages ago now)
Thank you, Matthew
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