Need help for smokie's eye problem.

Smokie is a diet controlled diabetic for past two years. She was diagnosed with CRI
in August last year. Her last Vet vist was March 31 this year. She is past 16 years old.

For the last 5 days Smokie has had clear fluid running from her left eye which has increased and she is sneezing sometimes.
Now she has clear fluid
running from her left nostril and she has coughed a few times(which may be from the
drainage down her throat) She sometimes shakes her head and i think the tearing
really bothers her running down her face. She doesn't seem to have the tearing when she is asleep. She doesn't act like her eye hurts and it is not red nor swollen.
Vet told me to use liquid tears but that doesn't help her.

Has anyone had this problem and what did you use that was effective? I could ask the Vet for
something tomorrow. If i take her to the Vet he will give her gas while she in in the carrier and that is so very traumatic for her. He will not see her unless she is gassed first as she is a fractious kitty.

 

I have no experience with that. As you said, I would try to get more information form the vet. I am surprised that the vet suggest artificial tears. The problem seems to be excessive tear production not dry eye.

 

Hmmmm...the coughing is concerning along with the new runny eye.
My Abigail gets runny eyes and sneezes and she has been diagnosed with allergies, but she does not cough. I know you hate to take her to the vet but I think that may be what has to be done, if you can.

 

Thank you Larry and Jill.
She hasn't coughed since i posted this.
But the other symptoms are still there.

 

My first thought is allergies, my second is herpes. I suppose the liquid tears could "flush" her eye, in case it's a reaction to somthing that touched the eye?

Take a peek here and see if it fits the herpes profile : http://www.thensome.com/peted.htm

You can try adding l-Lysine to Smokie's food.

 

Thanks Karen. I started Smokie on the L-lysine.
The Vet had told me to give liquid tears in case she had gotten something in her eye
that irritated it.
Thanks for the website. Scares the crap outta me!
This clear liquid drainage has been going on a week and it is still clear.
It doesn't drain when she is asleep. Less drainage this morning but sneezes sometimes.
Vet supposed to call.
I wonder if it would hurt to start on antibiotic because you don't want to mess around with these symptoms.
I just can't take her to vet and go through hearing her scream until the gas puts her to sleep.
Not unless i have to.

 

Minou gets watery eyes from seasonal allergies. You can use OTC antihistimines to treat allergies, but I would hesitate to do so until a vet rules out all other causes.

 

Watery eyes could be a blocked tear duct. Emme has that, and we just let it run (as long as it's clear).

She also has herpes. Came to us with it and a badly infected eye. I was terrified of it, but it's really not the end of the world. She was treated with some expensive eye drops and she's fine now. I give her L-Lysine daily. You have to look out for flares and treat as necessary. A vet visit to determine if it IS herpes might be in order.

 

Thanks Karen and Debby.
I called the Vet and talked to him again. He said he thinks Smokie may have a
low grade eye infection instead of allergies and wants to start her on antibiotic eye gtts.

I went to his office and got "Tobramycin" eye gtts. There was no label on the box and i asked
the receptionist how often and how many gtts he wanted me to give each day and she said give one gtt at least
twice a day. The directions on the inside information says give four times a day.
I think maybe i should give four times a day (if i can catch Smokie)

 

I don't know how much this'll help, but when Gwyn had lacerations on her eyes, to prevent infection, the instructions we had were antibiotic ointment every 3-4 hours for the first day, every 6-8 hours for the second day, and every 8-12 hours the third and fourth day. FWIW ...

 

Thank you JJ & Gwyn. That is good to know.

 

Typically eye drops such as tobrimycim are administered three or four times daily. Eye ointment can be applied less often since they are thicker and stay effictive longer than drops.

 

Thank you Larry!
That is what i will do.