feral cat with eye infection

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Donna & Buddha

Donna & Buddha

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I feed two "porch kitties", female feral cats that have been vaccinated and spayed. A couple of weeks ago, Peanut came down with an upper respiratory infection. Her main symptom was one weepy eye, without any other apparent illness. For several days we couldn't determine if it was an infected scratch or just drainage. But when the other cat, Anya, starting sneezing and had watery eyes, I decided it was a URI. Peanut fully recovered in several days. Anya however has it much worse. Her inner eyelid is very red. I've been feeding her wet food mixed with water. I can touch her, but cannot hold her. She would absolutely freak out if grabbed, claw me to pieces, and then disappear for a day or two. There is no possibility of administering eye drops, but I can get her to take pills by pushing them into the center of a small spoonful of wet food. Does anyone have any experience with a situation like this? Would oral antibiotics be likely to help? I'm assuming it was originally a viral infection but it may have moved onto a bacterial one.
 
All I know is that with the eyes they need to get to the vet. I know that may be difficult or almost impossible for you, but if you are able to trap her and get her in it would probably be best. You could try adding some lysine to the food in the mean time. I do hope she improves. And I am glad you are helping to take care of these babies.
 
I took care of a large feral colony for many years and this is, by far the hardest thing to deal with .... what to do when they get sick? I've done it a couple of ways. I would try and trap and take to the vet. That is by far your best choice because they can do it all ..... the eye, the infection and then release her back out. You could put low doses of antibodies in their food since they both have been sick, but you would need to watch the food and pick up after so no other animals eat. (this is your last solution)

If you had an extra room, yes I am laughing .... you could trap and bring them in. They will be pissed for a few days but just being in where it is warm, might help. I ended up with two of the best ferals, who became less so, when I moved to my office at home. They were skinny and sick but at the time I had no vet who would "work on" cats that feral. Now they have different ways. So I trapped them and brought them to my home office, which also has a large enclosed patio with it. They were about a year old and are now 18, they still run when anyone else comes in but they sit on my lap, eat with me, watch my stock trades ..... sometimes voicing opinions :)

Whatever you do, good luck. The outside babies are so misunderstood. I yammered at a man who was trapping the ferals and taking to pound where they were immediately put down, why I asked? you have cats at home? they are different, he said ..... not like the inside cats??????? I finally had to walk away, how can you fight that?
Nancy and Payne (one of the rescued, different cats, happy to be in ...... )
 
The redness is in both inner eyelids now. I've just talked with the vet and will be picking up some orbax. I'll see if it makes a difference. I have treated her this way for bite wounds before and even the worst ones healed very quickly. I'm less confident that this will be an effective treatment for the current condition. Unfortunately, my favorite vet at the the practice is indefinitely out of the office.
 
While you're working on this - maybe do some clicker training with them, and gradually work on desensitizing them.
You may or may not have much luck with this, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
 
BJM said:
While you're working on this - maybe do some clicker training with them, and gradually work on desensitizing them.
You may or may not have much luck with this, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
Click to expand...

Clicker training with the vet? Hmmm, what could I train him to do ....

It was $60 for a 14 day supply of Orbax. Ouch! But Anya was so improved after the very first dose. One eyelid returned to normal the first day, both eyelids are looking pretty good this morning. I am so, so relieved. I am so tempted to give her just a 7 day regimen of antibiotics and keep the remaining 7 for the next emergency she presents me. What I really need is to find a much cheaper supply.
 
Please give the kitty the full 14-day supply now.

Just like for humans, if you stop early, you just create an antibiotic-resistant germ.
 
Thanks for the caution. I guess I'm thinking that previously I've only been given a 7 day regimen. Not sure why the increased run this time. But I definitely don't want to see her infection return. Sometimes I think it would be kinder to put her down, but in between her infections she's such a sweet, funny, quirky cat. I'm really fond of her.
 
Donna & Buddha said:
Thanks for the caution. I guess I'm thinking that previously I've only been given a 7 day regimen. Not sure why the increased run this time. But I definitely don't want to see her infection return. Sometimes I think it would be kinder to put her down, but in between her infections she's such a sweet, funny, quirky cat. I'm really fond of her.
Click to expand...

Maybe this is different stuff and requires a longer course of treatment ?

Also, you really want to be sure to get this under control, since she is so hard to handle.
 
Nothing says you have to get the Rx from the vet; you can ask the vet for the Rx (or if time isn't urgent, to fax it to a mail order company).

When you have moment, you might scout your local pharmacies and see who offers the best price on things like this. Then if something pops up again, you'll be able to get it a smidge less expensively.

And I meant clicker training with the feral - it might be at a distance, but any improvement in tolerance for humans could be worth it.
 
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