Recently I ran across a post in a Facebook group for cat owners: the cat had a red, inflamed eye with some discharge.. The owner explained she was unable to get the cat to the vet for a few days and wanted some advice....
The comments infuriated me. To say the very least.
P.s. this post applies to dogs as well!
Among the suggestions given from other cat owners who clearly had no medical experience or education:
▶ Apply Johnson & Johnson soap to the eyes and wash them out
▶ Put Neosporin in the eyes
▶ Wash the eyes with salt water
▶ Treat with Terramycin ointment
▶ Apply colloidal silver
......And, the winning comment on the post was: "Rinse with warm water and a soft rag and call the vet!"
Listen, if you've been reading my posts for awhile, or even read the about me page, here on my website, you would know that I'm all for self-treating certain conditions at home, the natural way.... Minor skin stuff, upset tummy, etc...
BUT, let me make one thing very clear:
DO NOT SELF-TREAT EYE PROBLEMS AT HOME!!
Especially without a diagnosis.
You have NO idea what is going on in that eye. A few causes for eye inflammation are as follows:
▪ Allergies
▪ Corneal scratch
▪ Ulcer
▪ Glaucoma
▪ Foreign material (debris can get stuck under the third eyelid and cause irritation)
▪ Bacterial Infection
▪ Conjuctivitis
▪ Viral infection
▪ Environmental irritants
▪ Chemical exposure/ contamination
Do you see why assuming the cause can be so dangerous?!
Any self-treatment for eye issues could result in lasting or further injury to the eye, more vet bills, and even blindness.
One example is the application of ointments that contain steroids or NSAIDs to an eye that has a corneal ulcer, as it can make it worse and cause lasting damage to the eye.
"Corticosteroid-containing eye medications are NEVER used until an ulcer has completely healed because they will slow or stop the healing and may actually cause worsening of the ulcer."
Plus: certain OTC eye drops/ medications can actually do great harm to dogs and cats. I NEVER suggest self-treating eye conditions for this reason alone.
One comment that REALLY concerned me was the suggestion of applying Neosporin to the eyes... This could have easily KILLED the cat.
"One of the active ingredients in Neosporin (and other triple antibiotic treatments) called Polymyxin B has been linked to anaphylaxis and death in cats."
Unfortunately, I have now been removed from the group (or at least my comments removed) because I can no longer find the post. Truthfully, I'm hoping an Admin just removed the entire post for the safety of the animal.
Social media is NOT a place to be assuming a diagnosis or suggesting medications/ remedies. UNLESS you are educated on the subject or have proper credentials and/ or a doctor-patient relationship.
Which clearly, nobody was....
😳 Why is this information not common sense?!
C'mon people!!
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