February 20th 2008 06:00 am
Herpes viral conjunctivitis
Herpes viral conjunctivitis has been a common problem in our shelter. Since most of the newly rescued cats are weak and malnourished, they are prone to all kinds of sickness. I have cats who are now half blind due to this sickness. And everytime it strikes on any of the kittens, I do everything to prevent the disease from destroying their eyes and ending up being blind. I have failed so many times. All the ointments that the vets have prescribed have failed, even the most expensive one. So i vowed to master the treatment of HVC. I did some research on the net and somehow connected them all together. Finally, I was able to find the solution. No, I did not discover the cure, But i found the way to contain it and prevent further damage.
On first sign of the disease, the kitten should immediately be isolated in a cage. An elizabethan collar should be worn to prevent the cat from scratching its eye causing irritation. To be able to save, I use old x ray films that I get from the clinics and hospitals, then I form them shaped like a cone (as shown in the picture). Then I give them a dose of antibiotics – 1ml of 250mg 3 x a day for 2 weeks to prevent further infection. I also clean their eyes once a day and change their collars 2 x a day. You can damp his eyes with cotton moistened with dextrose fluid (never use water). Young kittens can produce so much ocular discharge that their eyes gum closed sealing the infected secretions around the eye. It is important that the eyelids be opened manually to allow drainage of secretions. The swelling of the conjunctivae can be so severe that the eye itself is not visible. You will notice that some of the secretions have dried up around the eyelids, you must try to soften this with the moistened cotton but you must never force to remove them as this may cause further irritation. I also monitor his food intake, making sure that they are eating (I usually give them their favorite cat food during this period).
I place hanging toys on his cage to keep him entertained since he will probably be staying inside that cage for a period of 4 to 5 weeks. he is definitely not allowed to go outside the cage for fear that his playmates might scratch their eyes or he might pass the virus to the other kittens. You have to be firm with the kitten, you can sometimes see him watching the kittens outside the cage playing as if begging to allow him to join the others. But i have made that mistake before, It didn’t do the kitten any good. So i make time to personally play with him and try to keep him company. After 2 to 3 weeks, when you notice that the swelling has subsided, you can try letting him out for a couple of hours, but once his eyes starts to swell or become teary eyed again, you must return him to his cage immediately and finish the 4 to 5 weeks of confinement.
I am not a veterinarian. But as i have mentioned in my previous posts, We have 65 cats in the shelter. Experience has taught me well.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
No Comments yet »
