If left untreated, an eye infection can develop into something more serious. If you observe odd behavior from your cat or dog and suspect a problem with your pet’s eyes, contact our veterinarians at North Hills Animal Hospital in Sherwood, AR. We have gathered a few tips on how to identify an eye infection in your pet.
Symptoms in Cats
Cats with eye infections rub their eyes more often than usual, squint, avoid light, wink or blink more often than usual, have red eyes, and often have liquid coming from the eyes. This liquid can be yellow, green, white, or colorless. Cats have an inner eyelid that protects the eye. Most of the time, you cannot see this inner eyelid. When the eye becomes infected, this eyelid gets swollen and can be seen partly lowered most of the time.
Cats often have symptoms not located in the eyes when they have an eye infection. Think of when you get something in your eye. Your nose will often run. Your cat will also have respiratory symptoms like a runny nose or sneezing more often than usual. Your cat may hide more often. Your cat may not want to be touched, so be careful handling your cat.
Symptoms in Dogs
Dog eye infection symptoms are about the same as cats, but the eye discharge might have a bad odor. The area around the eye may swell. This swelling can be more difficult to detect in dogs with naturally bulging eyes, like Chihuahuas.
It is especially important that dogs go immediately to the veterinarian’s office when they show signs of an eye infection because the symptoms of an eye infection are similar to distemper symptoms. Your dog may also get other symptoms like vomiting, loss of appetite, and fever. Even if your dog has been vaccinated against distemper, it should still be checked out, just in case.
Contact Our Veterinarians in Sherwood, AR
If you have any questions about pet eye infections and live in or around Sherwood, contact our veterinarians at North Hills Animal Hospital. We will perform a comprehensive examination and determine if your cat or dog has an eye infection. Call our team today at (501) 835-3577 or reach us through our website by using our online contact form.