How come my vet said to wash out my kittens eye with boric acid and warm water?

Question

I thought that would harm him im just useing warm water!

Answer 1

Call the vet back in the AM and ask where you can get whatever kind of weak boric acid solution you might need. I assume this is to prevent kitty from getting some kind of eye infection. That's important, but it seems like you probably have good sense to just use water till you make sure you're clear on what the vet meant.

Answer 2

RE: How many parts of boric acid and how many of water do I mix to make a solution to clean kittens mattered eyes? I have boric acid crystals and know a boric acid solution can be used to clean out cats eyes but I'm not sure in what proportion to mix them. Can anyone help me?

Answer 3

Boric acid and warm water used to be used as an eyewash many, many years ago. I have used well diluted salt water for washing eyes of cats (and humans). It works.

Answer 4

That seems strange to me. Boric acid is what I put in a sugar solution to kill ants and it is only a teaspoon or so in a quart of water.

According to Jean Hove DVM a human product called Tears Renewed is safe and effective to use in a cat's eyes. That product contains methyl cellulose which helps to wash away viral particles and enhances adherence to the eye so you don't have to use it so frequently. It is available in drug stores. Don't use contact lens solution. Tears have salt in them so it might be better than just plain water.

Answer 5

Do what your vet says. Boric acid solution is soothing and helps fight infection. Plain water is actually less soothing.

Answer 6

It won't hurt them. I use boracic acid to clean out my horses eyes. It helps with keeping infections at bay if your animal gets gunky eyes a lot.

Answer 7

Not strange at all. My family has used Boric Acid on me personally for years when, as a baby, I had extreme allergies and the whites of my eyes literally swelled out of the sockets and a moistened pad had to be placed over my eye with tape, essentially patching over my eye. I remember this as an ongoing part of my childhood. Since then, I've had ongoing eye issues, but almost always they have been easily remedied by simply washing my eyes with the Boric Acid solution: styes, redness, inflammation, watering, "jellying"...as my family called it when the white of my eye swelled beyond the socket and literally looked like a raw egg white), itchiness, scratchiness from a minuscule foreign object, any given chemical or irritant (FYI: for those of you who are about to rake me over the coals and lambaste me for giving this advice: Boric Acid Eye Wash has been used and RESPECTED FOR YEARS BY EVERYONE IN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY AS WELL AS GRANDMOTHERS FOR GENERATIONS: Just because you haven't heard of it does NOT make YOU an expert, NOR do I claim to be an expert, however: IF you want an HONEST, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED eyewash that has been used SAFELY for generations, then please DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH before giving bad reviews of my sincerely meant (well thought-out) and SAFE (look it up!) advice of which you know nothing. Please check into this for your own selves and let those who seek honest, sincere, and SOUND ADVICE get the clean advice they are looking for without adding your own poisonous viewpoints, especially if you have not researched this for your own self.
For those who wish to give basic, honest first aid and hygiene, Boric Acid eye washes have been used for generations. For those who claim that Saline Solution and brand name eye washes are the ONLY way to go, I'd like to respectfully ask that you simply read more than one box of brand name product and its ingredients list (many do indeed contain Boric Acid, despite your end-of-the-world fear mongering). There is NO reason to shame somebody for not being able to spend crazy amounts of money on a vet bill for something that is easy, safe, basic and RESPONSIBLE to do at home. NOTE: I am NOT saying that any/every body should avoid the vet, but would you tell somebody who has a minor scratch that they're irresponsible, a bad pet owner (or human parent), and CHEAP because they choose to treat a VERY MINOR health concern themselves? In that case, I advise you to throw away your BandAids and head to the ER EVERY TIME you have a minor cut, scrape or abrasion, otherwise you should never allow yourself to care for yourself, let alone a CHILD....etc. Get my point?
Wash your kittie's eyes with the BASIC recipe provided by VETMD.COM. THEY, at least, ARE an authority. They can show you how to do a BASIC eye wash (which EVERY pet owner SHOULD KNOW HOW TO DO [w/o the trolls condemning them for knowing how to do AND be WILLING to do basic First Aid] and then follow their advice, which I am certain sounds like this: "If condition does not clear within 24 hrs or worsens consult your vet immediately." Let all these hens squawk away...take care of your pet like a good, responsible pet parent SHOULD DO, and THEN take them to the vet in the morning if that doesn't seem to do the trick. Believe it or not, it sounds as though you are actually more responsible than a lot of these "hands off" pet owners are... too bad they have to shame you over money. I wouldn't spend the money either if it was something I could handle competently, but more importantly, I don't care to put my babies through the stress and serious strain of a medical visit when, with constant vigilance, research, fact-finding and vet office advice, I could take care of my pets myself. I would NEVER, EVER RISK their health and its too bad there are a lot of people who would shame people like us needlessly.
P.S. For those out there who want to continue the shaming, please look it up yourselves: VETS CAN AND DO RECOMMEND A BASIC BORIC ACID EYE WASH TO RESPONSIBLE, INTELLIGENT PET OWNERS FOR BASIC HEALTH CARE AND EYE HYGIENE. NOBODY AT ANY POINT HERE IS TRYING TO ADMINISTER SPECIALIZED OR QUALIFIED VETERINARY CARE NOR ADVICE. Please discontinue your accusations as they are not warranted nor are they helpful....not to mention kind.
If YOU don't know for a fact, then PLEASE don't shame those seeking answers NOR those who happen to know or are willing to share their own EXPERIENCE. hh


VETMED.COM:


.................."Red eyes, or cat conjunctivitis, is the most common eye condition in felines and involves an inflammation of the eyelid tissues. Conjunctivitis can be caused by different environmental factors, such as smoke, chemicals, viruses or bacteria, and can be treated with antibiotics or eye drops. Boric acid can be used when the conjunctivitis is mild. The cat can have an infection affecting one or both eyes.
Diagnose Cat Conjunctivitis
The eyes of a cat with conjunctivitis will be red and swollen. The conjunctiva is affected in all cases of red eyes and sometimes even the cornea is inflamed.
There will be a discharge coming from the eyes. The discharge may be of 2 types, depending on the underlying cause of the irritation:
Allergies cause a watery, transparent discharge
Infections will result in a yellow or green discharge
The color of the discharge will be a great indicator and will help detecting the cause of the red eyes.
The condition causes irritation, so the cat will be rubbing his face against different objects. This can lead to complications. In some cases, the cat’s eyes will be shut and there may be pus coming out of them.
Conjunctivitis is a painful condition, so the cat will display behavioral changes, will be easily irritable or turn aggressive.
Boric Acid Treatment
Irritated eyes can be treated with a diluted solution of boric acid. Prepare a solution using boric acid powder and water.
Boil 200 ml of water and add 1 tbsp of boric acid powder.
Mix the solution and make sure the powder is diluted.
Cool the solution until it is lukewarm and apply 2 drops in each eye, using a syringe or an eye dropper.
Apply the boric acid solution treatment two times per day. You can also dip a cotton ball or a sponge in the solution and rub it on the eyelids and the eye area. The irritation should be diminished after 1 or 2 days of treatment. If you don’t see any improvement in 48 hours, you should try a different treatment.
Meanwhile, keep your cat away from strong light sources.
The eyes will be itchy, so you might need a lamp shade collar for your cat to prevent him from scratching.
In case the cat’s eyes are completely shut, you won’t be able to apply the solution, so you need to get some medication first.

Answer 8

you should boil the water first leave it cool down then wipes his/her eyes . when the water is boil it gets rid of some bacteria