Kitty problems!?

Question

I just took my cat to the vet and she told me he had pink eye. He is an indoor cat. How in the world did he get pink eye? What causes it?

Answer 1

Conjunctivitis
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Conjunctivitis
Classifications and external resources
An eye with viral conjunctivitis
ICD-10 H10.
ICD-9 372.0-372.3
DiseasesDB 3067
MedlinePlus 001010
eMedicine emerg/110
Conjunctivitis (commonly called "pinkeye" in the USA and "Madras Eye" in India) is an inflammation of the conjunctiva (the outermost layer of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids), most commonly due to an allergic reaction or an infection (usually bacterial or viral).

Blepharoconjunctivitis is the combination of conjunctivitis with blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids).

Keratoconjunctivitis is the combination of conjunctivitis and keratitis (corneal inflammation).

Contents [hide]
1 Epidemiology
2 Diagnosis
2.1 Symptoms
2.2 Signs
2.3 Differential diagnosis
2.4 Investigations
3 Treatment and management
4 See also
5 References
6 External links



[edit] Epidemiology
There are three common varieties of conjunctivitis, viral, allergic, and bacterial. Other causes of conjunctivitis include thermal and ultraviolet burns, chemicals, toxins, overuse of contact lenses, foreign bodies, vitamin deficiency, dry eye, dryness due to inadequate lid closure, exposure to chickens infected with Newcastle disease, epithelial dysplasia (pre-cancerous changes), and some conditions of unknown cause such as sarcoidosis.

Bacterial conjunctivitis
is most often caused by pyogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus or Streptococcus from the patient's own skin or respiratory flora. Others are due to infection from the environment (e.g. insect-borne), from other people (usually by touch - especially in children), but occasionally via eye makeup or facial lotions. An example of this is conjunctivitis due to the bacteria Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius.

Answer 2

I was also very suprised to find that animals get pink eye (conjunctivitis). I took my dog to the vet thinking that he had a vitamin deficiency or something and was quite relieved to find out that he only had pink eye.

Remember when you are at the vet to ask questions there. You pay them big money for their time so get your money's worth. They are supposed to answer your questions. If they don't they are not a very good vet.

Here is an article with some good pink eye info.
http://rxinsider.com/monographs/pink_eye.htm