Is it possible that cat litter dust caused my cat's eye to become infected?

Question

i was pouring it into the box and she was staring right into it. i cant say for sure its an infection but she closes the one eye a lot and it has an ocassional discharge starting this afternoon
she has full vaccinations. we have the banfield's wellness plan thing. we took it in today at about 4 and sat there for 3 hours until the doctor came in and said he couldnt do anything for her tonight because he had to sedate her and it was too late in the evening. thanks doc. i would rather not go back there but we dont have a choice now because of their payment plan that you cant get out of.
we will probably take her back in the morning to see if she can get. cross your fingers.

Answer 1

It is absolutely possible some dust got in her eyes and it needs to work it's way out. Definitely don't do that again. I got some litter in my eyes once and it was horrible, so I only pour when they aren't around. There are also some dustless ones that work well like yesterday's news.
I think your cat could have also accidently scratched her own eye when she was scratching herself with her paws. Do you trim her nails on a regular basis? If not, they made need to be trimmed. But definitely learn how to do it properly first. You don't want to trim to much it will hurt and make the paw bleed. I have a siamese who has sharp claws and I have to keep them trimmed or he gets his eyes sometimes. I take a warm washcloth and hold it gently over his eyes if they seem to be bothering him.
I've had cats for eight years and never had to sedate them for anything. So ask a lot of questions before they do anything if you go back there. I don't know what Banfield is, but I always go to a cat-only place and I feel like they take me more seriously.
I hope your kitty feels better!

Answer 2

yes, clumping litter can dry out and irritate any mucus membrane or "wet" spot, like eyes. Use saline solution until you can get to the vet and clean the eyes twice daily with a clean wet cloth.

I'm completely confused as to why the cat needs to be sedated. Vet looks at eyes, gives diagnosis, prescribes cream or drops, puts in eyes. Unless there is another VERY serious problem.

I wouldn't go back to any quack vet to wants to sedate a cat for a check up and an eye exam. Is the cat feral and vicious? Does she need eye surgery? Is her third eye lid swollen, red and popping out?

Answer 3

Its possible because many cat litters contain chemicals designed to aborb odors because when cat urine breaks down it releases ammonia as a byproduct caused by bacteria generally a good sterile saline wah should help to clear out any problems with your cats eyes but a vet visit isnt a bad idea as well

PS get a different vet

Answer 4

yes, that is possible. I once visited a freind who smoked indoors. Since I was to stay over the weekend, I had my cat with me. Well, after the first day, my cat was tearing and had gunk in his eyes. I knew it was from the cigg smoke. It disappeared ater we returned home.