Expert: Jessica - 3/16/2010

Question
My female cat seem to have a slight infection/irritation in her one eye(lot of hayfever and grass seeds going around).There is a little bit of ether like substance in the corners of the eye or otherwise muck the eye is trying to get rid of.We live very remotely and the option of taking her to a vet is not in question.I've cleaned it out wth saline water and would like to know if I can use either FML Liquifilm eye susension or OXYLIN Liguifilm ophthamic solution once off to just help the eye along.Thank you.

Answer
Hi Mal.  I would strongly discourage the use of anything containing FML unless a vet looks at the eye first.  This is because steroids like FML applied to an eye that has a scratch or an ulcer on it can actually cause the cornea the erode so much that the eyeball ruptures.  And when there is eye irritation present, there frequently are scratches or ulcers to blame.

In the U.S., Oxylin is not approved for use, so I have never seen it prescribed.  However, the ingredients in it are not toxic to cats and are used as nasal decongestants from time to time, so if you feel safe using it in the eyes based on this fact, then I see nothing wrong with it.  The only problem is that Oxylin may help reduce inflammation, but it contains no antibiotic to get rid of any infection that may be present.  Ideally, an antibiotic eye ointment should be used, but I don't know if this would be available to you.  If you have any way to order Terramycin eye ointment online, that's a great medication to treat infections in the eyes.  A 1/4" strip should be applied inside the bottom lid of the affected eyes 2-3 times daily.

Good luck!

Jessica