Ulcerative corneal adhesion

[cook325]

I have a 7 mo old shelter cat who has been examined no less than four times now, by two different vets, for a cloudy area in his eye that has presented recurring issues.  He was examined under anesthesia and the pronouncement was congenital corneal adhesion.  The problem is that the adhesion seems to want to chronically ulcerate, sometimes seemingly painful with clear tears & a thick mucus, on other occasions with a dark brown discharge.  He's been on extended rounds of Tobramycin and Gentromycin eye drops; courses of Clavamox and doxycycline for "upper respiratory infections," and I have both of my cats on 250mg of lysine daily against feline herpes as well.  I am on a fixed income and I have spent every last dime I have (and several I dont) on vet bills... it isnt resolved and I am at wits end.  His eye is weeping the brown discharge again.  The vet is now blaming me for his treatment failure, saying its my fault because I have not taken him to an opthalmologist.  I dont have any money left for specialists, but I want desperately to help this cat... any advice on healing and/or preventing the chronic ulceration would be so gratefully appreciated

[cook325]

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply Dr Cheng, it is gratefully appreciated!!  I will look into some of those!

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

This problem is most likely due to the Feline Herpes virus.

Try increasing the Lysine to 500mg twice daily and use an oral antiviral medication and an antiviral eye drop as follows:

Oral famciclovir (¼ of 125 mg tablet twice daily or ½ of 125 mg tablet once daily) inhibits herpesvirus replication. Other prescription medications that have been used to treat herpes successfully include acyclovir, ganciclovir, cidofovir, and feline or human interferon.

0.1% idoxuridine eye drops applyed to the affected eye 6 times per day long term.  This is an eye drop that can be made by a compounding pharmacy.

Your vet can give you prescriptions of the above.

These will hopefully control the herpes infections and make your cat more comfortable.  If the eye requires surgical repair it would be best to eventually see a vet opthalmologist when it becomes affordable.