# How to apply eye ointment to my cat's eye



## Krista2882 (Jan 26, 2012)

My cat has some kind of eye infection so the vet gave me some ointment to put on his eye twice a day, but didn't tell me how. I've been squeezing a bit of it on my finger and then go up to him and quickly rub it across his eye (which he usually closes, of course) so that he doesn't get a chance to run away. But I don't know how effective this is to just apply it to the outside of his eye. Am I doing this right? 


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## CatMonkeys (Sep 27, 2012)

When my cats had eye meds, I would wrap them in a towel (like a kitty burrito) to keep them from running/squirming. I would then apply ointment along the eye (where the lid meets) and gently rub it along the closed eye.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

^^^^ what CatMonkeys said. Wrap them tight keeping only their head exposed while laying belly up on your lap. I've been doing this with 3 of my kittens up to 4x a day now for over a week! I don't rub it in, though. Lay a tiny ribbon across their closed lids (if eye is swollen shut), then use your fingertips on top and below the eye to gently open and close the eye and you will see the gel dissolve into the eye. If the eye is open, you can place the tip in the corner (good luck!) and do the same thing. The gel liquefies at body temperature.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

View attachment 64178


Poor baby Licorice and his bad eyes. :roll:


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## CatMonkeys (Sep 27, 2012)

As Marcia describes is basically how I rub it in 

I just want to hug Mr. Licorice and let him know it will be over soon!


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## 21inCostaRica (Aug 18, 2013)

I talk to my cats when I am giving them any medication: whether they understand me or not, they seem to get distracted by it and it usually makes things smoother. If they scratch me, then I use the towel, but try talking to them calmly first and don´t get stressed because they will pick on that.

Also, I like to clean their eyes with warm tea first.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

Eye ointment should not be placed outside of the eye and allowed to "melt" into it or, worse yet, applied outside of the eye and then rubbed into it (waaaaay too easy to rub debris into the eye and scratch the cornea that way). Both of these applications would allow the ointment to pick up dust, dander, hair, and/or bacteria on the coat and skin outside the eye and carry it directly into the eye. Not good!

Ointment should be applied by using two fingers to open the eye lids - upper lid upward and lower lid downward and outward, creating a little "well" inside the lower lid where a dot of ointment can be carefully squeezed from the tube.

Eye drops should be applied by opening the lids with two fingers as above, while the rest of the hand holds the head with the eye pointed upward. A drop is then dropped into the open eye from above, after which the lids and head are released.

Laurie


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Eye ointment or drops have to land on the eye itself! 
I know that when you look at a poor little one like Licorice, your first thought is to not cause more pain or irritation...
But for any drops to do their job, they have to get onto the surface of the eyeball, so take a deep breath, and open those little swollen eyelids, and get the medicine/drops in there!!

Give lots of Snuggles afterwards!!!
So both you and kitty feel better!
Hugs and Prayers! 
Sharon


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## Venusworld21 (Oct 23, 2012)

I've been using terramycin ointment on the foster kittens. I put a thin line of it as close to the eye as I can, then gently smear it over the lid with my finger. All of their eyes cleared right up.

For drops, it makes sense to have to drop them IN the eye. Ointment seems to be a bit more forgiving.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Just to explain better: I don't place the gel "near" the eye, but on the inside red part of the swollen lid (not the fur area at all). If it lands on fur due to wiggling, I wipe it off and start over.


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