Conference misery::feline_v1

    
    	I would suspect uveitis means inflamation of the eyelids. 
    	It sounds like he got something in his eyes, and/or they're
    	infected...You're probably already on your way to the vets,
    	let us know what they say. The lethargy is most likely due
    	to the discomfort of his eyes. 

    
    OOPS didnt make that clear - I have been to the vets and
    she said that it was uveitis... she checked to make sure
    there was nothing in his eye, and said that it must have
    been "eye trauma" but that she had no idea what from.
    I just wondered what exactly is uveitis... does it just mean
    "inflamation of the eyelids" ??
    
    He is on eyedrops for 10 days and back to the vets after
    that.  He hates the drops (this is going to be a rough
    week...every 2 hours I have to give them) but he already
    seems a little more lively...
    
    thanks
    ellen
    

    You might check the keywords to see if anyone else has had this problem
    before.  To do that, type "show key/full eye_problems" at the notes
    prompt.  That will give you a list of other notes keyed to that topic.
    There are quite a few notes on eye problems in this file.
    
    Good luck.  I am not sure what uveitis is.  I haven't come across that
    one yet.  Maybe that is the french word for conjunctivitis.
    
    Jo

    
    thanks, I took your advice and found a lot of info here.
    Also looked it up in my French-French dictionary (nothing
    in the French-English one) and translated it means inflammation
    of the "uvee"  unfortunately I can't understand the definition
    of what the uvee is... maybe some bilingual French cat  lover
    will read this
    
    one thing I didnt find here in the notesfile: any tricks
    for giving eye drops?? especially for someone who lives
    alone - this is very tricky to hold him, open the eye,
    hit the spot while he is fighting
    also the vet said if he rubs it too much, put on an
    elizabethan collar...  I've caught him rubbing it 2x
    
    when should this go on???????
    
    ellen and cino and buco who is daring me to try again
    

    That is a hard question, how much rubbing is too much.  I think that if
    it looks like he is making it worse, than any rubbing would be too much
    and the collar should go on.  But, on the other hand, I know how sad he
    will be with a collar on too.  Maybe you can ask your vet to be more
    specific about what she considers enough rubbing to warrant a collar.
    
    I have a trick for giving eye ointment and drops by myself.  It is kind
    of hard to describe.  I usually put the cat on the counter in the
    kitchen, then grab it by it's scruff, lifting the from legs only off
    the counter.  Then, with my right hand, I hold the medicine over the
    eye.  I use the side of my right hand to hold back the eyelid.  This is
    the tricky part.  I kind of lay my hand against the cat's head by it's
    eye and then move the skin around until the eye is open.  Then, give a
    quick squeeze of the bottle and the drop is in.  You will have to
    practice with different methods before you find one comfortable for
    you.
    
    Jo

    I tuck the cat under my left arm and hold his or her head with my left
    hand.  I do this while in a beanbag chair or some other place that
    the cat can't back out of.  This basically leaves your right hand free
    to administer the medicine.
    
    I don't know if the new fine sand type litters have made it over to
    France yet, but one noter had a bad eye problem develop in two(?)
    of her cats from that litter.  It cleared up when she went
    back to regular litter.
    
    Please let us know how your baby is doing.
    

    According to Webster's Dictionary, the uvea is the posterior pigmented
    layer of the iris, uveitis is inflammation of the uvea.  Hope that
    helps.
    
    I don't know about cats, but in humans, the eye is one of the fastest
    healing parts of the body.  This is a survival trait - if you can't see
    you've got a major problem.  My eye doctor has also told me that when
    your eye is injured (I have had corneal abrasions a few times), the eye
    tends to dry out, hence the need for eye drops.  The eyes may also
    become sensitive to light.
    
    Hope your kitty is better soon.  Good luck with the drops!
    
    
    Terry, Hoover, Nymets and Sid
    

    re: a few back...
    
    yes, it was my poor stanley who developed severe eye problems in
    conjunction with the fine sand-type litter.  i don't know for sure that
    it CAUSED it, (vet said it could have been an abrasion or infection) but 
    it augmented the problem.
    
    did the vet give the cat any shots?  when stanley was so sick, he got
    shots (to clear up any systemic infection) as well as the eye gunk
    (which he HATED!!!)
    
    i am a single person, and the only way i could put the eye gunk in his
    eye was to wrap him up in my chenille robe--thus totally immobilizing
    him--hold him in my lap and use both hands with the medicine.  
    
    bonne chance to both of you!
    
    diane, stella & stanley (both pale blue eyes are a-o.k. now, thank you
    very much!)