If you are considering using medications meant for humans on your cat, always ask your vet first. Many medications or treatments for people may cause serious and life-threatening side effects in your pet. Here, we discuss why you should never use Neosporin for your cat's eye infection.
What is Neosporin?
Neosporin and Neosporin Ophthalmic are common treatments for humans that are frequently found in first aid kits across the country.
- Neosporin topical ointment is a common treatment for human cuts and scrapes. Neosporin topical ointment and similar triple antibiotic ointments contain 3 active ingredients; neomycin, polymyxin B, and bacitracin.
- Neosporin Ophthalmic eye drops are formulated to treat bacterial eye infections in people and contain gramicidin, neomycin, and polymyxin B ophthalmic.
Both of these treatments are very effective in treating humans but are not recommended for or approved for use on cats.
Why not use Neosporin to treat my cat's eye infection?
The fact is, that cats are biologically different from humans in countless ways. Many medications that people reach for on a regular basis are extremely toxic to cats. Not only that, their compact size means that even small amounts of a toxic substance can cause severe reactions in cats.
Polymyxin B (one of the active ingredients in Neosporin and other triple antibiotic treatments) has been linked to anaphylaxis and death in cats. While such reactions are rare, most cases have been linked to the ophthalmic products administered to cats to treat eye infections.
These reactions will occur, most often, when this antibiotic is applied topically and then a cat grooms themselves, ingesting the cream that was placed on their skin.
What else can I do for my cat's infection at home?
While at home and waiting for veterinary care, there are still a number of things that you can try to do for your cat to help ease their discomfort without applying Neosporin. You can apply a warm compress (warm water and a clean piece of cloth) to your cat's eye to help relieve some of their discomfort and draw out weeping substances.
Otherwise, make sure your kitty has plenty of fresh water, food, and a quiet place to rest until you are able to bring them in to see the vet. Since the root cause of eye infections in cats can be varied, you should wait until you receive instructions from your vet before taking any further action to try and help your cat to recover from an eye infection.
Caring for Your Cat's Eyes
When it comes to your cat's eyesight, it is always best to err on the side of caution. If your cat is showing signs of an eye infection call your vet to book an examination.
There are a host of causes of eye issues in cats, so getting the right treatment for your cat as quickly as possible can help to prevent complications from occurring down the road.