Eye Medications

Examining and Medicating the Eyes of a Cat  
This information is not meant to be a substitute for veterinary care. Always follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian.

In the photographs below, unless otherwise noted, the cat is facing with his nose pointing to your left.
 

pull down on lower eyelid

 

 

To hold your cat in your lap to place eye medications, drape your left forearm across the cat's body to keep him/her in your lap. Hold the head with your left hand using your left thumb to pull down the lower eyelid. 

Hold the medication in your right hand, balancing the heel of your right hand on the cat's head.

 

 hold the head cupped between your hands   To examine the eyes, the head is cupped between both hands with one thumb on the upper eyelid and the other thumb on the lower eyelid. 
 
  eye medications Eye medications are either drops or ointments. Ointments stay in the eye longer than drops so are usually applied less often. Your veterinarian will prescribe specific medications for specific conditions.

 

putting ointment in the eye

 Cradle the head in one hand, usually the left hand if you are right-handed. Use the thumb of the hand holding the head to pull down the lower eye lid to create a pouch.  Hold the ointment tube in your right hand, with the tip a few millimeters away from the eye, not touching the eye, squeeze a small ribbon of ointment into the pouch. 

 
  ointment in eye To distribute the ointment across the eye...

 
  massage eye to distribute ointment  ...massage the ointment across the surface of the eye with eyelids closed. 

 

putting drops in the eye

Eye drops are also placed in the pouch created when you pull down the lower eyelid. Hold the head and pull down the lower eyelid as described for placing ointments in the eye. Drop the prescribed number of drops into the pouch without the tip of the bottle touching the eye. Eye drops disperse across the surface of the eye rapidly and do not need to be rubbed across the eye by massaging.

 

Depending upon the size of the cat's head and your hands, you may rest the middle finger or heal of the hand holding the bottle or tube on the cat's head to keep your hand more steady and reduce the risk of poking the cat in the eye with the bottle or tube.