Earth Clinic Mobile: Home Remedies for People and Pets

Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye) for Apple Cider Vinegar for Cats

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Misty (Selma, NC) on 07/25/2021:
5 out of 5 stars

I just want to say thank you for this information! Cat started with watery left eye. Progressed to both eyes and thick discharge. Vet said no need to bring her into the office. I applied ACV to her neck and then her paw. Cleared her eyes up in 3 days. Use it once a day. Thank you again. This was so helpful.

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Julia C. (United States) on 09/18/2019:
5 out of 5 stars

I actually got this remedy from you 6 years ago for my cat. He was having recurrent eye infections every 2 weeks that only responded to the vet's antibiotic drops for a short while.You had a whole blog about how to treat this with ACV: Dilute the vinegar with the " mother" 1:1 with water, saturate a cotton ball and rub between the cat's shoulder blades. I did this once and his infection was 75% gone. After using twice a day for a few days, I went to once a day, then every two days, etc. I found that a maintenance dose is giving that treatment every 3-4 days. No recurrent infections in 6 years since then. If I forget his eye might get watery and I know to treat more frequently for a few days. One vet had even suggested having his eye out. Thank you Earth Clinic!

Ashley (Texas, US) on 02/05/2015:
5 out of 5 stars

I used a 50/50 mix of organic Apple Cider Vinegar and water. I just put a few drops of Apple Cider Vinegar in a cup, added a couple drops of water, to where its barley got any color, and dropped in a cotton ball. Then I dabbed the soaked cotton ball between his shoulders and a little on his paws, it's okay to let them lick it off. My Harley's pink eye was nearly cured by the following morning. I kept doing the Apple Cider Vinegar treatments for a couple more days to make sure the virus was gone. I would do treatments while he was eating wet food. It's the only way I could do it without him running away or being pissed at me. Lol. Good luck!

Mary (Port Ewen, Ny) on 08/03/2013:
5 out of 5 stars

Well, so funny I have 9 cats and 2 chiuahuahas and I had the same exact problem. 3 of my kittens are white got them with servere upper respiratory infections and antibiotics cleared that up it took 6 weeks. BUt because of the upper respiratory infection they got servere pink eye and eyes were glued shut with puss yellow n then green used antibiotics from vet and 6mnths later their eyes still get a black drainage that has to be cleaned a couple of times a day. So I'm now using the Apple Cider Vinegar due to the vet bill are getting pricey and it clears up in one cat but goes to the next so I'm keeping it on hand and using it instead

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Scott (Miami Beach, Florida) on 03/05/2012:
5 out of 5 stars

Apple Cider Vinegar for eye infections in cats: Please remember. NEVER use the ACV at full strength. It's highly corrosive and I'm certain it burns like hell. I have 6 rescue cats and I use 1 capfull of ACV to 1 cup water applied to their closed eyes for the stuff that starts to build up and ultimately turn into something nasty. The same solution on a clean cotton ball for ears and again the same mixture on hot spots on 1 cat that is always getting them. Have also used the ACV and water solution on the same cat for contact dermatitis and have used it on myself for seasonal allergies (eyelids and nasal openings).

Worried Cat Owner (State College, Pa) on 12/02/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

ACV WORKS!

Make sure you buy the ORGANIC apple cider vinegar WITH THE MOTHER!

I have 8 yes thats EIGHT cats. One got a SERIOUS infection in both her eyes so bad they were pasted shut almost all the time. Vet visit cost $64 and eye drops that I didn't see much improvement with.

Every day another one of my cats came down with an infection in their eye. I was so worried about how I was going to get ahead of this crap running rampid thru my beloved cats.

I found this website and went and got a container of the organic apple cider vinegar for $3.67.

To apply the vinegar I used a very small syringe. I put vinegar in it and then applied it to the back of their neck making sure it got down to the skin. A cotton ball works too but the syringe works really good. I also used the syringe and gave the cat with the worst infection some of the apple cider vinegar in her mouth - followed it up with kitty treats.

I did apply some to the tops of their front paws (this is so they will lick it off) too.

I've only applied the vinegar to the cats about three times (I apply it morning and evening) and I SEE A DEFINITE DIFFERENCE! I can only hope everyone else sees the results I have. It's unbelievable.

Naturalpetmom (Canton, Ohio) on 08/30/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

I am now a believer in the power of natural remedies, including ACV. My dog developed a UTI after 2 days of icy snow that made him fearful to go out. At the same time my dad died and I was busy making funeral arrangements. There was simply no time for a veternary visit. I diluted 2 tsp of ACV in a half cup of water twice a day and mixed it with his food. Within 24 hours the symptoms were gone and he was urinating normally. I recently used diluted ACV on his hives to prevent secondary infection after an allergic reaction to frontline drops. I now use an all natural flea preventive with clove oil, lemongrass and peppermint oil. It works well and I can spray the carpet with it if I need to. I also take ACV for symptoms of a UTI. It sure beats drinking several glasses of cranberry juice or taking cranberry tabs, which tend to upset my stomach.

Many people today are demanding natural cures for their families and themselves. While my mom's physician prescribes antibiotics for a UTI, mine prescribes vitamin C or cranberry tabs. If we can make such choices for ourselves why shouldn't we do so for our pets. I sprinkle garlic powder on the lawn once a month in the summer and early fall to keep fleas from coming in on the kids and pet. (We probably wouldn't even consider putting a product like Frontline on our kids). My neighbor uses it because his wife has asthma and can't tolerate chemicals.

I recently applied ACV on the back of the neck of an 8 week old rescued kitten for conjunctivitis. The results were amazing. A bottle of organic ACV with mothers costs around $5 in the organic section of the grocery. It takes about six months to go through a bottle and does not interfere with the immune system like many drugs can. Those who think every health issue warrants a trip to the vet don't realize most vets won't prescribe a natural cure and sometimes the prescriptions for pets have an effect on human health. I'm not totally against antibiotics and standard treatments as they do have their place. I believe frequent use or overprescribing poses serious consequences for humans and pets.

Mk (Brooklyn, Ny) on 03/12/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

Thank you so much for the suggestion of apple cider vinegar. I first tried "regular" Apple Cider Vinegar for my 13 yo cat's infected eye, but it didn't work. Thankfully, living in Brooklyn allowed me to walk to the corner bodega in the middle of the night and purchased organic Apple Cider Vinegar and it worked in a day.

Dianna (Austin, Tx) on 12/15/2010:
5 out of 5 stars

A feral mommy cat sort of dropped off three of her feral kittens on my porch one night. They were about a month or so old and tiny and all of them had bad eye infections and ear mites. First I tried my grandma's old remedy of borax/water on a cotton ball for their eyes and ear mites. It wasn't helping. Then I remembered that ACV is good for this and put some straight ACV on the backs of their necks and (ouch) cleaned out their ears with the ACV and then put a few drops of castor oil in their ears. I also wiped off their eyes with diluted ACV. The very next morning no stuck closed eyes!!! Then it was only a couple of days til they were back to normal!!! And the combination of cleaning with ACV and then castor oil also got rid of the ear mites!!!

Diana (Los Angeles, Ca) on 10/28/2010:
5 out of 5 stars

Just wanted everyone to know that ACV works! I had a 6 week old kitten that seemed to have a leaky eye, with some help of google I figured out that he had conjunctivitis, aka pink eye. Not wanting to wait till I could get him to a vet, I found this site and figured I should try putting ACV on him. I did as several others suggested, rubbing ACV onto the back of his neck. I used the Organic ACV with mother in it. Some people talked about putting some ACV right below the eye but I was hesitant on the idea of getting it into his eyes, so I didn't do that. I put on at night and first thing in the morning, the kitten started to look better by the time I had to go to work. Then a couple more times at night, after work. I think it may have taken 3 or 4 days total, but with less frequency each day. The ACV got rid of the conjunctivitis and we have had no re-occurrences.

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