Newborn kitten with eye problem/irritation

morbo_2

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So, she'll be a month old on the 5th of April, and she's opened her eyes and stuff. The thing is, last night, I realized that one of that she was having some kind of irritation in her eyes, i.e :
  • the area around her eyes looked slightly reddish
  • she couldn't open her eyes "fully"
  • there was a bit of crust (transparent) in the corner of the aforementioned eye
  • she's constantly blinking out of the aforementioned eye
Is this a common problem, which can be treated at home, or should I just go to a vet? I hope this doesn't sound like a stupid question, but I have no prior experience with cats.

Thanks in advance for your replies!
 

xxtashaxx

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if vets isnt an option at the moment you can gently take some warm boiled water take some cottonwall and very very very gently wipe her eye see how this goes , if after 2 days it gets worse or dosnt seem to be clearing then i would suggest you take her to the vet he might have to give you something to help clear the infection.
 
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morbo_2

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Alright, I'll follow your advice and we'll see how things go. Thanks again!
 

goldenkitty45

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Could be a case of mild conjunctivitis - I'd call the vet and take the kitten in. Conjunctivitis is contagious to other cats/kittens.
 

keisha

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take her to the vet. we are having lots of problems with my dogs right eye. and he has been to the vet 4 times. and now we think hes blind in it and it may have to be removed. all because of and infection caused by a cat scratch.
especiallly when shes so young and vulnerable i woud take her in. he'll probly give you eyedrops and antibiotic for an infection or so it doesnt'
 

xxtashaxx

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just wanted to add , i always go for the vet option , but in some cases that isnt always an option with money for some. so in the case of a vet is out of the question right at this point i thought i would just give some advise on what to do in the mean time.
 
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morbo_2

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I tried cleaning up HIS (it turns out that my kitten is male, lol) eye, and things gradually improved, but it was apparent that there was still some irritation in his eye. So, I ended up taking him to the vet, who, upon inspection, concluded that he had a case of mild conjunctivitis and gave me some eyedrops that hopefully would resolve the matter.

Unfortunately, that was the least of my little kitten's problems. It would appear that my kitten is suffering from Flat-Chested Kitten Syndrome (FCKS). The vet said that there is a possibility that his growth might be stunted. Apparently, besides surgery, there is not much that can be done to resolve this issue...

I don't suppose anyone has any advice for me regarding FCKS?

Oh yea, and thanks for all your replies and advice up to this point. I really mean it when I say that your support is invaluable to a person like me, someone with no prior experience to cats (actually, animals in general)!
 

xxtashaxx

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im so sorry your kitten has this .i dont know all that much about fcks , but i havnt heard good stuff about it. i know in many cases it reduces the cats life expectancy some kittens dont make it to 8 weeks old. i found the following infomation for you.
There are two major crunch points with FCK kittens - if the kittens survive onset of the condition they may survive, but breeders have seen kittens apparently doing well who die suddenly at 10 days, and others who thrive up to three weeks of age and then, similarly suddenly fade and die. If kittens survive beyond 3 weeks, then the likelihood is that they will not die of FCK, the ribcage may revert to a normal shape if the condition is not too pronounced, or may remain flat into adulthood with no apparent side-effects. A recovered FCK would have every expectation of a normal life, as long as the compression has not affected the development of the heart or lungs. If a kitten runs and plays as normal without getting out of breath or tiring quickly then it is probably OK - your vet may be able to assess the kitten more specifically. Some FCKs grow out of the condition and the ribcage goes to a normal shape in time.

Sadly, if your kitten survives the 10-day and 3-week times this is not a guarantee of future survival. Kittens who are particularly small have often got a compromised heart and they can die at 12-18 weeks, or even later. We all become very attached to these little surivors, and it can be heartbreaking to think you have saved them and then have them die on you just when you think you are out of the woods. There are no guarantees I'm afraid, but if the kitten is a normal size by 16 weeks and seems normal in every way, then it probably is OK.

Many people who experience isolated instances of FCKS, or have some kittens go flat in a litter but not others, notice that it seems to affect male kittens more often than females. Going by cases notified to me there certainly seem to be noticeably more male cases of FCKS than female, and several breeders have asked if it can be sex-linked, since only their males are affected. Possibly there is some relation between male kittens being bigger than females on the whole (breeders have noticed that often it is the kittens who start out being the heaviest and fattest who seem to get FCKS, not the skinny ones, however this is not regular enough to be reliable, and I don't have enough detail on all the cases notified to me to be able to give any statistical data on the possibility).

Since both sexes get FCKS the likelihood is that the preponderance of male kittens suffering from it is related to relative size and weight, and that it is not sex-linked. Possibly, if we ever get enough data about the problem, and can raise funds to do a veterinary study, it may be worth examining something like testosterone levels in affected and unaffected kittens.

hope this helps . i do hope your kitten will be ok sorry for the long post
 
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morbo_2

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Thanks again for the info, XxtashaxX. I really was not aware of the severity of the issue. All the vet said was that he might have difficulties in the future, I didn't know that he might actually pass on. I will definitely be on the look out for any signs of him fading in the future.

If there is one small glimmer of hope, it's that the little bugger is really active. While I know that being active does not necessarily mean that he's healthy, but I guess it's better than if he were lethargic, right?

P.S:
hope this helps . i do hope your kitten will be ok sorry for the long post
Your apology was totally unnecessary.
 

alleygirl

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Sorry to hear about your kitten's problems. Sending lots of get well and good luck wishes your way. Really hope he pulls through this ok.
 

xxtashaxx

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i was starting to worry when you hadnt post i thought the worse , im so glad he seems to be doing ok at the moment. heres hoping he has a long and healthy life.
 
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morbo_2

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Originally Posted by Alleygirl

Sorry to hear about your kitten's problems. Sending lots of get well and good luck wishes your way. Really hope he pulls through this ok.
Thanks! I'll relay your well-wishes to him. I'm sure he'll grow out of FCKS, now that he knows that you're rooting for him.

Originally Posted by XxtashaxX

i was starting to worry when you hadnt post i thought the worse , im so glad he seems to be doing ok at the moment. heres hoping he has a long and healthy life.
Oh, sorry about that. I thought I'd observe him for a couple of days and update you guys with any changes.

I know I've said this a few times, but thanks again for everything, XxtashaxX. I've been able to raise mommy and the 2 kittens a lot more confidently, with the knowledge that I can come online and consult you in case anything bad happens.
 

xxtashaxx

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im the same , i would be lost with out this fourm , always nice to know that at least 1 person will get back to you asap. im sure he will be fine ,
were always here for help and advise , and if atall you want to PM me about anything that is fine aswell.
 

tarasgirl06

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Welcome to TheCatSite and thank you for caring for her and her mom and sibling -- yes, an appointment with the vet would be the best thing, as (s)he is an expert and can help her right away to get better. Lots of kittens are born with respiratory and sinus problems, which hers may be. Please let us know how she is, okay? And we hope you enjoy the forums, learn a lot and make a lot of friends here!
 
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