advice on how to administer eye drops to my cats?

My kittens have a nasty URI that didn't go away with the first round of antibiotics. Vet thinks it could be a combination of herpes flare up and URI so they're getting L-Lysine as well as a second round of Clavamox and I have to give them Terramycin in their eyes twice daily.

The other meds they're on are no problem for me to administer but I've never had to give eyedrops before and I'm a little scared. The ointment is in a metal tube and I'm afraid if they jerk around too much I could damage an eye.

I'm going to try the kitty burrito thing tonight but I've never had to do it before! any tips and/or advice?

It is fairly easy, wash your hands good with antibacterial soap and be sure they are dry. Cut your little finger's fingernail as short as you can. Take the ointment and spread a bit on the tip of your finger. Tuck kitty so that his back is between your knees (you should be on the floor with your knees spread. Scruff his neck, then raise his head and put the ointment on your finger directly into his eye in a sideways motion. He will backpedal but not be able to get away. Rub gently, treat with a special treat (I use cream cheese balls) then release.

Nova had something similiar. Her eye ointment was a gel and I had two methods:

1. I just squeezed the tube onto her eyes, not letting the plastic tip make contact with her (This kept the tip clean, and kept me from poking her eyes!). She closed her eyes as a reflex, so it ended up on her eyelids... then I'd rub the gel in with my finger.

2. Using a cotton swab, I would put the gel on the swab and gently brush it across the eyes. I'm not sure how sensitive their eyelids are... I'm guessing that because they were inflamed it was best to put enough gel on the swab so that I wouldn't need to touch her with it.

She tried turning her head and squirming. But, I sat behind her so that she would just be backing into my body... and I'm pretty sure that she didn't get poked even when she tried turning her head. Sometimes, she made a fuss and made some loud meows but I think that was just because she didn't like having stuff in her eyes.

thanks all.

I used the kitty burrito technique, SO held them one at a time while I held their eyes open and got the goo in there. Paige took it like a champ and Piper tried to eat my face. To be expected I guess...

I can't believe I have to keep this up for 14 days...

14 days of eye cream is a pain! Sounds like it went ok, be sure to give a treat afterwards. After the first few times hopefully they will be looking forward to the treat while you're 'torturing' them and they'll just want to sit still and get the bad part over with so they get their treat

well the vet said twice a day for the ear drops and the eye drops.

But... she also said that if I could only do it once a day it would be fine too.

They're so happy right now, they're not nearly as congested and their eyes are much brighter and cleaner today so I'm going to do it once daily. They're still getting the clavamox and the L-Lysine twice a day. I really just don't want to stress them out anymore than I have to.

They've been treated for ear mites FOUR TIMES and they keep coming back so I'm just going preventative with the drops until the 3rd when I'll start giving them the advantage multi and then hopefully we won't have to worry about it anymore.

Today they took it a little better but it's awful for them getting ears cleaned, ear drops, eye drops...

haha, never know it by the looks of them now, they're tearing through the house.

Originally Posted by saya

My kittens have a nasty URI that didn't go away with the first round of antibiotics. Vet thinks it could be a combination of herpes flare up and URI so they're getting L-Lysine as well as a second round of Clavamox and I have to give them Terramycin in their eyes twice daily.

The other meds they're on are no problem for me to administer but I've never had to give eyedrops before and I'm a little scared. The ointment is in a metal tube and I'm afraid if they jerk around too much I could damage an eye.

I'm going to try the kitty burrito thing tonight but I've never had to do it before! any tips and/or advice?

Click to expand...

Do you have anybody that can help you? We had a kitten here for a while that we had to give eye drops to and I had DW hold the kitty firmly while I administered the medicine. It would have been very hard for me to do it by myself.

yea, I've been having either my sis or SO hold the kitties for me so I can focus on the meds. It's much more efficient this way, very quick.

This morning their eyes looked like poo so I guess only once a day isn't going to cut it.
blah, back to twice a day...

another week and a half to go.

If it helps your not alone. Spaz has been getting drops four time a day for the past three weeks. We have missed so many times we have used a bottle a week. I work for an eye doc and should know how to do this but Spaz makes me long to do the drops on a screaming child!

haha, well I think it would be the same for me but once kitty is in her burrito she can't move and I hold her eyes open and then after the goo is in I let go and she closes her eyes herself.

I haven't missed yet
*knock on wood*

I try to curl the bottom lid out and put the ointment there when I was treating cats at the shelter... sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. I was usually able to treat them with gentle restraint of the head, and then using my thumb to manipulate the eyelid.

Also remember it doesn't take very much ointment... only a 1/4 inch strip is needed.

thanks, yea I might be giving them a bit too much but I think it's okay.

My vet said a single strip, corner to corner. That's what I shoot for anyway.

Man they really hate it but it seems to be doing the job. Their eyes do look better. Paige's left eye was looking pretty weird. The top inside eyelid was poofed up a little bit and had me worried for a minute. The swelling went away today though.

I'm wondering if it could be calicivirus since the girls were limping a little bit for no reason right before they started sneezing and coughing and then their eyes got all yucky.

Is there a way to test for this? If they have it will the Lysine keep it in check? Anyone know?

Do you clean her ears regularly? Maia loves her ears cleaned, and I would think if I had to give her eye drops or ointment she wouldn't fight it if given at the right time. It's all about being calm and mothering while treating so they don't feel stress or unease in the process.

haha, well...

they're bengals. I wonder if I need to say more?

They do not like to stay put for any reason. They hate stuff in their ears. They are positively little monsters to give medicine to.
Thank god they can take most of that stuff in their food.

No, actually so far the kitty burrito thing seems to work the best. they don't like it but since they can't fight me they tend to get a little calmer, well, as calm as they get anyway.

I do clean their ears sometimes but they hate it