Gunky Baby Eye

Seems I can't go a day without another question! Can you tell I'm a new foster mommy? I'm so thankful I have you guys to help me!

I still can't hold any of the babies, but I noticed this little guy wandering around and got a good look at his face today:



First thing I noticed was that left eye of his. His right one is completely open, but that left one is completely gunked up. I was able to see a little of the other baby eyes that aren't open yet, and they didn't look like that. This one is very crusty, and it worries me that one is completely open and that one looks sealed shut.

Is this something I need to worry about, or is it normal? Will it still open on its own, or do I need to do something? I hope I don't need to do something, because I'm still trying to gain their trust and that would terrify them and freak mommy out!

This little guy, as with all of them, doesn't have a name. But, in this thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=168436 he's the one referred to as "Black baby with white fuzz on front legs". You can see his fuzz in this picture.

I don't know if you've had a chance to view this thread but it might be helpful to you if you haven't.

Follow the instructions in the thread and see how it goes when the eye opens. If there is a lot of pus inside the eye, time to call the vet.

No, I hadn't, thank you! I had done a few searches, but admittedly I'm not very good at it, and still I never seen that thread come up. Some one should definitely make it sticky!

What I really want to know is, can I leave it alone? If it will open on its own, I would rather do that. Your method sounds great, but I can't touch any of them! Ok, maybe using a towel or something I could snatch baby away from mommy, but I haven't had her that long and we're just starting to get her to relax a little more. I'm just terrified that will destroy all progress and future progress.

Of course, if it is dangerous and won't be ok without interference, I will do whatever is necessary. None of the threads I've seen as a result of my searches addresses whether it NEEDS to be treated, only how to treat it.

Thanks, and sorry for being a pest!

It looks pretty rough from the picture and so as that as my reason, I would say that yes, it does need to be treated.

Can you try to lure Momma away from them with a treat or some smelly fishy tuna water or something? Just long enough to get the baby out of the nest, into another room so you can work on that eye? I know with fosters, it can be tricky to get Momma to allow that, but otherwise, I think the end result will be less than positive.

Darlin', please forgive me, it has been a very long, stressful day with a baby bunny 911 outside this afternoon so I am not thinking horribly clearly ... is the Momma cat feral or is she just new to your home but tame? The kittens appear to be about a week to a week and a half old in the pictures, maybe around 10 days to two weeks or so ...am I in the right ballpark?

You are going to have to gain Momma's trust quickly in the event something needs to be done to/with the kittens for their own health and safety.

You are definitely forgiven and all help is SUPER appreciated! I'm just sorry I feel like I'm asking stupid questions... I just read about the baby bunny, and I'm so sorry for the one that didn't make it and hope the other one is ok...

As for my foster, we don't quite know. She was a stray and had to be caught to be brought in, but it was reported that the man who was responsible for her being brought in was feeding her. He didn't have much contact with her, though. So she is somewhere between outdoor cat and stray and feral. I have no idea what she was like before this.

No, we can't entice her away from babies. I haven't tried with that purpose in mind, but to try to gain her trust, I did try to feed yummy really stinky wet food- she hissed at me. She will not budge if we are anywhere in the room with her. I did try to pick up a baby that was wandering away from her for the same reason you said- in case something happens- and to try to weigh them. That's when she swatted at me. She didn't get me, I think on purpose, but she was definitely serious.

Luckily, she is in a dog crate, so if something serious did come up, I would close it up and take the whole thing to the vet- what I am consdering doing for this little guy. But she's just settling in here, and I was worried that another dislocation would just upset them all more, and she needs rest. Of course, after hearing from you, I will do that if I can't treat him on my own! If I am able to snatch him, how likely is it that mommy will attack me after I grab him and am trying to leave with him?

And, more than in the right ballpark, you hit a home run! They are 10 days old today, if the guy that brought them in is right about their birthday.

If you would like their story: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=168436

Oh, also, I'm doing everything I can to try to gain her trust, but without over loading her. I've done a lot of reading on here, and in that other thread I've asked some questions and gotten some good advice. So I am trying! But I guess sometimes you just can't push these things.

If you have any other suggestions as to how to gain her trust faster, I'd love to hear them!

So far, off the top of my head, this is what I'm doing:
*laying quietly in the room, reading gently, not paying attention to them
*feeding yummy food with my scent
*leaving them in peace for a while, and checking on them occassionally
*trying to stroke babies, but stopping when she hisses. Can't get anywhere near mom before she hisses.

Thanks!

In the three hours since I first noticed his eye, it has gone from just kind of crusty, to oozing green snot looking stuff.

Thank you, Gayef, for sending me that thread and all your help, but since it's gone from something I wasn't immediately concerned about, to the one thing that had you write "immediately seek a vet's professional advice and treatment, do not pass Go, do not collect $200", I think I am going to take the entire X-Pack to the emergency vet. I can't get him out, and even if I could, it now looks like exactly what you said was immediately needing treatment.

Is it normal for it to change that quickly?? You can see the picture- it didn't look green, yellow, or moist at all. Now it looks terrible! I want to cry for my poor little baby... I can't believe how quickly I got attached to these little guys I can't touch!

So, since my normal vet is closed (they close at 2! Ugh!), I now have to take them to the emergency vet. Which is minimum $100 charge!! And the foster group I work with (who I did report this to), can't afford it, so I get to pay for it.

Hey if you cannot get to a vet today, you might want to try putting maximum strength neosporin into his eye. To open it, use luke-warm water on a cotton ball and wipe away the crusty stuff then use your fingers to pry open his eye and put a dab of neosporin in his eye with your finger. Make sure you wash your hands with soap before trying this, or you might make the infection worse. I learned this from the nurse at my vets office this week.

Update! We are back from the emergency vet. My poor little guy! It was conjuctivitis, don't know what caused it. They were able to get a hold of four of the 5 babies, and that one eye was the only one affected (so far!).

I was so shocked, though! Gayef, you know in your thread you had great advice how to treat it... The vet, she just RIPPED OF THE GOOKEY-NESS! I was so shocked! She didn't moisten it or dab it at all. A whole bunch of pus came POURING out (sorry for the grossness). If I hadn't known better, I'd have thought his eye popped... I felt so bad for him! She cleaned him up really well and put some ointment on. His poor little eye is still swollen and red, but it's open now.

The general consensus is that mommy is likely feral, because she was very quick to hiss and swat at all of us. Fortunately, she didn't get anyone... Of course, she was terrified and in a scary place and we were taking her babies and making them cry... So I still have hopes for her to get a home and not end up being a street cat again!

BUT, whether or not she is feral or just super protective, I don't think I'll be able to give baby his meds! I'm supposed to put the ointment on, but I can't get him... I will try, but the vet said that if I can't, I just can't.

Originally Posted by laureen227

& for Crusty...

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Crusty, I love it! When I named the picture, I named it "one eye", because it showed his one eye was bad. When we took him to the vet, they asked his name, and I said he didn't have one, but I had called him "one eye" earlier. She said "like one eye Jack?" So that is the name he has on his vet record! But I like Crusty better.

Crusty thanks you for your good thoughts and vibes! He knows that is why he is feeling better now.

Originally Posted by charmaniac

Hey if you cannot get to a vet today, you might want to try putting maximum strength neosporin into his eye. To open it, use luke-warm water on a cotton ball and wipe away the crusty stuff then use your fingers to pry open his eye and put a dab of neosporin in his eye with your finger. Make sure you wash your hands with soap before trying this, or you might make the infection worse. I learned this from the nurse at my vets office this week.

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Thank you for the advice! Luckily, I was able to get him to the vet. Now I have $30 ointment that I'll use instead of neosporin.