Sick Kitten Please Help

burningstariv

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Hello,

I adopted a kitten from my local shelter almost 2 weeks ago.  During his stay at the shelter they treated him for a little eye discharge but that was all cleared up by the time I picked him up.  Since this past Monday I noticed he was having green discharge and I took him to the vet two days ago.  The vet said he did not have a respiratory infection so he just prescribed eye drops.  I have been putting the eye drops in 4x a day for the last 2 days but the green discharge is getting worse.  There is so much more of it and it is crusty around his whole eye.  He won't let me wipe it off and I can barely get the drops in now (he bites and scratches me now when I try to put it in).

He is biting me a lot now (he never did that until recently) and he purrs sometimes when I am not touching him (just near him).  He seems to have all of his kitten energy and is still eating normally.  I am not sure what to do since there are no emergency vets around and won't be open til Monday.  Could this eye infection be the cat herpes or anything else more serious than a bacterial infection?  I am just concerned because it is getting progressively worse.

Thanks!
 

ritz

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I'm sorry your cat is sick. Your cat could be biting and purring because he doesn't feel well; purring comforts the cat.

Stress (good or bad) can bring on an episode of herpes.

I'd call the vet and tell him/her what is going on.

It could very well be herpes.  I would start giving him l-lysine; it boosts the immune system.  For you find it in most any vitamin store, or even your local grocery store.  About 250 mg two times a day.

And, I'd call the shelter and tell them what is going on.  Cats with poor immune systems can catch herpes--I wonder if any other cats in the shelter are sick.

Good luck, and many vibes.
 
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burningstariv

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Thanks I'll try that and  I am going to call them first thing Monday.
 
 

franksmom

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Agree with getting [color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]l-lysine and that it is most likely herpes. I know it is hard with a kitten but using a warm wash cloth will really help. One method to help with squirming cats is to wrap them in a towel. [/color]
 
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burningstariv

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Thanks for the tip, I will try that.
 
 

majesticmerlin

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I just discovered this site when looking for information about cats preparing to give birth. Our family rescues cats that are dropped off in our neighborhood and have had to deal with this eye problem also. When my cat Merlin was found as an abandoned kitten he had a similar eye problem, which reoccurred frequently.  After much research online we discovered that Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) put on his paws and the scruff of his neck for him to lick off had medicinal qualities that would clear it up in a few weeks. Try this site http://www.nzymes.com/store/pc/articles.asp?article_id=60.  Often when he was stressed the eye problem would flare up again, but after a few days of the (ACV) it was gone. We also discovered that Merlin carried FeLV from his parents; the situation at birth, poor gestational care, and inadequate milk from his mother did not help him. I nursed him to health with the ACV and bottle feeding him kitten milk though many times at first more milk ended up on him than in him! I always knew he had the virus in him but remained optimistic for his future and he stayed healthy for three years. I knew that stress was not good for Merlin, however I had to make two moves inside of four months (not by my choice) and Merlin's system could no longer fight. He developed cancer and passed away peacefully on June 6th. Please be sure to have your kitten tested for FeLV as it can be prevalent in shelters and learn all about it if he is positive A couple of good sites are http://blog.universalhealingsystems.com/felv/ and http://www.2ndchance.info/flv.htm.  

Another good case for helping to spay/neuter your cats and strays, we have a good no kill rescue we work with here. I will find a picture of my Majestic Merlin to post for you. I have a new kitten now another rescue probably dropped off already had the eye problem and the picky food dilemma not done the FeLV test yet.
 

ritz

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I'm glad you're calling the vet Monday.  I would talk with the vet first about using apple cider vinegar.

Do wash his eyes with warm water, might even feel good to the cat.

Most shelters test for FIV/FELK before they bring a cat into the shelter for obvious reasons.  It would be unconscionable for a shelter to adopt out a cat with either disease and not tell you.  If the cat tests positive for either, depending on the shelter, the cat will be euthanized (It is very hard to place a FIV/FeLK cat, unfortunately.  Neither are automatic death sentences by any means--a cat can live a normal life with FIV, a somewhat normal, albeit shortened, life with FeLK).  It's just there are far more healthy cats than there are homes.).  Kittens can and do have a false positive if tested young, so a repeat test is highly recommended. 
 
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burningstariv

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When I went to the vet last Thursday I gave him all of the adoption papers and they were really surprised the shelter didn't test for any of this.  I was under the assumption that they had (since the other shelters in the area all test for this) and they told me he had a clean bill of health.  It is my mistake for not asking, however, the vet said they should have asked me if I wanted them to test for anything while the did the neuter procedure. 

I will probably get these tests done for him at the next vet appointment (or soon, depending) but I am really nervous for him if he has any of these illnesses.  The shelter also said that he was found as a stray, so from my research I have been finding that this has a higher occurrence in strays.  I am so afraid for him because I am not sure I can adequately take care of a positive cat and it breaks my hear.  The treatments don't seem to be working and he gets fevers a lot from what I can tell.I am at a loss what to do if that is the case. :(
 
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majesticmerlin

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I understand your dilemma and can emphasize with you, however I can assure you that knowing is better than being unaware. It enables you to take the course you want or to be relieved if the test is negative. I do stress that you need to be well informed before you make decisions regarding your kitten's health. There are two trains of thought regarding FeLV kittens and you will need to make a decision that you feel is best for your kitten. Information from your vet will be extremely helpful but also look on the internet just type in your questions in any search engines. A couple of really good sites I mention before are http://blog.universalhealingsystems.com/felv/ and http://www.2ndchance.info/flv.htm. These sites are a valuable resource of information and are good to read before you have the test run, than you can walk in with a plan in mind. I had three wonderful years with Merlin that I would not of if I had chosen to put him to sleep as a kitten, I had to be careful with his health and especially stresses in his life but I had so much fun with him.

My new kitten Merryweather did test positive for the FeLV and I have change her diet and environment for her health. I have had one small battle with the eyes that went into her nose which resulted on her having to be on an antibiotic but she seems to have turned the corner now and is beginning to play again.

I wish you a wealth of information and a steadfastness to your decision.

I will watch for your response.
 
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