Do Not Use Desitin on Kittens!!!

DO NOT USE DESITIN ON KITTENS!!!  The main ingredient in Desitin is zinc oxide which is EXTREMELY TOXIC to cats, especially kittens.  If ingested (which it probably will be due to grooming or other kittens in the litter) it can be FATAL. Google it and you will find this out.  Use a thin coat of petroleum jelly, vaseline or olive oil, but PLEASE no Desitin!!!

My vet told me today I could out a dab of zinc oxide on my kitten too soothe his raw behind. I'm very glad I didn't.
He's only a week old and has no siblings or mother to clean him. Perhaps that's why she suggested it?

Thanks for using your head! Some vets, Smh.

maybe....but what if the kitten self-grooms??

He still can't hold his head up. So I highly doubt he can self groom. He's 8 days old and was born prematurely.

Kiki (five years old) is too fat to reach her own butt (i.e. she cannot groom her privates), so I did put a small dab of Destin after cleaning her. 

If she can't reach that dab of Desitin, is it still toxic in contact with her butt only

I don't know.  You can try olive oil or veggie oil instead.

I don't know if zinc absorbed through the skin is bad for cats, but ingestion of zinc certainly is. Cats and dogs can get very ill and even die from eating zinc. Personally, I wouldn't risk using that medication and would go for something safer like handsome kitty mentioned.

You absorb anything that touches your skin, so I would imagine that this is not a good idea.