Kitten eye care, need advice please.

My cat Snuggles just had kittens on September 7th, their eyes aren't open yet, but I heard that when a kitten does open its eyes for the first time you're supposed to get a special eye ointment to put in their eyes to prevent them from getting 'goopy eye', you know where the eyes get crusty stuff around them and get matted shut.

Is this true, if so do you apply it with a q-tip, the tip of your finger or straight out of the tube? Also, how many times and for how long are you supposed to apply it to prevent 'goopy eye'?

My kittens had 'goopy eye' but their eyes didn't get crusted shut. It was because they were outside, during a cold spell the vet said. I rescued them. Anyway it only happens if they get a cold in their eye I believe. All I had to do was give them an antibiotic I injected into their mouths. I think you're ok as long as their inside with mom.

Some people may do it as a preventative with all kittens ( like they do with human babies born in hospitals) but other breeders/ rescuers only give if there IS a definite problem. 

  Usually they don't have eyes so bad like that.    if they open their eyes and have just very slight amount of discharge that is pale color, rather clear/ white color,   I would just use warm water on a sterile cotton gauze pad.  to clean the eye and soften any crust.    here is what i mean by the cotton gauze  
 you could also  use sterile saline solution.  

Here is a quote from an old post on here that tells in more detail  about dealing with a small amount of goop /crust on kittens eyes that are starting to open: 

Originally posted by gayef

When kittens are in the process of opening their eyes, it is very common and normal to see a little bit of goop or even crust that essentially sticks the eyelid closed. It can happen for many reasons; siblings can inadvertantly scratch a newly-opening eye with little sharp kitten claws while trying to get into position to nurse (you see this a lot more in larger litters), Momma cats lick bottoms and then lick faces, debris can enter the eye ... just to name a few. It is knowing when to seek the professional opinion of your vet and when you can treat it at home that makes all the difference.

Let's talk about eye goop. *grin* Eye goop can range in color and consistancy from clear and watery to thick, green pus-like discharge. In order to determine whether or not you should attempt to treat the problem yourself, you have to examine the eye goop. If it is anything but thick, yellowish-green, pus-like discharge, the chances are very good that you can treat it at home, but if it is thick, yellowish-green, pus-like discharge, immediately seek a vet's professional advice and treatment, do not pass Go, do not collect $200.

OK, so you have now examined the eye goop and it is not thick, yellow-ish green, pus-like discharge. You can attempt to treat it at home, but you have to have a few things on hand first, so make a list and run out to the nearest store to collect what you need:

Antibacterial Hand Soap
Cotton Gauze (NOT Cotton BALLS)
One Deep Bowl - Wash before use, preferably in dishwasher with heat dry setting
8x8 inch Ceramic or Pyrex Casserole dish, washed in dishwasher with the heat dry setting
Large Bottle of Alcohol
Scissors

Wash your hands all the way up to your elbows in hot water (as hot as you can reasonably stand) and the antibacterial hand soap. Leave the soap on your skin for at least 3 minutes and rinse then dry thoroughly with a clean paper towel. Place the scissors in the 8x8 dish so they lay flat and pour alcohol in to cover the scissors completely. Soak for 10 minutes, remove and dry thoroughly with a clean paper towel. Using the clean, dry scissors, cut several small pads of the cotton gauze, approximately 3 inches by 3 inches. Fill the deep bowl with warm, NOT HOT water. Dip a piece of the gauze you have cut into the water and lightly wring. You don't want it to be dripping, but you don't want it to be dry either. GENTLY, dab the eye, do not wipe or rub, just dab the eye with the wet gauze to soften the crust. Repeat this several times but DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PRY THE EYE OPEN. You just want to soften the crust and remove it gently with the gauze.

Repeat this process twice a day for several days or until the eye is completely open and free from any further discharge or crust.

If, while cleaning the eye, you notice that the discharge has turned yellow-ish green and is thick or pus-like, stop treating the eye immediately and call your vet for an antibiotic eye ointment as well as instructions on how to administer it to your kitten.

Hope this helps,

~gf~

Re the antibiotic ointment,  it's usually terramycin ophthalmic ointment  and IF needed you could apply it with cotton gauze (not cotton balls as the little fibers could get in the eyes) or  just use a very clean finger (wash hands and lower arms in hot water and antibacterial soap  for a few minutes)    Alternatively there are eye drops of similar products.  I have some tobramycin from the vet.     

Don't apply it just from the end of the tube or a q-tip because if the kitten squirms, you may slip and poke them in the eye! 

 A lot of cat eye problems are caused by the herpes virus  which TONS of cats  have been exposed to.   The amino acid L-Lysine can help keep it controlled.  so you could add some of that to the mom's food . about 250 mg twice a day.