11 day old kittens with crusty eyes

snicherpoo21

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I have 6 kittens that are 11 days old.The day after their eyes started to open I noticed one had a little bit of crusty stuff on one eye ,now three of them have crusty stuff one one or both eyes and it's only been three days since I noticed this. I have used warm water and cotton balls to clean their eyes(separate cotton balls per eye per kitten). It's been about 3hrs since I last done them and they are draining gunky stuff already. Is there anything else I need to do until I can get them into the vet.
 

talkingpeanut

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Unfortunately not. They need antibiotic ointment from the vet. Until you can get them seen, continue to soak/wipe the eyes as often as needed. Be sure to use a new cloth or cotton ball for each eye on each kitten, as you are doing, and never force an eye open.
 
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snicherpoo21

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Just checked on them. Out of the three of them that have this only two have crusty eyes this morning. I noticed last nite that their eyes are not fully opened could this have anything to do with them crusting over. How long does it normally take for their eyes to open fully? Also, would it be safe to move them out of the bathroom where she had them? Callie(mom) is trying to move them to the living room, but we have two other adult cats ( a neutered male(father) and spayed female(sister to mom). We have been letting Callie come out of the bathroom for 30 min sessions every two hours, and last nite I brought the kittens and their nest box to the living room to see how the other cats would react and they never bothered the kittens. I placed mom and kittens back in bathroom at bedtime. As soon as I went to check on them this morning the mom picked one up and headed for the living room. Should I just take the kittens and nest box back to the living room and leave them.
 

Sarthur2

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Yes, it sounds like mom is ready for her kittens to be in the living room, so you can move them. You do need antibiotic eye ointment for the kittens' eyes. Kittens have crusty eyes when they have an infection, which is not uncommon in newborn kittens. You need to keep the eyes cleaned so they don't crust shut and the fluid builds up behind the eye and causes damage. Eyes usually open slowly, but if they do not open all the way by about 14 days, it could be from infection. Never force the eyes open though. [emoji]128522[/emoji]
 
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SeventhHeaven

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Cleaning environment, wiping everyone down may help, as sarthur2 mentioned moving out of washroom somewhere else. I was alarmed once, normal for some discharge when they start to open eyes, had goop, warm cloth gently wipe as you have done works best. Wiping down ALL the kittens, change bedding, refreshing area/or moving. Always washing hands before touching helps against spreading anything. Taking a warm cloth to the mom's belly can be refreshing for her to, hope you see some improvement. My issue cleared up in one or two days. Kittens nursing can become vulnerable fast concering bacterias/ infections. If not, its more serious contact vets for ointment as others have suggested.
 
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snicherpoo21

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Ok thank you I will be moving them to the living room and will be keeping their eyes clean until I can't get them to the vet.
 
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