feral kitty

Hi I'm new to this sight..
I have a question..I brought in a feral kitty that was having babies in one of the winter houses I put out for winter..long story short..
Everything went fine babies are great..
5 of them.its 2 weeks today they have their eyes open..or had..I think they have cold now their eyes are closed with crusty stuff and they are sneezing.would it be ok if I give them a little Llysin..that's what I give my cats when they get colds they are fine.
A vet here would be very expensive..
Any advice would sure be appreciated..

The babies really need antibiotics and eye ointment. Is that something you could consult a vet about? They don't have developed immune systems, so it's quite important.

Thank you for taking them in. Will you have mom spayed?

Definitely will here her spayed..
But I only get paid once a month.the vet would be very expensive...
Now I'm worried..you don't think the Llysin will do anything..

It sounds like they have an upper respiratory infection (URI), and definitely eye infections. This usually requires antibiotics, as well as terramycin for their eyes.

Perhaps the vet will charge just one office visit fee (that's what mine does - about $40), plus meds.

In the meantime, you can hold a warm, damp cloth over their eyes to soften the crust and get them open. It's not good if their eyes remain closed, as the pus builds up behind them and can cause damage.

It's great you are caring for the babies. Are mom and babies inside your home now?

I'm checking into whether you can give lysine to young kittens, and if it will help.

Where do you live?

They are in a spare room in the house.
I live in southern part.of IL.amd there are hawks around here..and the.mommy kitty is small too..I just thought I was doing the right thing by bringing them in..

You definitely did do the right thing!  You are socializing the babies and giving them a chance at life.  If mom needs to go back outside after the babies are weaned, at least she will be spayed and live a much happier life.  You rescued them all.

Sammysue said:

Hi I'm new to this sight..
I have a question..I brought in a feral kitty that was having babies in one of the winter houses I put out for winter..long story short..
Everything went fine babies are great..
5 of them.its 2 weeks today they have their eyes open..or had..I think they have cold now their eyes are closed with crusty stuff and they are sneezing.would it be ok if I give them a little Llysin..that's what I give my cats when they get colds they are fine.
A vet here would be very expensive..
Any advice would sure be appreciated..

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You did the right thing!   I do tx you.

Re the L-lysine.  I dont find sure info on if they can be given to small kittens me either. But I do have a vague memory forumites did tried it.   So you  can  try you too.

It doenst always helps, mainly because they are working best again herpes infections. Not nearly as effective against other viruses.  But l-lysine isnt harmful so.

Just be sure there are no funny additions.  In some brands there are.

OK, the dosage. In an adult cat the dosage is 500-1000 mg a day.  (where 1000 is to stop the outburst, and 500 is the maintenance dose)   In a kitten a third of this.   A small kitten shall prob have even less...

So, say about 125-200mg a day, in two or three portions.  that is what I guess on and suggest.

If you do have other more sure info, please follow this.    Your costly vet is perhaps willing to give advice on telephone?  some do, esp if you ARE registered as their patient.  Otherwise, some veterinary schools do have such a service.

Agree with Stefan. I found that it can be given to kittens under 6 months of age in a 250 mg dose twice a day, but I'm still not certain about kittens that are only 2 weeks old. I would go even lower, maybe half of that or less to start.

As Stefan said, a URI is from the herpes virus, and will usually not clear on its own. What lysine does is strengthen the immune system to fight future infection.

Call around and try to find a vet or no-kill shelter who will work with you.

And thank you for bringing them inside! It was the absolute right thing to do!

Is mom cat eating well? Both wet and dry food? And using a litter box? [emoji]128522[/emoji]

Yes I am making her food..chicken and broth from boiled chicken..chicken hearts and livers in it.and I have dry food for her she's eating good..and drinking..thank you so much for your help.

Sounds delicious!

Let us know how it goes with the lysine, and if you are able to get some vet help or meds.

If the kittens are stuffy, you can take them in the bathroom with a hot shower running to steam them for 5 minutes. It helps to loosen mucus.

They must not have stuck shut eyes, this can mean the difference of one or more losing an eye entirely or not.

As @sarthur2  mentions, the crud that seals their eyes shut is infection drainage, if this is unable to drain from tear ducts it continues to produce but will back up behind the eyeball and socket, causing swelling, much worse infection and eye damage, blindness or the eyeball itself ulcerating/bursting and needing emergency surgery for full removal.

Sounds dramatic but I wanted to explain how important it is to keep that goop clear and eyes able to open.

They need a tube of terramycin, 1 will treat all, it works fast, a few days twice a day and gone.

Until then, make a cup of hot tea, cool it down to where it's not hot, dip a soft cloth in the tea and hold it on their eyes for say 20 seconds.

Then on to the next but don't use the same spot on the cloth, by the time they have all been soaked, go back with a clean warm wet cloth and gently wipe off the gunk until it's clean and the eye can open, do not force it open though, let it open on it's own, and if it won't repeat until it will, then clean them several times a day to keep it from building up.

They also need antibiotics. Their tiny immature systems work to fight off the virus but unable to because it's having to fight the bacteria that wants to invade, and they are unable to, by giving the antibiotic it will take care of the bacterial part so their little systems can fight off the virus part.

If this uri is calici, they will get pneumonia from the bacterial part, and die.

Calici will commonly do this in young kittens without antibiotic help.

Vet will only charge for one visit, not each kitten.

You will pay for the visit/exam, 1 bottle of antibiotics, and 1 tube of eye med.

Standard is about $40 visit, + 25-30 antibiotic, + 15. terramycin. 

Just to give you an idea of cost.

We all know about having money struggles, that's for sure! 

Very important, as catwoman707 said, to get proper treatment as soon as you can. It's not at all uncommon for feral-born or stray kittens to have either or both infections (eye and URI). We always recommend the same treatment, and it almost always works quickly.

I hope you are able to help the kittens soon. I know it's hard when money is tight. We're here for you!