Help diagnose my cat

We adopted a 3 month old kitten from the shelter about two weeks ago. He had a sore/runny eye when we got him, but the shelter claimed to not know about it and said it probably came from playing with the other kittens. That was almost 2 weeks ago and it doesn't seem to be getting better. Maybe even worse? We're taking him to the vet in the morning. We just wanted to know what to expect.

It might not be healing because he may keep pawing at the sore--licking his paw and then using it to "clean" the wound. Cats own habits can make skin issues harder to clear up.  Hopefully the vet will be able to say what it is and provide some kind of ointment that will help it feel good enough that it will heal.

He could have some sort of virus. If his eye is runny it's going to irritate that area.

Cute kitty!

I am a human doctor, not a vet.   It is never accurate to diagnose just from a photograph only but, to me, there appears to be a tumour under the eye.  It may have caused the eye to run but in any case it should be seen by your vet as soon as possible.

With regards,

Geoffrey

I agree with @Geoffrey. Diagnosing by a picture is not easy even for a veterinarian. Some three dimensional features which need to be addressed can only be seen when you're there, looking at the sore up close. There may also be critical parameters that have to do with feeling the sore or the area.

If you don't mind a guessing game then judging from the photos - they are blurry though - my guess would be a herpetic lesion. It's entirely a guess though and may be completely and entirely off target. Sorry! 

Do let us know what the vet said and welcome to TCS! 

And just in case anyone will come across this thread in the future because their cat has a similar lesion: Taking a cat with such a sore to the vet is crucial. Never try to diagnose and/or treat at home. Had @ilovecatfish  not said she was taking the cat to the vet the following morning, I would not have even attempted a guess.

Anne, yes, the history suggests a recent onset consistent with herpes, rather than the slow one that occurs with malignancy.  However herpes is something that I have never seen in a cat and I am therefore not qualified to make such a diagnosis.

With regards,

Geoffrey

Geoffrey said:

 
Anne, yes, the history suggests a recent onset consistent with herpes, rather than the slow one that occurs with malignancy.  However herpes is something that I have never seen in a cat and I am therefore not qualified to make such a diagnosis.

With regards,

Geoffrey

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Actually, herpes is very common in cats but it's not HSV or zoster but Feline Herpesvirus (FHV & FHV-1 I think). It almost always affects the respiratory tract but keratitis can happen too. Skin lesions due to herpes are very rare in cats but not unheard of. In cat terms, this is a zebra, so it's a totally a wild guess. 

I have re-read @Ilovecatfish's original thread starter and see that the kitten had the lesion in the shelter so there is no history of any sudden onset.  As you say the photograph is poor and I could not enlarge it to look at the lesion.  I shall await the vet's opinion with interest.

Regards,

Geoffrey

*PRAYERS* for this sweet kitten and hoping for a good report.  DEFINITELY kitten needs to be seen by vet STAT!!!

The vet just thinks his eye is infected and prescribed antibiotic ointment 3 times a day

Thank you for letting us know! I'm so happy to hear that he's getting treatment and that your vet didn't think it was something more serious. I think the pictures make it look worse than it is. He's an adorable little fellow and I wish him the speediest of recoveries!

They prescribed this and told me to put hit in his eye not on the outer sore part. Is it okay to put ointment in an eye? It seems a bit weird that she wouldn't prescribe like eye drops or something..

Yes, I've had ointment prescribed for use in one of my cat's eyes before. I remember that it's very important to not touch the eyeball with the tip of the tube. Hard with a struggling cat! Did your vet put dye in the eye to check for scratches?

The ointment is specially designed for use in the eye, it is an antibiotic and it can be used in the corner of the eye, best not over the eyeball.

Geoffrey

I just finished a round of ountment in my cat's eye. She struggled so bad I thought it was a lost cause. Someone recommended I put the ointment on my finger and swipe it on that way. I washed my hands very well and put a nice size on my finger (trim your nail). I kneel down and put her between my legs facing away, grab her head from the top with my other hand and open her eye. Then use clean finger on other hand to swipe it in. Hope this helps.

She didn't use dye! She just said oh no poor guy! Here's ointment! Come back in 2 weeks for a follow up. It was short and easy

Poor little guy! I hope the antibiotics help! I look forward to an update!

Hello, I hope your wee one is feeling a bit better today.  

One trick I use with my girl when she needed eye drops & ointment is I'd wait until she was in a deep sleep, I'd gently wake her and BAM, all done.  She'd roll over and go back to sleep.

I also clip some of her nails when she's sleeping, none the wiser. LOL

Best of luck.  

How is he doing ?

Yes, how is your baby doing?  We hope to hear good news about him!