How to clean tear stains (stubborn kitten!)

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meowvelousx

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I think my kitty may have a URI (finding out this week). He's being having stuff coming from his eyes and I've been trying to clean them with a wet cotton ball but it's not working, he really doesn't like it. Any tips?
 
betsygee

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I had a white cat who had FHV and often had tearing and staining.  A groomer suggested that I try using a saline solution on a cotton ball.  That worked much better than straight water.  
 
catsknowme

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 Like BetsyGee, I also use warm saline solution (no more than 1/2 tsp salt plus a tiny pinch of baking soda in 1 cup of warm water) but I follow up with a veterinary antibiotic eye ointment. I seem to have the best luck with Bausch&Lomb's neomycin ointment. You can also ask the vet about applying a thin layer of coconut oil (she had recommended Vaseline but I try to not use petroleum products), my vet saw no problem with that & I noticed no complications other than some cats want to clean off & eat the coconut oil (I think that is due to the antibiotic and antiviral properties of coconut oil, that have been used both externally and internally). 

If you can, please try to contact a holistic vet or a vet who deals with ferals and get their advice on using holistic remedies in addition to standard care, especially in using slippery elm bark, marshmallow root and licorice root. My vet has approved me using those herbs, plus a few that my cats wont take such as dandelion root. L-lysine (powdered and dissolved works best) is also common to use to help the kitten's immune system fight off those various viruses and resultant bacterial infections. (I was raised to use herbs so my knowledge works for me but I dont have the education to offer specific advice).

Sending prayers & vibes that your kitten is okay! 
  As a long time feral rescuer, URIs are almost always a given when "pulling" a kitten from "the field" - it can take up to 9 weeks for the antibodies from their mother's milk to wear out. My latest trio have suddenly become symptomatic and nothing seems to be working so the vet is now thinking allergies from rabbitbrush - our part of CA is being hit particularly hard by the drought and dogs & horses are even suffering from allergies (thank God that Claritin is OTC, now).
 
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meowvelousx

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Thank you for your replies, I did that and it was so much easier to clean up his eyes!!
 
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