1-1/2 week old kitten - please advise...

My 1-1/2 wk old kittens are sneezing quite a bit and their eyes just opened this past weekend... one kitten's eye closed back up after being open for sevearl days... it's "glued" shut with goo...

I take it my kittens are sick?

I can't rush them out to the vet cause it is freezing cold out... should I call? Will they give me something? If so, what?

Suggestions and any info would be greatly appreciated...

Please get your kitties to the vets. It sounds like an URI and that can zap them pretty quick. Pile the carrier high with warm bedding- even make some rice sock heaters and stick them inside. Cover the carrier for added warmth- but get them in, at this age they can go downhill quite quickly.

Jodie, get a warm, wet cotton wash cloth dripping wet and gently dab it on the glued-shut eye being careful not to pry the eye open until you have melted the goo. Once you can see the eye beginning to open a bit on it's own, then you can pry GENTLY to get it open the rest of the way - you will find one of two things: 1) either there is an infection present, in which case you will see evidence of pus and a vet visit is needed, or 2) the eye is clear and fine with no infection present.

As for being sick, newborns do sneeze a lot. It doesn't always mean they are sick. What with the weather constantly changing this time of year and the heat coming on and going off again, you may have a dry environment in your home (like I do) and dry dust particles may be blowing around. Kittens are taking it all in and developing immunity - I don't suggest a trip to the vet unless you are seeing physical evidence of an infection. If kittens have runny noses (with a green discharge) or if they are not nursing normally, running a fever or losing weight, or if Momcat seems to be pushing them off to the side, then YES get them ALL in including Mom. But for now, the risk of taking them in really is much greater than leaving them where they are.

The only thing the vet can do at this stage is to prescribe antibiotics - and if it isn't a bacterial infection (as evidenced by the green snot) then antibiotics are not going to do a dern thing to get rid of any problems and in fact, will allow the kittens' developing immune systems to take a vacation - it isn't a good idea. If it is a virus then it must run it's course in order for the kittens to develop strong antibodies on their own. Now some viruses do trigger a secondary bacterial infection, but you will know that long before it gets to the critical stage.

How is their weight and other progress? Is everything progressing normally? Good growth and weight gain? Is Mom nursing everyone properly and is everyone's belly nice and round? Everyone pooping and peeing OK?

~gf~

Thanks so much for responding!

Gaye, I did just what you said to do last night and opened the eye back up... then it got stuck open but then I got it to work well last night...this morning, same problem.

I called vet and vet said since it wasn't as cold as it was yesterday to bring them in, just really bundle up the cat carrier (which I did - had a big fleece blanket and I heated the car up before we left)... I was so happy to get the vet's opinion on the kittens... She said they are in tip-top shape... look EXTREMELY healthy... seemed surprised how big they are... I knew we had four girls and a boy but whenever I said that, people would tell me you can't tell this young... well, I thought I could cause Poe (the only boy)'s testicles were very obvious! lol! The vet said, "yep, this is a boy, he's sure got a set of 'em there..." lol! So I was right after all!

She did say that the one kitten's eyes were goopy so she prescribed antibiotics.... and that was that I can't believe they have grown so much... I must get some more pics... I'll set up my softliter tomorrow and get some "real" shots of them...

I love it now that their little eyes are open. We have a home for all of them but one little girl tabby and we are still up in the air about mom because I really don't think she is going to get along with our cats... I really don't want to end up with five cats though (we are keeping Poe most definitely because we wanted another boy for a while now.).

Good news! Glad everything is going so well! Yes, pictures, pictures, pictures!!!! The more, the better!

Are you going to get the mom spayed as soon as she is done with the kittens so she doesn't get pregnant again? When I adopt out kittens I either have them fixed before hand and charge a little larger adpotion fee or else charge a fee and tell the new owner that they will receive their money back when they get the kitten fixed themself. Just do something to be sure there are no 'accidents' when the kittens get bigger in their new homes.

Well, so far, Jen, I plan to have her spayed whether we keep her or not. But the kittens, on the other hand, I have taken care of the problem easily... I trust the new owners. My aunt will be taking one - I trust her completely to have the cat fixed - she is very close to my mother, and my mother is taking two of them, so I know for a fact my mother will get them spayed... I will be taking the boy, there is no doubt he will be neutered... but the last kitten, I haven't placed yet. That's the only one of concern right now

Oh ok cool, just wanted to make some suggestions but it looks like you have it all figured out!