Kitten eyes and diy healthcare

[Woopsiekitties]

Hello, ok so you we have a little Troup of 3 cats in my neighborhood who hang round and one of them, a female who is not fixed got pregnant. Yes myself and a neighbor Give give them food and attention lol..she showed up at our house with them! She has nested herself a little nook in the garage. Kittens are probably aren't even 31/ to 4 weeks old at the most I'd say. After they open their eyes we started to notice some Goo in the corners of a couple and then it became full on crusting . We had a rescue volunteer who was going to come get them but she couldn't Last minute. we really can't afford a vet for 4 kittens at the moment. After a lot of reading online I begin cleaning their eyes as often as I could with sterile saline solution, eye wipes for cats, hand bathing them with kitten cleaning cloths and changing their bedding daily. Waiting on a spray from Amazon prime to get here. We think we have homes for them all but until we get it sorted out for sure. Having trouble with shelters taking them I'm wondering the best alternative is. We couldn't let ourselves just leave them outside but we can't keep them. Terramycin seems like the way to go they have responded pretty well so far I'd say. Not as bad as it was for sure but definitely not gone. If I don't clean their eyes at least twice a day they are not pretty. Anyone have experience with this? After their eyes are clean they are not red or inflamed they look adorable lol. But all this reading has me concerned it could turn really ugly really quick. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[di and bob]

It is VERY common for kittens to get this, it is most likely the Feline Herpes virus and is NOT communicable to humans. Almost all cats in a shelter get it, it spreads fast. Cleaning their eyes like you are doing helps, the salve will more than likely cure it quickly. It did on the litters I used it on. If it worsens and their eyes remain fused shut, get them to a vet, it is a major cause of blindness in young kittens. if their eyes look good after cleaning, they should be fine.....

 

[Woopsiekitties]

Oh wow ok thanks you! That's amazing to hear! I was hoping to hear something like that lol. Even with all the reading, It just scared me initially bc of how gunked up they were. It's just some of the horror stories online made me second guess. Lol. We're working on getting the terramycin. Should have gotten it already but we ordered a pink eye antimicrobial spray initially. And the frequency was very quick to begin with. It seemed like only a few hours after cleaning they would be crusty again. But it's improved in speed and amount but definitely not gone. We just didn't want to wait around if it sounded like they and more immediate danger. I am very relieved! While individual vet care isn't really an option at the moment, we would have made something happen if it was more concerning lol. Thanks again!

 

[Woopsiekitties]

Oh also I forgot to ask how long We should wait before really worrying if we don't see real improvement or worsening.

 

[di and bob]

It can last quite a while, at least two weeks. The Terramycin should start working within a couple of days. If it is over two weeks and teh eyes get crusty faster and stay that way longer, contact the vet. some vets, if they know you and trust you, will give meds over the counter without bringing the cat in. Especially if you bring pictures in. Mine does this for my ferals who I can't bring in.

 

[Woopsiekitties]

I really appreciate the feedback! I was kind of worried because it was lasting what feels like forever but really is only like a week. That makes me feel better. I don't have a regular vet for cats but I found the terramycin on Amazon and it's on its way. As long as this eye stuff isn't it a serious worry then I'm sure we can handle it.. it's honestly been going pretty smooth the last few days. It's like the kittens are almost Happy to walk over to me when their eyes are goofy and crusty.. I swear they know that me showing up means getting their sight back,. This is my first time fostering or am I rescuing cats / kittens.. it's just that this is my first time doing anything like this with kittens/cats... I think I'm just overthinking and worrying a bit too much just yet LOL.. but again thank you to the replies and advice! I'll let you know how everything comes along and turns out! :-) :-)

 

[Willowy]

As long as you keep the eyes uncrusted, they should be fine. I've "treated" it myself that way for many kitties. If you allow the eyes to remain crusted shut, the infection will eat the eye though . I have 2 one-eyed cats because of that (happened before they were in my care). So stay on top of it! It will eventually clear even without terramycin but it definitely clears up a whole lot faster with it. I try to always have a tube around, very useful even for minor eye irritations in adult cats.

Be sure to swipe the terramycin off the tube with a clean finger or cotton swab; do NOT apply it directly to the eye from the tube if you're using it for more than one kitty!

 

[di and bob]

The kittens are most likely used to you messing with their eyes. Pull the lower lid gently down in the middle until it forms a pouch. this is where you apply the ointment, NOT directly on the eyeball. It can also be applied onto the inside corner if they won't sit still long enough. On really squirmy cats I have just swiped it across closed eyes with my finger, it worked.