The kitten’s eyes fester – why and what to do?

Why does a kitten’s eyes fester?

Discharge from the eyes of a purulent nature is a symptom of a local inflammatory process, which can be caused by a foreign body, viruses, bacteria, and injuries.

Causes of inflammation of the eyes can be the following:

• Conjunctivitis

  This is an infection of the conjunctiva due to the ingress of dirt, bacteria, viruses of foreign bodies, etc. The conjunctiva swells, turns red, and there are abundant discharges of a cloudy white, yellow or green color. Eyes stick together and itch.

• Herpes

  A virus that enters the body through nasal, oral, or conjunctival secretions. The disease begins with sneezing, clear discharge from the eyes, nose. Further, they change their character and become purulent, the eyes stick together. Ulcers appear on the nose and cornea. The disease is contagious and can be passed on to other cats.

• chlamydia

  Chlamydia – intracellular microorganisms that provoke the appearance of chlamydia. This disease is transmitted to a cat through contact with infected rodents, birds or their feces. An animal can also become infected through the owner’s shoes and clothing. The localization of chlamydia in the conjunctiva causes the symptoms of the disease.

• Blepharitis

  Eyelid skin disease caused by various dermatological causes – allergies, parasites, fungi. The edges of the eyelids turn red, thicken, wounds appear, mucus is actively secreted from the meibomian (sebaceous) glands located on their edges. The pet is worried about itching, profuse discharge from the eyes and crusts on the skin.

• Foreign body

  Anything can act as a foreign body – dust, plant seeds, rod-shaped bacteria, and even the animal’s own skin, which enters the eye as a result of eyelid torsion. Most often, these are unilateral conditions – symptoms appear in one eye. They can occur abruptly – the eye closes, abundant mucous secretions begin.

• Corneal injury

  May occur as a result of the presence of foreign bodies, inversion of the eyelid. Often it is caused by other cats. Often animals during a game or a fight scratch each other with sharp claws. An infection gets into an unprotected eye, inflammatory processes begin, both inside the eye and on external structures – the conjunctiva and eyelids.

Breed Predisposition

The most prone to eye diseases are kittens with deep-set eyes and, conversely, bug-eyed ones.

Exotic, Persian, Scottish Fold, British and Himalayan cats are breeds related to brachycephals. They have a shortened facial part of the muzzle, and the eyes seem to protrude from their sockets. Because of this feature, they rarely blink and do not close their eyelids completely, as a result of which the kitten may have dirty eyes. The act of blinking is a defensive reaction. In this case, the eye is washed with tears, bacteria and viruses are destroyed. When a kitten rarely blinks, an infection begins to develop and the eyes become inflamed.

Peterbald, Maine Coon, Oriental and Siamese cats, Sphynx – breeds with an elongated muzzle (dolichocephaly). Their facial part is oblong, the muzzle seems narrow and long, the eyes are set deep in the sockets. Because of this feature, it is difficult for a cat to maintain eye hygiene and wash. Often there is also a problem of inversion of the eyelids.

Concomitant symptoms

If the kitten’s eyes fester, in addition to obvious yellow-green discharge, other symptoms will be visible. Their manifestation depends on the cause of the disease. This is usually swelling of the eyelids, swelling and / or redness of the conjunctiva.

With the development of a viral infection, the baby’s temperature rises, in addition to discharge from the eyes, nasal discharge, sneezing, breath odor appear, in advanced cases, coughing and ulcers on the cornea.

With the development of a bacterial infection on the conjunctiva or eyelids, itching often occurs, crusts form, and the eyes stick together. Often, owners note that the kitten’s eyes turn sour.

If the cause is a foreign body, trauma or inversion of the eyelids, then, as a rule, the symptoms develop unilaterally. The kitten closes one eye, he constantly scratches it, as if trying to get something. There is a constant blepharospasm (the eye is closed and when you try to open it, you can see the eyeball closed by the third eyelid).

Diagnosis of discharge from the eyes of a kitten

In order to find out the cause of the appearance of discharge from the eyes, it is necessary to contact a veterinary ophthalmologist.

First of all, the doctor will carefully examine the eyes, wash away all the discharge and collect a complete anamnesis (history) of the life and illness of the pet.

Further ophthalmic tests may be required. For example, staining the cornea for injuries, taking swabs from the conjunctiva for PCR diagnostics for the presence of viruses, and a clinical blood test to assess the degree of the inflammatory process.

If the cause of the discharge is a skin disease, then the help of a dermatologist may be required. Conduct skin and coat tests for the presence of fungi and bacteria, as well as exclusive tests for allergies.

What to do when a kitten’s eyes fester?

Let’s figure out what to do if the kitten’s eyes fester. Treatment depends directly on the cause.

If she is in a viral infection, both topical treatment in the form of eye ointments and medications will be required. Ointments with antibiotics are prescribed – Tetracycline eye ointment, Floxal ointment and others. Eye hygiene is essential. You will need to regularly wash off the secretions from the skin and hair of the eyelids, using warm water or special veterinary lotions for this. Antiviral drugs are taken inside – Famciclovir and broad-spectrum antibiotics, most often of the tetracycline series (Ronaxan). In addition, symptomatic therapy is prescribed in the presence of concomitant complaints. After recovery, vaccination is mandatory, and during the treatment period all contacts with other cats are excluded.

Treatment of a bacterial infection is similar to the therapy prescribed for viral inflammation. But it does not require antiviral drugs and is not limited to contact with other cats.

If the cause is physical, for example, a foreign body, then it must be removed.

In case of corneal injury, eye drops are prescribed – antibiotics (Tobrex, Floksal drops, Levomycitin eye drops, etc.) and moisturizers (Kornergel, Sistein, Oftolik, etc.). They also protect the eye from additional trauma by putting a collar on the kitten. Please note that in no case should there be hormones (such as dexamethasone and prednisolone) in the preparations.

If the cause is inversion of the eyelids, an operation is required – blepharoplasty.

In case of skin diseases, they are treated for parasites, local preparations are prescribed to relieve inflammation (eye ointments with antibiotics), eye hygiene and treatment of skin diseases.

What can be done at home

First of all, it is necessary to wash off all the secretions and keep the eyes and coat clean at all times. Do not use decoctions, teas, potassium permanganate, chlorhexidine and other external solutions for washing. Enough warm water or special lotions for the eyes.

If it is not possible to consult a doctor, and you decide to use the drugs yourself, be sure to read their composition and instructions. They should not contain hormones. Drops must be instilled 4-8 times a day for at least 10 days. Ointments are used 2 times a day also for 10-14 days. If you have already tried to treat the kitten yourself, and there is no improvement or symptoms have returned, consult a doctor. You should not go through different drops with antibiotics, as you will only complicate the work of the ophthalmologist in diagnosing the cause.

Prevention of inflammation of the eyes in kittens

• Wash the kitten and clean the eyes as they get dirty. Often, kids can not yet take care of themselves, they will learn with age.

• Regularly clean your house and wash the tray.

• Get your kitten vaccinated. Do not allow walking until the baby is vaccinated.

• If several cats live in the house, trim their claws so that they do not injure each other.

• When a new pet enters the house, be sure to quarantine before contact with other pets.

Summary

• If you notice that the kitten’s eyes are festering, first of all try to contact a veterinary ophthalmologist. It is important to make a diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment, as there are many causes of discharge and some of them are very dangerous.

• If the animal cannot be delivered to a doctor, before using the drugs, consult with a specialist online or by phone, study the composition of the drugs. In no case do not use drops with hormones.

• Isolate the sick kitten from other cats.

• Keep your eyes clean by washing your pet regularly with warm water. Put a collar on it to prevent self-injury.

• Don’t let your kitten out on its own.

Answers to frequently asked questions

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