The kitten's eyes do not open and fester. My cat's eyes are festering - what to do at home? Additional symptoms in the animal

19.06.2019

A cute fluffy baby - a kitten - appeared in the house. Now the owners are responsible for his health.

Small kittens tend to be susceptible to various infections, because the animals are still weak to fight them at full strength, they can hit, get hurt, etc.

One of the consequences of these troubles may be the cause of “sour” eyes in babies. If you do not pay attention to this in a timely manner, the animal may even lose its sight!

In addition, the infection can be transmitted from a sick kitten to healthy cubs and other pets living in the house. Let's take a closer look at the causes of this condition and ways to get rid of it.

Why they fester: analysis of options and symptoms.

Viral infections

Everything is clear with this. They can be varied, and there is no point in talking about them in detail. Treatment is only prescribed by a doctor. The individuality of the kitten’s body plays a big role.

Draft

A kitten, like a person, can catch a cold in a draft. The result will be sneezing and festering eyes. In this case, it is necessary to reconsider the location of his sleeping place (), and the treatment will be antibiotics and vitamins prescribed by a veterinarian.

Mote

A speck that gets into the eye can also cause irritation and discharge from the eye. The foreign object should be removed as soon as possible to prevent it from becoming infected.

Bruised eyelids

A severe injury of this kind is characterized by bruising, disruption of the integrity of the skin and, of course, swelling, and later - discharge from the eye. If the case is very severe, necrosis may also form.

Wounds of the eyelids

A kitten can injure its eyelid very simply: when playing with other animals or, out of curiosity, poking in the wrong place, and household chemicals, for example, get into its eye.

Blepharitis

Purulent conjunctivitis

This disease usually appears in both eyes. The animal begins to feel unwell, and the temperature may rise. The substance released from the eyes is initially liquid, but if treatment is not started, it becomes thick, and the conjunctiva itself becomes swollen.

Follicular conjunctivitis

It occurs when the lymph nodes located in the third eyelid become inflamed. Characterized by discharge, photophobia, pain, swelling of the eyelids. Skin irritation can develop into eczema and dermatitis, and hair falls out near the affected areas.

Chlamydia

British scientists conducted studies in which it was found that in approximately one third of cats in which conjunctivitis was detected, chlamydia was the cause. Most often, kittens aged 1-9 months suffer from them, becoming infected through contact with a sick mother.

How to treat?

What to do? The process of therapy. Treatment

The cat baby will need help immediately, and you should start by treating the affected areas. To do this, prepare a chamomile decoction or calendula decoction, a strong solution of tea or furacelin, and then wash the kitten’s eyes by soaking a cotton pad or a piece of cotton wool in the liquid.

You can also prepare a saline solution (dilute a teaspoon of salt in a liter of boiled water), but it is not suitable for allergic reactions.

Important!

Under no circumstances should you use alcohol solutions, even very weak ones, to treat your eyes! This will only make things worse.

How to drip correctly?

The baby is held tightly in your arms, but the body is not squeezed (you can wrap it in a rag). The medicine is dripped into the treated eyes, carefully spreading the eyelids apart. It should get into the eye and wash it well and roll down to the kitten’s nose.

Rinsing the eyes does not always help, and in any case it is better to visit a veterinarian. If we name the ointments and drops that are usually prescribed to kittens for diseases of the eyelids of various types, then these include tetracycline ointment, the drugs “Iris”, “Bars”, “Levomycetin”, “Gentamicin”, “Diamond Eyes”, “Lakrikan”, “ Anandin", "Ciprotsvet", and others.

Advice:

Before use, be sure to carefully read the instructions for use of the medicine. If the pain is very strong, then antibiotics with novocaine are injected into the conjunctival sac.

What you can do yourself at home

If the kitten's eye(s) are not severely damaged, the owners can easily rid it of this problem on their own, that is, wash it several times a day. For more severe damage, instill drops or apply ointment (medication must be prescribed by a doctor).

Other Features

Why do eyes fester with a runny nose?

Exudation from the eyes of a kitten in parallel with a runny nose is a serious reason to be wary and immediately consult a doctor. This may be the beginning of the development of viral rhinotracheitis, bronchial asthma or calicivirus - diseases that are very dangerous for a fragile body. Allergies cannot be ruled out either.

Tears

When a kitten's eyes are slightly watery, this indicates the natural process of cleansing them or that dust (dirt) has entered them, and in this case you should not panic, but simply wash them for a while. Don’t be scared in the same way if your baby behaves restlessly and shows dissatisfaction, this is a completely adequate reaction.

Reference!

Tearfulness is also characteristic of some breeds of cats: British, Sphynx, Rex, Persian. All other cases are the beginning of serious illnesses.

Why don’t my eyes open and swell and what should I do?

Swelling of the eyelids is common in almost any disease or injury. To determine the type of infection that has affected the eye, special diagnostics are necessary.

Reference!

There are some other factors that temporarily weaken the body and can contribute to the development of infections - these are deworming and vaccination. It is worth keeping in mind that a small kitten should not be given economy-class food, as this also increases the risk of developing eye infections.

Red eyes

The redness of an animal's eyes will also indicate the presence of some fairly serious diseases that require long-term treatment or even surgical intervention (uveitis, keratitis, lens luxation, etc.). Causes also include allergic reactions and injuries, dry eye syndrome.

Problems in newborn-two-week-old kittens

They may appear around the time the eyes begin to open, and this process must be closely monitored. The cause may also be the infections that have already been discussed: babies become infected with them through contact with a cat, but the disease is more severe due to their still weak immunity.

Prevention

The health of a pet depends on many factors, and above all, on the attentiveness of the owners. Preventive measures are also important. It’s not difficult to follow them, and the result will be, as they say, “on the face.”

If, due to his age, the kitten is not yet able to wash himself thoroughly, he needs help - washing his eyes daily with the above-mentioned chamomile decoction, strong tea, etc.
If an animal has an injury to the area near its eye, it must be disinfected and the fur nearby must be cut off. It may be worth considering the option to prevent the animal from injuring itself.
In order for the animal to have a strong immune system (which also affects the condition of the eyes), it is important to feed it properly.
If there are several pets living in the house, wash their eyes, just like a sick kitten - as a preventive measure.

Useful video

How to properly wash your cat's eyes yourself.

How to properly apply ointment to a kitten’s eyes when treating infectious diseases.

Conclusion

Kittens' eyes become inflamed quite often, but if the problem is detected in time and first aid is provided correctly, then it will be possible to stop the development of the disease at home.

Advice:

Just don’t forget that even home treatment should be carried out only on the recommendations of a specialist, taking into account the individual characteristics of the cat child, and be sure to carry it through to the end.

Small kittens are more susceptible to all kinds of infections. Many of which cause the kitten’s eyes to fester. In some cases, serious treatment is required.

The kitten's eyes are rotting! What to do?

Almost always, without treatment, eye diseases in animals result in blindness...

Kittens that have recently been born are very weak and susceptible to various diseases. For this reason, newborn babies often experience purulent discharge from the eyes. When a little kitten wants to open his eyes, he simply cannot do it. There can be many reasons for this condition (as well as the reasons themselves), and it is not always possible to understand why the kitten is suffering. A speck in the eye, drafts, viruses - anything can harm a kitten. Inflamed conjunctiva of the eye is called conjunctivitis, which, fortunately, is treatable.

Eye treatment for kittens

At the very beginning, when the disease first appeared, it is practically not dangerous for the cubs. But if conjunctivitis is not treated, it can cause serious harm to the kitten’s health.

The disease, if left untreated, can lead to complete loss of the animal's vision. Discharge from the eyes is a sign that the kitten has an infection in its eyes. Due to the unpleasant sensations in the eyes, the kitten constantly rubs them with its paws, but this action further spreads the infection, which can be transmitted to other kittens.

The cub requires immediate treatment. You need to wash the kitten's eyes with chamomile decoction. To rinse, you need to wet a small piece of cotton wool with warm broth and carefully rinse off the discharge, and then carefully rinse the inflamed eye itself. It is advisable to repeat the same procedure for other animals to avoid the development of the disease.

Sometimes rinsing your eyes may not help. In this case, it is better not to treat it yourself, but to take the kitten to a veterinarian who knows how to treat feline conjunctivitis.

Typically, special eye drops or eye ointments are used for treatment. In pharmacies you can find drugs such as “Iris”, tetracycline ointment, “Diamond Eyes” and so on. Before use, be sure to read the instructions for use of a particular drug. A good remedy is homeopathic remedies, which are harmless, but not always suitable.

How to properly apply eye drops to a kitten?

A small kitten needs to be able to be held correctly while instilling medications. It is important to hold the kitten firmly in your arms, but not to squeeze its body. Eyelids that are stuck together due to illness must first be soaked with a water infusion or decoction of chamomile or black tea. After this, you need to remove the pus, and then apply drops to the sore eye. You need to open your eyelids a little, then apply the medicine so that it gets into the eye, washes it well, and then rolls down to the baby’s nose. Treatment usually lasts about a week.

And, nevertheless, it is better not to self-medicate, but still use the services of a specialist. The fact is that with conjunctivitis, the cat must be examined for the presence of other dangerous diseases, such as chlamydia or mycoplasma. Kittens with conjunctivitis are tested to determine how sensitive they are to antibiotics. Thanks to this method, each cub can receive its own individual treatment, which will prevent the development of the disease and, as a result, loss of the kitten’s vision.

Sometimes pus accumulates in the eyes of domestic cats. Of course, this problem cannot but cause concern for the owner.

Most often, the cause of purulent eyes is inflammatory processes that occur in the eyeball or conjunctiva.

If this inflammatory process is not cured in time, the result is purulent discharge from the eyes. Only an experienced specialist can understand the exact cause of this disease.

Causes of festering eyes in cats

There are quite a large number of reasons why a cat’s eyes begin to fester. Mostly, untreated conjunctivitis occurs when the owners treat the pet inappropriately or do not carry out the full course of treatment prescribed by the doctor. In this case, acute conjunctivitis turns into a purulent, follicular or parenchymal form. Signs of these forms of conjunctivitis are purulent discharge.

Purulent discharge from the eyes is the first sign of the disease. You should immediately rinse your eyes with herbal infusions, such as chamomile, and contact a veterinary clinic.

In addition, the appearance of purulent discharge may be associated with the cat receiving an injury, for example, with a bruise to the eyelid. Cats get injured during fights, bump into sharp objects during play, and the like. If the eyelid is severely injured, the inflammatory process can spread to the eyeball, resulting in the formation of pus. Most often, when an eyelid injury occurs, the conjunctiva is damaged.

The cause of damage to the eye can be the entry of a foreign body into it, which irritates the mucous membrane of the eye, resulting in inflammation. The danger of this kind of damage is that a foreign body can damage the cornea or sclera, which opens the door for a pyogenic infection to enter the eyes.

As a result of traumatic, temperature and chemical effects on the eyelid, a cat may develop blepharitis. Damage to the eye allows the penetration of viruses, microbes and pathogenic fungi, which cause infection.

Another cause of pus formation in the eyes in cats is keratitis, or inflammation of the cornea.

Symptoms

The intensity and nature of purulent discharge from a cat’s eyes depend on the cause of its occurrence. There are certain signs characteristic of festering eyes that should alert the cat owner and force them to take their pet to a veterinary clinic:

With bruises of the eyelids, bruising is observed, and the adjacent tissue may be damaged. In some cases, necrosis occurs. The animal develops a tumor in the eye area that is hot to the touch, which causes pain in the cat when touched;

With wounds of the eyelids, bleeding, gaping and disruption of the integrity of the tissue appear. All these symptoms are accompanied by severe pain;

With purulent conjunctivitis, pus usually forms in both eyes. This disease causes an increase in the cat's body temperature, pain and depression. At the initial stage, the pus is liquid, and then it thickens. Sometimes the conjunctiva swells so much that it protrudes beyond the eye;

With follicular conjunctivitis, the lymph nodes on the inner surface of the eyelid are affected. As a result, pus is released from the conjunctival sac. The cat's eyelids swell, the eyes hurt, and there is photophobia;

Blephoritis causes redness of the eyelids, accompanied by itching. Because your cat's eyes are itchy, she scratches them, which makes the situation even worse. Streptococci and staphylococci get into the eye. With blepharitis, the eyelids may swell.

With purulent discharge, a cat's eyelashes stick together, as a result they fall out, and the formation of crusts prevents the eye from opening. Purulent discharge causes inflammation of the skin in the eye area, hairs fall out, and dermatitis and eczema form.

Diagnosis

A veterinarian diagnoses cats based on an external examination, clinical symptoms, collection and examination of tests. Under no circumstances should you try to determine the cause of the pathology yourself, especially since it is not recommended to treat your pet on your own, since complications can be very serious.

The doctor sends a sample of purulent discharge to the laboratory, where the type of infection and sensitivity to antibiotic treatment are determined.

Treatment of purulent eyes in a cat

Therapy begins first of all with eliminating the cause that provoked the pathological process. The success of treatment will directly depend on this.

If the painful condition was caused by a bruise, then the damaged area is cleaned with cotton wool soaked in a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide. This procedure must be carried out with caution so as not to further damage the conjunctiva. After treatment, the eyes are washed with potassium permanganate, and at the final stage, liquid antibiotics are dripped. If the eyelid is wounded, then similar treatment is carried out.

Many cat lovers are faced with the issue of watery eyes. Moreover, a similar problem can occur in both adult cats and small kittens. In such cases, rinsing is required. This is a rather responsible procedure that requires accuracy and attentiveness. Otherwise, the opposite effect may occur.

You can wash your kitten's eyes only after consulting a veterinarian.

Everyone knows that kittens come into this world completely blind. Their eyes begin to open slightly on the twelfth day of life. In order for the kitten to be comfortable looking at this world with wide open eyes, the mother cat has to carefully look after them, she constantly licks them with her tongue. Moreover, licking helps to cleanse the baby’s body and fight bacteria. When the time comes for a kitten to leave its mother, all care falls on the owner.

Causes of discharge from a kitten's eyes

Often the kitten requires additional care for its eyes; tears and mucus appear. Usually the cause of lacrimation is a weak immune system, and until the kitten receives all the necessary vaccinations, the owners will regularly encounter similar problems. The main reasons requiring additional intervention and consultation with a veterinarian are:

It is necessary to begin treatment for inflamed eyes as soon as possible, as this can lead to a decrease in visual acuity.

Features of discharge that help assess the situation

The nature of the discharge helps to make a correct diagnosis:

Thick discharge, with the presence of pus, which sticks together the pet’s eyelids, is yellow in color and is characteristic of fungal, bacterial and infectious diseases.
Watery and clear discharge occurs when an allergic reaction develops or the eyes are injured.
Transparent tears that, when dry, form brown discharge in the corners of the eyes, indicate that the kitten has gotten dirty.

It is quite possible that the kitten will not be delighted with this event. The main thing is to do everything quickly and confidently:

Before you start washing your kittens' eyes, be sure to thoroughly wash your hands with soap.
It is more convenient to do the washing together. You can ask someone to hold your pet while lying on its back; it is better to do this on your knees. You need to be careful, since an adult cat can do nothing but hit with strong paws, and at this time the pet’s eyeball may be damaged.
It is necessary to turn the animal so that the head is higher than the body.
It is allowed to use a solution at room temperature, the maximum temperature is 37 degrees. If the temperature is higher, the animal will get a burn to the eyeball.
The pipette or bottle with drops should be located a centimeter above the surface of the eyes. If you don’t have a pipette at home, you can replace it with a disposable syringe. The needle must first be removed from the syringe.
It is necessary to moisten a cotton swab in the desired solution, then, if the eyelids are stuck together, the solution must first be squeezed onto the eyelids, and then, after opening the eyelids, onto the eyes.
If the eyelashes are stuck together, use a swab dipped in the solution to carefully walk along the outer part of the eyes. The direction of movements is from the nose to the corners. It is necessary to carry out these movements until the eyes begin to open.
Afterwards, the skin around the eyelid is dried with a cotton swab.
Do not touch the surface of your eyes with a dry cotton swab because the dry cloth will remove the top layer of skin cells.
Do not touch the surface of the eyeball.
After the solution is dripped into the eyeball, you need to bring the eyelids together. This is necessary so that the medicine is evenly distributed.

You should not use cotton wool, as its fibers will get on the eyeball and cause even more irritation.

If the eye ointment is preheated, it will be much easier to put into the eye.

What solution should you wash your eyes with?

It is important not only to know how to properly clean a cat’s eyeball of pus, but also what solution is allowed to do this. If you find inflamed eyes, the right decision would be to contact a veterinarian. He will advise you on what solution you can use to clean your cat’s eyes. The veterinarian will take a swab from the conjunctiva for analysis and accurately determine the cause of inflammation and pus formation. Usually he prescribes:

Furacilin solution has an excellent antibacterial effect. You can buy a ready-made solution, or you can prepare it yourself. Take two tablets of furatsilin per glass of warm boiled water, crush to a powder, bring to complete dissolution by constant stirring. Before dripping into the cat's eyeball, you need to strain it through double gauze so that the medication particles do not damage the mucous membrane.
A solution of boric acid is prepared as follows: take one teaspoon of boric acid per glass of boiled water and stir thoroughly until completely dissolved.
A saline solution is good for removing foreign particles and dirt.
Diamond Eyes drops have a good effect.

If the kitten shows pus that irritates the pet, the veterinarian will often prescribe the following medications:

Tetracycline eye ointment.
Hydrocortisone eye ointment.
Levomycetin powder.
Tsiprovet.
Iris.

It is not recommended to use ointment with antibiotics and hormonal agents without a veterinarian's prescription.

Folk remedies

If there are no medications and you need urgent help, then you can use home remedies:

Medical chamomile decoction. To prepare the decoction, take 2 teaspoons of the mixture, purchased at a pharmacy, in 60 milliliters of boiling water, leave for 5 minutes. Before use, strain through double gauze.
The tea solution not only cleanses of foreign particles, but also acts as an antiseptic. You cannot use freshly brewed tea. Yesterday's tea leaves work well, but it is strictly forbidden to use two-day-old tea leaves, because bacteria begin to multiply in it.
A solution of potassium permanganate is used to clean the eyeball. The medicinal solution should have a slightly pinkish color without the presence of undissolved crystals. Otherwise, it threatens to burn the mucous membrane.

Most kittens have problems with their eyes. With the right approach, the owner can deal with this problem quite easily; the main rule is not to delay cleaning the eyeballs. If eye inflammation does not go away, then it is advisable to consult a veterinarian.

Pets are also susceptible to various diseases, just like their owners. Most often, cats and cats have problems with the organs of vision.

And it is unlikely that a caring and attentive owner will be able to ignore such a serious symptom as the discharge of pus from the eyes of his pet.

Only a quick and adequate response to the current problem will help quickly end the cat’s suffering. There are several reasons for the discharge of pus from a cat's eye, and first of all, this issue should be clarified.

The main causes of eye suppuration in cats

The number of reasons why cats may develop purulent discharge from the eyes is not so small. The most common cause is untreated conjunctivitis, especially if the treatment process itself was carried out incorrectly or not until complete recovery. Then, depending on the development of the pathological process, the acute form of conjunctivitis can develop into follicular, purulent or parenchymal conjunctivitis, in which purulent discharge from the eyes is the main symptom.

No less often, the cause of purulent discharge from the eyes in pets can be bruises and injuries to the eyelids, which result in an inflammatory process affecting the eyeball.

An animal can injure its eye in a fight or during a game, bumping into a sharp object, etc. In most cases, when a bruise or injury occurs, the conjunctiva is also damaged. The mucous membrane is very sensitive and the smallest foreign object can cause inflammation.

The worst thing is that such damage can provoke a pyogenic infection if the cornea and sclera are affected. If a cat's eyelid has been subjected to chemical, thermal or traumatic effects, then we may also be talking about a disease called blepharitis. Indeed, as a result of such exposure, the eye can become infected with pathogenic fungi, microbes or viruses.

Symptoms

The animal’s well-being, as well as the nature of the purulent discharge, directly depends on the cause that led to the pet’s illness.
Let's look at the main signs that should prompt you to immediately contact a qualified veterinarian for help: