Newborn kittens are born weak and defenseless. For this reason, we often have to deal with the problem, when a small kitten has a discharge from the eyes. The kid tries to open his eyes, and, as a rule, can not do it. We do not always know why the kitten has festering eyes, because the causes of the disease are very different. Probably, a foreign body or a kitten blew in the eye during a walk, worse if the cause of purulent discharge is pathogenic microbes, viruses or fungi. Owing to irritation of the conjunctiva of the eye, inflammation occurs. The disease is called conjunctivitis.
Eye treatment in kittens
In its initial stage, the disease is not dangerous for babies. But not cured conjunctivitis threatens with complications. Ulcers appear on the cornea of the eye, and as a result, the kitten may lose sight. In addition, purulent discharge indicates that an infection has come into the eye. The kid constantly rubs their paws and, thereby, spreads it around himself, infecting other kittens.
The faster you start to wash the eyes of the kitten, the faster it will go on the mend. Cats best for treatment is a decoction of chamomile. Cotton swab dipped in a warm broth you need to carefully remove the discharge, and then rinse the eye. For prevention, do the same procedure for other kittens, using a separate tampon for each kitten.
If the eye rinsing does not give the desired result and the kitten still has festering eyes, you can, of course, continue to try to treat it yourself, but it is better to seek advice from a specialist who will tell you what to treat the eyes of the kittens.
For treatment, use eye drops or ophthalmic ointment, which is placed behind the eyelid. In the pharmacy you can buy Iris drops, Diamond eyes, Ciprolet, Levomycetin, Albutide, tetracycline ointment. Other variants of medicinal preparations are possible. But in any case, before using, you should carefully read the instructions. Sometimes for the treatment of harmless for the body use homeopathic drugs.
How correctly to instill a kitten's eyes?
Eye drops are buried by holding the kitten on hands. The stuck eyelids should first be soaked with a decoction of chamomile, a weak solution of potassium permanganate or another antiseptic liquid that can be applied to the mucous eyes, then remove the pus and drip the eye. At the same time, the eyelids are slightly dilated with two fingers of one hand, and with the other hand they add a drop of the medicine in such a way that it rinses well the mucous membrane, gets behind the eyelids and slides down to the kitten spout. Burying must necessarily both eyes several times a day. Treatment with drops or ointment lasts, as a rule, five or seven days.
Still, turning to a veterinary clinic will be a more sensible decision. Since with conjunctivitis it is recommended to examine cats for chlamydia, mycoplasma and for the presence of bacterial flora, which may be the cause of the disease. When the kitten's eyes fester, a bacterial sowing from the eye will be performed in the laboratory to determine the susceptibility to antibiotics. Treatment blindly excluded,
Chlamydia as a cause of conjunctivitis
According to the results of studies conducted in Britain, one third of cats diagnosed with conjunctivitis were infected with chlamydia. The disease is very common among kittens age from five weeks to nine months. Chlamydiae are transmitted by contact from a sick animal to a healthy animal and through objects that get secretions from the eyes. Kittens get chlamydia from a sick mother. Mother's milk for five months protects small pets from the disease, and then they become open to infection. Their health depends on your care and attention.