5 Week Old Kitten Eye Infection

[kendalcm]

Hi. I have a kitten that was brought to me after being found in the middle of the highway with the mom run over. It had closed bloody eyes and nose and some sneezing. We went to the vet and she was aged as 2 weeks old. He said the kitten just needed a good start in life and advised me about bottle feeding and bathroom stimulation. We went home and later realized she had fleas really bad so we did the dawn bath a few times over the next few days til they were completely gone. She also had trouble going to the bathroom the first few days but finally did on the 3rd day, so that was a relief. Over the next few weeks the eyes would ooze but finally opened up good. At 4 weeks we went back to the vet because one eye was swollen and bulging a bit. She gave us some vetropolycin ointment. A week later there was no change, so we went back. By this time the eye also appeared to be turning brown and the skin around it was looking red and inflamed. This time she said that the only thing she could do was treat it like an abscess behind the eye. She gave me some amoxicillin to give .1 ml twice a day for 3 days and then once a day til it's gone. She also said to give .1 ml of my other cats prednisolone (for asthma) once a day, instead of buying another bottle. She turned the lights out and examined if the pupil was dilating, and she said it was and that was a good sign. I'm just wondering since we started the antibiotic and steroid Monday if things should be improving already. From what I've read it should respond within 48-72 hours. It doesn't seem to bother her until I put the ointment on. She eats good. Still working on weaning. We are doing the "gruel" in the bottle still. She just started using the litter box last week, so that was nice. Has anyone had a similar experience with eye swelling or bulging? Am I looking at possibly losing the eye? Thanks for any advice. I'm attaching pictures.

 

[denice]

What a little sweety. She looks bright and alert which is very good considering the rough start she had. Bottle babies are particularly attached to people. I don't know a lot about kittens this young but I know that this issue is pretty common in young kittens. She may lose the eye or lose sight in that eye but she will adapt very well, you are doing all that I know of to do. Hopefully someone who knows more about the babies will chime in with some suggestions.

 

[silkenpaw]

I have no help to offer. Just want to thank you for rescuing her and taking care of her. She’s adorable Keep us updated on how she does, please.

 

[kendalcm]

What a little sweety. She looks bright and alert which is very good considering the rough start she had. Bottle babies are particularly attached to people. I don't know a lot about kittens this young but I know that this issue is pretty common in young kittens. She may lose the eye or lose sight in that eye but she will adapt very well, you are doing all that I know of to do. Hopefully someone who knows more about the babies will chime in with some suggestions.

Thank you! Yes she is very alert and getting more feisty every day.... That is reassuring. I figure she will be fine if it does come to that, but I'd just be so nervous about the surgery itself, with her being so young. But I guess we could be left with no other option.

 

[kendalcm]

I have no help to offer. Just want to thank you for rescuing her and taking care of her. She’s adorable Keep us updated on how she does, please.

Thank you so much! I've never had one so young before, but it is so neat to see the little changes they go through when growing up.

 

[talkingpeanut]

I would take her to another vet for a second opinion. That doesn’t look good.

 

[kendalcm]

I would take her to another vet for a second opinion. That doesn’t look good.

I've been thinking a lot about that. Probably will on Monday.

 

[kendalcm]

Pictures from today....
Weaning is not happening. She will go up to the bottle and bite it but isn't interested in anything in a plate or bowl. She's getting "babycat mousse" mixed with kmr for now. Been adding l-lysine and started using terramycin on the eye. She is active and seems happy. I just can't relax with this eye situation. I feel like I can't fully enjoy all of her cute kitten antics because I'm so stressed about this. Hopefully we can get some answers Monday.



 

[talkingpeanut]

She definitely needs a second opinion. Please let us know what they say.

 

[kendalcm]

UPDATE:
We saw a different vet today that I've used before years ago. She actually checked the vision in the eye and tested the pressure. She thinks she is probably blind in the eye, and the pressure was an 18, which she said was normal. She said at this point we've tried about everything, so we are scheduled for an enucleation next monday. She said no more medicine until then to let it clear her system before surgery. I feel kind of relieved in a way, but naturally I'm worried about putting her through surgery. On another note, she's barely started eating some wet food finally, so that was exciting. Oh, and I finally named her Scout. Thanks to the 3 of you who responded. Hopefully I will have good news on Monday that all went well. I'm uploading a pic of her 4 weeks ago vs now, plus a pic of her finally eating on her own.

 

[talkingpeanut]

The doctor didn’t think there was any way the swelling in the eye would go down? If not, I think you’re making the right choice, and I’m so glad you got a second opinion.

 

[nese]

Isn't there a possibility to heal for the eye? I guess they are not sure if there is vision in the eye or not, since they say "probably blind". Are there any dangers of waiting a few weeks until she gets a bit older and stronger? Do they have to really perform the surgery?

 

[kendalcm]

She said for the amount of time this has been going on it should've responded to the medications we've tried if it was going to get better. We have a week though, so maybe something could change between now and then. She said in the meantime there shouldn't be any risk of any emergency unless she injures it somehow. I asked her if she thought there was a big risk with the surgery since she was so young, and she said there's always a small risk with all of them. Now I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing. Do you think I should wait a while? This is all new to me. I have other cats, one with asthma even, but never dealt with anything like this, or even had a kitten since it was 2 weeks old. I'm very attached to her after all this so I just want to do what's best.

 

[denice]

She is so cute. I am definitely a layperson with no experience with the babies but my inclination would be to wait a bit. The vet said that pressure in the eye is normal so I would continue with the medication to keep things under control and wait a bit to have the eye removed. As I said though I am a layperson and the vet certainly knows much more than I do.

 

[nese]

If there is no emergency and there is no risk of waiting, I would wait a few weeks. She is so young, I wouldn't be comfortable to put such a young animal under anestesia unless it is an emergency.

 

[Norachan]

How much does she weigh now kendalcm ? Surgery is risky if a kitten weighs less than 1 kilo. Does the vet think she is in pain? Or that there is a risk of further complications if you wait until she gets a little bigger?

 

[kendalcm]

How much does she weigh now kendalcm ? Surgery is risky if a kitten weighs less than 1 kilo. Does the vet think she is in pain? Or that there is a risk of further complications if you wait until she gets a little bigger?

Last time I weighed her she was 1 lb 6 oz. I'm not at home where my scale is but I'll check again when I get home. The vet just said that she should feel much better once it's out, so she must think she is in some pain. They're supposed to call me tomorrow to remind me of the appointment, so when I talk to them I'll ask what they think the risk in waiting is. The eye hasn't changed since Monday. No better and no worse. I'll update once I talk to them.

 

[kendalcm]

I talked to them this morning. The receptionist said that the vet is in surgery until walk-in hours later today, but she said she would have told me if it was an emergency and needed to happen right away. She said the concern of injury is a real possibility and then it would become an emergency. But I originally told the vet that she was in a pet playpen and I don't let my other cats near her, so unless she paws at it, there shouldn't be any injury to it. They put it down as cancelled but reserved the spot in case I change my mind. I'm going to go in Monday during walk-in hours instead and get an update / checkup and reschedule based on what she tells me.

 

[Norachan]

That sounds like a good idea. Please keep us updated.

 

[kendalcm]

Quick questions: If she was fully weaned to wet food, how many ounces should she be eating in a day? The cans I have are 3 oz. The feeding guidelines for her age just say "as much as your kitten will eat". Should she be finishing off a can per day? Should I still supplement kmr? Should I add nutrical or something to help her gain some extra weight before she has surgery? She is almost 7 weeks.