My kitten's third eyelid is red and won't retract. What should I do?

Upper respiratory infections are not uncommon in kittens like Smokey. Its also not unusual that they cause eye problems as well. I would advise to start Smokey on 250mg of lysine twice daily. You may be able to find this at a pet store but it is used in humans as well. Otherwise your vet will likely carry it as well. Call the doctor to let her know whats going on. She may have further recommendations. If Smokey's eyes start to get irritated or have a green/yellow discharge, he needs antibiotics for his eyes as well. I hope this helps!

Most likely no, your kitten will not die from green eye boogers and a raised 3rd eyelid. I recommend going to your vet who will likely prescribe a topical opthalmic antibiotic ointment or drops. He/she may also recommend a fluorescein stain of the eyes to rule out corneal scratches/ulcers. It is possible that after the infection/inflammation is resolved, the third eyelid may return to normal. Feline herpes virus infections in kittens can often lead to secondary bacterial eye infections. Viral infections can not generally be treated but lysine supplements/paste may be helpful in boosting your kitten’s immune system while being treated for a bacterial eye infection. Good luck!

From the history it appears that she had rather severe upper respiratory infection. The eyes are commonly affected with upper respiratory infections and the raised third eyelid occurs with infections, so I think that is what your vet is treating for. However, this can also occur with a condition call Horner's Syndrome where the pupil decreases in size compared with the other. I can't tell from this picture if the pupil is actually smaller (the thrid eyelid is in the way), but if it is, I would have her checked for signs of Horner's. This condition could indicate a deeper infection in the face. I hope that helps and Miku gets better soon.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Kreso. I agree that the lining of her eye is a bit red. She also appears to have some discharge. Respiratory tract infections with eye involvement are common in kittens and young cats. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian to determine if this is the case or if it is something else. She may need medication. I hope this information helps!

Kitten needs to be examined by the veterinarian today. Many cats will get viral infections that cause sneezing and upper respiratory symptoms. Some of these kittens will get viral infections that also affect the eye and can cause painful ulcers which can progress and dive deeper into the eye (which is not good). Lysine supplements for cats may help with viral infections in general but your kitten still needs to be examined today. The doctor needs to check the eye for an ulcer, scratch or perhaps a foreign object trapped under the eye lid. You must also protect the eye from any scratching with an elizabethan collar. I hope this helps and best of luck.

By far the most common cause of corneal ulcers is herpesvirus; so although antibiotic drops are usually indicated to treat secondary bacterial infections or prevent infection, Kit might not be improving because she has viral eye disease. Some vets will try oral antiviral medication or topical antiviral drops. Herpesvirus can be very difficult to treat and it never goes away completely. You may want to ask about referral to an ophthalmologist for the best treatment.

Poor girl. Her current temperature is normal so that is good. I would suggest going back to the vet for another type of antibiotic. It seems the current one is not doing the trick, so another class of antibiotic may be all she needs to get this to clear up. I typically like to use Azithromycin in cats with upper respiratory disease because it is highly effective. You should also get Zazu on an anti-viral supplement daily to help boost her immune system. Look for Lysine powder from your local pet store and this should help her immunity and help prevent flare ups in the future, since most URI's are viral related in cats. I hope that your pet Zazu feels better soon! Take care.