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My kitten's eye is swollen and draining after treatment, is it normal?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | unspayed

My kitten has conjunctivitis and an upper respiratory infection and i was prescribed an antibiotic and ointment for her. she seems to feel better, but her eye is swollen and a clear pus like liquid is coming out of it. is it normal for this to happen while healing or is there a problem?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Dr Stafford, BVetMed, MRCVS

Answered By Dr Stafford, BVetMed, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on August 16th, 2017

Poor Daisy! It can take the eye a little time to respond to the ointment, and sometimes it will get worse before better. I would apply the ointment 3 times a day if it is this bad. If the eye does not start to settle, or you notice cloudiness or redness on the eyeball itself, I would take her back to the vet as sometimes when the eye is sore they can scratch it and cause an ulcer on the eye itself, this can be serious.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Karly Macon, DVM, MS, CVA Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 11th, 2017

    This could be normal for Bruce. Also, if he has a viral upper respiratory infection, the eye meds are not going to fix ocular discharge entirely. All they are going to do is to prevent a secondary bacterial infection in the eyes. So the drops do a good job of getting yellow/green discharge to clear up, but the infection that is causing the ocular discharge in the first place is not going to disappear right away. In fact, some infections like feline herpes virus never go away completely, but as the kitten ages his immune system will be better prepared to deal with it and "outbreaks" will be less frequent. I have good luck with oral Lycine for feline herpes outbreaks that are characterized by sneezing and ocular discharge. Hope that helps!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 13th, 2018

    I am sorry to hear about Leo! I would continue what you are doing and if you have any sterile eye wash you can rinse his eyes thoroughly (or pick some up at the pet store) in case he got something in his eye like some pieces of dirt/debris. If he is still squinting tomorrow I would recommend calling your vet to let them know. We can see eye infections along with some upper respiratory infections but we also worry about scratches and corneal ulcerations and your vet may want to examine the eyes to check for these, and may want to prescribe eye drops/ointment if they are concerned.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 5th, 2018

    The eye is probably inflamed, possibly infected. you will have to take her to the vet in order to get the eye treated with prescription eye drops. it's very common for previously injured eyes to get re-infected and they often need to be treated occasionally.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Vet Q & A
My kitten's eye is tearing after uveitis treatment. Is it normal?
This is generally a good sign that the infection/inflammation is resolving. The thick discharge indicates that there is an increase in mucous secretion, which is often seen with infections. The clear discharge is essentially tears and is increased during times of mild/moderate irritation. Given that Layla has uveitis and glaucoma, it's expected that there will be some irritation before it completely resolves. As long as the eye is not budging excessively, or more red appearing, then this is not an emergency and you are OK to wait until you can contact your vet tomorrow. If the eye does appear more red or misshapen, then it would be good to take her to the emergency vet for an evaluation. Otherwise, I suspect that this is a good sign that the treatment is working and that things should be on the mend. If you have further questions or need further clarification, then you may consider having an online consult with one of our vets on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This way, you can send unlimited pictures and have a text conversation with a vet. I hope that helps and Layla get well soon.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
New Pet
My 20-day-old kitten has a swollen, watery eye. What should I do?
This is a classic presentation of a cat with an upper respiratory disease and conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis can be caused by a few different infections, but is commonly caused by a virus that most cats harbor and comes out during times of stress. These infections can become complicated with bacterial infections and cause more problems. Nugget's eyes appear rather infected, so I recommend taking her to the vet for an evaluation. They will be able to better inspect the eye and provide the most appropriate treatment. For now, you can flush the eye 3-4 times a day with saline (can get this at the pharmacy) to help clean and soothe it. Below is a link to a good video that demonstrates how to do this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDGzdUTUdNI You can also help the congestion by giving a steam bath. Below is a link to information about upper respiratory disease in cats and explains how to do the steam bath. http://www.wikihow.com/Help-Your-Cat-Breathe-Easier It's best if you can get Nugget to a vet within the next day or two. The vet would be able to prescribe the necessary treatment to make her feel better and keep the infection from getting worse. I hope this helps and Nugget feels better soon.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
New Pet
Why is my 2-week-old kitten's eye swollen shut with no eye crust?
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely an upper respiratory infection. This is usually treated with antibiotics and eye drops. I recommend that you have Weasley evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for this possibility and start therapy accordingly. Best of luck!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
New Pet
My kitten's eye is dripping, swollen, and stuck. Does she need a vet?
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Nala. She appears to be squinting a bit in your picture. This can mean that her eyes are painful. If the other cats she is playing with are experiencing similar signs, I suspect there is an infectious cause. I would recommend that she sees her veterinarian. She may require an antibiotic eye ointment. In the meantime, do not let her paws at her eyes as this can irritate them further. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My cat's eye is healing but still pink with hair loss. Is this normal?
Poor guy. I can certainly appreciate a lot of swelling of his conjunctiva and discharge from that left eye. This is typically caused by a viral infection. Since there is improvement with the swelling, I would continue the course of treatment. You should also consider adding in an over the counter antiviral supplement called Lysine powder, which is found at most pet stores. This can help boost up Mischiefs immune system to fight the infection. Hopefully this fully resolved by the end of his treatment course. If not, then it’s best to revisit with your vet for further treatment options. I hope that your pet Mischief fully recovers from his eye infection soon! Best wishes and take care.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
Is my kitten's swollen, red, cloudy eye with discharge an infection?
It looks like a very severe eye infection, you must take your kitten to the vet urgently in order to get it treated, he will need antibiotic eye drops. failure to treat it fast will result in blindness in both eyes.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My cat has URI and her other eye is suddenly gooey and swollen. Is it an emergency?
I am so sorry to hear that Dove has had such a horrible couple of weeks. Unfortunately it looks like her second eye is now infected as well. This is very common in situations like this where a cat is suffering from an upper respiratory infection as well as an eye infection, as the cat wipes her eyes with her paws to groom and spread the infection. in addition all of the areas of her nasal region are inflamed and this more likely to become infected. Due to how quickly eye concerns can progress, as well as the possibility that Dove may have scratched the surface of her eye causing an ulcer I would advise a trip back to the veterinarian as soon as you can. Most likely the veterinarian will use a tear stain to examine her eye for a corneal ulceration. If one is not present the vet will most likely ask you to use the same ointment in both eyes. It would also be a great idea to place an e-collar to stop her scratching at her eyes any further. I understand how truly upsetting this all is, but you are doing so well looking after Dove and making sure she gets the medical treatment she needs. Please post any further questions you may have. We are here to help support you both.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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