My young kitten has sticky eye discharge. Can I treat it at home?

Poor kittens! Eye infections can be viral or bacterial. Unfortunately you’re not likely to clear an eye infection with at home care. Just like with humans, these guys require antibiotic eyedrops which you will need to get from the veterinarian. I recommend to call your clinic and make an appointment ideally today. Eye infections in young kittens can become serious and cause permanent damage to the corneas. Bring the whole litter and the mother. Certainly cleaning off the teats and the rest of the environment will help but all the kittens have been exposed at this point. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello. Most of these kitties have a viral infection of the eyes often complicated with a secondary bacterial component. Other than keeping the eyes clear by gently cleaning with warm water a few times a day, there is not much more you can do except having the kitten seen & treated by a veterinarian. With the proper medications, the kitten will start to feel & look better pretty quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Your kitty likely is suffering from an upper respiratory infection and should be seen by a vet for an exam and deworming. It will likely need prescription antibiotics. In the meantime (until you can take her to a vet) you can tak a cloth with warm water an soak the eyes. This should help with opening them. You can then gently wipe off the purulent discharge.

Koko is probably suffering from either an eye infection or an eye injury, you will have to take him to the vet in order to get the eye checked, he will probably need an antibiotic eye drop prescription for 1-2 weeks.

This is likely to be a due to a viral and bacterial infection of the eye, which would require immediate check up as antibiotics are immediately needed. These type of ocular infections can result in corneal damage and possibly perforations if not treated quite rapidly.

Poor Gandalf. He likely has a mild upper respiratory infection. You can try some artificial tear drops OTC but I am afraid that he is going to need some prescription drops and possibly even oral antibiotics. Watch him closely. If he starts to get lethargic, the discharge doesn't improve, he stops eating or starts to sneeze/cough, I would strongly recommend to have your vet take a look. Your vet will be able to get him started on the proper meds to prevent him from getting worse. I hope this helps!

Poor Pete! Squinting and discharge from the eye are common signs of an eye infection. He will need prescription eye drops from your veterinarian to treat this problem, so I would recommend taking him in for an exam as soon as you are able to. In the meantime, you can try gently flushing his eye with plain saline eye wash, and wipe away the drainage with a warm washcloth or cotton ball as often as needed. This will not treat the underlying infection, but may help to make him a bit more comfortable until you are able to see the vet.